From poetry to prose, Serena Lee (12) has spent her whole life in love with creative literature. During her home-schooled sophomore year, Lee decided to dedicate more time to her passion but struggled to find an outlet for her interest. She discovered online literary magazines, but found few that were specialized to, and run by students under 18. As such, Lee decided to found her own, The Eyre.

“[I saw] people who were teenagers interested in creative writing, but they had nowhere for this passion to go,” Lee said. “[My creative work] gets stuck inside my Notes app and my Google Docs. I found out, ‘Hey, there’s nowhere for this to go.’ I thought that I could start [a lit mag] myself and create a platform, because I empathize with so many people around the world like me.”

Since its creation in Feb. 2024, The Eyre has published four issues, with more than 1000 pieces of art, poetry, and writing from teenagers all over the world. On Instagram, videos from The Eyre have gone viral, with around 2.8 million views on some of their posts. 

“At first, I was so shocked, because I didn’t expect it to do so well,” Lee said. “To me, the algorithm is always something you’re fighting against. It’s never something that works with you. I’m not monetizing, I’m not trying to be an influencer. That night, it got a million views, and I was [shook that] it’s actually working.”

The title, The Eyre, is inspired by the Charlotte Brontë novel, Jane Eyre. Lee said that the character embodies the purpose of the magazine, and thus she named the magazine after the character.

“Jane Eyre was an independent woman who stayed true to her beliefs and The Eyre is trying to emulate that.” Lee said. “[We are] providing a platform where submitters can submit their works that reflects their feelings and experiences, just like how Jane Eyre had genuine heart behind her work.”  

The first issue, Rochester, was published in Apr. 2024 and based on the complexities of love. The issue was published with 30 pieces of art and literature. As the Editor in Chief, Lee said she has found the most enjoyable part of editing the issues to be discovering talent in these submissions.

“People who submit to The Eyre, some of them are amazing writers,” Lee said. “I’ve encountered some pieces that were so good, [and] that’s a great aspect of running a literary magazine because it’s a very inspiring process.”

One of the benefits of The Eyre that Lee especially wanted to include in the magazine was free feedback, a feature that isn’t common with most online literary magazines. Lee, along with 6 feedback editors from across the globe, collaborate to offer five sentences of critique for authors to think about and improve on, even if the piece is rejected from the issue. 

“Obviously, if you submit to The New Yorker, they’re going to reject you on the spot,” Lee said. “We give them a springboard [with free feedback] to raise their confidence as well.”

During the creation of the magazine, Lee realized how much the submissions had affected her view on her own creative writing. The motivation from these artists and authors inspired her to work more on her own submissions to other literary magazines.

“They are taking this effort to be creative, and I get to be a part of that journey,” Lee said. “Who am I to stop my own journey? I wrote a bunch of poems, and got both accepted and rejected.”

Lee said that The Eyre opened her eyes to new perspectives. Reading through different submissions, Lee has found herself peeking into authors’ and artists’ thoughts and emotions.

“It’s very interesting to see how other people see the world through their writing,” Lee said. “I can tell when they’re writing a poem that they’re frustrated, that they’re heartbroken, or they’re excited, and seeing that is like seeing the entire world in this one submission box.”

For the future, the Eyre has a new issue accepting submissions named Rue and Bane, and Lee continues to work on the magazine to create a space where artists and writers can express themselves. 

“In essence, humans are naturally creative creatures,” Lee said. “The idea that we have the power of creation is appealing to us. That’s why we write poems, paint artworks, and sing songs. The Eyre is a platform that gives the creative people in the world a chance to have their creations featured. It’s a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding.”