Tove Black lives in Western Canada, where she writes literary fiction and slightly weird stories and fables, and writes and illustrates literary zines. (You can find two of the zines at the Vancouver Public Library: The Bard and the Prosperous Merchant (a fairy tale), and Bidwell Island (an excerpt from a music novel in progress).
Tove Black is a pen name.
Publications, etc.
3-Day Novel Contest long list
I’m stunned and honoured by this excellent news: my submission to the 2024 3-Day Novel Contest is one of ten on their longlist.
This contest is such a surreal and intense experience (I wrote about it back in September, just after I finished writing my 2024 entry). From what I remember (ha ha), “Everything Has Always Been Terrible” is about a character discovering the truth about her own family through an indie rock star’s journals and old newspapers on microfilm. (But I’m afraid to reread it at the moment.)
subTerrain‘s 100th issue
It’s amazing to think that scrappy wonderful subTerrain has now published 100 issues — congratulations! In honour of this impressive achievement, they put out a call for 100-word pieces, and two of mine made it into their delicious anniversary issue (Spring 2025): “The Black Square,” and “Classic British children’s literature did not prepare me for the reality of mice in my old apartment.” (They also held a lovely launch party!)
Off the Map Anthology
I also have a short creative non-fiction piece in this new anthology, masterfully edited by Betsy Warland, Seema Shah, and Kate Bird, and released June 7 2025, at a packed launch and reading at Vancouver Public Library.
There are so many amazing pieces here. Find it in your local bookstore or order directly from Bell Press.
Grain
I’m very excited to share that one of my stories, “Snow in Vancouver,” is now out in Grain‘s Disrupt the Illusion issue, Volume 52.3, Spring 2025. (I love Grain and I love this theme.)
Digital issues are $8 — and check your local indie bookstore too!
Two new zines !
New for early 2025, “Dance! Dance! Revolution!” (And you can hear an audio version over at my Soundcloud.)
And from late 2024/early 2025, “The Invisible Girlfriend” — a short story in zine format. (This one is very short.)
And you can win a copy! Just sign up for my mail list so I can send (infrequent) updates — and let me know which one you want. [October 2025 update: there are still a few copies available!]
“I dreamt of flowers and flight” (fiction) was published in Issue 25 of the beautiful Tahoma Literary Review (Fall/23).
You can hear an audio version over on TLR’s Soundcloud.
Lonesome Stars, my submission to the 2022 3-Day Novel contest, came in 3rd place.
Lonesome Stars is the story of a woman looking back over her career playing in bands — and the struggles of her old friend who got her started.
February 2024 update: You can hear a brief excerpt from the latest revision over at my SoundCloud account.
“An Artist’s Model” was shortlisted for Room Magazine’s 2021 Creative Non-Fiction contest, and also Event Magazine’s 2021 Creative Non-Fiction contest.
Works in progress
Tove Black is also currently working on several novels, maybe four or five? All of them include monsters, although they’re usually metaphorical. (When they’re not, they’re probably sea serpents.)
Some of these novels also have music in them, based in part on Tove’s own experience singing and playing in bands.
Updates
Looking for updates, musings, or reviews? Check out the posts over in the News section — or follow Tove on Instagram or Bluesky.
Want to get very occasional email updates about publications, upcoming readings, and zine offerings? Let Tove know via the Contact form.
