2025 was a very good year for literary writing on Substack
too much to choose from
This time last year I was asked to make a prediction about what to expect in Literature in 2025. I said there would be a flourishing of criticism from Substack writers such as BDM, the Washington Review of Books, Joel J Miller, laura thompson, Naomi Kanakia, John Pistelli, Horace & friends, Julianne Werlin, Hollis Robbins (@Anecdotal), Brad Skow.
All of those writers are going strong, I am pleased to say. has an excellent book coming out and her stories are attracting a bigger audience, as well as her writing about American fiction. has been leading the conversation about academia and the future of AI. is working on an exciting book and she wrote a lovely piece about Northanger Abbey. And she wrote a defence of teaching and reading the canon. has released The Idea Machine. had several great pieces about detective fiction, including this one. has been writing about poetry and released an anthology. wrote several excellent essays (including a dialogue here at the Common Reader), but it was her interview in that I enjoyed the most.
Other names should be added, too, such as , one of my favourite Substack critics, whose work this year has been recognized by the National Book Critics Circle. We’ve also seen amazing work from at the journal Literary Imagination, alongside .
Most of all, I have loved the work at Horace & friends this year, especially this piece about autumn poems.
Whatever problems it may have, Substack is currently a very good thing for critical and literary writing. What we are seeing, I think, is a revival of the old idea of the “man of letters”. Long may the flourishing continue!
Tell us in the comments which pieces of literary writing you have most enjoyed on Substack this year.
My favorite piece this year was by Sam Kahn (who runs the Republic of Letters) in Castalia, “How Much of Literary History is a Lie” - https://open.substack.com/pub/samkahn/p/how-much-of-literary-history-is-a?r=2mkt5&utm_medium=ios
Henry this is truly kind - thank you!
Completely agree about Victoria's wonderful posts. And Julianne's.
AND of course your own, which are reason alone to be on Substack.