L’Esprit Literary Review is an independent, entirely non-profit literary journal founded in February 2022 — the centenary month of the publication of Ulysses — in deliberate celebration of the literary revolution of High Modernism. Edited by Jessica Denzer and operating as a sister publication to Indirect Books, the journal publishes short fiction, creative nonfiction, novel extracts, literary criticism, book reviews, artwork, and photography in the fearless, risk-adept spirit of writers like Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Rachel Cusk, David Foster Wallace, and Annie Ernaux. Its motto, in mediam mentem (“into the middle of the mind”), reflects its core focus on consciousness-forward, interior-driven, language-first prose. Two full print/digital/online issues are released annually in April and October, supplemented by four online-only quarterlies. The journal runs two annual contests: the Clarissa Dalloway Prize for Short Prose and the Leopold Bloom Prize for Innovative Narration.

General submissions open and close in announced reading periods and are accepted via Submittable, with a modest $3 submission fee (waivers available on request). The journal accepts short fiction and prose up to 7,000 words (with flexibility), novel extracts, criticism, book reviews, and original black-and-white artwork or photography. Previously published work is accepted if the author holds full rights. Simultaneous and multiple submissions (up to two pieces) are welcome. The acceptance rate is under 3%, and contributors receive a $10 honorarium plus a digital copy of the issue. Expedited response and editorial feedback options are also available for a fee. Poetry and drama are not accepted as standalone submissions, though hybrid forms incorporating these elements are considered.