The White Review magazine goes on hiatus and ceases day-to-day publishing

Literature and arts magazine The White Review is going on a hiatus and ceasing its day-to-day publishing for an indefinite period, according to a statement by its board.

The board says that the magazine’s applications for funding have been rejected by Arts Council England for three successive years. The charity relied on this funding for “a substantial portion of its annual budget” in the 10 years between 2011-2021.

“Despite our best efforts, the associated effects of the cost of living crisis and the increase in production costs, in tandem with reduced funding, has meant that The White Review has not been able to publish a print issue since No. 33 in June 2022,” the statement says. "We commend outgoing editors – Rosanna Mclaughlin, Izabella Scott and Skye Arundhati Thomas – who steered the magazine through this challenging period.”

It goes on to add: “Appointed in spring 2021, they completed their two-year tenure in July 2023. Their final project will be an anthology of new writing in translation publishing in March 2024, made possible by a £10,000- grant from the Jan Michalski Foundation. All subscribers will receive a copy, and will be notified about subscription fulfilment in the months ahead.”

The board comprises six members, including co-founders Ben Eastham and Jacques Testard. In the statement, they said that the board of trustees is entering a period of consultation on the future of the magazine, the outcomes of which are to follow.

Founded in 2011, The White Review was edited by Eastham and Testard until 2017, when Francesca Wade and Željka Marošević took over as editors. Wade was the magazine’s sole editor from autumn 2019 until its 10th anniversary in February 2021.

The White Review’s print issues were designed and art directed by Ray O’Meara from 2011 until 2017, and by Thom Swann thereafter. It featured fiction, poetry, essays, interviews with writers and artists, as well as a series of artworks.

The print issues are accompanied by online publishing and events, as well as the annual White Review Short Story Prize and White Review Poet’s Prize.