Poetry magazine Poetry Salzburg is celebrating 25 years in print this year. In an editorial in the latest edition, editor Wolfgang Görtschacher explains how it started:

“When I launched Poetry Salzburg Review in spring 2001, I did not dare to consider the idea that it would survive for 25 years. As a student of little magazines since the mid-1980s, I have often contemplated the dictum by Cyril Connolly of Horizon that a decade was the ‘ideal life-span’ for a little magazine.

“It all started with my PhD supervisor and mentor James Hogg, the founding editor of the University of Salzburg Press (now Poetry Salzburg). He even published a forerunner to Poetry Salzburg Review, and that was called The Poet’s Voice. I worked on it as co-editor with him and Fred Beake, the founding editor.

“We published eleven issues and then in early 2000 James and Fred decided to leave the magazine and focus on other projects. I found myself sole editor of a poetry magazine. I had always wanted to run my own magazine. And James encouraged me to develop my own ideas on policy, corporate design and identity, and the editorial structure of the new magazine. I changed the name to Poetry Salzburg Review, reminiscent of famous magazines with similar titles and traditions.”

In the editorial Wolfgang Görtschacher pays tribute to the current board members, John Challis, Hilary Davies, Lisa Fishman, Martin Malone and Lisa Samuels, who “have made a significant impact on PSR. They read submissions, they commission work, conduct interviews, and suggest books for review and reviewers. Sometimes they contribute editorials and essays on poetics. I, for my part, also commission them to write review essays and encourage them to contribute their own poetry and translations. I strongly believe in their critical judgment, their commitment, and I trust their opinions. Without their loyalty and devotion to OUR magazine PSR would not have survived the time of the pandemic.”

He adds that as “both the magazine and the press are financed from my own pocket, I launched a fund-raising appeal that asked our poets and readers to buy copies of our publications and, if possible, to make a donation. I was overwhelmed by the reactions that we received, by the very generous orders and donations but also by the positive statements about our work. Thank you, it will help ensure our very ambitious publishing programme.”