About - Magazine : Mslexia, a magazine for women's writing and women who write.

Mslexia is a national publishing organisation based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Our mission is to help women express themselves in writing, and get their texts noticed: in print, online and in performance. We were granted charitable status in 2019 in recognition of our work to further this mission.

What started out with National Lottery and Arts Council funding as a 60-page print magazine in 1999, produced by a three-woman team, has become a respected and financially independent writer-support charity employing a team of eight, producing a range of publications, competitions, courses, events and opportunities to an estimated audience of 50,000 women writers.

'A constant source of inspiration and encouragement that's created a real sense of community among women writers' Jane Rogers

‘Mslexia’ means 'women's words', but the association with the term 'dyslexia' is intentional – because 'mslexia' also alludes to the disparity between women’s well-documented superiority in linguistic skills from birth and our actual achievements as published authors. Though girls speak, read and write earlier than boys, and women far outnumber men on literature and creative writing courses, women writers back in 1999 were far less likely to submit their manuscripts, to be published, to win literary prizes, and to be at the helm in publishing companies.

In the launch edition of Mslexia magazine, we identified three main causes of ‘mslexia’:

lack of time
lack of confidence
sexism in the literary world

This analysis, which we have supported with robust data and original research for nearly three decades, helps us to challenge assumptions about the abilities and potential of women writers.

Since 2011, we have conducted 25 surveys of women writers that have fleshed out a picture of underappreciated female literary talent. This research has highlighted additional factors – such as age, disability, maternity, race, class, sexual identity, mental and physical illness – that operate as significant challenges for women writers.

That's why the magazine’s contents include material on confidence, creativity, rejection, discrimination, procrastination and time management, as well as information on literary craft, career and opportunities. Mslexia was the first literary organisation to offer free counselling, childcare facilities and accessible accommodation to participants at its events.

To mark the 100th edition of the magazine in December 2023 we compiled data on gender equality in literature once again. This new data revealed that women have made significant advances in terms of publication, prizes and prominence in the publishing industry in the decades since the magazine’s launch.

'It has encouraged so many women to start on the path or take further steps along it to becoming professional writers' Mary Hoffman

Celebrating these successes, founder and editor Debbie Taylor cited Ginger Rogers, of whom it was famously said that she did everything that Fred Astaire did – but backwards and in high heels. This is because, as the survey to accompany the 100th edition revealed, though there has been some progress in women’s confidence and chances of publication, ‘what has not changed one iota is lack of time’ – as a result of women’s gendered caring roles. The two other major challenges she highlighted were ageism in publishing and the silencing of women’s voices on social media. Hence the continuing relevance of Mslexia’s publications and other activities.

There is no doubt that Mslexia has contributed to the increases in women’s literary confidence and achievements in the UK in recent years. For many thousands of writers, the magazine has been the ‘safe place’ to which they entrusted their first ever submission. Award-winning novelist Diane Evans credits Mslexia with motivating her ‘first tentative steps’ in her literary career. The award-winning poet Fiona Benson’s first published poem appeared in the magazine. They are part of a generation of women writers storming the literary prize lists, whose early careers were nurtured by Mslexia.

Today, Mslexia continues to champion women writers through our magazine, competitions, events, research and publication opportunities. Whether you're writing your first poem or your fifth novel, we're here to help your work find its readers.

Join thousands of women who have made Mslexia part of their writing life.

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Every year Mslexia helps Arvon reach an engaged, diverse and vibrant community of writers. It is without a doubt a core part of our advertising campaign.

Arvon Foundation

We have been advertising in Mslexia since 2014 and the service we receive is second-to-none. We have been able to introduce our postgraduate courses, short courses and annual writing competition to a highly targeted market and have benefitted hugely from the results.

Manchester Metropolitan University

Advertising with Mslexia is a rare delight. Easy, flexible – can I say “forgiving”? – and, with exactly the right audience for us, effective, too.

Faber Academy

A huge basket full of ‘thank you’s for all the Mslexia Max events − the best thing that ever happened to me as a writer. Not only did my novel pitch profit a lot from the thoughtful feedback you gave me during the ‘pitch surgeries,’ but one of the Max events changed my writers’ life.

Sophie van Llewyn, author of Bottled Goods

Mslexia was a tangible support to me in the anguished years of writing my first novel and continues to be a source of bristling writerly energy.

Diana Evans

The sort of friend you never outgrow - a source of tips, tricks and deeper inspiration.

Hilary Mantel

The place for poets to see and be seen.

Carol Ann Duffy

I remember when I was writing my first novel - what a lifeline Mslexia was.

Naomi Alderman

There is no other writing magazine on the market that comes anywhere close to the quality of Mslexia. I began my subscription when I was a new writer; I'm a professional now and the magazine continues to cater for my needs as much as ever - as my writing buddy, mentor and literary news feed.

Zosia Wand

Inspired, inspiring, invaluable.

Sarah Waters