After Whitcoulls ban, Folly journal sells out

Published Jan 19, 2026 by The Post and Stuff: After Whitcoulls ban, Folly journal sells out | The Post

After being banned from Whitcoulls stores nationwide for what the retailer deemed offensive content, independent literary magazine and journal Folly has sold out, ordered a reprint, and announced the launch of a new publishing imprint ‒ all within the space of two turbulent months.

The controversy around the most recent issue proved catalytic, said the journal’s founder and editor Emily Makere Broadmore.

“We sold more copies in one month than we normally would in one year,” she said.

The banned issue is now heading back to press, alongside third and fourth editions of earlier issues to meet back orders. Folly’s headquarters currently has no stock left.

Buoyed by the surge in attention, the journal is accelerating plans for Folly Imprint, a new publishing arm dedicated to short-form literature.

The imprint will focus on novellas and short collections of between 20,000 and 40,000 words ‒ work considered too long for journals and too short for conventional publishers.

The move is also a response to international interest.

“Distributors in Frankfurt told us bluntly that we need more than one product per year,” Broadmore said. “We’re particularly interested in erotica. After being banned from Whitcoulls for being offensive, we thought we might as well curate some literary smut.”

Over summer, Folly also secured new stockists in Australia and Germany and confirmed a partnership with a European short story prize, yet to be announced.