Portal Magazine

04/25/2024

Art to transport you. From emerging artists, to you in full colour.

Portal Magazine is dedicated to supporting student artists and photographers, using vegetable-based inks and recycled paper.

Feel the texture of this year’s issue, April 26 at our launch!
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04/25/2024

Thank you so much to Karen Solie for coming all the way from Scotland to give her Gustafson Poet’s Lecture this year. So many students gained once in a lifetime experience attending Karen’s readings.

Interviewers Fran Pacchiano and Tara Wohlleben had the opportunity to sit down with Karen for a full interview, which is featured in our upcoming issue.

Join us at our launch for a copy!
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04/25/2024

chose “The Whole Animal” by for our sixth book review. This book was recently published by .

“I attended Chong’s book launch. I had just graduated from Okanagan College, where Chong is a professor. It was fascinated to see the literary devices she taught me used in action of her own writing.

“Each short story captivated my attention from the beginning and left me wanting more by the end. Her characters are classified as unlikable because as she says ‘people are often unlikable too’ and it’s more exciting and human in that way.

“I am lucky to such a great a mentor and role model, and am happy to support the work I look up to,” writes Laurent on why he chose this book.

Thank you to all our book reviewers this year. If you’re interested in reading more book reviews, stay tuned for an update on our website!
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04/18/2024

Our fifth book review is on “If It Gets Quiet Later On, I will Make a Display” by Nick Thran, published with . This review was written by our amazing Acquisitions Editor, Beatrix Taylor.

“I find the vocation of bookselling fascinating, so when I heard about “If It Gets Quiet Later On, I Will Make a Display” by Nick Thran, I had to get it for my bookshelf. When I learned that I could review for the magazine, I was so excited.

“The idea that bookselling and the arrangement of books can be an artistic expression is lovely. Thran’s book made me look at book displays through a new lens, wondering who arranged them and why in that way.

“In the chaos of today’s world, it seemed only right to shed light on a book about taking pleasure in what could be seen as the mundane and connection with others who do the same,” writes Bea on why she chose this book.

Thran’s book is a unique combination of non-fiction, poetry, and other genres.
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04/16/2024

"Brace For Impact," written by talented journalist and memoirist , follows the tale of Megan on her quest to find zen, freedom, and independence.

Join Megan in this story at our launch!
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04/15/2024

Our fourth book review this year was written by Sam Bollinger on Jess Housty’s poetry collection, “Crushed Wild Mint” 💜

‘Cúagilákv (Jess H̓áust̓i) is a HaíɫzaqvI poet and educator for the Bella Bella community in BC. You can find out more about her here: https://www.jesshousty.com/
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04/12/2024

What makes these stories unique is the people that share them. At Portal Magazine, part of our mandate is to share stories from all around the world.

Get a copy of our new issue April 26 at our launch, to get a full read of pieces from , .d, and .
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04/11/2024

“A Star Walked South” is a fiction piece written by fellow Portaler, .

Lee was awarded the Pat Bevan Scholarship in 2020 and his piece titled “The Lucky Ones” was published in Portal 2021.
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04/10/2024

Have you grabbed tickets to our launch party yet? Visit the Portal masthead in the lobby of VIU Building 340/345 from 11:30-1:30 tomorrow to purchase your tickets in advance.

Tickets are $20 and include a copy of the new issue available at our launch April 26, 2024!

(Tickets also available at the door—capacity 120 🎟️)

04/09/2024

We’re inviting all to Portal’s 2024 Launch Party on April 26! Bring your friends and family—everyone is invited 🥳

This is a catered event, graciously hosted by the Nanaimo Curling Club in the Upstairs Lounge. There will be food, drinks, music, and more!

Tickets are $20, which includes the catering and your very own 2024 Issue!

Doors OPEN at 6:30 pm!

Us Portalers work super hard to make this event as special as it can be every year, and we hope you can make it.

NOTE: Cash only event; there will be an ATM on site.
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04/06/2024

Portal 2024 presents three amazing VIU writers who have gone on to embrace their skills and passion and publish their own books 📖 ♥️

We love featuring these young authors to share their wisdom. These are just snapshots into , , and .voerman lives and writing processes. ✍️

These authors were interviewed by Portalers: Maggie Stvns, Sophia Wasylinko, and Megan Zolorycki.

More coming soon...
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04/04/2024

This year’s script feature, “Tricks of the Trade” was written by Zoe Chong and edited by script editor Casey Tweedy. This collaboration created an amazing story that we know you’ll love 💚

Publishing script is always a challenge. We’d like to thank .jacky.boi for developing Portal’s official Script Guidelines for consistency and clarity.

Thank you to Zoe for publishing this piece with us.
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04/01/2024

Our second book review of this upcoming issue is of “Crying Wolf” by Eden Boudreau published by Bookhug Press.

“Having just finished listening to Chanell Miller’s autobiography, Know My Name, about her experience of being ‘Emily Doe’ in a high-profile sexual assault case, I was already feeling incensed about the way that victims like Miller are treated both in the legal system and by the general public,” says Katie Carroll on why she chose this book.

“People are quick to question what a victim was wearing, where she was going, how much she had been drinking, always putting the onus on the women who was assaulted as opposed to the person who actually attacked her. When I read that Eden Boudreau’s book, Crying Wolf, explores her own struggle to seek justice due to the nature of her polyamorous marriage, I knew that hers was a story that I wanted to share with as many people as possible.”

Thank you Katie for reviewing this book—we hope it reaches those who need it.

See this memoir review in our new issue! Coming soon...🧡

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03/31/2024

Congratulations again to Flynn for winning Portal's 2024 Portent Prize for Fiction! Here's the first sneak-peek of our upcoming issue from this amazing new writer🖋🧡

Thank you also to Neil Parsons for this perfect photo 📸

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Psst... our 2025 Portent Prize for Poetry is now open until October 15, 2024 - enter for your chance to win $500 😎
(more details at portalmagazine.ca)

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03/30/2024

A sneak peak of the first book review of Portal 2024, written by Jenaya Shaw.

“Working in a café at the time, akin to Fandrich’s own beloved café that burned down when these fires were occurring, I had many customers that would tell me about their families trying to escape Kelowna, which is very close to Lytton. It was my way of shedding light on this topic and to connect those who have lost so much, as we move into a new era of global warming,” writes Shaw on why she reviewed this collection.

“Burning Sage” was written by Meghan Fandrich and published with Caitlin Press.

We hope you look forward to it as much as we did 📖💛

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03/30/2024

Portal welcomes you to our 33rd issue: Portal 2024. What a great year for Portal. So many incredible, creative students came together to once again make something inimitable and inspiring.

Thank you to everyone who made this year possible, and thank you so much Jack Corfield for this amazing cover art (and so much more 👏😗).

Join us for the launch of Portal 2024 on Friday, April 26th!
More information coming soon 💜

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10/18/2023

Join us for Portfolio night in the attic at blackrabbit.kitchen on November 2!

Keynote author D.M. Bradford will read from their debut poetry collection, Dream of No One but Myself, published by Brick Books.

The free event opens at 7pm with three student poets. We hope to see you all there!

10/02/2023

All about Sep 29th.... Thanks to our amazing student readers and a big thanks to Delani Valin for sharing poems from her book Shapeshifters. We had so much fun listening to everyone's stories. Thanks to all who came out, see you next time!

09/29/2023

UPDATE: Tonight's Portfolio event has moved to the cafe next door—join us at White Rabbit Coffee Co. at 7pm for poetry readings from featured author Délani Valin and three student openers!

Same time, same address, different beverages. See you there!
(321 Selby Street, Nanaimo, BC)

09/27/2023

Portal's reading series is back for fall 2023... THIS Friday! Join us for Portfolio night in the cafe at White Rabbit Coffee Co. on September 29.

Métis author Délani Valin will be reading from her debut poetry collection, Shapeshifters, published by Nightwood Editions.

The event opens at 7pm with three student poets. We're very excited to see you all there!

EDIT: Venue moved from Black Rabbit Kitchen to White Rabbit Coffee Co. next door (same address—321 Selby St).

09/14/2023

Writers: don't miss out on your chance to WIN! If your fiction is fabulous, Portal's $500 Portent Prize may be in your near future. ( )

🏆: One (1) winner will receive the Portent Prize amount as well as publication in Portal 2024 next April.

📖: $25 entry fee includes copy of the issue—ALL contest entrants will receive a one-year print subscription to Portal Magazine.

Deadline: October 15, 2023

Portal invites Canadian authors to enter its portent contest, with the genre rotating annually among non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and script.

09/12/2023

04/25/2023

We're excited to give you some added online content! Check out our book reviews that are live on Portal's website. Click the link below to read them in full:

https://portalmagazine.ca/

04/25/2023

Thank you to everyone who came to our “Garden of Stories” to celebrate the launch of the 2023 issue!

We’re proud of all of our contributors and happy to share this beautiful collection of work by VIU students with you.

Get your copy now on Newsstands and at the VIU Bookstore.

04/21/2023

Tonight is the night for our launch!

Help us celebrate this year's portal magazine at Bowen Park Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $18 (includes your copy of this year's portal and entry fee).

We look forward to seeing you there!🎉

04/18/2023

Congratulations to Rachel Davidson who's non-fiction entry "Free and Hard" won this year's Portent Prize!

You can find Rachel's winning piece and James O'Reilly's photo "Some Places are Cooler than Others" in our 2023 edition of Portal.