Help Riddle Fence Weather the Storm

Riddle Fence is facing an unanticipated and serious budget shortfall. We may not survive the winter without your support.

Hi friends! Elisabeth here — I’m the new Executive Director at Riddle Fence. I’m here today to ask for your help: Riddle Fence may not survive the winter without your financial support.

You may know Riddle Fence as a magazine: we publish some of the best new fiction, poetry, essays, and visual art from here in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and around the world.

Or, you may have come to one of our free events or workshops—like one of our awesome collaborations with Lawnya Vawnya or Hold Fast.

Maybe you like to plug into riddlefence.com to find the most recent reviews of new local theatre, dance performance, film, books, and more.

Or, maybe you did some shopping at our pop-up bookstore on Duckworth Street this past summer. Whew! We’ve sure been busy!

The truth is, we’ve all been working really hard to extend our reach into the community, support emerging writers and artists, and create new opportunities for learning and development. Next year, we’ll publish our first books as the Riddle Fence Debuts imprint. We’ve been around since 2007 — but by now, Riddle Fence isn’t just a magazine. We’re so much more! We’re an institution.

But here’s the bad news: this unanticipated budget shortfall, in combination with skyrocketing printing and shipping costs, means our institution is now very much at risk.

Right now more than ever, Riddle Fence needs your help and support in order to keep going. Without a few angel donations, we may need to turn the page – for good.

And what a shame that would be!

Here’s where you come in:

All donations will go directly to supporting our operating costs as we head into the new year. We’re facing a budget shortfall of approximately $50,000 – even with some cutbacks and necessary layoffs. These funds will literally cover the cost of supporting the magazine, a pared-down staff, and our existing projects while we adjust our programming and get funding in place for 2024-25.

Updates will be provided to keep you informed about the progress and impact of your contribution.

But wait! There’s more!

We also have a few special donation incentives:

Donate $50 and receive a vintage back issue of Riddle Fence.

Donate $100 and receive a gift pack including a vintage back issue + a book by a local Newfoundland and Labrador author.

Donate $200 and receive a free, one-year subscription to Riddle Fence.

How else can you help? Sharing this fundraising effort will make a tremendous difference. Your support will have a cascading effect within the community, and allow Riddle Fence to continue providing space for new and emerging writers and artists, as well as bringing visiting writers to the province, and providing workshops and outreach programs.

Together, we can create a network to keep Riddle Fence healthy and strong.

With heartfelt gratitude!

Elisabeth de Mariaffi,
Executive Director