about Calla Press, the Literary Journal
WHO WE ARE
We publish articles on faith, poetry, prose, essays, flash fiction, short fiction, and book excerpts. Max is 5,000 WC per literary genre.
As of August 2026, we are open for online literary submissions only. We are currently not accepting entries for a print journal at this time. Please subscribe to know when we do open for a print journal!
Please fill out our Formester form here to apply and submit your work. Entries submitted by any other means will be overlooked. Thank you for understanding. Please wait two weeks before submitting new work. Simultaneous submissions welcome. Please expect to wait one to two months before hearing back about the status of your submission.
Welcome to Calla Press
Calla Press began in 2017, when our founder first started publishing others' work on her website. In 2019, that early collection of writing evolved into an online literary journal through Issuu every year thereafter, laying the foundation for what would become Calla Press.
The journal soon expanded into an annual print publication. You can find our published journals online.
Today, Calla Press is an established literary journal publishing work submitted online on a rolling basis. We remain committed to creating a thoughtful, lasting space for writers and their work.
Articles
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I Wanna Live More Than Half Alive by Dalton Olive
“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, serenely, divinely aware.” — Henry Miller The ache has shown itself countless times in my 32 years, but one of the clearest m...
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When You Know You’re Unworthy by Jana Carlson
My mom is all about making memories. Anytime, everywhere, in whatever way possible. So, on an annual girls' day out during my “still single” days, she adamantly suggested we go into a bridal shop “...
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When Omnipresence Feels Like Abandonment by kirsten mcgraw
This essay explores the tension between God’s omnipresence and the felt experience of divine silence in seasons of suffering. Blending personal narrative with Scripture and theological reflec...
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Keeping Peace is More Important Than Being Right by Joy A. Mead
“Woof!” I was getting into bed after a busy day and very much looking forward to resting peacefully. “Woof! Woof, woof!” Living in Greater London in a semi-detached house, it is common to hea...
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A Very Covid Easter by Joy Nevin Axelson
Many claimed it was the darkest, most depressing Easter ever. A worldwide pandemic—a health crisis of unprecedented magnitude—had swept the globe. In the span of two weeks in March 2020, it u...
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Learning to Let Go: A Lesson I’ve Almost Learned by Kelly Flannery
“Medical school? Wow. How do you feel about that, Kelly?” It was a question I hadn’t been expecting. My husband and I were having dinner with a longtime friend—a medical student himself—t...
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