Putting aside the question of ingenuity, the end result has most certainly been a boon for Irish literature. Though The Stinging Fly has only around 1,000 subscribers and an overall circulation of 2,000, it has proved to be an excellent springboard for budding writers.
“We want to be representative of what’s actually happening in Irish writing, and we want to publish as diverse a lineup every time as possible,” said Lisa McInerney, who took over as editor of The Stinging Fly last year. Meade stepped back from editing duties in 2017 to focus on business operations, and the magazine cycled through a few short-term editors in the interim, including Rooney.
By that same token, The Stinging Fly has become a hub for editors in search of new talent. “I really look to them for exciting new Irish voices,” said Katie Raissian, a senior editor at the U.S. publisher Grove Atlantic who recently worked on “Homecoming,” Barrett’s second story collection. “With a Stinging Fly author you’re getting something interesting on the level of the line, as well as obviously the overall story and character.”
The work is made possible by reliable support from the government. The Arts Council, an Irish government agency, been supporting the outlet since 1998. For 2023, the council has allocated about $200,000 to The Stinging Fly, an increase over the approximately $180,000 it gave in 2022. Since 2021, the outfit has also been aided by the T.S. Eliot Foundation, a charity.
Audrey Keane, a literature manager at the Arts Council, also commended The Stinging Fly for its efforts addressing the pay and conditions for writers. In the often-miserly world of literary magazines, it offers healthy rates; fiction and nonfiction entries can net writers as much as $1,300 per piece.
As to what The Stinging Fly and Meade in particular are looking for in a poem or story, there’s no simple answer. “The main thing is that I am looking for excitement,” he said after a long pause. “A sense of something I’ve not read before, that reflects a singular take on the world.”
