Our Magazine
The Second Shelf: Rare Books and Words by Women was founded by A. N. Devers in 2018 to provide a space for writers, readers, and book collectors to celebrate books by and about women and non-binary writers. The magazine is a literary magazine and rare book catalogue hybrid, the aim of which is to increase the visibility of books by women throughout history.
Each issue showcases beautifully photographed, carefully curated books and artworks, from first editions to fine bindings to manuscripts and ephemera. Contextualising these works are original commissions by writers, artists, photographers, and illustrators—including essays, poems, interviews, and profiles.
As such, it combines the visual quality of a glossy art magazine with the calibre of writing found in exceptional literary journals. We have designed it to read like a fashion magazine for bibliophiles, inviting new readers into the world of book collecting, and providing contributors with a space to start or continue a conversation with work from the past.
Editor and Publisher A. N. Devers
Designer Nele Wellens
Managing Editor Lucy Scholes
Photographer Jo Emmerson
Contributing Photographer Sarah Libman
Advisory Board Nicole Antebi, Gabrielle Bellot, Jolie Braun, Sinéad Gleeson, Lauren Groff, Sophie Hunter, TJ Jarrett, Morgan Jerkins, Laura Lippman, Elizabeth McCracken, Susan Scarf Merrell, Laurie Muchnick, Roachele Negron, Audrey Niffenegger, Nadxi Nieto, Lara Prescott, Dorthe Nors, Emily Raboteau, Lucy Scholes, Marisa Siegel, Cheryl Strayed, Rachel Syme, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Dr. Amara Thornton, Joanna Walsh, Jesmyn Ward, Sarah Weinman, Khaliah Williams
The Second Shelf is printed by Calvert’s, a Workers’ Cooperative formed in East London in 1977. Their name is an homage to Giles & Elizabeth Calvert, radical printers and publishers during the English Revolution of the 1640s.
We are distributed by Antenne Books.
Issue 01
The debut issue of The Second Shelf: Rare Books and Words By Women was published in September 2018 as a manifesto of sorts. Our goal was to demonstrate a range of possibilities in collecting books by women and in the kinds of conversations and writing we would like to publish. It is sold out in print, but available for purchase as a digital copy.
Contributors
Barbara Boswell
Gwendolyn Brooks
Michelle Dean
A. N. Devers
Lauren Groff
Mary Horlock
Shoshana Kessler
Susan Scarf Merrell
Dorthe Nors
Ariana Reines
Lucy Scholes
Nell Stevens
Catherine Taylor
Joanna Walsh
Issue 02
Our second issue of The Second Shelf: Rare Books and Words By Women was published in 2019 and continued with the same goal of issue one. This issue also had a focused portfolio on the work of Angela Carter. Issue 2 is nearly sold out, but it is available at Community Bookstore in Brooklyn, NY in the US. It is available at Rare Mags in the UK, and from our distributor, Antenne Books. Or from us as a digital download.
Contributors
Arifa Akbar
Abigail Bainbridge
Claire-Louise Bennett
A. N. Devers
Hisaji Hara and Natsumi Hayashi
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
Daisy Johnson
Natalie Kay-Thatcher
Fiona Lensvelt
Sarah Libman
Ellen Lindner
Sharmaine Lovegrove
Jane Mount
Christina Oakley Harrington
Lucy Scholes
Joanna Scutts
Posy Simmonds
Sharlene Teo
Sylvia Townsend Warner
Joanna Walsh
Khaliah Williams
Issue 03
Issue 3: The Second Shelf: Rare Books and Words By Women is forthcoming in 2020. This issue is still coming together and has focused portfolios on Octavia Butler and Shirley Jackson, Susan Sontag, and on the idea of “women’s work.” It is available for pre-order. And pre-ordering now is incredibly helpful to us considering the up front costs of printing while we are closed during the pandemic.
Submissions
We accept open pitches and submissions to the magazine. Please see our Submittable page for more information.
“[The Second Shelf: Rare Books and Words by Women] is polished, playfully designed, and downright luxurious, its saturated, marbled paper calling to mind a tome one might find tucked away in the Morgan Library.”
“What makes The Second Shelf: A Quarterly of Rare Books stick out — and makes it worthy of reviving the Friday catalogue review — is its unique design: part catalogue, and part literary magazine. ”