As part of the process in arranging and marking our re-launch, we felt it would be appropriate to set out our editorial vision for the Glasgow Review of Books, for now and the foreseeable future.

Our vision

We want the Glasgow Review of Books to be an accessible, non-partisan community platform for writers and writing, from Glasgow and elsewhere.

Accessible means we will always be open to reviews that people submit, and for ideas and proposals for content that we can publish on our site.

Because we are (and intend to remain) an online journal, we are not tied to word-count/page constraints that apply to hard-copy, printed journals. This means we can give our contributors the space they need, to say what they want to say, in the way that they want to say it.

It means that we can be more responsive, not being tied to print deadlines we can, in the right circumstances, publish quicker and keep pace with important events in the ‘real world’.

It also means that, from the day of our re-launch, we will be developing a three-year plan, to put the GRB on a more financially sound footing so we can pay contributors for their work and time.

The grass-roots infrastructure that supports Scotland’s writing communities (showcase/performance events, writing groups, small-press publishers, magazines/journals etc.) relies far too much on unpaid, voluntary labour, while large institutions enjoy a majority-share of such revenues as are available to their own benefit and that of a (mostly) socially-advantaged group of privileged users. This must change.

At present, the GRB generates no income and receives no financial support. This is not a sustainable position over the long, or even the medium-term, so we will be working to change this. If, or when, we are able to change things, we will prioritise payments to contributors first.

Non-partisan means that we want to represent all writing communities, not just those which our Team have been members of to date.

In particular, this means giving a platform to working-class voices, and those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

From Glasgow and elsewhere means we will retain our pre-existing focus on translation and writing about translation as well as seeking contributions from as wide a geographic area as possible.

We believe Glasgow is, and has long been, an international city with historic strengths that derive from diversity and a willingness to learn from, and adapt to, new cultural ideas and practices – and we want this to be reflected in work we publish as the GRB.

Over time, we hope you will find that the work we publish aligns with this vision and these values. If you don’t – please let us know. We will always be open to your feedback.

We will make mistakes. We are new to the business of running a journal, are learning as we go and do not expect to get everything right, all of the time.

So, if we fall below the standards you expect from us, please tell us. We promise to grant right-of-reply, in full, to anyone who wishes to contest or dispute anything we publish.

Lastly, but most fundamentally, we promise to be respectful of and to try, in all that we do, to nurture and develop our relationship with you – our readers and contributors. This is about you, not us. When we talk about the GRB as being a platform, we mean it – we are here to raise you up, and give you a voice. Time will tell how well we do. In the meantime –

Thank you for supporting the GRB!