New Lit on the Block :: Meraki Review

Hey, readers and writers! There’s this incredibly beautifully crafted magazine online with a most seditious editor-in-chief. They’re pirates, on a mission to make teenage voices heard and counted. They sculpt, shape, and help these voices find themselves through writing. It’s a place where ideas run wild, get a bit messy, and then come out as the most brilliant, unapologetic version of themselves. Are you game? Then check out Meraki Review!
According to Founder and Editor-in-Chief Meheru Alaspure, “This magazine is for the dreamers, the tortured souls who understand that writing is both a violent act that sears the skin and a sacred one that inscribes meaning upon it. Writing is rhapsody, adrenaline, and joy—the tide that rushes against the shores of pain and begins the healing.”
Publishing every four months, Meraki Review features poetry, fiction prose, creative non-fiction, memoirs, prose-poetry hybrids, and artwork online by both teens and adults for an international teenage readership.
Alaspure wants Meraki Review to be “a community where teenagers feel safe to express themselves freely, support one another, and inspire each other to improve. Together, we will form a global platform that shines a spotlight on hidden voices and their galvanizing stories. The word Meraki means to do something you love and are passionate about. That pretty much sums up the ethos of our magazine!”
Validating Voice, Amplifying Teens
Alaspure shares her motivation for starting Meraki Review, “At the beginning of my literary journey, I found it incredibly difficult to get my voice heard. While poetry forums and platforms existed, the act of getting published felt different—more official, more permanent. Publication provided a sense of validation, like a stamp on my ideas and opinions. However, as I published more, I noticed a glaring gap: there wasn’t a literary magazine dedicated to amplifying teenage voices.
“I started Meraki Review because I believe everyone deserves to feel seen and heard, regardless of whether their prefrontal cortex is fully developed or not. My vision is to create a guided platform where teenagers learn to shape and articulate their thoughts. It is an international literary magazine designed to erode the cages of ‘realistic thinking’ and encourage young minds to unfurl the wings of their psyche, carving words from the depths of their being. Through Meraki, I want to transform the belief that ‘stories allow us to escape reality’ into the mantra that ‘stories allow us to reshape reality.’”
Positive Experience for Writers and Readers
Meraki’s editorial team is a micro-group of passionate teenagers, each deeply committed to curating and amplifying unique voices and includes Meheru Alaspure, Rae Bozeman, Samrin Khan, and Vaibhavi. Their editorial process involves several well-planned steps:
- Initial Review and Scoring: Once submissions arrive, the editorial board reads through each piece and assigns it a general score out of 5 based on creativity, coherence, and overall impact.
- In-Depth Editorial Feedback: Regardless of whether a piece is accepted or rejected, the editors craft an in-depth review for the author (usually about two paragraphs).
- Final Evaluation: After the initial reviews are complete, Alaspure goes through all the scores and editorial reviews and reassess each piece, scores it independently, and makes the final decision on whether it will be accepted for publication.
- Response Timeline: Meraki responds to submissions after the submission period closes (which is usually after 45 days or less) to ensure every piece is given equal consideration.
For writers, Alaspure advises, “What sort of ‘weird’ do we like? And the answer is simple: guttural, biting, humane gore. We’re drawn to what feels as raw and authentic as skin and flesh. Seriously, send anything – what even is genre?”
Readers coming to Meraki Review, says Alaspure, can expect to find “love, bitterness, rage, and hate, as much as bliss, beautifully crafted opinions, and charmolypi. The editors create a reading experience in which works bleed into each other, weaving a tapestry of emotions and thoughts that overlap and amalgamate, forming a complex, yet cohesive landscape of expression. It’s a space where contrasting feelings coexist.”
Contributors to the inaugural issue are Anwesha Das Sarma, Bryan Duong Milstead, Sofia Ida Cestari, Ellie E., Shel Zhou, Aurora, Mahi, Arunima Dhammi, Kimberly Co, Chrysanne, Emily Holman, Alistair Gaunt, Chainka, Samrin, M.S. Blues, Jezabel Castillo, Gio Roven, Kathika, Cassie Carbonneau, with cover art by Ana Milani.
Roots in Responsibility & Future Community
Starting a lit mag is a challenge for even the most dedicated, as Alaspure comments on the learning curve, “My greatest lesson learned has been to delegate. Don’t try to do everything yourself — trust me, I’ve tried, and it’s a recipe for burnout. On a deeper level, though, I’ve learned the weight of responsibility. I feel deeply responsible for everything our contributors share with us — their deepest, darkest episodes. It’s not just about publishing their work; it’s about giving them a platform where they can truly shine, and where their voices are heard and respected. That sense of responsibility shapes everything we do at Meraki Review.”
With the hope of continuing their work, Alaspure shares a peek at Meraki Review’s future, “One of my biggest goals is to create a writers’ hub, a community of teen writers who can support and inspire each other. I hope to grow this community to 200+ passionate contributors, all sharing their unique voices and creativity with the world. I’m also deeply passionate about female literacy, so we will be collaborating with an NGO focused on girl child education for a project called Gold Moths. Our contributors will have the chance to write letters and poems of encouragement for these girls, sharing love and support through their words. Alongside this, we plan to run a fundraiser to support the NGO and raise funds for the cause.
“Meraki is for me, for you, and for anyone who writes to feel alive.”