For over two decades, Mantis has sought out the best in original poetry and new translations into English. Now more than ever, we aim to push beyond our previous considerations for poetry we consider and accept, and what we ultimately collect into our annual volume of new poetry. We maintain no overarching aesthetic preference, and the spirit of our issues tend to shift with the whims of our ever-changing cast of editors.
Send us your work that flaunts convention or is deeply rooted in it. Send us pieces that confound us, make us think. Send us your work that doesn’t quite fit anywhere else, that you can’t quite put a finger on, with lines that will get stuck in the back of our minds for an hour (or an eternity). Send us poems in search of a home among kindred spirits and new friends, and the new life that reading brings.
We delight in the work of poets both young and timeless, whether seasoned veterans of the trade or the freshest or amateurs—when the words move us, we listen, we respond. We are committed to publishing the voices of poets from all different backgrounds and to upholding those voices that have been historically marginalized.
Mantis is housed in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages at Stanford University and is run by passionate graduate students from the DLCL, and the East Asian Languages and Cultures Department. We are published by the Stanford University Press. Each year we publish an annual issue that collects new poetry and poetry newly translated into English, alongside special features and thematic sections. Please take a look at the individual calls for submission for detailed submission guidelines and further information.
Mantis aims to publish translations that will expose our readers to compelling and unfamiliar poems. We tend to choose translations of contemporary poets, but are open to translations from any era and from all poetic traditions. When we do publish work by poets of the past, we usually select works or poets we find under-appreciated or neglected in English. All languages will be considered and translated poems will be published alongside the original, both online and in print, in elegant facing-page translations.
Submit your translations (along with the original poetry) as a single file. We equally welcome submissions of individual poems and sequences of connected work. Please do not send material that has been previously published. Please note that starting this year, we will only accept five poem submissions total across sections.
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In your submission file, please include the following:
- A brief cover letter detailing the context or anything you would like us to know about your translation(s). We would also appreciate a brief note introducing and contextualizing the poet you have translated.
- The translated work for consideration, formatted as you would like it to appear in print
- The original poetry
- A personal bio for us to include in the issue
- A short bio of the translated poet
- Mailing address information for the poet (or the poet's estate, if applicable), so that we can mail a copy of the issue once it is printed.
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Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please do us the courtesy of promptly informing us if your translations are accepted elsewhere. It is your responsibility to secure the rights to the work you are translating. Prior to publication all translations are typically reviewed by readers proficient in the translated language.
Please direct questions individually to the Editors.
Mantis is interested in the best new poetry—across a range of aesthetics, subject matters, and locales—that exists today. We value evocative imagery, syntactical play, a well-tuned ear, and an engagement with a poem’s shape or form.
Please send up to five poems counted across all sections (*new this year*), totaling no more than ten pages. This may include a short sequence or an excerpt from a longer poem. If we’re keen on a longer piece, we’ll query you to send more. Please do not send material that has been previously published.
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In your submission file, please include the following:
- A brief cover letter detailing the context or anything you would like us to know about your poem(s)
- The poetry for consideration, formatted as you would like it to appear in print
- A personal bio for us to include in the issue
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You can expect to hear from us within three to four months. Simultaneous submissions are welcomed, but please do notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Please direct questions individually to the Editors.