Electric Literature

Founded by Andy Hunter and Scott Lindenbaum in 2009 as a print quarterly journal, Electric Literature transitioned to a daily website in 2012 under the helm of Halimah Marcus and Benjamin Samuel.^[1]

Electric Literature publishes essays, reading lists, interviews, fiction, poetry, graphic narratives, humor, and book news, all available to read online for free without a paywall.^[2] It launched the first fiction magazine on the iPhone and iPad.^[3][4][5] Work published has been recognized^[6] by Best American Short Stories, Essays, Poetry, and Comics, the Pushcart Prize, Best Canadian Short Stories, The Best of the Small Presses, and the O. Henry Prize.

in 2014, Electric Literature became a registered non-profit.^[7]

In 2016, Halimah Marcus was appointed the first executive director of Electric Literature. She has been with the magazine since 2010.^[8]

In 2021, Denne Michele Norris became editor-in-chief of Electric Literature, the first Black and openly trans editor-in-chief^[9] of a major U.S. literary publication.

In 2022, Electric Literature was the Digital Prize Winner^[10] of the Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes.

In 2023, Electric Literature partnered with Banned Books USA to offer free banned and challenged books^[11] to residents of Florida.

In 2025, Electric Literature published their first book, edited by Norris and published by HarperOne: Both/And: Essays by Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Writers of Color. It builds on a prior essay series that Electric Literature sponsored for trans writers of color.^[12][13] Both/And became a finalist for the 2026 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction.^[14]

In May 2012,^[15] Electric Literature launched Recommended Reading, a weekly fiction magazine. Each issue is curated by a well known editor or writer.^[16]

The Commuter, a weekly magazine for poetry, flash, graphic, or experimental narrative, debuted in January 2018, helmed by writer Kelly Luce.^[17]