My Name Is Eva, The First Lark

Previously on the Serein Lark:

I spot a blog post drifting this way on the cold waters of a mountain stream. It carries a tome on a makeshift float. Its words are said to reveal backstories to literary magazines, and the humans behind them - will you read when it comes?

As the Serein Lark Review finds rest after its grand website debut, it is time to reveal who exactly created this whimsical collection of breath-like tales. That is right! We are getting vulnerable and transparent today.

My name is Eva, and I run this show.

I am 24 years old, queer, neurodivergent, a cat owner, and my heart beats to the songs of Norwegian mountain creeks and the eerie solitudes of taiga forests. I enjoy a game of D&D and a fresh pastry for lunch. Sometimes I crochet, other times I buy a ukulele and play it for two months before forgetting it exists, which is often the case with most of my hobbies or interests.

But I love literature too, don't I? Yes! I'm somewhat of an eclectic reader, though I mostly stay in the cosy fantasy direction. My most recent reads include What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree, and the Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields. Last summer, I attended a book signing for the first time! Yes, the fantasy legend T Kingfisher herself showed up in Oslo and signed my copy of Thornhedge with the words "Keep writing!" I was shaking and crying so hard...

These novels have a lot in common! They are all cosy and grounded, full of strange details that make them just that much more evocative and memorable. In some way or another, they are about normal people like you and me - no matter if they are a librarian in love with felting, a retired warrior enjoying coffee, a witch that speaks with bees and nature spirits, or a fairy that is not really a fairy, but is trying to do her job, regardless.

If this sounds like your vibe, why don't you write a short story and submit it to the Serein Lark Review? We are publishing our first issue in August and would love to consider your - yes, your! - writing.

Why did I create the Serein Lark?

In 2024, I graduated from a UK university with a first-class bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. Since then, I've been applying to jobs in publishing again, and again... and again, to no avail. The job market is a crime scene if I ever saw one...

But that does not mean I can't do publishing!

The Serein Lark is my passion project. It is an attempt to forge satisfaction and accomplishment within the infinite frames of a self-made publishing career. Furthermore, it's driven by a desire to create the magazine I wish I could submit to m

yself. It's an inclusive space. It's one of hope, fantasy, whimsy and romance. I would like to imagine a world where the Serein Lark already existed before me, and that it would accept my own humble submissions.

The Serein Lark is for those who are rejected elsewhere - in publishing, in society, in their friend group or anywhere else that might, possibly, matter a bit.

Thank you for supporting the Serein Lark. May the sunset bless you with blissful shades of sweet pinks and mellow yellows, and a mist that writes poetry on oak leaves in the morning thereafter.