CentraLit Magazine was created by Brittani Miller and Lauren Stengel and officially launched in 2020.
Our Mission
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from. If this is your dream, you can still do it!” -Founder Brittani Miller to the Centralia Morning Sentinel, July 2023.
CentraLit’s mission is to promote the arts and literacy in Illinois, with particular focus on the Southern and South-Central regions. We believe Illinois is full of talented writers, poets, performers, artists, filmmakers, musicians, and everything in-between. We aim to both provide publishing and networking opportunities for new and seasoned creatives, but also to provide valuable info and resources to help aspiring creatives find their footing.
Our History
January 2018. Brittani and Lauren met in Josh Woods’ Creative Writing class at Kaskaskia College. During their time at KC, they each serve terms as the President of the Writer’s Guild.
October 2018. The Kaskaskia College Writers Guild hosts the Inaugural Student Literary Reading, featuring both Brittani and Lauren.
Spring 2019. Ashley Mueth joins the Kaskaskia College Writers Guild. Brittani and Lauren graduate Kaskaskia College.
May 2019. Brittani arranges the first Literary Open Mic at the Centralia Regional Library. These become regular, bi-monthly events for the remainder of 2019 into 2020.
March 2020. The COVID-19 shutdowns begin, bringing the open mic to an end. Brittani and Lauren begin brain storming how to keep the local Arts community alive despite this.
April 2020. We begin construction of the CentraLit website.
August 2020. CentraLit online is officially launched and our first pieces published.
June 2022. The first print version of CentraLit is printed.
CentraLit 