Oscail Magazine
About Us
Welcome to Oscail:
An Irish literary magazine dedicated to celebrating and highlighting neurodiverse and queer voices in contemporary Irish writing.
The word "oscail" means "open" in Irish, and this openness underscores everything we do.​​ In a literary landscape that has too often excluded or tokenised certain voices, Oscail exists to create a central space for the stories, poems, and perspectives that should be credited historically for challenging, inspiring, and transforming literary history and making literature what it is today. We believe that neurodiversity and queerness are not just valid identities to be accepted, but prolific sources of creativity, insight, and innovation that enrich our collective understanding of what it means to be human.
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Our Plan
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Oscail is committed to publishing exceptional writing by neurodiverse and queer authors, while maintaining the highest standards of accessibility and inclusion. We seek work that is bold, authentic, and unafraid to explore the underrepresented areas of human experience.
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Our mission extends beyond publication – we aim for a supportive community where marginalised voices can flourish and connect with readers who value diverse perspectives.
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What Do We Stand For?
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Radical Openness: We welcome all forms of creative expression, especially those that challenge conventional boundaries and expand our understanding of literature.
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Accessibility First: Every aspect of our magazine – from our website design to our submission process – is crafted with accessibility in mind. We use dyslexia-friendly fonts, provide alt-text for images, and ensure our content is available in multiple formats.
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Fair Recognition: We believe in paying our contributors and recognising that creative work has value and that financial barriers should never prevent talented writers from participating in literary culture.
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Authentic Community: We encourage a respectful and supportive environment where contributors and readers can engage meaningfully with one another and with the work we publish.
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Inclusive Excellence: We are committed to publishing work of the highest quality while actively seeking voices that have been historically marginalised in literary spaces.
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About the Founder
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Oscail was founded by Emmet Mc Ardle. He is a queer and autistic writer from Co. Louth. Emmet has studied at DKIT, IADT and is now studying for an MA in Creative Writing at UCC. He is passionate about making marginalised voices heard by creating inclusive spaces in Irish literature.
"Since I've started writing, I have felt like my voice didn't quite fit the traditional Irish literary landscape. Queer and neurodivergent writers have been reduced to the margins of the industry and have had to make do with tokenism that undermines the integrity of our work. I've decided to create a magazine that specifically highlights our voices and makes them the primary focus.
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Oscail (meaning "open" in Irish) is more than just a literary magazine; it's a long overdue platform for writers like us to challenge convention without the worry of our voices being misrepresented.
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Too many writers at the intersection of neurodiversity and queerness have been told their stories are too different or their forms are too experimental. Literature wouldn't be what it is today without the words of Irish writers who thought in exactly the way no one else did. We already know that Irish literature needs to hear us, so why don't we join the conversation? Our voices are not a box to be ticked; they have professional value and should be taken seriously."
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