''Geist'' is a Canadian
literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letter ...
published quarterly since 1990. The magazine takes its name from the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
word
geist (meaning "mind" or "spirit").
''Geist'' was co-founded in 1990 by
Stephen Osborne and
Mary Schendlinger in their living room, with financing of just $7,500. On April 20, 2015, ''Geist'' announced that Osborne and Schendlinger would be stepping down and staff members Michał Kozłowski and AnnMarie MacKinnon would be taking over.
The magazine is known in part for its series of Canadian
map
A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes.
Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...
s (e.g. "Canadian placenames that sound impolite," "The Beer Map of Canada," etc.) and for spearheading various campaigns, such as petitions to have folk singer
Stan Rogers
Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.
Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and th ...
inducted into the
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to honour Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The award presentation is held each year as part of the ...
and the ''Geist Annual Literal Literary Postcard Contest''.
''Geist'' has received numerous award nominations, including National Magazine Awards in 2010 and 2017. It won the 2017 Gold Medal for Photojournalism & Photo Essay for Terence Byrnes' ''South of Buck Creek''. In 2019 ''Geist'' was nominated for two
National Magazine Awards
The National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards, honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design. Or ...
in the Personal Journalism and Column categories. Lisa Bird-Wilson won the Silver Column award for "Clowns, Cakes, Canoes: This is Canada?" Geist has been featured in the
Utne Reader
''Utne Reader'' (also known as ''Utne'') ( ) is a digital digest that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and ...
.
Notable contributors
*
Edith Iglauer
Edith Iglauer Daly (formerly Hamburger; March 10, 1917 – February 13, 2019) was an American writer who wrote several nonfiction books, including ''The New People: The Eskimo's Journey Into Our Time'' (1966); ''Denison's Ice Road'' (1974), a prof ...
*
Ann Diamond
Ann Diamond is a Canadian poet, short story writer, and novelist.
Diamond's poetic tale, ''A Nun's Diary'', was adapted for theatre by Robert LePage and presented in Montreal and Toronto at Theatre Passe Muraille.Jane Koustas. Robert Lepage ...
*
Miriam Toews
Miriam Toews (; born 1964) is a Canadian writer and author of nine books, including ''A Complicated Kindness'' (2004), '' All My Puny Sorrows'' (2014), and '' Women Talking'' (2018). She has won a number of literary prizes including the Governor ...
*
David Albahari
David Albahari (, ; born 15 March 1948)[Biography](_blank)
at
*Alberto Manguel
Alberto Manguel (born March 13, 1948, in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine-Canadian anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, editor, and a former Director of the National Library of Argentina. He is the author of numerous non-fiction books such ...
* George Fetherling
* Stephen Henighan
*Sheila Heti
Sheila Heti (; born 25 December 1976) is a Canadian writer.
Early life
Sheila Heti was born on 25 December 1976 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her parents are Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Her brother is the comedian David Heti. Her father wanted ...
* Moez Surani
*Evelyn Lau
Evelyn Lau (; born July 2, 1971) is a Canadian poet and novelist.
Biography
Evelyn Lau was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 2, 1971 to Chinese-Canadian parents from Hong Kong, who intended for her to become a doctor. Her parents' am ...
* J. Jill Robinson
*Annabel Lyon
Annabel Lyon (born 1971) is a Canadian novelist and short-story writer. She has published two collections of short fiction, two young adult novels, and two adult historical novels, ''The Golden Mean'' and its sequel, ''The Sweet Girl''.
Life and ...
*