A new undergraduate publication has recently made its way onto Yale’s literary scene.

Established last month, The Yale Guidepost is a literary magazine that publishes short fiction by undergraduates. The publication was founded by Irene Connelly ’17 and Caroline Wray ’17, a staff reporter for the News, who said they came up with the idea for the magazine last spring after realizing that the University did not have a platform for publishing short fiction stories. Connelly said the publication aims to highlight a previously unexplored area of Yale’s literary community, noting that existing outlets for creative writing are mostly filled with other forms of composition.

“Most literary magazines are focused on poetry and will include short stories, but they aren’t dedicated to short fiction,” Connelly said.

The first Guidepost issue will arrive in December and will feature roughly 15 pieces, along with illustrations. Wray and Connelly said they hope to recruit roughly five illustrators for the issue in hopes that every featured piece will have an accompanying illustration. Connelly said that both the submission and editing processes for Guidepost pieces will be lenient. She explained that the only requirement for submissions is that the piece be under 5,000 words in length, adding that she and Wray decided on a minimalist editing approach because they do not want to interfere with the writing styles of those who contribute to the magazine.

Wray and Connelly added that they hope to expand the magazine next semester by accepting more pieces or deciding on an overarching theme for the issue to focus on. As a broader goal, Connelly said the publication aims to foster a stronger community of students that specialize in writing short fiction.

In order to launch the publication, Connelly applied for a Creative and Performing Arts Award through Branford College. The awards are given to support a variety of different on-campus creative productions, including literary publications. She and Wray added that they plan to register the Guidepost as an official undergraduate student organization in the near future.

Aryssa Damron ’18, who has already submitted a piece to the Guidepost, said she expressed interest in the magazine because of its inclusiveness to writers of all backgrounds, adding that unlike with other campus publications, she does not have to be funny or write with a certain tone to meaningfully contribute.

Skyler Inman ’17, a contributing reporter for the News who is considering submitting a piece to the Guidepost, said she is drawn to publications that focus on short fiction over those that only feature a few short stories as part of their issues. Inman said she thinks the Guidepost will play a unique role within the existing literary community that is currently not served by any other publication.

The deadline to submit a piece for the upcoming issue is this Nov. 1.