Public invited to an evening of readings, music and celebration
Portal, VIU’s full-colour national literary magazine, celebrates its 35th anniversary on Friday, April 24 with a launch party for its 2026 issue.
Portal 2026 marks the accomplishments of 34 student authors and photographers. The launch includes an evening of readings from contributors, music by the Wellington Jazz Academy, and the awarding of Creative Writing department scholarships and recognition of graduates. The issue’s Managing Editors Taylor Fleming and Alexandra Groenwoldt will emcee along with Bailey Bellosillo, an Art Director, and Elke Sorensen, a Nonfiction Editor.
“This year, the 35th-anniversary issue of Portal takes flight celebrating human connection in an increasingly technology-driven world. As we witness growing unrest, both in this country and beyond, we recognize the importance of amplifying voices and championing a vision of peace, tolerance, acceptance and the unwavering belief that we are stronger together,” says Groenwoldt.
Portal’s 100 pages feature fiction, nonfiction, poetry and scripts. The magazine also shares interviews with poets Marilyn Dumont and Amy Mattes, fiction writers Sharon Butala and tonia laird, and former VIU faculty member Kathy Page, as well as reviews of their latest books. The issue also showcases the winning screenplay from Portal’s 2025 Portent Script contest – Brendan Wanderer’s Plus One. Next year’s $500 Portent Prize is for nonfiction.
“As you open this issue, jump into the balloon’s basket and take in the landscape past, present and future. It ushers in stories that will leave you heady and breathless and deliver you to unimaginable heights,” says Taylor.
The launch starts at 6:30 pm at Beban Auditorium A. Tickets cost $25 and include a $12 copy of the 2026 edition of the magazine. They can be purchased at the door, but advance sales help to confirm numbers. Contact Joy Gugeler, the magazine’s publisher, at joy.gugeler@viu.ca to arrange a purchase.
“Revisiting 35 years of incredible talent embodied in past issues, we are proud to recognize how far Portal has come from its earliest days as a black-and-white, photocopied, 8.5 x 11 stapled pamphlet,” says Gugeler. “Our community of authors, artists, publishers, advertisers, professors, and partners are invaluable in offering support and fostering ambition for full-colour art on every page, book reviews, interviews, ads, a reading series, a national prize, podcasts, merch, launches for 150 guests and national newsstand distribution.”
Follow Portal on Facebook and Instagram for a cover reveal and teasers for the magazine’s nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and scripts. Portal 2026 can be purchased for $12 at the launch, on newsstands, and at VIU’s bookstore and online shopping cart.
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