“The mission of our magazine is to provide students with a platform where they can express themselves artistically.” says Sofiia Kalenska, a fourth-year English Philology student and Editor-in-Chief of Discourse Magazine. Kalenska reflects on her experience launching a student-led magazine and her own creative path. In this interview, she outlines the steps she took to bring the magazine to life, while also sharing her goals and aspirations for the future. 

What inspired you to create a literary magazine within the faculty? Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked that idea?

Initially, I was looking for a platform to publish my essay and kept thinking why we have no literary magazine in our faculty. That is how the idea to establish Discourse Magazine appeared.

Do you write creatively yourself, and if so, what do you write? How has your creative work influenced your relationship with the magazine or your reasons for creating it?

I write creatively myself, mostly poetry, although I have been thinking about a novel outline for the last 6 months, and it is beginning to take some sort of shape. I don’t think that my creative work has influenced the magazine, however, I do enjoy reading the submissions and learning from my peers.

What would you say is the main mission or philosophy of the magazine?

The mission of our magazine is to provide students with a platform where they can express themselves artistically. After all, many of us who learn about literature also want to try ourselves in creating it. Our philosophy is captured in our slogan “Embrace Complexity”: the complexity of language, literature, and writing process. 

How do you define a "good" piece of literary work for your magazine?

Some of the best submissions I have read stand out in their play with language. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your style or try different techniques—they make your work richer. 

What steps did you take to establish the magazine?

First of all, I talked to my friends to recruit them in the team. After our meeting, where we discussed the idea, the name, and many other details, I got in contact with the university administration, who helped us with our website. Then, during the summer, our team has been working creating the content for the website, posters, and promotional presentation. In September 2024 we officially opened the magazine for submissions.

What skills, academic or personal, have you gained from running this magazine?

Many of my duties are centered around organising the work of our team, so I have definitely improved my managing skills. I have also once and for all learned the difference between hyphen, en-dash, and em-dash, because I believe that details like that matter for a polished-looking publication.  

Do you hope the magazine will continue after you graduate? If so, what are you doing to ensure that it does? 

I do hope that the magazine will continue after my graduation. We plan to actively recruit in the next semester, but for now, if you are from English Philology or English Studies program and interested in working in the magazine, drop us a letter 😉

Do you intend to continue working in magazine publishing or editorial roles after your studies, and how has your experience as editor-in-chief shaped those plans?

Since my ambitions range from becoming a scholar and a writer to opening a publishing house and a cozy bookshop, I am certain that my career will be tied to the publishing sphere, I just don’t know exactly how. My role as an editor-in-chief has definitely given me valuable experience which I am sure will be very handy whatever path I choose to follow. 

Is there advice you'd like to give students who also want to do something similar but perhaps don't know where to start or are too scared to take the first steps?

Talk to your friends. I was initially very hesitant about the idea to create a magazine, but Fausta, Patricija, Agnė, and Olga were instantly so hyped up about it, that I felt very confident knowing that I have their support (and also no other choice but to follow though with the idea, I mean they were REALLY hyped up).