Notes From The Underground: A Case Study of subTerrain

In 2015, subTerrain celebrated its 27th anniversary. What began as a small, obscure publication has over the course of the last three decades evolved into a prominent magazine with a distinctive voice in the Canadian literary landscape. This report considers subTerrain’s challenges in ensuring a steady supply of government funding and the impact of the introduction of the Canada Periodical Fund on literary magazines. This report makes the case that subTerrain has grown in readership and relevance by cultivating a vibrant community of writers and offering them an alternative and attractive space to publish experimental and progressive work. Finally, it examines the magazine’s ongoing attempts to augment itself for online consumption.