Sundress Reads

In 2020’s lockdown period, Sundress Reads was born to provide opportunity to foster support for authors with newly published work when in-person celebrations weren’t possible. Our excitement in celebrating small press titles continues, and we feature reviews every Friday.

We are now accepting submissions for consideration for inclusion in our review series, Sundress Reads. We’re looking to feature reviews for any books published or to be published between 2025-2026.

We at Sundress champion writers whose work highlights human resilience and challenges misconceptions. Books by authors from LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, neurodivergent, disabled, immigrant, incarcerated, and otherwise marginalized communities are encouraged to submit. We will not consider reviewing any book that promotes actions or includes language that contribute to oppression.

Recent titles we’ve reviewed include Oliver Baez Bendorf’s Consider the Rooster (Nightboat Books), Emilia Phillips’ Nonbinary Bird of Paradise (University of Akron Press), and Patrycja Humienik’s We Contain Landscapes (Tin House).

Submission Guidelines

1. Sundress Reads is currently seeking submissions from titles published between 2025-2026 only.
2. Books, chapbooks, or anthologies in any genre must be published by independent presses, university presses, or small presses.
3. We request that one (1) print copy be mailed to Sundress Academy for the Arts, ATTN: Sundress Reads, 195 Tobby Hollow Lane, Knoxville, TN 37931. (Do let us know if you, for whatever reason, cannot send a print copy.)
4. To submit your book, please fill out the following form.

The Sundress Reads Editor is Livia Meneghin (she/her). Livia is the author of the chapbook feathering and Co-Founder of Two Cardinals Literary. She has won fellowships and awards from Breakwater Review, The Room Magazine, the Academy of American Poets, the Writers’ Room of Boston, and elsewhere. Since earning her MFA, she teaches college literature and writing.

We are grateful to have these reviewers on our team!

• Isabeau J. Belisle Dempsey
• Jahmayla Pointer
• Natalie Gardner
• Aylli Cortez
• Farrah Liu
• Noor Chang
• Annabel Phoel