Strange Pilgrims | Substack

Announcing the Inaugural $3000 Strange Pilgrims Prize

Early Bird Entries Now Open! ★ Awarding Story of the Year & Essay of the Year

Jun 16 • Strange Pilgrims, Shannan Mann, and Karan Kapoor

Sparks Alive Through Severed Phonelines by Evan Noren

"The phone sex only starts to get interesting after the chainsaw comes into play." | Micro #3 → Love & Sex

Jun 28 • Strange Pilgrims and Shannan Mann

Nine Deadly Sins on I-55 by J. Newman Pritchard

"I think heaven and hell started their battle in Jackson." | Short Story #6

Jun 25 • Strange Pilgrims, Karan Kapoor, and J. Newman Pritchard

Against Cancel Culture: Art as Conversation by Justine Payton

"This is a dangerous place for us to be." | Reviews & Critique #2

Jun 19 • Strange Pilgrims, Justine Payton, and Shannan Mann

Editorial Transparency & Fairness

Additional Contest Details, Policy + Disclaimers

Jun 16 • Strange Pilgrims, Shannan Mann, and Karan Kapoor

Most Popular

An Anti-Algorithm Media Compendium for Literary Folks

Oct 20, 2025 • Shannan Mann and Karan Kapoor

Lit Theory 101 | Narrative Structure & Time

Dec 12, 2025 • Shannan Mann, Karan Kapoor, and Strange Pilgrims

Send us your stories & essays!

Sep 21, 2025 • Shannan Mann, Karan Kapoor, and Strange Pilgrims

We read over 7000 stories & essays. Here are our top 9 submitting tips!

Mar 2 • Strange Pilgrims, Shannan Mann, and Karan Kapoor

Strange Pilgrims

STRANGE PILGRIMS is an independent, ad-free & reader-supported literary publication. Join our community (because we're weird, but in the fun way).

Newsletters

Fiction between between 1500-7500 words

Fiction under 1500 words

Creative Nonfiction between 1500-7500 words

Creative nonfiction under 1500 words

Reviews & Critique

On anything & everything, under 1500 words

Writing, submitting & publishing lessons & resources + editorial insights, media recommendations & lots more!

Micro of the Month challenge winner ★ Writing under 300 words ★ Different themes every time!

Submission Calls

Submit to Strange Pilgrims ☆ All upcoming opening & closings

Recommendations

Bob Hicok: Poetry

Karan Kapoor

ONLY POEMS DAILY

ONLY POEMS DAILY

Beautiful Losers

Shannan Mann

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Shannan Mann

Sparks Alive Through Severed Phonelines by Evan Noren

Karan Kapoor

Nine Deadly Sins on I-55 by J. Newman Pritchard

Short Stories

Nine Deadly Sins on I-55 by J. Newman Pritchard

"I think heaven and hell started their battle in Jackson." | Short Story #6

Jun 25 • Strange Pilgrims, Karan Kapoor, and J. Newman Pritchard

Flash Fiction

The Museum of Doors | The Museum of Cats by GennaRose Nethercott

"Some of the doors don’t look like doors. A door can be many things." | Flash Fiction #5 & #6

Jun 4 • Strange Pilgrims, Shannan Mann, and GennaRose Nethercott

Essays & Memoir

The Glass Squid by Marianne Daigh

"We want to say no." | Essay #6

Jun 11 • Strange Pilgrims, Shannan Mann, and Marianne Daigh

We Need To Tell Better Stories About Science by Liza Katz Duncan

"Why are stories of fear and violence so much more powerful, more memorable, than ones of gratitude and community, humility and learning? " | Essay #5

May 14 • Strange Pilgrims, Shannan Mann, and Liza Katz Duncan

Etymology of a Bear by Matty Layne Glasgow

"Where there’s a little flesh and some mystery, there’s a narrative waiting to write itself out of hibernation." | Essay # 4

Apr 9 • Strange Pilgrims and Shannan Mann

A Brief History of Werewolves by Gwen C. Katz

The idea of the werewolf as an evil monster wouldn’t emerge until the early modern era. | Essay #3

Mar 12 • Strange Pilgrims and Shannan Mann

Metamorphosis on Hill 88 by Hannah Levy

"I have been running my whole life." | Essay #2

Feb 12 • Strange Pilgrims, Karan Kapoor, and Hannah Eve Levy

Flash Creative Nonfiction

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