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BIRDHANDPOET

There are currently five ways to submit poetry to Mslexia, including our topical themed 'Poet Laureate' slot and our 'Poems for the Planet' series curated by award-winning Climate Writer Linda France.

Showcase themes

Twice a year we invite leading authors to select from submissions of poetry and short fiction on a particular theme for the Showcase section of Mslexia magazine. Our curator-judges have included Hilary Mantel, Carol Ann Duffy, Val McDermid, Kate Mosse, Jackie Kay, Pascale Petit, Linda Grant and many more.

Stories must be no longer than 2,200 words (which translates to a 15-minute radio broadcast slot) and poems up to 40 lines (the maximum that can comfortably fit onto a single page of the magazine) and we pay for every piece we publish. There is no lower word or line limit. You may send up to four poems and/or up to two stories on any one theme. Please ensure your name does not appear on the work itself.

2024 themes:

Cats: For Issue 102 we're looking for stories about fesity felines, mercurial moggies and big wild cats. Deadline: 11 March

Red: blood, roses, strawberries, ladybirds...or Taylor Swift's fourth studio album? Send us your Red themed submissions for Issue 103. Deadline: 10 June

 


Eyeverse

A short poem (no more than four lines) on any subject, plus an original illustration – related to the poem – which may be a drawing, painting or photograph, but must be created by the poet herself or by someone who has given permission for the illustration to be used with the poem. The image needs to be suitable for print reproduction, i.e. 300 dpi. To submit: please include the image + poem in either word doc or .pdf format. Please do not submit the image + poem separately or as a .jpg or .png file. 

Poems for the Planet (Subscribers Only)

Climate Writer Linda France will judge poems submitted about the living things that share our extraordinary planet with us and comment on her top choice. Submit up to 40 lines.
Theme for issue 102: rivers

Poet Laureate 

Imagine you are the Poet Laureate whose task it is to respond poetically to news items and issues of topical importance. The subject matter is up to you, though we encourage you to think outside the box – local news as well as world news. No more than 14 lines in length and if possible also send a link to the topic or news item you have chosen.

Unsure about eligibility, formatting, or what happens to your work after you submit? Visit our Submissions Policy page. 

Deadline for inclusion in Issue 102 of Mslexia: 8 April 2024

How to Submit

Submitting online

To submit, complete the form below this section and upload your submission document.

Submit Online

Submitting by post

Alternatively, send your entry by post to:

Mslexia
PO Box 656
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE99 1PZ

Please include your address, phone number and email on a separate cover sheet, along with the title of the work you are submitting. All submissions are judged anonymously, so please ensure your name does not appear on the submitted work itself.

Submit your work

This form is for writers submitting work for Mslexia magazine. If you are submitting several pieces, please use a new form for each submission. (There is a different form for competition entries that you can access via the Competitions area of the website.)

Your message

There is no need to include a cover letter with your submission, but you are welcome to use this space if you would like to tell us something about your writing or yourself, or to comment in any way on Mslexia. If we want to publish all or some of this for the ‘What you’re saying’ section of the magazine, we promise to contact you first to seek permission.

Upload your submission

All commonly used file types are acceptable, including .doc, .docx, .pdf, .pages, .txt, .rtf, .jpeg, .jpg and .png. If we are unable to read your submission, we will get in touch.

New submission categories

Some of our submission categories change quarterly; others every six months; and we refresh the entire magazine on an annual basis. Tick the box if you’d like to be kept in touch with any changes.

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