Samovar is a quarterly magazine of and about translated speculative fiction. We publish fiction and poetry in their original language and in English translation. We showcase the work both of writers and also translators, who we have to thank for opening doors to new worlds.

Our definition of speculative fiction is broad, and includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, and other genres that may not fit neatly into labels. We also publish reviews, essays and interviews.

There is a vibrant community of speculative fiction writers, readers and publishers out there, and many fantastic magazines devoted to new and established voices. We hope to make that community even more global and inclusive through encounters with different languages.

Find out how to submit full or sample translations here.

Who we are

The Samovar editorial team is Laura Friis, Greg West and Sarah Dodd. Our advisory board includes Helen Marshall, Rachel Cordasco and Marian Via Rivera-Womack. We collaborate with the Reading the Fantastic project at the University of Leeds, and the Anglia Ruskin Centre for Science Fiction and Fantasy.

How we are funded

Samovar is a quarterly special issue of Strange Horizons. We have a volunteer staff, and are dedicated to paying professional rates to writers and translators for their work. If you would like to find out more about Strange Horizons' funding model, and support its work - including Samovar - you can make a donation here.