Philippa Bowe
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philippabowe.bsky.social
Philippa Bowe
@philippabowe.bsky.social
1.1K followers 870 following 1.2K posts
Flash fiction, poetry, translation, in English/en français. Published online and in print (Ghost City Press, NFFR, Reflex Fiction, Bath Flash Fiction, Spark2Flame, Neither Fish Nor Foul, The Hooghley Review). Pushcart Prize nom. Dance, LFC, la belle vie.
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philippabowe.bsky.social
They last of the @welkinprize.bsky.social gorgeous shortlisted stories is almost unbearably grief-stricken. 💫
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 2d
Today's shortlisted story is "If we'd said yes when you rang home to borrow four hundred dollars" by
@gilloshaughnessy.bsky.social. A one-sentence marvel full of so much sadness and yearning:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
If we'd said yes when you rang home to borrow four hundred dollars | MattKendrick.co.uk
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 28, 2026 at 1:29 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
This story on the @welkinprize.bsky.social short list is a perfect tiny gem, I love everything from the personification to the darkness to its unexpected effect on people (dark turned to light). 💫
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 3d
Today's shortlisted story is "What the darkness knew" by
Bill Nwonwu. An atmospheric piece that shines so much light on the human condition:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
What the darkness knew | MattKendrick.co.uk
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 28, 2026 at 1:00 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
A chilling piece on the @welkinprize.bsky.social short list. Feels almost like the words are choked out, suffocated by fear. So so good (and horribly real). 💫
January 26, 2026 at 10:06 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Getting a #LiftToTheSky in under the wire: dipping into the Wild Abandon issue of @the-engine-idling.bsky.social, a rich feast of poetry and art! ✨
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

www.engineidling.net/issue1
the engine(idling, Issue 1: Wild Abandon — the engine(idling
www.engineidling.net
January 26, 2026 at 9:59 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Been travelling to then deep in a big family celebration so couldn't post my offering for #PoemsAbout #FalseCrowns till now. 💜
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk
Poem in white letters on a purple background: You Wear the Crown Gold weighs down your skull razor-edged jewels – your tender neck tiny shredding sharp reminder to carry this crown know your place you the prettiest you of the loveliest smile never forget beauty is pain. You want to tear off the weight of it throw it into the big teeth of the judges spit-scream at fat faces wet with sweat and desire I never wanted… I am not this… Instead you curl your fingers tighter tighter dig long sparkle nails into fleshy pads of your hands until blood pearls
January 26, 2026 at 9:42 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
A beautiful piece on the @welkinprize.bsky.social short list, both as a story and as a bearing witness. 💫
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 6d
Today's shortlisted story is "That Day" by Shofiqure Rahman. A powerful exploration of refugee life:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
That Day | MattKendrick.co.uk
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
reporterre.net
Parler de « crise de l’eau » ne suffit plus : la planète est désormais entrée dans « l'ère de la faillite mondiale de l’eau », alerte un rapport de l'ONU.

Une perte irréversible, due aux activités humaines.
Lire l'article ➡️ https://l.reporterre.net/SmR
January 20, 2026 at 8:50 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Oh my - what a story! The dialect works so well, brings you even closer. And a great arc. 🌟@welkinprize.bsky.social
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 8d
Today's shortlisted story is "weak beans" by
Barnaby Wick. A piece which effectively covers so much narrative in such such an original tone of voice:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
weak beans | MattKendrick.co.uk
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 20, 2026 at 1:31 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Today's #LiftoToTheSky goes to @emilylawsonpoet.bsky.social and her visceral, fierce, compelling work. Like this piece. The interview with her in Only Poems is seriously inspiring! ✨
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

www.palettepoetry.com/2022/02/01/s...

onlypoems.com/interviews/e...
Sand Flats, UT - Palette Poetry
"but you held me down, just like this, / possessed, alien, godlike, looking at me, outside of / time—"
www.palettepoetry.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:50 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Wow, another lovely gem on the @welkinprize.bsky.social short list! The twist in this is so wily, the story of a life so well summed up, I wanted to weep by the end! ✨
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 9d
Today's shortlisted story is "The Bit Part Actress" by
Jo Withers. A brilliant character study that ironically (given the first sentence) brings its protagonist fully to life:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
The Bit Part Actress | MattKendrick.co.uk
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 19, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Last week bent time.
This week: #FalseCrowns — borrowed authority, inherited power, praise that doesn’t fit.
Who crowned you?
Who benefits from you believing it?

New theme opens Friday.
Don’t post early.
Use Alt Text.
Tag #PoemsAbout to be found.
A pale blue skull sits centred on a white plinth against a soft teal background. An ornate black crown rests on top of the skull, delicate and sharp in contrast to the smooth bone beneath. The Broken Spine fountain pen logo appears in the top left corner. “@thebrokenspine.co.uk” is written in white at the top right. Bold white text in the lower right reads: “Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #FALSECROWNS”.
January 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
stacebot.bsky.social
For this week's #PoemsAbout #TimeSlips, I'm thinking about what gets left unprocessed.

Thank you to the host @alanparrywriter.co.uk
and @thebrokenspine.co.uk and to all of the other writers.

#poetry #poem #writing #PoetryCommunity #BlueSkyPoets
skip take these are the dark days. the waiting ones. soaking the whites in bleach. idle hands. waiting. for something human to arrive. plastic-bag-on-the-head days. cold white sweat. dog-hair world. i lick my wounds and wait. the ache comes wrong-- heart stopping mid-break. i resolve myself. begin again. jig the saw. pieces everywhere. drain the dregs. pull the window shades off the rods. wreck the room. shake to shake in the gloam. i am the new wrong-way right. the wrong something anywhere sometime this time. no map. not the asphalt. not the bird cutting the flat horizon into forever nothing. i need mist. i need shade. not quite light. something to lose myself in. to loose these ties. these days do not need hope. they need names. definitions. black spray paint. the lot.
January 16, 2026 at 1:03 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Another stunner on the @welkinprize.bsky.social short list. So powerful and even more impressive in its handling of a difficult reality. 💫
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 10d
Today's shortlisted story is "Because you want to understand, I describe how I once wore suffering on the outside of my body" by @cake-girl.bsky.social. A powerful piece about a difficult topic:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 18, 2026 at 3:22 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
This is stunning! Read it three time and it gets better each time. The power in such a tiny tiny package! 💫
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 12d
Today's shortlisted story is "Pattern" by
David Anson Lee. A micro that uses anadiplosis to such great effect:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
Pattern | MattKendrick.co.uk
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 9:00 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Very busy week and only found a quick moment for a response to the #PoemsAbout prompt, #TimeSlips - but then sort of enjoyed the time constraint! Will catch up on the others over the weekend. Thanks as ever to @thebrokenspine.co.uk
and @alanparrywriter.co.uk. Happy Friday poets! 💜
Poem on a grey background with white shadowing. Timeless Time slid through a crack in the thick waxy cloth of yesterday, fabric torn by the diamond needle of want, time gurgled down the plug hole with nothing to impede it, time has it all its own way, time has a yen for obliteration, an unchecked impulse, heading for the ocean of nothingness and I begged it to take me with it, but no, said time, time refused to pause its march, and today I am left here, alone, timeless.
January 16, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
saloneurope.bsky.social
Soon, we will be two years old. A toddler. Just about walking on wobbly legs but getting ready to RUN.

Find out how we plan to celebrate and how you can join. We will be partying in Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Valencia, Venice and more. Join us!

open.substack.com/pub/european...
Now, we are two. Let's party!
Help us celebrate two years of meeting, writing, community-building and joy
open.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 7:14 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Such a gorgeously visceral piece! 💫
January 15, 2026 at 10:13 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
This is such a stunning story, I've fallen in love with it! Matt, no wonder it was so tricky winnowing the short list. 💫
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 14d
Today's shortlisted story is "Things My Brother Explains With Absolute Authority" by J.M.C. Kane. Such a deep and philosophical piece.

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...
Things My Brother Explains With Absolute Authority | MattKendrick.co.uk
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 10:11 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Love how this story walks the line between comedy and the dark dark side of human nature! 🌟
January 14, 2026 at 11:04 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
So much good stuff going on with @saloneurope.bsky.social plus getting vibed up for celebrating the EWS second birthday (it's flown by!) on 11th February, it's going to light up the tailend of winter! ✨🎉💜
saloneurope.bsky.social European Writers Salon @saloneurope.bsky.social · 17d
This weekend, our newsletter came out, and you can read it here.

We're going to London and Berlin, and we've got loads of online events too. We'd love to meet you! We'll also be popping up all over Europe on 11 Feb for our 2nd birthday so watch this space 👀

open.substack.com/pub/european...
New Year's resolution: meet more writers
Plus a multi-city birthday party across Europe!
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:30 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Love this piece - all that darkness but then also apricot jam! 🌟
January 13, 2026 at 9:10 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
A #LiftToTheSky to Nin Andrews: here's an excellent interview with her + her prose poems she likens to Kodak slides that 'create the illusion of a narrative. But there is always that darkness between the slides.'
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

onlypoems.com/interviews/n...
The Silence After the Poem | Interview with Nin Andrews
In conversation with Nin Andrews on ONLY POEMS | On eye surgeries, mythical girls, and why prose poems are like Kodak slides
onlypoems.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
merrildsmith.bsky.social
Good morning! It's great to be back to #PoemsAbout #Static.
Thank you to @alanparrywriter.co.uk and @thebrokenspine.co.uk .
Poem: Laundered In the arid, winter-dark a thousand sparks fly, looking for a conductor, any could cause a conflagration-- infinite possibilities (to breathe free) imagine if we could (stop shooting) wash and rinse in sun-streams and moon-rivers, apply a fabric sheet layered with feathers from a galactic phoenix to tumble us dry, to soothe the static, to leave us scented with hope as we rise.
January 9, 2026 at 11:34 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
johnchmura.bsky.social
#PoemsAbout #Static
@thebrokenspine.co.uk
I will put a reading in the comments.
STATIC PRESSER, AN ARS POETICA Dying on the web of another man’s static psychic strands of poisoned mesh, words squirm and writhe, gutted, glued, straining for painfully tantalizing metaphors that sneer and tease beyond their reach. Unresponsive satellite out of orbit, artificial intellect dodging turgid blooming bleeds and tyrannical blighted tides. How many miles of fishing nylon can you pull out of your own ass waiting for the hook to anchor bone or tether flesh before you drown in the turbulence of a hostile slime consuming ocean? I own a hotel on BOARDWALK, PARK PLACE, and the purple shit but somehow everybody in this rigged game stops on GO or COMMUNITY CHEST every lap around this fucking board while I Go Directly to Jail or am docked the LUXURY TAX for a ring I could never afford in real life. Am I just a die in a Pop-O-Matic dome, tumbling like a fool in the fetid hemisphere of a flat-earther’s snow globe, sucking the soggy diaper ammonia crystals that the narcokleptic maniac swears to be manna from God; is that all I am?
January 9, 2026 at 6:11 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Love being back in the Friday #PoemsAbout place and writing something for the #Static prompt. I'll dive in over the weekend to read and comment on everyone's work. Happy 2026 poets!
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk
Poem against a golden background with highlights. bolt of you there’s static in the air and it’s called lightning there’re footsteps striking quiet stones sparking my dark there’s smoke spiralling fragrant from heat blazing my cold there’s salt on slicked tongue-magnet skin slaking my hunger there’s static in the air and it’s called lightning
January 9, 2026 at 7:45 PM