Folly is an international publication, based in Aotearoa New Zealand.

What happens when a literary journal has a torrid love affair with a Victorian gossip rag? Folly happens - documenting our cultural moment in all its messy, magnificent glory. Touted by media as the rebel child of the lit scene, and finalist for the 2024 CLMP Best Literary Debut awards, Folly is found worldwide from parliamentary desks, independent bookstores and the rooms of luxury boutique hotels.

Folly is an annual print only anthology of collectable art, commentary, short stories, non-fiction and poetry produced in Wellington city, New Zealand. Unbound by academic affiliations and fiercely independent, it is home to content which is beautiful, timeless and appealing to enough people that our print runs sell out. Within a month. 

Folly is a member of the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses and abides by the CLMP Code of Ethics.

Thoughts and musings

  • ”Something exciting, something lively, something more than titillating was happening in a lot of the short stories. They were fresh and funny and really unusual for a New Zealand short story, possibly because they were fresh and funny…. it marked something new in New Zealand writing, something…joyful, unaffected. A toast of at least one drink to Folly, that strange new journal which has some of the best New Zealand writing I've read all year.”

    Steve Braunias, Reading Room

  • “Could Folly’s assertions be true? Is your bog standard book launch just too dry?’ ...But a launch in a sauna could be … unhinged in a fun, usual book launch kind of a way. It does lend itself to some apt analogies with, like, birth. Which is what a launch really is. A birthing ritual. The steam will be atmospheric and if it does ruin the nice paper it could at least make a good story and something to remember Folly 001 by.”

    Claire Mabey, The SpinOff

  • “They were “basically three women who nobody knew in the industry, who had no literary credibility.” And who, with no prior literary publishing experience, decided to create a brand new literary journal.They faced patch protection in starting the journal. But none of that stopped them in their pursuit of a new kind of literary journal that they say embraces funny, silly and sexy writing that they feel hasn’t had a home in Aotearoa.”

    Verity Johnson, The Big Idea

Get a copy of Folly.

We sold out again. But the reprint is now in stock.

Take a minute to grab a copy of our sell out Issue 001 and 002, especially if you want a better idea of what our absinthe swilling editorial team are looking for from 2025 submissions.

Speaking of submissions, head over to that page to check out how to submit.