All students aspiring to be the next Shakespeare should submit their work to Shale, the Undergraduate Arts Journal at UK.

The journal, which began in 2008 as The Cat’s Figment, publishes twice a year and is currently accepting submissions for its fall 2017 issue. It was guided by the Gaines Center for Humanities and was passed from one Gaines Fellow to another. Its name changed to Shale in the 2011-2012 publication cycle.

Shale has three editors-in-chief: Karly Walker, Haley Latta and Bridget Nicholas.

Walker said Shale is much more than just the undergraduate literary magazine.

“It’s an opportunity for undergraduates passionate about art— whether that be written or visual— to have a place to express themselves and their ideas,” Walker said. “We believe that UK has some of the most incredible student artists that a college campus can offer.”

All students are eligible to apply, regardless of major.

“A common misconception about Shale is that it’s exclusively for English majors, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” Walker said. “Yes, our publication is rooted in the English department, but we have staff from diverse academic disciplines and receive submissions from an array of different degrees.”

She said they have published the work of biology, engineering and history majors, among others. She said the staff is proud to reflect diversity in the magazine.

In the past, the works of students who attend universities other than UK have even been included in the magazine.

Walker said one of the most important aspects of Shale is that it’s run “by students for students.”

Walker said the staff wants readers and writers to view Shale as a safe space where they can submit their work.

“Our main goal with Shale is to provide student art campus-wide to the University of Kentucky, and to create an inclusive community where any undergraduate student feels like they belong,” Walker said.

Shale accepts submissions in Visual Arts, Poetry, and Prose. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] before 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16.