Best Personal Essay Writing Newsletters in 2026

SubstackWeekly · last post 14 days ago

personal essays on love, ambition, identity, and becoming for the in-betweeners who thought they’d have it figured out by now.

Likely audience: newsletter creators

SubstackEvery two weeks · last post 18 days ago

Stories about the emotions of running

Likely audience: runners

SubstackEvery two weeks · last post 19 days ago

Some dispatches about writing

Likely audience: GQ readers

SubstackWeekly · last post 4 days ago

Armed with chunks of memoir and wry humour, let an award-winning writer persuade you we are not doomed. A Substack Bestseller.

Likely audience: Substack paid subscribers

SubstackEvery two weeks · last post 20 days ago

From recent posts: The author reflects on her art room table built by her father-in-law and husband, its journey from workshop to writing desk, and her upcoming inclusion in an Ember & Vine Press anthology of courage essays. She also prom…

Likely audience: writers and essayists

Substacklast post Jul 19, 2026

I thought I had it under control. I thought I knew what I was doing. I thought that leaving a relationship meant it was over. 17 years later, I realised that Jay was still controlling me, disabling me. Now, I take my…

Likely audience: readers interested in mental health and anxiety

Substacklast post Jan 27, 2026

Where life’s unexpected moments get filed away—sometimes neatly, sometimes under “figure it out later.” From writer/creator Ash, expect weekly musings, honest stories, and a reminder that no one has life entirely…

Likely audience: readers of personal essays

Substacklast post Sep 17, 2024

My personal Substack

Likely audience: creative writers