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To understand poetry, is to acknowledge being.

So many notable writers and poets have laid claims to the significance of poetry in the literary world, and outside of it, with Leonard Cohen exclaiming “poetry is just the evidence of life”, and Archibald MacLeish stating “a poem should not mean / But be”.

Thus, it seems the key to ‘understanding’ poetry is less about deciphering meaning, but in acknowledging the existence of it and the words littered on the page - as is the way in life outside of the literary realm.

Ultimately, we should not seek understanding within a poem, and rather acknowledge the existence of the words painted on the page in front of us, as each idiom, pattern, and stanza elicits recognition and being.

It often takes multiple readings of a poem before one can truly begin grappling at understanding what exactly the poet is trying to convey. Oftentimes, we may never explicitly, particularly with the most elusive of poems, come to know the true intention of each rhythmic passage.

With more readings, gradually over time, the meaning may become less elusive and provide developing insight into the intentional meaning of a passage, as intended by its author. Yet, with each reader may come alternative insight and meaning, giving additional depth and character to the nature of each specific poe, and to the expanse of the poetry genre entirely. You and I may read the same poem multiple times over a period of months and may extract different messages from its contents. This is one of the beauties of the poetry form: multiple messages extracted from the same being.

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★☆★☆★

Poetry Book Recommendations (a.k.a, Essential Reading)…

And thus, this love for all things poetry, brings me to my favourite poetry books, that I think have not only shaped the poet I am and the poetry I write, but are also essential reading for writers of all genres, at any stage in their writing endeavours.

The following list includes poetry anthologies, poetry collections, and books related to the world of poetry - essentially, a comprehensive list aimed at enlightening and balancing your writing, understanding, and poetic appreciation and compass.

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‘Letters to a Young Poet’ by Rainer Maria Rilke

A poignant series of letters between Rilke and a young writer, encouraging the act of looking inward, embracing solitude, and accepting hardship as part of one’s written journey. Filled to the brim with advice still very relevant almost 100 years post publication.

“Love your solitude” / “take pleasure in your growth, in which no one can accompany you, and be kind-hearted towards those you leave behind, and be assured and gentle with them and do not plague them with your doubts or frighten them with your confidence or your joyfulness, which they cannot understand” / “love in them a form of life different from your own and show understanding for the older ones who fear precisely the solitude in which you trust”.

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‘The Ode Less Travelled’ by Stephen Fry

Covering metre, rhyme, common and arcane poetic forms, and contrasting modern and classic poets, Fry’s 2005 guide to unlocking the poet within in is a fantastic reference point for beginners and more advanced poets, and is one book that I am always going back to.

“I believe that poetry is a primal impulse within us all”.

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‘Selected Poems 1965-2005’ by Mary Oliver

A collection of lyrical works composed by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, this selection of poems of close observation detail a deep reverence for the natural world while maintaining a mindful presence.

“A luminous tour through the poems of one of nature’s most brilliant and devoted observers”.

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‘Jimmy’s Blues: Selected Poems’ by James Baldwin

A profound, “relentlessly honest, and startlingly prophetic” collection of poems that embarks on an exploration of love, grief, and societal injustice with the same lyrical power as his famous essays.

“If the hope of giving is to love the living, the giver risks madness is the act of giving” (from “The Giver [for Berdis]”).

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‘The Whitsun Weddings’ by Philip Larkin

An exploration of social class, post-war England, transience, and human connection, The Whitsun Weddings (1964) cemented Larkin’s reputation as a defining voice of twentieth-century English poetry “through his signature blend of melancholy, realism, and precise observation”.

“What will survive of us is love. - from A Writer” / “On me your voice falls as they say love should, Like an enormous yes.” / “It had not done so then, and could not now”

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‘How to Write a Poem’ by Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido

This book is contrasting with Fry’s structured form and take on poetry - this one is an evocative and playful celebration of “discovering your very own poetry in the world around you”. “This story does not outline various poetic forms or supply you with detailed writing prompts. It merely suggests you a question, and listen (to the world and to yourself) for the answers”.1

“Let your personality and true feelings shine through your lines” / “Now show us what you found”.

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‘Lunch Poems’ by Frank O’Hara

An insightful collection published in 1964 of casual, conversational poetry, detailing observations gathered during his actual lunch breaks while working at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. With immediacy and wit, O’Hara strikingly litters his poetry with personal connection and friendship, making the ordinary seem ever potent and relatable. “So, go out to lunch with our friend Frank, soak up his warmth and wit, and spend the rest of your day a little lighter and a little more aware of the world around you” (Fran Grinnan, for the Poetry Foundation).

“I am alive with you / full of anxious pleasures and pleasurable anxiety / hardness and softness / listening while you talk and talking while you read”.

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Tell me what you really think!

Have you read any of these recommendations already? Or have I missed any essential reading out? Tell me what you think of the recommendations listed here and what else you think should be included in this list in the comments!

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In case you missed it…

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I have to admit that I am a pondering person. I like to reflect and revisit, both in attempts to romanticise my life as well as to purposefully breakdown my thoughts and feelings (self-management queen!). One of my favourite things to ponder on is is love: moments when I have felt it so deeply, moments I have seen it in other people, moments I have seen and/or felt it in my surroundings.

Quite a few months ago, during a juncture of ponderance, I became consumed by the sweetly hazy, all encompassing gently effervescent love I have been lucky enough to share with my long term partner, Joe. I spent (and could still spend) what felt like a lifetime in that moment, sifting through each warmly snug sensation and picking each perfectly pruned petal and facet of our blooming and fruitful togetherness.

It feels easy for me, in those moments, to sit for golden hours in stillness and contentment. And, after this one specific phase of rumination, my metaphorical cup felt physically full: full of inspiration, fulfilment, and tenderness.

Thus, it only felt right to write.

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★☆★☆★

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Subsequently, I wrote, and felt I was doing so in a trance. I didn’t find myself forcing rhythm or rhyme, idioms singular or plural. The words I wanted were within me, and fit satisfyingly side by side as they dressed the page in front of me. Eventually, I arrived at the title ‘Highlight of My Week’.

Highlight of My Week is what it says it is. A ode like poem, dedicated to a love I had never felt and the person who introduced it to my life. It is a dance with rhyme and the delicate simplicity of small moments intended to accentuate love’s infection; a thanking sigh to the universe for the arrival of such contentment and warmth; a dedication to promise, togetherness, and intention.

So, without further ado, here is Highlight of My Week.

☆★☆★☆

Highlight of My Week

With flowers picked fresh,
Neatly in your palms,
You bounce through the door,
Wholly sweet and ever calm.

Sat up and smiling
Now you have returned.
I revert to myself,
That you to me to earn.

Moments together,
Shared and satisfied.
The clement breeze gone,
By the warmth of your side.

Despair departed,
Few tears down my cheek.
I think of you often,
The highlight of my week.

Thank you for reading this far of my weekly newsletter, .

As a thank you, here is your reminder to remember that you and your writing deserve to be seen and heard. So keep writing.

Love to you - Charlotte. r

In case you missed it…

Here are three recent editions of Write Me Some Poetry that you may have missed, or may have been lost in your inbox! I think you’ll love them!

It is no secret that we live in an age where promoting your writing is just as important as actually writing. For a lot of us, promoting our writing can feel even more challenging than the act of writing itself.

Personally, I find it really hard to promote myself as it is, about my writing or otherwise. Any time I see a Substack article or any other online piece that details ways to promote your writing outside of the traditional (and arguably old fashioned and out dated) ways of making it as a writer, I jump at the endless possibilities to reinvent my online presence as a writer and the attempts I can make at selling myself and my writing digitally.

But, the hardest part? Being consistent.

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This is exactly what has stumped me recently. Being consistent. Since the start of the year, I had jumped back into my regular writing sessions and posting schedule of a post every Monday lunchtime, and a few notes throughout the week.

But these last two weeks? Consistency has been nowhere to be found. Life gets in the way, and suddenly you’ve not written for months, let alone promoted your writing, especially if you are not in a position to be able to fund a full time writing career. Oh, the lucky few.

Breaking even as a writer can feel like a stretch, a dream a life time away, a light so far down the perpetually shadowy tunnel that it can feel impossible at times to keep up with not just the frequent writing sessions, but the promotion of it too.

For many of us, we dream of becoming paid, full time writers, where we can write on our own terms, and fill our days with meaningful, purposeful habits related to our craft, while we sit behind desks at our 9-5 office jobs or work late nights in fields unrelated to writing perhaps.

Attempting to balance the demands of a full time job in addition to the writing schedule and subsequent self promotion efforts one must commit to in order to create a space where writing full time may become a feasible option is a challenging feat. God forbid you have anything else going on in your life that may demand more of your time.

This is where being consistent with promoting your writing can prove difficult, and where many of us find ourselves asking questions such as:

• Where am I meant to find the time to write and frequently promote what I write while working full time and managing other parts of my life?

• Where can I find constant inspiration for my writing and self-promotion if I work a full-time job unrelated to writing?

• When will I be at a point where I have promoted my writing enough where I can make writing my full-time gig?

Frustratingly, there is no singular or straight forward answer to any of those questions, and more often than not, it is a process of trial and error before you find methods and habits that work for you and your lifestyle.

There are many ways you can promote your writing. Whether that be taking 10 minutes every Monday to note some ideas for promoting your writing that week, and 30 minutes another day to prepare and schedule each of those promotions. You may also set regular goals for publishing writing on Substack, or submitting your writing to literary bodies and/or small presses, or join a local writer’s group to your area.

The possibilities are endless.

And, as says in a recent post of hers:

★ SOME TIPS ★

Wise people worth subscribing to on Substack (and reading their work):

: shares very useful information on creating full time. Also hosts seminars and workshops on creativity.

: shares aesthetically inspiring and thought provoking notes and posts that are authentic, real, and clean. An icon. Has fabulous tips for scrapbooking (useful for those of you who are visual and like being creative that way).

: the queen of ‘thought pieces’. Wonderfully subtly and poignant posts that translate into comforting advice, despite only being in her twenties.

: dissects human behaviours and makes them feel more normal. An uplifting and inspiring writer of two Substack’s.

Some Substack pages to subscribe to and follow:

: accepts submissions of any genre, posting x2 submissions on a weekly basis, and shares an abundance of other writing opportunities and calls for submissions from alternative literary bodies and small presses. Easy access to loads of information for promoting your writing that way.

: an uplifting and positive community, sharing thoughts and inspiration for creativity.

: reflections on identity, love, belonging, and the art of conscious creation. Words on allowing our stories to shape our lives as our lives shape our stories, and accepting what it means to be human. To create from awareness, rather than survival.

How to promote your work:

Here are a few ideas to get you started. Not all of these will feel right for you and your creativity. Try what catches your eyes, and keep what feels right.

★ Share quotes of your writing on social media: e.g., reels on Instagram, aesthetic photographs on Pinterest

★ Join a writer’s group or book club in your local area

★ Start a Substack, and when you do, set small goals, realistic deadlines, and post as much as possible (sometimes less is more, especially when you are consistent)

★ Submit your writing to free literary bodies and small presses (ones that don’t require a payment for you to send them your writing; AND ask for feedback where you can)

★ Create content. This could simply be a picture of something you’ve written; a journal entry; a video of you reading your writing (or someone else’s)

At the end of the day, and in this day and age, the goal is to promote yourself as much as it is the writing (but mostly the writing).

Sharing photos and videos of you with your writing (e.g., your freshly printed first draft of your new novel!) or of yourself physically writing (e.g., typing away on your laptop or scrawling down words on a sheet of your favourite paper), or reading something you have written (e.g., a poem you wrote after attending a virtual writing seminar), keeps you connected with your creativity, while also getting your work out there.

AND REMEMBER, you and your writing deserve to be seen and heard.

So keep writing.

Love to you - Charlotte.

In case you missed it…

Here are three recent editions of that you may have missed, or may have been lost in your inbox! I think you’ll love them!

Today it has been 18 months since my wonderful Nanny passed away, and it has also recently been what would have been her eighty-second birthday. She was a truly remarkable woman who overcame adversity, fought for the wellbeing of herself and her children, and stood strong through challenging times.

Over a year on since her passing, I feel more empowered by her story and legacy than I ever have before. Sure, I still long for the warmth of her side and embrace, and miss the conversations we used to share. Yet, since the day I was born, I have felt immensely honoured to be her granddaughter, recognising the impact she would have on my life even beyond the day her’s would come to an end. Luckily (or unluckily), I get to continue through life with her strength and devotion, extending her footprints in the sand.

So, what better a time to share a poem that is inspired by the phenomenal grace and compassionate temper of my sublime Nanny, Corrina. Thinking of you today, and every day evermore.

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POEM CONTEXT

Dwelling Place is a poem inspired by my Nanny that I wrote after spending a week with her in July 2024 for her 80th birthday. The last day of that week, 12th July, was her birthday, which also happened to be the last day I would see her. Our big Irish Catholic family were all together for her final birthday (unknowingly). Nan and I shared our last hug, our last laugh, and our last conversation. Whilst it wasn’t until six months later that she passed away, I spent the best part of a month after this glorious week reflecting on how much Nan meant to me. Thus, Dwelling Place was born.

Dwelling Place is also included in my debut poetry collection, Moments of Thought, that I released in April 2025. Moments of Thought is dedicated to my Nanny, Corrina Eileen.

If you like Dwelling Place, or just want to support a small writer with a big dream of making writing her full time career, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber (which will also mean you will be notified when Moments of Thought is back in stock!)

Without further ado, here is my favourite poem that I have written, Dwelling Place.

Dwelling Place

The pungent promise of her patient palms
That wriggle warmly against the skin that cases my shoulders.
Skin that is so akin to hers,
A vivid reminder that we are cut from the same cloth
Of a long line of decorated dames and formidable forces.
Batches of bubbling beings, stewed together in her rich wonky digs,
With the cavities in the curtains that cast flashes
Over the pews of heads shining with significance and sense.
The enormity of the essence she embodies:
From her gentle genius to her stout tenacity.
The velvety stout of the old country and her smooth sincere squeeze
Swell synonymously in a shower of familiar sleet. 
She leaks fountains of love from each organ,
And ferments elation in her pocket,
As we search for her to guide us home.
What a pity it would be to live a life without her.

In case you missed it…

Here are some of my recent posts that you may have missed. I quite like them, and I think you might too.

In the age of the internet, you can find countless articles and reports online claiming the things you must add to your repertoire in order to become a better writer. Many of the millions of instant results that pop up when you type the words ‘tricks to writing a book’ or ‘how to write a novel’ into Google may make enticing offers and promises of writing your next novel in 30 days. Yet they seem to “rarely [be] worth the server space hosting them”. As Chris Harrigan, in an article for The Story, said, “that’s because there’s only one trick guaranteed to turn your blank Google Doc into the literary opus of your dreams, and that's to stop looking for writing tricks and simply sit down and write”.1

Whilst I agree with Harrigan’s point above completely, I think it is interesting to consider the points he follows on with in his aforementioned article on the writing routines of well known writers. Notably, his presentation of the routines of writers such as Joan Didion, Haruki Murakami, Susan Sontag, and Hunter S. Thompson, displays the fact that there is no one way to write a best-selling or award-winning novel, or to become a world renowned writer.

In summary, this post sets to lay out the disclosed routines and habits of some of the worlds greatest wordsmiths. Note how they vary and differentiate. Take from each of them what you must. But also, take nothing at all. As ever, there is no rule book or structured guide to becoming a ‘successful’ writer.

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Joan Didion

“I need an hour alone before dinner, with a drink, to go over what I’ve done that day. I can’t do it late in the afternoon because I’m too close to it. Also, the drink helps. It removes me from the pages. So I spend this hour taking things out and putting other things in. Then I start the next day by redoing all of what I did the day before, following these evening notes. When I’m really working I don’t like to go out or have anybody to dinner, because then I lose the hour. If I don’t have the hour, and start the next day with just some bad pages and nowhere to go, I’m in low spirits. Another thing I need to do, when I’m near the end of the book, is sleep in the same room with it. That’s one reason I go home to Sacramento to finish things. Somehow the book doesn’t leave you when you’re asleep right next to it. In Sacramento nobody cares if I appear or not. I can just get up and start typing.”2

“In 2005, some 37 years later, Didion told another reporter that she usually spends “most of the day working on a piece not actually putting anything on paper, just sitting there, trying to form a coherent idea and then maybe something will come to me about five in the afternoon and then I’ll work for a couple of hours and get three or four sentences, maybe a paragraph.” Hard same.”3

Susan Sontag

In 1977, Sontag wrote in her (since published) diary:

• “Starting tomorrow — if not today:

• “I will get up every morning no later than eight. (Can break this rule once a week.)

• “I will have lunch only with Roger [Straus]. (‘No, I don’t go out for lunch.’ Can break this rule once every two weeks.)

• “I will write in the Notebook every day. (Model: Lichtenberg’s Waste Books.)

• “I will tell people not to call in the morning, or not answer the phone.

• “I will try to confine my reading to the evening. (I read too much — as an escape from writing.)

• “I will answer letters once a week. (Friday? — I have to go to the hospital anyway.)”

In an interview with The Paris Review eighteen years later, Sontag discloses:

“I write with a felt-tip pen, or sometimes a pencil, on yellow or white legal pads, that fetish of American writers. I like the slowness of writing by hand. Then I type it up and scrawl all over that. And keep on retyping it, each time making corrections both by hand and directly on the typewriter, until I don’t see how to make it any better… I write in spurts. I write when I have to because the pressure builds up and I feel enough confidence that something has matured in my head and I can write it down. But once something is really under way, I don’t want to do anything else. I don’t go out, much of the time I forget to eat, I sleep very little. It’s a very undisciplined way of working and makes me not very prolific. But I’m too interested in many other things.”4

Ernest Hemingway

In 1958, Hemingway told The Paris Review:

“When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible… There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write.”

In his article for The Story, discussing Hemingway’s literary habits, Harrigan notes: “irrespective of how late (and alcohol-soaked) the night before had been, he would rise at 5:30 a.m. and begin by reading the previous day’s efforts half an hour later. With the revisions done, he would then get to work writing the first draft of the next batch of words—between 500 to 1000 of them a day. “You have started at six in the morning, say, and may go on until noon or be through before that. When you stop you are as empty, and at the same time never empty but filling, as when you have made love to someone you love.” TMI, perhaps, but who are we to question the man for whom the bell tolls and sun rises?”5

E.B. White

Author of Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White made the follow comments in an interview with The Paris Review about his writing habits:

“I never listen to music when I’m working. I haven’t that kind of attentiveness, and I wouldn’t like it at all. On the other hand, I’m able to work fairly well among ordinary distractions. My house has a living room that is at the core of everything that goes on: it is a passageway to the cellar, to the kitchen, to the closet where the phone lives. There’s a lot of traffic. But it’s a bright, cheerful room, and I often use it as a room to write in, despite the carnival that is going on all around me.

“In consequence, the members of my household never pay the slightest attention to my being a writing man — they make all the noise and fuss they want to. If I get sick of it, I have places I can go. A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”6

Jodi Picoult

In an interview with Noah Charney, Picoult notes:

“I don’t believe in writer’s block. Think about it — when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn’t it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due? Writer’s block is having too much time on your hands. If you have a limited amount of time to write, you just sit down and do it. You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”7

Maya Angelou

While talking with The Daily Beast in 2013, Angelou noted the following things regarding her writing habits and routine:

“I keep a hotel room in my hometown and pay for it by the month.

“I go around 6:30 in the morning. I have a bedroom, with a bed, a table, and a bath. I have Roget’s Thesaurus, a dictionary, and the Bible. Usually a deck of cards and some crossword puzzles. Something to occupy my little mind. I think my grandmother taught me that. She didn’t mean to, but she used to talk about her “little mind.” So when I was young, from the time I was about 3 until 13, I decided that there was a Big Mind and a Little Mind. And the Big Mind would allow you to consider deep thoughts, but the Little Mind would occupy you, so you could not be distracted. It would work crossword puzzles or play Solitaire, while the Big Mind would delve deep into the subjects I wanted to write about.

“I have all the paintings and any decoration taken out of the room. I ask the management and housekeeping not to enter the room, just in case I’ve thrown a piece of paper on the floor, I don’t want it discarded. About every two months I get a note slipped under the door: “Dear Ms. Angelou, please let us change the linen. We think it may be moldy!”

“But I’ve never slept there, I’m usually out of there by 2. And then I go home and I read what I’ve written that morning, and I try to edit then. Clean it up.

“Easy reading is damn hard writing. But if it’s right, it’s easy. It’s the other way round, too. If it’s slovenly written, then it’s hard to read. It doesn’t give the reader what the careful writer can give the reader.”8

Hunter S. Thompson

What follows is the widely reported writing routine of Hunter S. Thompson:

“3:00 p.m. rise
"3:05 Chivas Regal with the morning papers, Dunhills
"3:45 cocaine
"3:50 another glass of Chivas, Dunhill
"4:05 first cup of coffee, Dunhill
"4:15 cocaine
"4:16 orange juice, Dunhill
"4:30 cocaine
"4:54 cocaine
"5:05 cocaine
"5:11 coffee, Dunhills
"5:30 more ice in the Chivas
"5:45 cocaine, etc., etc.
"6:00 grass to take the edge off the day
"7:05 Woody Creek Tavern for lunch-Heineken, two margaritas, coleslaw, a taco salad, a double order of fried onion rings, carrot cake, ice cream, a bean fritter, Dunhills, another Heineken, cocaine, and for the ride home, a snow cone (a glass of shredded ice over which is poured three or four jig­gers of Chivas)
"9:00 starts snorting cocaine seriously
"10:00 drops acid
"11:00 Chartreuse, cocaine, grass
"11:30 cocaine, etc, etc.
"12:00 midnight Hunter S. Thompson is ready to write
"12:05-6:00 a.m. Chartreuse, cocaine, grass, Chivas, coffee, Heineken, clove cigarettes, grapefruit, Dunhills, orange juice, gin, continuous pornographic movies.
"6:00 the hot tub-champagne, Dove Bars, fettuccine Alfredo
"8:00 Halcyon
"8:20 sleep”.

Except, he never actually worked like this.

In his article for The Story, Harrigan outlines the reasons for the misconceptions and sensationalisation of Thompson’s supposed writing routine: “This routine has been re-published online so many times that it’s effectively become gospel. But as the literary journal Beatdom points out, not only is it not true, but it was never even intended to be taken seriously. The whole thing was created as a sort of literary project by the writer E. Jean Carroll (now also famous for her recent successful sexual assault lawsuit against Donald Trump), who published an unconventional biography of Thompson in 1993.

“Carrol made the controversial decision to alternate between fiction and non-fiction throughout the book, and took the fictional route when it came to how he structured his time. But that hasn’t stopped plenty of otherwise reputable publications from reporting it as truth—see Mental Floss, the Independent, and Open Culture—a fact that would surely please Thompson if he were around today and capable of being pleased about anything.”9

In summary, I think it is important to remember that there is no set way to ‘make it’ as a writer. Some have eccentric, erratic, non-traditional routines and habits to their writing, others take a more structured, early rising type of approach. Just keep writing, when you can.

And, as Harrigan so perfectly puts it: “So should I rise at four a.m. or three p.m.? Live the life of a Renaissance man or an internet-addled slob? Take five years to work on a manuscript or one? Write drunk or sober? The variables are near-endless, as are the questions that may invariably flood your mind about what it is, exactly, you are doing with your life”.

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This post is for my fellow poets.

Here you can find an abundance of literary journals and magazines that are open now, all year round, or soon for submissions of poetry. There are so many great literary bodies listed below that we have categorised into ‘Open Now’, ‘Open All Year Round’, and ‘Open Soon’ to make your viewing experience a little easier (hopefully).

Each literary body’s website is linked by its name in alphabetical order for each category of ‘open’ status, with deadlines and opening periods mentioned where necessary.

Be sure to read each publications submission guidelines before submitting, as guidelines may differ slightly between different publishing bodies.

More specific posts to come for the poetry genre, as well as many other literary genres, so keep your eyes peeled.

Happy submitting!

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Literary Journals and Magazines

OPEN NOW ↓

Acorn Review: Deadline July 30th.

Acorn: a Journal of Contemporary Haiku: Deadline August 31st.

After Happy Hour: Deadline August 31st.

ANMLY: Deadline August 1st.

Another Chicago Magazine: Deadline November 30th.

ANTAE: Deadline August 31st.

Apricity: Deadline April 30th.

Arc Poetry Magazine: Deadline July 31st.

Arcturus: Deadline September 30th.

The Arkansas International: Deadline August 1st.

Bear Review: Deadline November 1st.

Beloit Poetry Journal: Deadline July 31st.

Black Fox Literary Magazine: Deadline November 30th.

Black Warrior Review: Deadline September 30th.

Blueline: Deadline November 30th.

Bluestem: Deadline August 15th.

The Branches Journal: Deadline September 13th.

Burningword Literary Journal: Deadline September 10th.

Carolina Muse Literary & Arts Magazine: Deadline August 15th.

Citron Review: Deadline December 6th.

Clackamas Literary Review: Deadline September 30th.

confluence: Deadline August 17th.

Consequence: Deadline October 15th.

counterclaim review: Deadline August 31st.

Country Lines: Deadline July 31st.

Diamond Gazette: Deadline August 25th.

Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose: Deadline September 5th.

Encyclopedia Prismatica: Deadline August 7th.

Exit 13 Magazine: Deadline October 29th.

Floating Acorn Review: Deadline July 31st.

The Fool’s World: Deadline July 31st.

Fourteen Hills: The SFSU Review: Deadline December 15th.

Fourth River: Deadline September 15th.

Greensboro Review: Deadline August 1st.

Gyroscope Review: Deadline September 1st.

Harpur Palate: Deadline October 15th.

Hayden’s Ferry Review: Deadline July 30th.

Hoot Review: Deadline August 1st.

I-70 Review: Deadline November 30th.

Ignatian Literary Magazine: Deadline September 2nd.

Infrarrealista Review: Deadline October 31st.

Ink In Thirds: Deadline July 31st.

Jelly Bucket: Deadline December 1st.

Kitchen Table Quarterly: Deadline August 1st.

KUDU: Deadline August 31st.

La Raiz Magazine: Deadline December 15th.

Lindenwood Review: Deadline October 1st.

Literary Fantasy Magazine: Deadline October 1st.

Litmosphere: Journal of Charlotte Lit: Deadline July 31st.

Lucky Jefferson: Deadline November 1st.

Mania Magazine: Deadline July 15th.

Men Matters Online Journal: Deadline October 30th.

Mulberry Literary: Deadline July 30th.

Naugatuck River Review: Deadline September 1st.

No, Dear: Deadline August 15th.

Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora: Deadline October 15th.

Passager: Deadline September 15th.

Paterson Literary Review: Deadline September 30th.

The Phare: Deadline July 28th.

Please See Me: Deadline July 31st.

Ploughshares: Deadline November 15th.

Poetry International: Deadline September 1st.

Ponder Review: Deadline September 15th.

Potomac Review: Deadline October 1st.

Prism Review: Deadline September 10th.

Pure in Heart Stories: Deadline September 30th.

Q&A Queer Zine: Deadline September 15th.

Raleigh Review: Deadline October 31st.

Rat’s Ass Review: Deadline July 31st.

Rawhead: Deadline August 15th.

Reading into Culture: Deadline July 31st.

Red Wheelbarrow: Deadline August 1st.

Reed Magazine: Deadline October 1st; and November 1st.

Rockford Review: Deadline October 15th.

ROOM: A Sketchbook for Analytic Action: Deadline September 3rd.

Salt Hill: Deadline August 31st.

San Pedro River Review: Deadline July 31st.

Santa Fe Literary Review (SFLR): Deadline November 1st.

Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art: Deadline October 1st.

Sheila-Na-Gig Online: Deadline July 31st.

Sho Poetry Journal: Deadline August 31st.

The Shore: Deadline September 1st.

Southeast Review: Deadline December 1st.

Stepping Stones Literary Magazine: Deadline August 1st.

Stone Canoe: Deadline August 1st.

Sugar House Review: Deadline July 31st.

Sunspot Literary Journal: Deadline September 30th.

Superpresent: Deadline September 1st.

Swamp Ape Review: Deadline August 1st.

Tabula Rasa Review: Deadline September 30th.

Tadpole Press Literary Magazine: Deadline November 30th.

Teach. Write.: A Literary Journal for Writing Teachers: Deadline September 1st.

Thieving Magpie: Deadline September 15th.

Thin Air Magazine: Deadline October 15th.

Touchstone: Deadline September 1st.

Ubwali Literary Magazine: Deadline July 31st.

WayWords: Deadline August 20th.

West Trade Review: Deadline August 1st.

Workers Write!: Deadline December 31st.

OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND ↓

! - Exclamation Mark Lit

2River View

3Elements Literary Review

34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE

#Ranger Magazine

#TWP Quarterly Lit Zine

A-minor Magazine.

aaduna

Acsentos Review.

Action, Spectacle

AC|DC - A Journal for the Bent

American Poetry Review

Anacapa Review

Anemone Magazine

antiphony: a journal & press

Apotheca Journal

Appalachia

Apple Valley Review

Ark Review

Arkana

As Surely As the Sun Literary

Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters

Aura Literary Arts Review

Austur

Autumn Sky Poetry Daily

Azure: A Journal of Literary Thought

The B’K

Beatdom

Bi Women Quarterly

Bicoastal Review

Big Other

Bipolar Poetry

Blank Spaces

BlazeVOX

Blue Collar Review

Blue Crystal Literary Magazine

Blue Earth Review

Blue Lake Review

Blue Villa Mag

boats against the current

BoomerLitMag

Boston Review

Braided Way: Faces & Voices of Spiritual Practice

Breakwater Review

Bridge Ink

Brief Wilderness

Bristlecone

Broad Ripple Review

The Broken City

Cagibi

Calliope

Catamaran Literary Reader

Catholic Poetry Room

Chainmail Poetry

Chestnut Review

Chicago Quarterly Review

Cholla Needles

Christian Science Monitor

Cimarron Review

Clade Song

Cleaver Magazine

Clockwise Cat

Clover + Bee Magazine

Club Plum Literary Journal

Collateral

Conduit

Conjunctions

Contrapuntos

Corporeal

Courtship of Winds

Dark Matter: Women Witnessing

Decolonial Passage Literary Magazine

Delta Poetry Review

DIAGRAM

DIALOGIST

digital vestiges

Dishsoap Quarterly

Driftwood Press

Dolomite Review

Earth’s Daughters

Eastern Structures

Elysium Review

Emerald City Ghosts

Eratio Poetry Journal

The Esthetic Apostle

Eucalyptus Lit

Eunoia Review

The Ex-Puritan

Exacting Clam

Expanded Field

Eye to the Telescope

F(r)iction

Fahmidan Journal

failbetter.com

Fantastic Other

Farmer-ish

Fecund

Fiction Week Literary Review

First Line

Five on the Fifth

Five-Two

Florida Review

Floriography

folklore

Four Tulips

Four Way Review

Free State Review

Free the Verse

Fresh Words: An International Literary Magazine

From Whispers to Roars

Frontier Poetry

Garlic Press

GAS: Poetry, Art, and Music

Gavialidae

Geist

Gemini Magazine

Ginosko Literary Journal

The Glass Post

Gone Lawn

Grand Little Things

Grande Dame Literary & Art Journal

Green Blotter

Grey Sparrow Journal

Guernica Magazine

Haiku Avenue

Haiku Shack Magazine

Haikuniverse

Half Mystic Journal

Hanging Loose

HAUNTER Review

HEART

Helix Magazine

Hidden Peak Review

Home Planet News

Humphrey Magazine

Image

Impossible Task

Indefinite Space

Ink & Ember

Inquisitive Eater: New School Food

Inscape Journal

January House Literary Journal

JONAHmagazine

Kestrel

Killer Nashville Magazine

La Piccioletta Barca

Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet

Lake Effect

Lascaux Review

Lavender Review

The Light Ekphrastic

Lily Poetry Review

Lit Shark Magazine

Literary Heist

Literary Mama

Literary Times

Literary Veganism: An Online Journal

Litro USA

Little Journal of Northeast India

London Magazine

Lotus-eater

Lowestoft Chronicle

Lucky Lizard Journal

Lullwater Review

Luna Luna Magazine

Macabre Magazine

Madrid Review

Main Street Rag

Map Literary

Markaz Review

Marrow Magazine

Maudlin House

Meraki Review

Metphrastics

Micromance Magazine

Mid-American Review

Midcult*

Midnight Mind Magazine

Midsummer Dream House

Midway Journal

Midwest Noir

Milk Press

Missouri Review

Mobius: The Journal of Social Change

Modern Artist

Modern Haiku

Modern Literature

Moko

Monkeybicycle

Montreal Review

Moonday Mag

Moss

Mount Hope

Mudlark: An Electronic Journal of Poetry and Poetics

Narrative

Narrative Northeast

Neologism Poetry Journal

New Absurdist

New Letters

New Verse News

Night Picnic

Ninth Heaven Literary Journal

North American Review

North of Oxford

Nulla

October Hill Magazine

Oddball Magazine

Ofi Press Magazine

One

Open Arts Forum

The Opiate

OtherwiseMag

Otis Nebula

Overtime

Pacifica Literary Review

Packingtown Review

Palette Poetry

The Paris-American

Passionfruit Review

The Pasticheur: Literature, Art, & Ideas

Pattern Recognition

Peach Fuzz Magazine

Peatsmoke Journal

Pennsylvania Literary Journal

perhaps

Permafrost

Pictura Journal

Pinch Journal

Pineberry Literary Journal

Pinhole Poetry

Pink Disco

pioneertown

Pithead Chapel

Plant-Human Quarterly

Platform Review

PoArtMo Magazine

Poetries in English Magazine

Poetry Pacific

Poetry Project Newsletter

Poetry South

Poetry Super Highway

Poets and Dreamers: Culture, Art, and Conversation + Poets and Dreamers International Literary Journal.

Porchlight: A Journal of Southern Literature

Porter House Review

Press Pause

PRISM International

Quali Bell

Quasar Review

Radon Journal

Rattle

Raven Review

Reapparition Journal

Red Ogre Review

Red Tree Review

redrosethorns journal

Rialto Books Review

River Styx Magazine

Room Magazine

Rough Cut Press

The Rumpus

Rundelania: the digital literary journal

samfiftyfour

Scrawl Place

Sequestrum

Shot Glass Journal

Sinister Wisdom

Sixth Finch

Sky Island Journal

Slipstream

Small Print Magazine

Smartish Pace

SoFloPoJo - South Florida Poetry Journal

Sojourners

SORTES

Southern Poetry Review

Spank the Carp

Spellbinder Magazine

Spit Bucket

Stanza Cannon

Star 82 Review

Star*Line

Still Point Arts Quarterly

Stone Circle Review

Storm Cellar

Streetlight Magazine

Summerset Review

The Sun: fear not fellow Brits, this is not THAT horrible tabloid newspaper.

Superlative - The Literary Journal

Survive & Thrive: A Journal for Medical Humanities and Narrative as Medicine

Sweet Tree Review

swifts & slows: a quarterly of crisscrossings

SWWIM Every Day

Table For Deuce: The Seat

Taj Mahal Review

THEMA

Time of Singing

Tipton Poetry Journal

Toasted Cheese

Tofu Ink Arts Press

Trafika Europe

Triggerfish Critical Review

Tupelo Quarterly

Tusculum Review

Twin Bill

Twin Bird Review

Valiant Scribe Literary Journal

Verses From The Underground

VIA: Voices in Italian Americana

Voicemail Poems

Waxing & Waning: A Literary Journal

Waxwing

Wayfarer Magazine

Waymark Literary Magazine

Weber - The Contemporary West

Why Vandalism?

Wilderness House Literary Review

Wildflower Post

Wildness

Wolf Twin Review

Word For/Word

WordSwell Journal

World’s Best Magazine

Woven Tale Press

Wrath-Bearing Tree

Write Bridge

Writers’ Block Journal

Writing Disorder

WWPH Writes

Yalobusha Review

Young Writers Journal

Your Impossible Voice

OPENING SOON ↓

32 Poems: Open August 1st to September 30th.

45th Parallel: Open October 15th to December 15th.

128 Lit: Open October 1st to January 31st.

Abandoned Mine: Open August 15th to April 30th.

addanomadd: Open September 15th to November 1st.

Adroit Journal: Open September 15th to November 1st.

After Happy Hour: Open November 1st to January 31st.

AGNI: Open September 1st to December 15th.

Allium, A Journal of Poetry & Prose: Open November 15th to January 31st.

Amsterdam Review: Open October 1st to December 31st.

ANMLY: Open October 1st to February 1st.

ANTAE: Open October 1st to December 31st.

Applause: Open November 1st to January 31st.

Apricity Press: Open September 1st to January 1st.

Arc Poetry Magazine: Open September 1st to December 31st.

Bacopa Literary Review: Open March 1st to April 30th.

Baltimore Review: Open August 1st to November 30th.

Banshee Press: Open October 1st to October 31st.

Barely South Review: Open September 1st to November 1st.

Barnstorm Journal: Open September 15th to December 15th.

Bayou Magazine: Open September 15th to December 15th.

Bellevue Literary Review: Open September 1st to December 31st.

Bellingham Review: Open September 15th to December 1st.

Beloit Poetry Journal: Open October 1st to November 30th.

Blackbird: Open August 15th to May 31st.

Blood Tree Literature: Open October 1st to October 30th.

Bloodletter Magazine: Open September 16th to November 1st.

Blue Mesa Review: Open August 1st to October 31st.

Booth: Open September 1st to November 30th.

Boulevard: Open November 1st to May 1st.

Bracken: Open October 1st to November 30th.

Broadsided: Open September 1st to May 15th.

Brooklyn Review: Open September 1st to September 30th.

Burningword Literary Journal: Open October 1st to December 10th.

Calendula Review: A Journal of Narrative Medicine: Open August 15th to September 30th.

Calyx: A Journal of Art and Literature by Women: Open October 1st to December 31st.

Canary: Open August 1st to August 31st.

Carolina Muse Literary & Arts Magazine: Open October 1st to December 15th.

Chapter House Journal: Open November 1st to December 31st.

Chiron Review: Open November 1st to January 1st.

Cincinnati Review: Open September 1st to September 30th.

Cola Literary Review: Open September 15th to October 15th.

Collision Literary Magazine: Open August 28th to January 27th.

Colorado Review: Open August 1st to March 30th.

The Common: Open September 1st to December 1st.

Copper Nickel: Open August 15th to December 15th.

Crab Creek Review: Open September 15th to October 15th.

cream city review: Open August 1st to October 1st.

CutBank: Open September 15th to February 1st.

DarkWinter Literary Magazine: Open September 1st to September 30th.

decomp journal: Open November 1st to December 1st.

Diamond Gazette: Open September 25th to November 30th.

The Dodge: Open September 1st to November 30th.

Doubly Mad: A Journal of Arts and Ideas: Open September 2nd to December 31st.

Dunes Review: Open September 1st to October 1st.

EastWest Literary Forum: Open August 1st to October 31st.

Ecotone: Reimagining Place: Open August 29th to August 31st; and September 1st to September 5th.

Ekphrastic Review: Open August 1st to August 31st; and November 1st to November 30th.

Elan: Open September 1st to September 30th.

Eleventh Hour Literary: Open August 1st to September 15th.

eMerge Magazine: Open October 1st to October 31st.

Encyclopedia Prismatica: Open October 2nd to November 6th.

Epiphany Magazine: Open November 1st to December 15th.

Equatorial Literary Magazine: Open August 1st to November 30th.

EVENT: Open August 1st to September 30th.

Exposition Review: Open August 4th to September 5th; and September 15th to December 15th.

Fairy Tale Magazine: Open August 15th to August 21st.

The Fiddlehead: Open September 15th to November 30th.

Floating Acorn Review: Open September 1st to November 30th.

Flyway Journal of Writing & Environment: Open September 1st to October 15th.

Foglifter: Open September 1st to November 1st.

Folio: Open October 1st to December 1st.

The Fool’s World: Open November 1st to December 31st.

Fourth River: Open November 15th to January 15th.

Freshwater Review: Open December 1st to February 15th.

Full Bleed: Open August 1st to November 1st.

Garfield Lake Review: Open September 7th to September 27th.

Georgia Review: Open August 15th to May 15th.

Gigantic Sequins: Open November 1st to January 15th.

Gilded Weathervane: Open October 1st to January 1st.

Glassworks Magazine: Open September 15th to December 15th.

Gravity of the Thing: Open October 1st to November 30th.

Greensboro Review: Open November 1st to January 1st.

Grist: A Journal of the Literary Arts: Open August 1st to October 31st.

Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts: Open September 1st to March 1st.

Gulf Stream Magazine: Open September 10th to November 1st.

Gutter Magazine: Open August 1st to August 30th.

Gyroscope Review: Open October 1st to December 1st.

The Haikuist: Open August 1st to August 31st; and November 1st to November 30th.

Harvard Review: Open August 1st to August 31st.

Hayden’s Ferry Review: Open November 1st to November 30th.

Headlight Review: Open August 1st to November 30th.

Heart of Flesh Literary Journal: Open August 1st to September 30th.

Hemlock Journal: Open November 1st to December 15th.

Hole in the Head Review: Open December 1st to January 1st.

Hoot Review: Open October 1st to November 27th.

Hunger Mountain: Open September 1st and November 30th.

Idaho Review: Open September 8th to November 15th.

Ignatian Literary Magazine: Open November 1st to February 1st.

Ilanot Review: Open August 1st to September 30th.

Ink In Thirds: Open October 1st to January 31st.

Inlandia: A Literary Journey: Open September 1st to October 31st.

Interim: Open September 1st to May 15th.

Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine: Open August 14th to September 14th.

Invisible City: Open September 16th to October 16th.

Iowa Review: Open August 1st to November 1st.

Jabberwock Review: Open August 15th to October 1st.

Jelly Squid: Open November 2nd to December 12th.

Kennings Artistic and Literary Journal: Open August 1st to February 9th.

Kenyon Review: Open September 1st to September 30th.

Kitchen Table Quarterly: Open October 1st to November 1st.

Kweli Journal: Open September 1st to May 30th.

Last Leaves Magazine: Open September 1st to November 30th.

LETTERS Journal: Open October 1st to December 1st.

LIT Magazine: Open September 15th to December 15th.

Literary Fantasy Magazine: Open November 1st to April 1st.

Little Patuxent Review: Open August 1st to October 15th.

Long River Review: Open September 15th to December 15th.

Lunch Ticket: Open August 1st to September 30th.

The MacGuffin: Open September 1st to June 30th.

MacQueen’s Quinterly: Open October 21st to November 7th.

Maine Review: Open September 1st to November 30th.

Mania Magazine: Open September 15th to January 15th.

Massachusetts Review: Open October 1st to April 30th.

The Meadow: Open August 15th to January 15th.

Menagerie Magazine: Open August 1st to November 30th.

Meow Meow Pow Pow Lit: Open September 1st to November 1st.

Meridian: Open August 20th to November 20th.

Metachrosis Literary: Open December 15th to February 28th.

Michigan Quarterly Review: Open August 1st to November 1st.

MicroLit: Open October 16th to October 31st.

MockingHeart Review: Open August 1st to August 31st; and December 1st to December 31st.

MSU Roadrunner Review: Open November 1st to November 15th.

Mukoli: The Magazine for Peace: Open October 1st to November 15th.

Multiplicity: Open December 1st to January 31st.

Muzzle: Open December 15th to January 15th.

New Delta Review: Open October 1st to November 15th.

New England Review: Open September 1st to November 1st.

New Feathers Anthology: Open October 1st to November 1st.

New Ohio Review: Open August 15th to November 15th.

New Square Literary Magazine: Open October 1st to November 10th.

New World Writing Quarterly: Open October 1st to October 14th.

New Writing Scotland: Open August 1st to October 31st.

Nimrod International Journal: Open November 1st to November 30th.

Ninth Letter: Open September 1st to February 28th.

NonBinary Review: Open August 1st to August 31st; and November 1st and November 30th.

Normal School: Open October 1st to November 30th.

North Carolina Literary Review: Open September 15th to October 31st.

The Northeast Coast: Open August 1st to October 31st.

Nude Bruce Review: Open August 15th to December 15th.

Oakwood: Open October 1st to January 31st.

Orchards Poetry Journal: Open September 15th to November 15th.

Orion: Nature and Culture: Open September 15th to September 30th.

Oxford Magazine: Open September 15th to October 15th.

Oxford Poetry: Open September 15th to November 30th.

Oyster River Pages: Open September 1st to October 1st.

pacificREVIEW: A West Coast Arts Review Annual: Open August 1st to March 15th.

Pan Haiku Review: Open October 1st to October 31st.

Pangyrus: Open September 15th to November 15th.

Paper Dragon: Open September 1st to October 15th.

Passages North: Open September 1st to April 15th.

Penn Review: Open September 10th to November 7th.

Pensive: A Global Journal of Spirituality & the Arts: Open August 1st to November 15th.

petrichor: Open October 1st to December 1st.

The Phare: Open October 4th to November 29th.

Philly Poetry Chapbook Review: Opening August 1st to September 15th; and November 1st to December 15th.

phoebe: Open August 15th to October 8th.

Pine Hills Review: Open September 1st to April 30th.

Pinyon: Open August 1st to December 1st.

Please See Me: Open September 15th to December 15th; and December 15th to February 17th.

Pleiades: Open December 1st to December 31st.

The Plentitudes: Open August 1st to September 30th; and November 1st to December 31st.

Plume: Open October 15th to October 29th.

Poet Lore: Open October 1st to November 30th.

Poetry: Open September 16th to June 14th.

Poetry International: Open September 1st to December 1st.

Ponder Review: Open December 15th to March 15th.

Poor Yorick: A Journal of Rediscovered Objects: Open September 1st to January 1st.

Post Road: Open September 15th to November 14th.

Prairie Margins: Open August 1st to April 1st.

Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry: Open August 1st to October 1st.

Prime Number Magazine: Open September 1st to October 31st.

Prism Review: Open December 1st to February 10th.

A Public Space: Open September 15th to October 15th.

Quarterly West: Open October 15th to November 15th.

Quartet: Open September 1st to October 1st.

Radar Poetry: Open November 1st to January 1st.

Raleigh Review: Open November 1st to December 31st; and December 10th to December 25th.

Rawhead: Open August 15th to October 1st.

Reading into Culture: Open October 1st to October 31st.

Recenter Press Poetry Journal: Open September 15th to November 30th.

Red River Review: Open August 15th to October 15th.

Red Wheelbarrow: Open August 1st to January 1st.

Redivider: Open August 1st to December 1st.

Relief: A Journal of Art & Faith: Open October 1st to March 1st.

Revolute: Open September 15th to November 15th.

RHINO Poetry: Open August 1st to September 30th.

RockPaperPoem: Open September 15th to October 30th.

ROOM: A Sketchbook for Analytic Action: Open October 3rd to January 5th.

Route 7 Review: Open September 15th to November 10th.

Rust & Moth: Open September 1st to September 20th; and December 1st to December 20th.

Salamander: Open October 1st to April 1st.

Salt Hill: Open December 1st to January 31st.

Same Faces Collective: Open August 1st to October 1st.

Seaside Gothic: Open October 12th to October 18th.

Shadowplay: Open October 15th to March 15th.

Sheila-Na-Gig Online: Open October 1st to October 31st.

Shift: A Journal of Literary Oddities: Open October 15th to December 31st.

Sho Poetry Journal: Open December 15th to March 15th.

shoegaze literary: Open August 14th to October 14th.

The Shore: Open October 1st to December 1st.

Sierra Nevada Review: Open October 1st to December 1st.

Silk Road Review: Open September 1st to December 1st.

Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine: Open August 1st to December 15th.

So to Speak: Open September 1st to November 15th.

Solstice: A Magazine of Diverse Voices: Open August 1st to March 31st.

Solum Journal: Open September 16th to October 31st.

Sontag Mag: Open September 1st to September 30th.

Soundings East: Open September 1st to February 1st.

Southampton Review: Open September 10th to October 15th.

Southern Humanities Review: Open August 15th to October 15th.

Southern Quill: Open October 12th to March 6th.

Southern Review: Open September 1st to January 1st.

Southwest Review: Open December 1st to December 15th.

The Spectacle: Open October 15th to November 15th.

Split Lip Magazine: Open August 1st to December 15th.

Stepping Stones Literary Magazine: Open November 1st to February 1st.

storySouth: Open December 15th to January 15th.

subTerrain Magazine: Open August 1st to September 15th.

Sugar House Review: Open August 31st to September 30th.

Sundog Lit: Open October 1st to December 1st.

Sunspot Literary Journal: Open October 1st to December 15th.

Superpresent: Open October 1st to December 1st.

swamp pink: Open September 1st to December 31st.

Tadpole Press Literary Magazine: Open December 2nd to April 30th.

Talking River Review: Open August 1st to April 1st.

Tampa Review: Open September 1st to December 31st.

Teach. Write.: A Literary Journal for Writing Teachers: Open October 1st to March 1st.

Thieving Magpie: Open October 1st to December 15th.

Thimble Literary Magazine: Open August 1st to September 30th; and November 1st to December 31st.

Think: A Journal of Poetry, Fiction, and Essays: Open September 1st to December 31st.

Third Coast Magazine: Open October 1st to October 31st.

Thirteen Bridges Review: Open September 1st to December 2nd.

Three Panels Press: Open December 13th to March 23rd.

Tiger Moth Review: Open August 1st to October 31st.

Timberline Review: Open November 1st to December 15th.

TINGE Magazine: Open August 15th to November 15th.

tinywords: Open August 1st to August 31st.

Touchstone: Open December 30th to February 28th.

TriQuarterly: Open October 1st to December 31st.

Two Hawks Quarterly: Open October 1st to June 30th.

Unbroken: Open August 1st to September 15th; and November 1st to December 15th.

Uncommon GRACkle: Open November 1st to December 31st.

Under a Warm Green Linden: Open December 1st to March 21st.

Usawa Literary Review: Open August 1st to November 30th.

Valley Voices: A Literary Review: Open September 1st to December 30th.

Verse-Virtual: Open 1st to 10th of each month.

Wayne Literary Review: Open August 15th to February 20th.

WayWords: Open October 1st to November 20th.

West Branch: Open August 1st to April 1st.

West Trade Review: Open August 15th to December 15th.

Westchester Review: Open October 15th to December 15th.

Whale Road Review: Open December 1st to December 15th.

Whitefish Review: Open September 1st to December 31st.

Wild Garlic: Open September 1st to November 1st.

Willow Springs: Open September 1st to May 31st.

Witness: Open September 5th to October 31st.

Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature: Open September 1st to November 1st.

World Literature Today: Open December 1st to December 31st.

Writers Space Africa: Open September 20th to October 15th; and October 20th to November 15th.

Yellow Arrow Journal: Open August 1st to August 31st.

Zone 3: Open August 15th to November 1st.

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In case you missed it…

Here are three recent editions of Write Me Some Poetry that you may have missed, or may have been lost in your inbox! I think you’ll love them!

Towards the end of last year, I had started to write commissioned poems for friends, family, and followers from all across the world. I ended up closing my books on commissions at the start of 2026 when life got a bit too busy, meaning I was unable to keep up with the influx of poems I was being asked to write. Ideally, this wouldn’t have been the case, and I would have had the time to write as many poems as possible, poems that felt authentic, honest, and real for me (as well as for the people receiving them).

During this time, one poem that I wrote really stuck out to me. A young woman had reached out to me asking if I could write a poem for her younger sister who had moved across the world, about how their love, connection, and sisterhood remains fruitful, promising, and strong despite the physical distance between them. I, living over 10,000 miles away from my little sister, responded with the easiest yes of my life. It felt like something that I could write about easily, detailing the nuances of this sisterhood, while being able to write from the perspective of my own.

I think about the poem I wrote for this lovely young woman and her sister often. I only recently thought, maybe there’s other sisters out there who need to read this one too.

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The Moon in this Hemisphere

As I had started to explore above, The Moon in this Hemisphere was born from a conversation about the persistence of sisterhood despite excessive physical distance.

Being a sister was the first title I ever upheld, and is something that I hold dear to me (and will for the rest of my life). Sisterhood has brought me so many wonderful things, as it has and does for so many sisters around the world. Being able to write something for one sister to gift to another sister was an absolute honour.

If you are and/or have a sister, I hope you are able to find something synonymous with your sisterhood within this poem.

The Moon in this Hemisphere

Innately in concert, long hand in hand,
Two paired together, before they could stand.
Lives intertwined, since the day you were born,
Love that extends for miles, a love so warm.
Secluded once, through many golden hours,
I keep by my side, your favourite sunflower.
With our lives now widespread, one thing remains,
The pride of being your sister won’t ever wane.
Love is the warmest colour, sun or rain,
And as it happens, you’re my favourite shade.
May be cliché, yet it would be sublime,
To be your sister in every lifetime.

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Here are three recent editions of that you may have missed, or may have been lost in your inbox! I think you’ll love them!

At the start of the year, I decided to set myself the challenge of reading as many books as I could physically manage throughout 2026. After a long stint of maybe reading two books at most each year, I wanted to return to one of my favourite childhood hobbies of reading, absorbing the world of characters whose lives looked vastly different to my own.

Starting this new challenge, I had no real goal set in stone, no number of books I hoped to read throughout the year. Simply, I just wanted to read more often, hoping that I could make reading more of a habit again, and the number of books I would eventually have completed come the end of the year would be good enough (or at least better than the singular book I had finished in 2025).

Now, we find ourselves halfway through the year and I have seen the greatest personal turnover of books I have ever witnessed. I think it is safe to say that I have truly returned to be childlike ways of bookworm-ish obsession.

As we speak today, I have read 33 books. A whopping amount, and a number that I had never anticipated reaching in the space of six months. I am amazed by the ease I found in making reading a habit again - an action I do almost daily now - and by how much better I feel for having such a routine fitting so aptly into my life.

Some of these books I discussed in a post back in March, and thought it seemed fitting to share an update on the following books I have completed since then. You can read my thoughts and ratings of the books I read at the start of the year here:

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What You Actually Came For…

Without further ado, here are my thoughts on twenty four books that I have started and finished since the start of March. Be sure to let me know if you have read any of these titles, what you thought of them, and/or what you think I should read next!

Carrying on from my original post back in March, I had ended that newsletter stating that I was currently reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and that I was to follow up that book with my reading of Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik. I never actually ended up finishing either of those two books, so they are not included in this comprehensive list (though I do plan to return to them in the near future).

Due to this list detailing such a volume of titles, I will be giving description and thought on my favourites of said books, and solely just star ratings out of five for the remaining ones.

1: An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister

4/5 ★’s.

2: How to Kill a Witch: A Guide for the Patriarchy by Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi

A brilliant exploration of vindication and tradition, uncovering the realities of witchcraft and the persecution of women in Scotland. I felt fascinated by the depth of detail and knowledge that Mitchell and Venditozzi uncover in this compelling retelling of part of Scottish history.

5/5 ★’s.

3: Animal Farm by George Orwell

I mean, do I really need to say much about this classic? I fear everything I think of this book has already been said. Just as relevant as ever, it seems.

5/5 ★’s.

4: Play It as It Lays by Joan Didion

The first fiction book of Didion’s that I’d ever read. “A profoundly disturbing novel, riveting in its exploration of a woman and a society in crisis and stunning in the still-startling intensity of its prose”.1

5/5 ★’s.

5: Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali

Another book that had me entirely in its grasp. A book that I’d heard so much about and had kept it on my TBR shelf for way too long. Heartbreaking, wholesome, fascinating. Will be re-reading this one for sure.

5/5 ★’s.

6: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

A classic that had also been sat on my bookshelf, unread, for way too long. An intricate depiction of the dark corners of the psyche, following the intensity of a breakdown that, as the story develops, somehow perspires to become ever more rational and real. An accessible and relatable story, more so now than ever.

5/5 ★’s.

7: Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much by Cynthia Erivo

4/5 ★’s.

8: The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore

3/5 ★’s.

9: Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

A poignant recollection in part one of the 1949 Nirim affair, - a brutal gang rape and murder of a young Arab Palestinian woman - followed by part two, a modern day perspective of womanhood and life in Palestine, observing a Palestinian woman attempting to investigate the 1949 incident. A story I will never forget reading, and will always recommend to friends and family alike.

5/5 ★’s.

10: And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

The GOAT of recent/modern poetry. Pages and pages of poetical bliss, resistance, protest, and empowerment. A book I will always turn back to. As with Animal Farm, very few notes from me, as so much has already been said.

5/5 ★’s.

11: In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde

3/5 ★’s.

12: The Maid by Nita Prose

3/5 ★’s.

13: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

4/5 ★’s.

14: Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams

Recommended to me by my partner’s sister, who also shares the same first name as the author, I was really looking forward to reading this novel. Centring on a relationship “founded in power, control, and silence”2, Bitter Sweet is an intricately detailed and thought provoking account of complex relationship dynamics, significant life events experienced in almost isolation, and a naive hope for the future. A beautiful, yet at times an emotionally challenging, read.

4/5 ★’s.

15: The Wedding People by Alison Espach

4/5 ★’s.

16: Funny Story by Emily Henry

4/5 ★’s.

17: Just Friends by Haley Pham

4/5 ★’s.

18: Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli

3/5 ★’s.

19: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Absolutely loved Yesteryear, and feel I have very few notes. I was uncertain whether this novel would be for me after seeing so much hype about it online, and not knowing much about Burke or the story’s premise, yet the grip the narrative had on me was unmatched. Reading it with my girls book club was stunning too.

5/5 ★’s.

20: All Them Dogs by Djamel White

A book that I had stumbled upon while scouring the Kindle app for something new to read. Thank goodness I found this book, and read it. A brilliant debut novel of power, grief, and heartbreak - one I’ll be reading again soon.

4/5 ★’s.

21: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

After having read Keegan’s Foster earlier in the year, and having seen the film of Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy, I knew I wanted to read this novella. A painfully beautiful story of recent Irish history, highlighting the power of the church and the convent, and the importance of community, empathy, and kindness. This story will always have a special place in my heart.

5/5 ★’s.

22: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

5/5 ★’s.

23: Just Kids by Patti Smith

Before reading this acclaimed memoir, I knew I would really enjoy reading it when the time came. Patti Smith’s storytelling is powerful, beautiful, and moving in her saluting to a dear friend and to the New York City of the sixties and seventies. What a memoir, what a story, what a woman.

5/5 ★’s.

24: The Lamb by Lucy Rose

I’d seen a bit of promotion online for ’s debut book earlier in the year and loved the cover, so felt I must read it. This novel was not what I was expecting at all (and in the best way possible). Captivated from the start, gutted to get to the end of it, I can’t wait for her next novel. LOVED this and LOVE .

4/5 ★’s.

Currently Reading…

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

Having read one of Hepworth’s other novels earlier in the year and having enjoyed it, I felt it was only right to pick up another. I am about a third of the through at the moment, and am enjoying it so far.

3/5 ★’s (so far).

I wonder if you have read any of the following titles and would love to know what you thought of them too. Leave a comment on this post to share your thoughts with me, and even recommend me a book that I should read next!

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In case you missed it…

Here you can read three recent editions of you may have missed, or may have been lost in your inbox. I think you’ll like them!

Finding a love for reading and writing poetry is often a remarkable and rememberable moment in a writers life. It certainly was for me.

I remember the first poets I was ever exposed to during English classes at school, the first time I wrote my own poem for a coursework assignment at college, and witnessing the bursting of Rupi Kaur onto the poetic literary scene.

It is safe to say that my love for poetry started long before I ever realised what was forming within me, and have since found myself drowned vicariously in semantics of adoration, terror, the natural world, and humanity, amongst other thematic realms.

Yet, when I first started reading poetry, it was because I had to read it for school assignments. Once I had recognised my desire to read poetry outside of scholastic requirements, I remember wishing I knew where to start, who were the poets I should be reading, and where I could read or purchase their work. I needed a starting place.

Whether you are new to reading poetry, or have been reading poetry for years, then you may find the following list to be of use.

This week’s post focuses on a compilation of poetry collections that I consider to be essential reading. They are bodies of work that are spectacular, riveting, thoughtful, and everything in between. A culmination of new and older writers, this list is comprehensive and spans theme, genre, and context.

If you have read any of the collections or the work of any of the writers mentioned below, be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments. If I’ve missed any that you would also consider to be an essential, life changing, MUST read, then be sure to drop those in the comments too.

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Poetry Collection Recommendations

1. Ariel by Sylvia Plath

2. New and Selected Poems: Volume One by Mary Oliver

3. The Orange and Other Poems by Wendy Cope

4. The Tradition by Jericho Brown

5. Magic City by Yusef Komunyakaa

6. A Fish to Feed All Hunger by Sandra Alcosser

7. Now You Care by Di Brandt

8. And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

9. Love Is A Dog From Hell by Charles Bukowski

10. Selected Poems by Rumi

11. The Complete Poems by Emily Dickinson

12. Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara

13. Devotions by Mary Oliver

14. Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney

And number 15…

15. The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry

I was gifted this book my a family member at the start of my writing journey and it has changed my life, shaping my writing for the better. A great book to read if you are at the start of your poetry reading and/or writing journey, to gain excellent insight into the formatting and stylistic choices made my poets since the birth of poetry. Learn about rhythm, poetry styles, and more in this book.

Have you read any of these books? Did I miss your favourite?

Share your thoughts on these books, as well as your favourite and must read poetry books and poems in the comments!

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In case you missed it…

Having started writing poems and taking poetry seriously almost three years ago now, I have taken a lot of pride in the things I have written, and where the practice of writing poetry has taken me.

Starting out with only writing poems, with little to no understanding of rules, structure, and form, I had no idea where the decision to start writing my own poetry would take me. Since starting on this journey, I have read many poetry collections and anthologies (more than just the ones I was asked and encouraged to read and analyse at school), written my own poetry anthology, read books such as Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Travelled, and have even had a poem or two published in a couple UK based magazines.

Now, almost three years into my writing endeavour, I have found an interest in writing longer form pieces that I often share on my Substack, - a project I have been contributing to for just over a year, with newer essays also having been published in magazines and newsletters (outside of my own one). My writing ‘schedule’ has become so ingrained into my daily activity now that it feels nothing short of natural, and drips into many aspects of my personal life. Whether it be completing daily morning pages, crafting a new poem, or drafting a poetic reflection style essay for my Substack, writing has become a big part of my life.

Writing, in whatever capacity, feels cathartic for me, and it is my pleasure to get to share some of what I write with you all on here.

It has been a hot minute since the last time I shared a ‘new’ poem on my Substack. It only feels right to share another with you now, to honour the roots of my writing journey, and given the absence of sharing them on here of late.

Today’s Poem: A Week Ending

A Week Ending is a poem I wrote one Sunday morning, a few months ago.

Sundays, and specifically their mornings, have long held a special place in my week: the slowness they can ensue, the quiet that seeps into my well versed routine in repose, many a moment for reflection and connection. I am often careful to not disrupt such a morning.

I have long wondered why I have such a fascination with the morning of each Sunday. Only recently have I determined that being born late one Sunday evening at the turn of the millennium as the reason for my extended appreciation for the calmness of the day’s morning, the same week day morning before my mother’s first labour ensued.

It has long been a bittersweet favourite day of the week for me, but I frequently find myself longing for its morning softness each and every week. A deeper part of me has always longed for the never ending, intentional slowness of a Sunday morning, before late afternoon arrives and the impending arrival of Monday morning reluctantly seeps in through every pore. Before the responsibility of my working week assumes command, before the monotony of the work week becomes blinding, before I have more freedom to wallow in slowness and stillness.

And that is the inspiration for A Week Ending.

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A Week Ending

Sunday morning as the day begins,
Pulling back the blinds,
And locating the house coat.
Soft grins and covering chins
With hands wrapped warm
Around tenanted mugs of tea.
A blue-eyed son orbiting
In singular steps and
Reflected in a sunburst glare.
Solemn and subtly,
A money for jam existence is
A simple way to be.
To be forever tickled pink
With pencilled in shadows of 
Green and amber tints.
Drums of starchy stock and 
Sturdy sourdough crusts, handy to
Absorb this week’s crumbs.
Dreams of eloquence and lapping up
Idiom after idiom with salty
Fingers and a headache.
Now, too torrid to keep the
House coat on, stingingly slipping 
Off of Monday morning’s shoulders. 

Thank you for reading today’s edition of the newsletter. If you liked today’s piece, leave a comment and tell me what you think!

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Here are three recent posts to Write Me Some Poetry that may have been lost in your inbox, or you may have missed. I think you’ll like them.

This special post is one for the poets.

A special post that contains an array of literary magazines and journals that are open for submissions! A world of opportunity!

This post is for the poets. Here you can find an abundance of literary journals and magazines that are open all year round for submissions of poetry. There are so many great literary bodies listed below. We hope you find one or two you like the look of.

Each literary body’s website is linked by its name in alphabetical order for viewing ease.

Be sure to read each publications submission guidelines before submitting, as guidelines may differ slightly between different publishing bodies.

A world of writing and opportunity awaits you! Happy submitting!

Not sure how to submit your poetry to literary bodies? New to the world of submissions? Give our previous post (linked below) a read to familiarise yourself with a few of the tips and tricks to submitting poetry to literary journals and magazines.

Publishing your Poetry: Tips and Tricks.

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Literary Journals and Magazines

Without further ado, here comes a wealth of literary journals and magazines that are open all year round.

OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND ↓

! - Exclamation Mark Lit

2River View

3Elements Literary Review

34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE

#Ranger Magazine

#TWP Quarterly Lit Zine

A-minor Magazine.

aaduna

Acsentos Review.

Action, Spectacle

AC|DC - A Journal for the Bent

American Poetry Review

Anacapa Review

Anemone Magazine

antiphony: a journal & press

Apotheca Journal

Appalachia

Apple Valley Review

Ark Review

Arkana

As Surely As the Sun Literary

Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters

Aura Literary Arts Review

Austur

Autumn Sky Poetry Daily

Azure: A Journal of Literary Thought

The B’K

Beatdom

Bi Women Quarterly

Bicoastal Review

Big Other

Bipolar Poetry

Blank Spaces

BlazeVOX

Blue Collar Review

Blue Crystal Literary Magazine

Blue Earth Review

Blue Lake Review

Blue Villa Mag

boats against the current

BoomerLitMag

Boston Review

Braided Way: Faces & Voices of Spiritual Practice

Breakwater Review

Bridge Ink

Brief Wilderness

Bristlecone

Broad Ripple Review

The Broken City

Cagibi

Calliope

Catamaran Literary Reader

Catholic Poetry Room

Chainmail Poetry

Chestnut Review

Chicago Quarterly Review

Cholla Needles

Christian Science Monitor

Cimarron Review

Clade Song

Cleaver Magazine

Clockwise Cat

Clover + Bee Magazine

Club Plum Literary Journal

Collateral

Conduit

Conjunctions

Contrapuntos

Corporeal

Courtship of Winds

Dark Matter: Women Witnessing

Decolonial Passage Literary Magazine

Delta Poetry Review

DIAGRAM

DIALOGIST

digital vestiges

Dishsoap Quarterly

Driftwood Press

Dolomite Review

Earth’s Daughters

Eastern Structures

Elysium Review

Emerald City Ghosts

Eratio Poetry Journal

The Esthetic Apostle

Eucalyptus Lit

Eunoia Review

The Ex-Puritan

Exacting Clam

Expanded Field

Eye to the Telescope

F(r)iction

Fahmidan Journal

failbetter.com

Fantastic Other

Farmer-ish

Fecund

Fiction Week Literary Review

First Line

Five on the Fifth

Five-Two

Florida Review

Floriography

folklore

Four Tulips

Four Way Review

Free State Review

Free the Verse

Fresh Words: An International Literary Magazine

From Whispers to Roars

Frontier Poetry

Garlic Press

GAS: Poetry, Art, and Music

Gavialidae

Geist

Gemini Magazine

Ginosko Literary Journal

The Glass Post

Gone Lawn

Grand Little Things

Grande Dame Literary & Art Journal

Green Blotter

Grey Sparrow Journal

Guernica Magazine

Haiku Avenue

Haiku Shack Magazine

Haikuniverse

Half Mystic Journal

Hanging Loose

HAUNTER Review

HEART

Helix Magazine

Hidden Peak Review

Home Planet News

Humphrey Magazine

Image

Impossible Task

Indefinite Space

Ink & Ember

Inquisitive Eater: New School Food

Inscape Journal

January House Literary Journal

JONAHmagazine

Kestrel

Killer Nashville Magazine

La Piccioletta Barca

Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet

Lake Effect

Lascaux Review

Lavender Review

The Light Ekphrastic

Lily Poetry Review

Lit Shark Magazine

Literary Heist

Literary Mama

Literary Times

Literary Veganism: An Online Journal

Litro USA

Little Journal of Northeast India

London Magazine

Lotus-eater

Lowestoft Chronicle

Lucky Lizard Journal

Lullwater Review

Luna Luna Magazine

Macabre Magazine

Madrid Review

Main Street Rag

Map Literary

Markaz Review

Marrow Magazine

Maudlin House

Meraki Review

Metphrastics

Micromance Magazine

Mid-American Review

Midcult*

Midnight Mind Magazine

Midsummer Dream House

Midway Journal

Midwest Noir

Milk Press

Missouri Review

Mobius: The Journal of Social Change

Modern Artist

Modern Haiku

Modern Literature

Moko

Monkeybicycle

Montreal Review

Moonday Mag

Moss

Mount Hope

Mudlark: An Electronic Journal of Poetry and Poetics

Narrative

Narrative Northeast

Neologism Poetry Journal

New Absurdist

New Letters

New Verse News

Night Picnic

Ninth Heaven Literary Journal

North American Review

North of Oxford

Nulla

October Hill Magazine

Oddball Magazine

Ofi Press Magazine

One

Open Arts Forum

The Opiate

OtherwiseMag

Otis Nebula

Overtime

Pacifica Literary Review

Packingtown Review

Palette Poetry

The Paris-American

Passionfruit Review

The Pasticheur: Literature, Art, & Ideas

Pattern Recognition

Peach Fuzz Magazine

Peatsmoke Journal

Pennsylvania Literary Journal

perhaps

Permafrost

Pictura Journal

Pinch Journal

Pineberry Literary Journal

Pinhole Poetry

Pink Disco

pioneertown

Pithead Chapel

Plant-Human Quarterly

Platform Review

PoArtMo Magazine

Poetries in English Magazine

Poetry Pacific

Poetry Project Newsletter

Poetry South

Poetry Super Highway

Poets and Dreamers: Culture, Art, and Conversation + Poets and Dreamers International Literary Journal.

Porchlight: A Journal of Southern Literature

Porter House Review

Press Pause

PRISM International

Quali Bell

Quasar Review

Radon Journal

Rattle

Raven Review

Reapparition Journal

Red Ogre Review

Red Tree Review

redrosethorns journal

Rialto Books Review

River Styx Magazine

Room Magazine

Rough Cut Press

The Rumpus

Rundelania: the digital literary journal

samfiftyfour

Scrawl Place

Sequestrum

Shot Glass Journal

Sinister Wisdom

Sixth Finch

Sky Island Journal

Slipstream

Small Print Magazine

Smartish Pace

SoFloPoJo - South Florida Poetry Journal

Sojourners

SORTES

Southern Poetry Review

Spank the Carp

Spellbinder Magazine

Spit Bucket

Stanza Cannon

Star 82 Review

Star*Line

Still Point Arts Quarterly

Stone Circle Review

Storm Cellar

Streetlight Magazine

Summerset Review

The Sun: fear not fellow Brits, this is not THAT horrible tabloid newspaper.

Superlative - The Literary Journal

Survive & Thrive: A Journal for Medical Humanities and Narrative as Medicine

Sweet Tree Review

swifts & slows: a quarterly of crisscrossings

SWWIM Every Day

Table For Deuce: The Seat

Taj Mahal Review

THEMA

Time of Singing

Tipton Poetry Journal

Toasted Cheese

Tofu Ink Arts Press

Trafika Europe

Triggerfish Critical Review

Tupelo Quarterly

Tusculum Review

Twin Bill

Twin Bird Review

Valiant Scribe Literary Journal

Verses From The Underground

VIA: Voices in Italian Americana

Voicemail Poems

Waxing & Waning: A Literary Journal

Waxwing

Wayfarer Magazine

Waymark Literary Magazine

Weber - The Contemporary West

Why Vandalism?

Wilderness House Literary Review

Wildflower Post

Wildness

Wolf Twin Review

Word For/Word

WordSwell Journal

World’s Best Magazine

Woven Tale Press

Wrath-Bearing Tree

Write Bridge

Writers’ Block Journal

Writing Disorder

WWPH Writes

Yalobusha Review

Young Writers Journal

Your Impossible Voice

In case you missed it…

Here are three recent editions of the that I think you will enjoy, just in case they got lost in your inbox!

Never submitted your poetry to a literary body before? Just starting out in the world of publishing your writing? Well then, this is for you.

As a writer who has been submitting poetry and essays to literary bodies for a good few years now, I feel it is only fair to share some tips on submitting your writing to literary bodies.

I want to preface this post by stating that I do not know the complete ins and outs of every publication’s guidelines and structure to processing submissions. This post is intended to help reassure you through the process of submitting your writing to any literary body.

So, without further ado, here is your guide to poetry submissions.

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Your Guide to Submitting Poetry to Literary Bodies

As a fairly new writer and poet in the grand scheme of things, the start of my writing journey was born from a new found love for poetry, and learning how to write it, pretty much all on my own. Almost three years on from the start my journey, I feel more grounded and confident in my ability to write (and in no way am I anywhere near the level I want to be at, writing proficiency wise).

That being said, I have been reflecting a lot recently on the things I wish I knew when I was first starting out. One of those things being, how do I go about getting a poem published in a magazine, or get a collection of poetry published? Now that I have a few answers, I thought it only be right to share some insight.

Identify the Style

An important part of the submission process to any literary body (e.g., literary journal or magazine) is style.

Pinpoint what style or genre your poetry falls into. An example of a style of poetry may be prose poetry or micro poetry. A lot of poetry may be a mixture of genres, styles, or forms, so if it is not apparent what genre your go-to type is, do not panic! This process is purely intended as a method to helping you categorise where your writing sits in the poetry sphere.

When working through this process, consider pieces that you are most proud of, that you feel are your best work, or are pieces that came naturally to you as you were writing them, for example.

Eventually, this analysis of your work will help you to then identify which literary bodies you could submit them to. Some magazines or journals publish a broad range of poetry genres, whereas others may be more specific as to what they are looking for in each submission.

Choosing the Publication

Following on from the previous point, choosing which literary body you submit your work to is another important step.

Start your search by looking for publications that are currently open for submissions, or ones that you think you would like to submit to in the future. Ask yourself questions like: do I like the look of this publication?; can I see my own poetry featured here?; does my writing fit the genres, themes, or imagery they are looking for?

Arguably, most importantly, read plenty of work already published by this literary body. Doing so allows you an insight into whether your work may align with what styles they tend to publish. Understanding an editor’s taste as best you can can often make a difference. Noticing where poets you admire have had their work published, or those who write in a similar way to you is a sign your writing may be a good fit.

Each publication will have their own quirks, so it is crucial to understand where your writing fits within those nuances.

Review the Guidelines

Another important point to make in conjunction with the previous two is to carefully review the submission guidelines for any publication you may be interested in submitting your poetry to, once you have considered whether your style of writing fits a particular literary body or not.

Each publication will have their own minor differences when it comes to the submission process. The important differences are not so much whether they charge a reading fee, whilst that is also important to note, but more where formatting comes into play. For example, certain fonts, spacing, or line limits may be in place, so take consideration of these details in order to ensure your submission is formatted correctly.

Prepare your Work

A number of things that are vital to consider come when you are preparing and selecting the poems you plan to submit.

The first thing is to get feedback and opinion on the poems you are considering. Getting a free and fresh second set of eyes on your work from peers or mentors can be a great way to help you fine tune anything, but also to provide encouragement. Akin to this is ensuring you have proofread your poems of choice, ensuring your writing and form are clean, typo free, and correctly formatted.

When it comes to the order in which you place your poems (assuming the publication allows a submission of multiple poems), lead with your strongest piece. Capture the eyes and minds of the editors; encourage them to read the following poems.

Finally, make sure to check the publication’s exclusivity guidelines. Most literary bodies do not accept previously published work (meaning they’ll only accept unpublished poems for publication), and often posting them on a blog or on social media counts as a ‘published’ piece. So submit something new!

The Cover Letter

Like when applying for a job, a cover letter for your submission is an opportunity to showcase yourself, aside from the poetry.

Keep your cover letter short and concise, detailing the contents of your submission and literary background to avoid an instance of oversharing and too much waffle. The editors want to know about your poetry, not your personal narrative per se.

A good cover letter would include the titles of the poems within your submission, a note on whether your submission is a simultaneous submission or not*, and a short writer bio that is 2-3 sentences long (you could include previous literary achievements here).

* Whether a publication accepts simultaneous submissions or not would be stated within the submission guidelines, so be sure to check that will reviewing the guidelines also.

An ideal cover letter is not over-explanatory. Avoid too much depth in introducing and detailing your poems in the cover letter. Let the poetry speak for itself.

The Finish Line

You have submitted your poems, and now you wait. Allow the post-submission period be one of patience and etiquette.

Once I have submitted some poems to a literary body, I like to keep track of the application by popping it into a spreadsheet, detailing the poems I chose to submit, the date I submitted them, and the closing date of the submission window.

This method of tracking your submissions can come in handy if you are submitting similar combinations of poems to multiple publications. In the case of one publication accepting a submission, you can then easily check which of the accepted poems you may have submitted to other literary bodies, allowing you to more conveniently withdraw said poems from an alternative submission. (This reason refers to a previous point on many publications only accepting previously unpublished work).

Now my final point: embrace rejection.

With so many brilliantly talented writers around the world, eager to get there newest or strongest poems published, it is not always going to be easy getting your poetry to the published line first. It is never a discredit to you or your writing proficiency; rejection is simply a key facet of the life of a writer.

Try your best to not let it dampen your confidence, and allow it to fuel your writing further, in the hope that one day you will look back on an abundance of published poetry.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of the Write Me Some Poetry newsletter. If you liked today’s piece, be sure to check out more of where this came from by subscribing, and let me know what you thought or what I missed in the comments!

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Welcome to another edition of , my weekly newsletter that is centred around poetry, life, and living. I hope this week’s edition finds you well, wherever in the world you may be.

This week’s newsletter is centred around the benefits of spending less time online, embracing your creativity, and consuming the world around you inside of what is inside of your phone.

The following piece explores my personal experience with spending less time online, and details the creativity that has escaped from my fingertips because of it. I hope you like what follows, and look forward to hearing what you think in the comments.

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On Spending Less Time Online…

For a long time, I had struggled to think about anything beyond what I was seeing on a screen, even though my childhood was very much screen free. And then, when I had started taking up writing on a mostly serious basis, I realised my need for screens and purpose of online platforms was changing. From using social media for merely personal reasons, I was now shifting towards solely focusing on curating professional platforms on which I would share my work.

For the last almost three years, I have been sharing my writing online, with my journey on Substack having started in March 2025. Over this time, I feel my perception of the online world has shifted. From having once been solely online for personal use, to now using social media a lot of the time for sharing my writing, I see the purpose of social media to be quite different.

I wouldn’t say that I have more of a business type strategy now than I did say three years ago perhaps, but I definitely have found the joy in managing the time I am spending online, for writing or personal purposes.

And thus, I have discovered the beauty in spending less time online, regardless of the reason or angle.

But why?

I had been getting big headaches. As someone very much prone to severe sensory migraines growing up, I knew experiencing pretty intense ‘normal’ headaches was a red flag (and yes there is a BIG difference between a bad headache and a migraine).

Once the 2-3 day long migraines became a monthly instalment in my regular programming, I was forced to focus on elements of my wellbeing and health that I had long neglected. While I had always had an aversion to water growing up, I knew I needed to do more to help myself other than just drinking more water. That was when I realised that maybe I could manage my screen time in an attempt to lower my risk of triggering another debilitating migraine.

Shifting purpose.

Over the years, as the frequency of my migraines has lessened, this monitoring of screen time has evolved to take a new purpose for me within my life.

I have found a lot of calm in choosing how and when I use social media platforms. As with a lot of artistic expressions, I enjoy the process of writing a new poem or essay, away from any external influences, in a space that is quiet and comfortable. Doing so allows me to feel in tune with what I am writing. This feels like a sacred space, as it does for many other artists who practice their art in a similar fashion. Because I have written many new pieces in a place of isolation, I feel I can be decisive in choosing which I share online. And because I am writing in quiet and calm, I am away from the attention span depleting effort of the online space.

That being said, when I have written a new piece that I feel particularly proud of, and decide I want to share it online, the act of posting online in and of itself doesn’t feel as consuming as it may have done previously, at a time when I had only used social media or online platforms for personal use.

Thus, I find myself in a place where I feel the things I decide to share online are the most honest and true reflections of my being, allowing the experience of sharing and consuming content online to feel as natural as possible. In turn, I may use a similar method to approaching media consumption, carefully choosing the content I want to consume over recklessly flicking through reels and reels of meaningless material.

I enjoy sifting through essays on topics I find interesting on Substack to be an enjoyable and rewarding passing of time, as I am benefitting from screen time by acquiring new insight, perspective, or knowledge.

Instead of gluing my fresh eyes each morning to a screen, I now found joy in journalling before getting on with my day. Over doom-scrolling at bedtime, I choose to read a chapter or two from a current read.

Essentially, all it takes is shifting your purpose, your reason for using online platforms and the content you consume on them. Decide what you like to see, read, hear, and learn. Navigate your way through the platforms that feel good, and the ones that do not. Establish how much time online feels good, and when it feels all too much.

Spending less time online is not just a trend. It is a lifestyle change, a shift in mindset, an opening to creative freedom and contentment. Read that book, that article, that essay. Escape the constraints of ever growing screen time, and newsfeeds infiltrating your creativity and rhythm. Find inspiration and act upon it.

It is worth it.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of the newsletter. If you liked today’s piece, leave a comment and tell me what you think!

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In case you missed it…

Here are three recent posts to Write Me Some Poetry that may have been lost in your inbox, or you may have missed. I think you’ll like them.

Having started writing poems and taking poetry seriously almost three years ago now, I have taken a lot of pride in the things I have written, and where the practice of writing poetry has taken me.

Starting out with only writing poems with little to no understanding of rules, structure, and form, I had no idea where the decision to start writing my own poetry would take me. Since starting on this journey, I have read many poetry collections and anthologies (more than just the ones I was forced to read and analyse at school), read books such as Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Travelled, and have even had a poem or two published in a couple UK based magazines.

Now, almost three years into my writing endeavour, I have found an interest in writing longer form pieces that I often share on my Substack, Write Me Some Poetry - a project I have been contributing to for just over a year, with newer essays also having been published in magazines and newsletters (outside of my own one). My writing ‘schedule’ has become so ingrained into my daily activity now that it feels nothing short of natural, and drips into many aspects of my life. Whether it be completing daily morning pages, crafting a new poem, or drafting a poetic reflection style essay for my Substack, writing has become a big part of my life.

Writing, in whatever capacity, feels cathartic for me, and it is my pleasure to get to share some of what I write with you all on here.

To support a writer on her journey to becoming a full time writer and poet, consider subscribing, or even pledging, to follow along.

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This new week and edition of Write Me Some Poetry brings you a fairly new poem, Landscape.

After having written a few commissioned pieces for friends and family, as gifts for important people in each of their lives, each on the longing and yearning we feel through the multiple stages of our lives, I felt inspired to write a new poem, one just for me. Landscape was what came about as a result.

Landscape is a poem exploring purpose, courage, and place, written from a place of recognition amidst doubt. It attempts to be cyclical in nature and embraces an all encompassing hue and ambiguity in exploration.

Without further ado, here is Landscape.

Landscape

Over untold hours, under moonlit skies,
Beyond streaming blizzards of crying sighs,
Across from the trickling, shadowed brook
Nestled in verdant forest with a book,
You will find me.

Studying perilous passages of
Persuasive punctuation, from above
The earth persists on its oscillation,
Traversing time without hesitation,
Forgetting me.

Bleeding serenity, temper and calm,
Navigating the prospects I hold in my palms.
Content in the hush as it envelopes
The subtly of my ever-buoyant hopes
For freedom to roam.

Submerged in being, somewhere far from here
Arrives in translucence, ever so clear,
A reminder of my mortality,
Vivid and bright in its totality,
Now I am home.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of the Write Me Some Poetry newsletter. If you liked today’s piece, leave a comment and tell me what you think!

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In case you missed it…

Here are three recent posts to that may have been lost in your inbox, or you may have missed. I think you’ll like them.

Welcome to another edition of , my weekly newsletter that is centred around poetry, life, and living. I hope this week’s edition finds you well, wherever in the world you may be.

This week’s newsletter is centred around sisterhood and springtime, which is kind of ironic as I am currently based in Australia, where we are currently plummeting towards a cool winter. Regardless, the sister part remains true, and mine is currently back in my homeland, the UK, where spring is well and truly alive.

The following short essay is a piece I wrote for The Wild Siren magazine, a publication I am lucky enough to be a featured writer for. As per the title of this post, the essay centres around the importance of sisterhood and community during the spring. I hope you like what follows, and look forward to hearing what you think in the comments.

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A Part of Sisterhood

Building Community in this Blooming Season

Being a sister is the greatest title I have ever held and is one that I was lucky enough to acquire just after my third birthday. Luckily for me, I also have a sister (and my brother has two – he’s hit the jackpot!).

Before anything else in my life, there was sisterhood: a community and relationship built upon sharing, an intertwining of girlhood, seasoned with blooming emotional connection, and a shared mutual uplifting through each season and dayspring. Getting to share my girlhood entirely with my best friend, my sister, was truly something special, and it was the first time I had found community in safety, emotional vibrance, and a shared understanding of growth, renewal, and supportive friendship.

With the arrival of springtime, I am reminded of my sister, of each blooming season within sisterhood, and of the importance of community, as warming temperatures and longer days trigger growth within nature, as well as conversation within communities that become natural to us, once again. As the peonies, tulips, and cherry blossoms appear, the language of the flowers surrounding us connects us with community and the importance of it. Leveraging the season’s allowance of renewal and growth, we are encouraged to foster connection and strengthen local bonds after the longstanding endurance perpetuated by winter’s loneliness.

Thus, in this blooming season, we must focus on building community, or defrosting it after an endless run of numb fingers wrapped desperately around mugs of warm tea and dark evenings riddled by damp puddles and all-encompassing, ever-orbiting shadows.

As the flowers reappear, covering a less frosty landscape, and surround us, as each petal opens towards the promise of extended periods of sunlight, encourage yourself to do the same. Embrace the transitional components of springtime, opening yourself up to the opportunity of full bloom at the arrival of summer tide.

As we all step out into the slightly longer days, under the warming shine of the promise of the summer to come, we do so in unison. As the weather warms, the opportunity has arisen to transition from the isolation and loneliness of the wintery warm fire side chair to the return of shared community under a lighter, less imposing sky. The sisterhood returns, away from the confinement of the glacial hibernation we spent a lifetime cocooned within. Stepping out into the spring-filled dayspring is synonymous with the return of sisterhood and the vibrancy of the scheduled, longer summer evenings ahead.

Utilising the vibrant, transitional nature of this new and hopeful season to encourage collective activity and connection, is as much a part of sisterhood simply being or having a sister. Slide into the comfort of new adventure under the fresh, crisp breeze, melt under the light of each unspoiled dayspring, embrace the endless opportunities for connection and contentment as we edge closer to an all-encompassing summertime.

Spend time inside sisterhood, re-enter the community, outside amidst the spring-full landscape, alive and refreshed. Replenish your friendships, build new foundations for the flourishing ahead. Be at one, now the winter has gone.

THANK YOU

for reading today’s edition of the newsletter.
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Why Poetry?

In 2026, we should all be reading more poetry.

One of the oldest forms of writing, poetry has long held its rightful place within the literary world. Bound by rules of structure, rhythm, and often very few words, poetry is an art. It is a careful and precise dance with idioms and form where the writer must spend much time placing emphasis and meaning in the right place.

Yes, it may be seen by some as a bit pretentious, or difficult to understand. Yet, that is the beauty of it. The ambiguity of perception and intention, the care at which the poet has taken to place each word and architect each rhythm. The longer you sit with it, the more you uncover.

We know the names of Shakespeare, Keats, Dickinson, Angelou, Homer - but what about contemporary poets?

Thus, I want to share with you the poems of some brilliant writers, who may be lesser known, but certainly exude the right to having a lasting impact.

To support a writer on her journey to becoming a full time writer and poet, consider subscribing, or even pledging, to follow along.

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Caleb Braun

Caleb Braun’s poems have appeared in The Gettysburg Review, Blackbird, The Cincinnati Review, Best New Poets 2022, and others. He is an assistant professor of English at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.1

More of his poetry has appeared in POETRY, Gulf Coast, 32 Poems, and elsewhere. 2

Poems of note: Coming Out.

Marcus Jackson

From Ohio, USA, award winning poet and photographer, Marcus Jackson’s fourth book, Love’s Austere and Lovely Offices, published by Northwestern University Press, is out now.3

His poems have appeared in The American Poetry Review, The New Yorker, and The New York Times Magazine, among other publications. His chapbook, Rundown, was published by Aureole Press in 2009. His debut full-length collection of poems, entitled Neighborhood Register, was released in 2011, and his second book-length collection, Pardon My Heart, was published by TriQuarterly Books/Northwestern University Press in 2018.4

Poems of note: Pardon My Heart.

sara e. hughes

sara e. hughes holds an MFA from Randolph College as a Nancy Blackburn Fellow. She is a 2026 Pushcart Nominee and received honorable mention for the American Poets College & University Prize in 2022. sara is the recipient of the 2021 Elaine V. Beilin, Howard Hirt, and Marjorie Sparrow Awards of Framingham State University. sara has served as an editor for the Colorado Review, New American Press, Typehouse Press, and Revolute Magazine. ​She consults individual manuscripts.

sara’s work has appeared in Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, Superstition Review, December Magazine, and Tofu Ink Arts Press. Her work is forthcoming in Poetry Magazine, 2026 and the University of Pittsburgh’s inaugural issue of 3 Sisters Literary.5

Poems of note: [ the forget-me-nots ].

Lo Naylor

From Utah, USA, Lo Naylor (she/they) is an award winning poet and filmmaker, whose poems have appeared in The Missouri Review and The Adroit Journal. Winner of the 2025 Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest in Poetry, Naylor lives and works in Brooklyn.6

Naylor holds a BA in Art History and Visual Arts from Columbia University. Her award-winning films (as Laura Naylor) have screened internationally at major festivals, aired on the BBC, and are available for streaming. Lo’s work has been supported by the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Tin House, New York Foundation for the Arts, and is featured on The Slowdown.7

Poems of note: the patient line.

Andrea Gibson

One of the most celebrated writers of the last two decades, Andrea Gibson was one of the most stirring spoken words artists the contemporary world has seen. Their honest and vulnerable poetry focused on gender norms, politics, social justice, LGBTQIA topics, life, and mortality, and was appointed as the Poet Laureate of Colorado in 2023.89

There is a lovely passage on Andrea, who sadly passed away in 2025, on the website of Poetry Foundation. I think it is worth the read to really grasp the essence of who Andrea was, and the legacy they have left behind. Read it here.

Poems of note: In the chemo room, I wear mittens made of ice so I don’t lose my fingernails. But I took a risk today to write this down.

Nilva Moreira de Souza

Nilva Moreira de Souza is a writer based in São Paulo, Brazil. She is currently co-authoring a memoir with her son, Eraldo Souza dos Santos, about her experience with modern slavery as a child.10

Poems of note: two ships.

imogen smith

imogen smith is a poet and transsexual. She is the author of raw & zero and stemmy things, both published by Nightboat Books. They believe in a free Palestine, a borderless world, and trans power.11

With poems published in Southeast Review, baest journal, and blush, she is a shining light in the world of poetry writing and is a writer paving the way for LGBTQIA+ representation in the literary sphere.

Poems of note: smudge.

Up for more?

You can find many more fabulous contemporary writers’ and poets’ works featured on platforms such as Poetry Foundation, and Poets and Writers. Go see for yourself.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of the Write Me Some Poetry newsletter. If you liked today’s piece, leave a comment and tell me what you think!

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In case you missed it…

Here are three recent posts to that may have been lost in your inbox, or you may have missed. I think you’ll like them.

Having started writing poems and taking poetry seriously almost three years ago now, I have taken a lot of pride in the things I have written, and where the practice of writing poetry has taken me.

Starting out with only writing poems with little to no understanding of rules, structure, and form, I had no idea where the decision to start writing my own poetry would take me. Since starting on this journey, I have read many poetry collections and anthologies (more than just the ones I was forced to read and analyse at school), read books such as Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Travelled, and have even had a poem of two published in a couple UK based magazines.

Now, almost three years into my writing endeavour, I have found an interest in writing longer form pieces that I often share on my Substack, - a project I have been contributing to for just over a year. My writing ‘schedule’ has become so ingrained into my daily activity now that it feels nothing short of natural, and drips into many aspects of my life. Whether it be completing daily morning pages, crafting a new poem, or drafting a poetic reflection style essay for my Substack, writing has become a big part of my life.

Writing, in whatever capacity, feels cathartic for me, and it is my pleasure to get to share some of what I write with you all on here.

To support a writer on her journey to becoming a full time writer and poet, consider subscribing, or even pledging, to follow along.

Subscribe now

This new week and edition of brings you a fairly new poem, Writer in Indigo.

After having written a commissioned piece for a friend as a gift for her family, on the importance of family and togetherness while traversing the loneliness and absence attached to grief, I felt inspired to write a new poem, one just for me. Writer in Indigo was what came about as a result.

Writer in Indigo is a poem exploring purpose, courage, and place, written from a place of recognition amidst doubt. It attempts to be cyclical in nature and embraces the all encompassing hue and ambiguity of feeling blue.

Without further ado, here is Writer in Indigo.

Writer in Indigo

On days blue with doubt and steady shower,
No dayspring in sight, much less a flower.
With little elbow space to pursue or exhale,
A mind crowded with purpose, all but frail.
Occasions so intermittent and stale,
Uneasy, tense, even a little pale.
A nudge to fragments saved and forgotten,
Reminded my being has much in common
With lives dripping with bookshelves of purpose,
Whose contents are more than what meets the surface.

Innocent of deceit, guilty of being,
A mindful temper, soaking in much feeling.
With each day I wear a new shade of blue,
Without care for my content, you wouldn't a clue.
Far gone is woe and all of her disciples,
So long melancholy, so long, denials
Of my effervescence and vivaciousness,
I will thrive each day with my playfulness.
My life is dripping with bookshelves of purpose,
My contents are more than what meets the surface.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of the newsletter. If you liked today’s piece, leave a comment and tell me what you think!

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In case you missed it…

Here are three recent posts to Write Me Some Poetry that may have been lost in your inbox, or you may have missed. I think you’ll like them.

As a chronic perfectionist, over-thinker, and socially anxious introvert, I cannot remember a day when I have not felt overwhelmed in some way by the desire to be perfect. Perfect at quite what, I have never been so sure and it has often changed, but I have long felt driven by some mental urge to perform at my best all of the time. I can’t quite say when this started and can’t be certain of when it will end, yet this is where you find me. Sure, there are days I have lived when this all encompassing feeling has felt less powerful over my daily activity, however it has always seemed to linger in some capacity or another.

For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed being busy, filling my time with things that feel stimulating and purposeful. I have also always found it difficult to slow down, even during periods of sickness or burnout, riding waves of guilt and uselessness when faced with the challenge of doing nothing and being still, away from my usual mechanisms in striving for perfectionism. While what I am writing may seem to be very normal patterns of behaviour for someone with the qualities I have just described, these behaviours have often left me feeling trapped in a cycle I can’t seem to break free from, as they aren’t inherently ‘bad’.

Not too long ago, I was reading an essay submitted to my second Substack endeavour, , that got me thinking introspectively, and about the ways in which I am striving to attain the things I dream of most for my life: my number one dream being becoming a full-time, paid writer and poet.

After reading said essay, I found myself spiralling momentarily at the reality of making my dreams become true, - trapped in what felt like a familiar endless cycle of negative self-perception - before I arrived at a ‘light-bulb’ moment. This essay had forced me to consider curiosity: to ultimately question my own inner curiosity and awareness of possibility, and how becoming more curious would benefit me. I became aware, very much so, of how the innate curiosity for things has always been within me, and came to the realisation that being more curious could do me a world of good.

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I have never been one who has easily been able to pinpoint positive or favourable traits or characteristics within herself, but this essay did something to me. It encouraged me to stumble upon many facets of my being that I had never sat with for too long, and to consider what would happen if I chose my innate, child-like curiosity over my often overriding desire for perfection.

Ultimately, I asked myself the following questions: What would happen if I chose to follow my curiosity over my constant striving for perfection? How would my mindset change if I open myself up to possibility and restrain from relentless control?

And suddenly, I was reminded of all of the creative things I have started, books I have bought because the cover caught my eye, projects I have begun planning, all because I was curious. Curious to see what would happen; curious to know the ending of the book with cool cover art; curious to see how creative I could be. Overall, curious to see how far my curiosity could take me.

All of the times I have been curious about something and acted upon it, I have gained understanding, learnt something new, or discovered a new perspective, and become a more intuitive person. Whether these endeavours eventuated in any meaningful outcome or not, it didn’t matter. These ‘epiphanies’ feel refreshing and awakening, almost as though a layer of my self-preserving tendencies have been stripped away by some childish urge to step into the unknown. To try.

Fostering growth by replacing the fear of failure with the desire to learn has been a scary and slow process. Allowing myself to revert to child-like tendencies, embracing my curiosity with open arms, has welcomed a whole host of positive feelings, experiences, and moments for me, in which I have accepted the invitation and risk of curiosity in return for new adventure and opportunity for learning. I have become more connected to myself and my inner child, and feel better for it. However, entirely detaching myself from the rigorous constraints of perfectionism hasn’t been easy, and is still something I intend to work through.

Whilst I think I will never truly lose the urge for perfection, I do believe that being more curious will allow that urge to dim. Becoming more curious, while feeling a little scary, has allowed me to feel willingly towards new opportunity, while never losing the ability to be diligent, assiduous, and thorough.

Overall, reading the essay submitted to has churned up a lot of spirit and drive within me. It has left me yearning to be more curious, to lean in to my child like tendencies more often, and to leave some things to be influenced by fate.

To get myself back to the version of myself, the one that chooses curiosity over perfection, whenever I find myself in a tizzy, I come back to writing, and specifically writing something for myself and no one else. And whether I choose to share that with anyone or anywhere, I’ll never know it in the moment.

And so, I finish with this: Trying to be curious, and to write again. Trying to do a lot of things again.

What will happen if I choose curiosity over perfection? Ask yourself the question, and find out.

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Here are three recent posts to that may have been lost in your inbox, or you may have missed. I think you’ll like them.

As seen published in Issue 2 of The Wild Siren Magazine - Going Analogue: Are we starting to lean more towards print and going analogue? Read this piece and many others in Issue 2 of the mag or on the website, and explore issues of the magazine here.

The Wild Siren Magazine is a publication run by the lovely Emma, that centres raw connection around “humans, music, and poetry”. The focus of the magazine has always been community, and is one in which I feel greatly privileged to be a part of, with having written multiple pieces for them now: namely, LOVE! (in Issue 1), Speak, Easy (in Issue 2), and Glitter in the Ashes.

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Are we really starting to lean towards consuming more physical media and building habits for analogue living, or is it just a trend?

For centuries, humans have set new year resolutions. For many of the last few years, a multitude of us have set ourselves the challenge of lowering our screen-time: to cut back on our digital dependence, to reclaim the gift of being present, to experience life in real time. Over the last eighteen months or so, there seems to have been a shift. More people taking actual breaks from their phones, decentralising the purpose and usage of their smart phones, and turning their attention to more meaningful passages of time. This apparent movement of people craving offline experiences are recognising the power of going offline on purpose and understand that logging off is a luxury. It seems as though now, more than ever, that our time and attention is our currency, so turning to more analogue habits feels fitting. But how long will it last?

I am fascinated by this popular topic of going analogue. Like many other people my age, I feel a desire to become less dependent on my smart phone and to fill my time with alternative, more fulfilling habits. Rather than falling asleep with the bellowing shadow of blue light from my TV that riddles my sleeping pattern, I find myself shifting towards the desire to read at bedtime, to be fostering community and connection, to build long lasting habits that serve me. I wonder how I ended up in this cycle of digital dependency and am awoken to scenes from my childhood: hours spent outside on a bike, going camping, bouncing on my neighbour’s trampoline with their teenage kids, skipping to the park after school with my siblings – chronically outside. Now, in my mid-twenties, I appreciate the convenience of my smart phone and the evolution of the world of technology in what it can do for me, but I crave severance. I want my dopamine, but I want it how I used to get it.

I have had countless conversations with friends over the last twelve months around disowning our digital dependencies and how the technological age we are living in has imposed challenges that we were oblivious to in adolescence. How shifting from watching our lives go by on a screen to experiencing it in real time is a conscious choice; how to not reject technology entirely but to reclaim our time and attention in an effort to build lives that are filled with creativity, meaning, purpose, community, and connection. I found importance in discussing decentralising the use and purpose of our phones as we attempt to build habits that are sustainable, mindful, and purposeful in a way to open up a space that becomes a refuge from capitalism and the digital laws that have long characterised our existence. Regaining a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives by practicing more mindful habits, thus leaning into an analogue lifestyle, is less about throwing away digital devices, and more about reducing their use and power over our time in an attempt to archive our lives in a more tactile way.

Overwhelmed by the exhaustion of endless digital distractions, there seems to be more people who are eager to lead fuller lives that are far detached from our handy, pocket-sized phones. There certainly seems to be an evident shift in our collective focus from digital sources to more sustainable practices of living by consuming media intentionally, for example. Whether this be by scheduling ‘online’ time or picking off-screen media to consume such as books or magazines instead of TikTok videos or Instagram reels. We are then left with an urge to fill the remainder of our time with real and tangible habits. In reducing our online habits, we are intentionally giving more attention to human connection, small but deliberate interaction, and moments of mindful and quiet reflection. Finding joy in mundane tasks opens the door for delight in even the smallest of tasks: taking a moment to reflect on your day while washing the dishes patiently, walking slowly to the corner shop to offer yourself more chance to notice the subtleties of the street you have walked down many a time, perceiving hoovering as nourishing a comfy clean life. Consciously deciding to be more present allows a multitude of things and thoughts to follow: how supporting a local bookseller who stocks small writers and artists, or how wittering with the local florist on seasonal flowers keep businesses, community, and connection (and creative passion more importantly) alive and kicking. So, if turning to more analogue sources and methods fosters community, creativity, and purpose, what is stopping us from doing so?

Research suggests that it takes an average of sixty-six days for a habit to become an automatic behaviour. All you need is two months to reclaim your time and attention. Sure, with the fast-paced lives that many of us live in a western world defined by accessibility, convenience, and little time, it can be hard to find the time to pursue creativity, hobbies, and passions. It simply comes down to a little redefining, reclaiming, and decentralising. Ultimately, there is nothing stopping us from becoming more present, intentional, or mindful.

There is change in government policy, research findings, and in what we are each individually choosing to share online. It is interesting to see how as a collective, this image of going analogue has slowly crept into the narrative. Governments, like in Australia for example, are starting to impose restrictions on young children consuming social media, with the aim of reducing exposure to harmful content and encouraging younger generations to practice more offline hobbies. Maybe we’ll even end up seeing social media use incentives from governments similar to the regulation of alcohol intake in Sweden: by having all off-licenses state run and closing at 3pm on Saturday, making the purchasing of alcohol for an impromptu night out more inconvenient, thus making the purchase and consumption of alcohol increasingly well thought through and carefully planned. Could the use of digital devices look like this? Where we are choosing to use our devices only at a convenient time, to allow for the arrival of long lasting and sustainable habits that re-connect each of us with community and connection. Essentially, could we arrive at a destination characterised by intentionality, purpose, and meaning when it comes to being online?

Personally, I would say we are heading in a direction suggestive of more analogue living, and I don’t think we need government intervention to make that happen. I am hopeful of my generation and of those to come in intentionally deciding how to archive and live our lives in the most authentic and meaningful way possible. I have more and more friends starting creative hobbies and only turning to the digital, online space to share their work. From writers, to painters, musicians, to photographers and designers, the people around me are consciously choosing what media they are consuming. It seems people are becoming this way after taking the time to examine which tech habits serve them well, and which don’t, which in turn allows them to find tremendous joy in winding back to analogue habits and ways of living. People are consuming media for an intentional purpose, whether it be to feel inspired, find direction and new opportunities, or to share their work, and fill the rest of their time by building connection and community with those around them.

As a result of this, it seems there are more of us investing in physical media like magazines and newspapers and in small local initiatives and collectives. More of us are appreciating the creative minds in our communities and are showing up to book launches at local book shops, art shows in independently run galleries, and at magazine launches showcasing a range of fantastic creativity at family run bars. We have it in us to make analogue living and the practice of sustainable and authentic habits last the test of time, as it is how we have lived for centuries long before the arrival of modern technology. So, my answer to my first question is yes, we are starting to lean back towards authentic and meaningful living by consciously choosing what we consume and how we archive our lives. It may be trendy to share the ways in which you are practicing an analogue life online at the moment, but this is simply part of embracing the digital elements of our lives today alongside the act of living meaningfully and intentionally.

Take back power over your time and attention by embracing your creativity to build a life that is overflowing with community, meaning, and authenticity. Set boundaries, build connection, and live genuinely in the name of living, becoming, and being.

In case you missed it…

I am honoured to share a poem of mine - “Speak, Easy” - with you that has recently been published in Issue 2 of The Wild Siren Magazine.

The Wild Siren Magazine is a publication run by the lovely Emma (), that centres raw connection around “humans, music, and poetry”. The focus of the magazine has always been community, and is one in which I feel greatly privileged to be a part of, with having written multiple pieces for them now: namely, LOVE! (in Issue 1), and Glitter in the Ashes.

Read more of the wonderful work published by The Wild Siren Magazine here.

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Without further ado, here is my new poem, Speak, Easy - as seen in Issue 2 of The Wild Siren Magazine, which you can purchase a copy of here.

Speak, Easy.

A diet of coffee and nicotine,
I am deficient but eager and lustful
As I write through the feverish amorous evening
Of sensual and steamy poetry.

As expressive and elaborate as I try to be,
Often the words trickle to insensibility.
Vanished and extinct in a sphere of my own,
Disoriented and clueless to the luggage to atone.

An array of pages coating the satiny earth,
A scattering of chapters justifying my worth.
I am nestled amidst this creative fanner,
Suffused with poems to fill a library manor.

Ambience and low-fi are crucial to continue
This tempo of harvest and creative scar tissue.
A temple of fruitfulness and unease no doubt,
Wavering promise and surely a stout.

Eventually I will pause, even hesitate, to embellish
My anatomy and stature, soon to be cherished
By consumption of expansive vin ordinaire,
A night of locution and stiff bar chairs.

In case you missed it…

Here are three recent editions of that you may have missed. I think you’ll like them!