Philippa Bowe
LightNews LightNews
banner
philippabowe.bsky.social
Philippa Bowe
@philippabowe.bsky.social
1.1K followers 780 following 910 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.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
saloneurope.bsky.social
We’re so delighted to be hosting our first Pop-up Salon in Paris tonight! Hosted by @bdiggswrites.bsky.social and @kplumhoff.bsky.social, it features wonderful readers from all over Europe

Read about them here: 👇
EWS logo in top right. Text: European Writers Salon Larger text: Pop-up salon: Paris Feuille Blanche, Café Noir 102 Rue Truffaut 75017 7-10pm CET
November 13, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
templeinacity.bsky.social
How many days left to submit? Four days including today? Three days if the count starts tomorrow or the final day is not counted? Anyway, less than one hand’s worth. November 15. Open for micro flash poetry art and letters. Don’t think you can’t. You can.

templeinacity.com/submit-writi...
Temple in a City
Temple in a City literary journal of flash fiction, poetry, art and letters
templeinacity.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:29 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Paris, baby! 🎉💓
saloneurope.bsky.social European Writers Salon @saloneurope.bsky.social · 3d
Only 3 days!
Can't wait to see everyone and hear your beautiful words
❤️🎤❤️
the eiffel tower is lit up at night
Alt: the eiffel tower is lit up at night
media.tenor.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:31 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Going straight in the diary! 🙌💜
thebrokenspine.co.uk The Broken Spine @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 4d
Mark it down: Dec 20th @ 20.00 — #PoemsAbout #OpenMic + #ChristmasParty returns! Poets, readers, friends — one final night to lift your words before the year ends. 🎤✨

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1967176915...
A Christmas tree made of soft, out-of-focus lights glows against a dark blue background. The blurred bulbs form a tapering triangle of reds, greens, yellows, and oranges. White text on the left reads: “#POEMSABOUT VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY & OPEN MIC 20.12.25 @ 20.00 — Hosted by Alan Parry.” The Broken Spine logo, shaped like a black fountain pen nib, appears at the top right.
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Today's #LiftToTheSky goes to @victoriamelekian.bsky.social, as modest as she is talented. Her reading of some of the tender, beautiful poems from her book The Accidental Courage of Our Lives is hugely enjoyable. 💫
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlck...
Sheila-Na-Gig Editions Presents Poet Victoria Melekian, October 2025
YouTube video by Sheila-Na-Gig Presents
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:49 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Slipping a piece in late in the day for the #PoemsAbout prompt #LockedDoors (after a day being poorly), will return tomorrow to read the others. Thanks as every week to @thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk 💜🙏
Orange box with black shading and black letters of a poem: Monsters Over and over / I test the lock / timidly / then exerting my furious force / to no avail / my battering ram splintering / matchsticks useless for even lock-picking / so I turn my back to the door / maybe I hope the monsters enclosed will batter or slip or seep through to me / maybe I think if I glance side-eyed I will glimpse the monster shapes bulging the wood, sending the metal groaning / until until until / I let the questions butterfly-wing to the floor I sweep them into the ocean / where the past sinks murk-deep and light-less / and I splash in waves above where sun and shadows shout and tag / and leave the door / in peace
November 7, 2025 at 8:46 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
A fine clutch of winning stories for the latest @bathflashaward.bsky.social, so different from each other, all must-reads! 💫
November 4, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
stacebot.bsky.social
For this week's #PoemsAbout #Blood, I'm thinking about the blood list.

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

#poetry #poem #writing #PoetryCommunity #BlueSkyPoets
blood list i keep a list of every time love drew-- paper cuts and split lips, small evidences of wanting. each entry inked neat as inventory. what was given, what was taken back. the margins fill-- notes for pleasure some for regret. a map of each wound, even ones that never stopped bleeding.
November 1, 2025 at 3:41 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Also very happy to have a piece of flash fiction shortlisted for the wonderful @bridportprize.bsky.social! 🙏💜
White box with black/coloured writing: BRIDPORT PRIZE International Creative Writing Competition Bridport Prize shotlists and novel long list 2025
November 4, 2025 at 7:55 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Very happy to see my slug poem (originally a micro shortlisted for the Welkin Prize) in the latest issue of @theberlinreview.bsky.social along with lots of loveliness! 🙏

theberlinliteraryreview.com/philippa-bow...
November 4, 2025 at 7:37 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
A day late for #LiftToTheSky - it goes to these amazing poems by Ramsey Tawfick, enaged and engaging and simply beautiful (the interview with him is also worth reading). 💫✨💜
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

www.onlypoems.net/poets/ramsey...
Poetry of Ramsey Tawfick — ONLY POEMS
New poems from Ramsey Tawfick
www.onlypoems.net
November 4, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
thebrokenspine.co.uk
You know the door.
It doesn’t creak—it clenches.
It holds what shouldn’t be let out. Or in. This week: write the barricades. The silences. The don’t-go-there moments.
Prompt opens Friday.
Tag #PoemsAbout #LockedDoors. Use Alt Text.
Inbox prompts? Sign up: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
A black-and-white photo of a sealed, arched iron door set into a brick wall. The shot is taken from ground level, rough cobblestones leading the eye toward the door. Top left: The Broken Spine logo (a black fountain pen nib). Top right: “@thebrokenspine.co.uk” in white. Bottom right: bold white text—“Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #LOCKEDDOORS”.
November 2, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
rayhourigan.bsky.social
A blood-soaked baby
Bottle, viscera clinging,
The face of Gaza.
#PoemsAbout #Blood #haiku #senryu #poem #writing #writingcommunity
@alanparrywriter.co.uk
@thebrokenspine.co.uk
October 31, 2025 at 6:49 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Early morning piece for the #PoemsAbout #Blood prompt. A never-confirmed rumour about my great-grandfather was the starting point. Look forward to reading lots of other wonders this evening after work! Happy Friday poets. ❤️🎃
Thank you @thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk
Red box with black and highlighted nuances overlaid with the words of a poem: in our veins we are imprisoned by it – blood so bad it was chased out of Ireland and took the boat to Liverpool a hundred years ago but could be yesterday in our inherited veins will I let out that fury? asks my brother tumbled in fear and I am tempted to hand him a file to saw through the bars of our blood
October 31, 2025 at 7:13 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
I'll definitely be there - not going to miss the chance to get some (virtual) time with @kiklodge.bsky.social, wittiest hostess ever (move over Dorothy Parker!) and listen to an amazing line-up of readers! 🎉🙌✨
saloneurope.bsky.social European Writers Salon @saloneurope.bsky.social · 17d
One place left for the online salon tonight!
Join 50 writers from across the globe and an amazing line-up of readers, incl @taniahershman.bsky.social @kazbarwrites.bsky.social @sylvialeatham.bsky.social @sjfrideswide.bsky.social @donalconaty.bsky.social and more! All hosted by @kiklodge.bsky.social
Poster for the online salon
October 28, 2025 at 8:21 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Tokay's #LiftToTheSky goes to The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem - such a rich and compelling exploration of the form and the breadth of prose poems is breath-taking! 💜
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk
Photo of a book cover, The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem, featuring part of a building wall with part of a window with blocks of white crossed by black, yellow and blue lines evoking modern art.
October 27, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Thanks to everyone who showed up last week. This Friday we bleed: #PoemsAbout #Blood. Lineage. Damage. Survival. Start posting from Friday. Use Alt Text. Tag #PoemsAbout to be seen. Want sharper prompts? Sign up here: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
A rough-textured background blending deep red into black, evoking bloodstains or a bleeding canvas. Top left shows The Broken Spine logo shaped like a black fountain pen nib. The top right reads "@thebrokenspine.co.uk" in white. Bold white text at the bottom right says: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #BLOOD".
October 26, 2025 at 5:28 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Love this Karen, that image of the narrator climbing out of the frame, just gorgeous and hugely evocative! 💫
October 24, 2025 at 8:52 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Quite a late one for this week's #PoemsAbout prompt, #BurnForTheCamera, it went pretty weird. Will read and comment tomorrow. Thanks as ever to @thebrokenspine.co.uk and @alanparrywriter.co.uk Happy Friday night poets! 💜
grey box with white flashes like bursts of light with the words of a poem superimposed: down below moving through the world slipping through dirt - dark holes - dead trees a face lips eyes hair – angelic / demonic (Lucifer the most beautiful of them all?) splendour – melting human eyes iris camera shot scorched or bleeding black – how we cannot contemplate this perfection shrinking us into our mere humanness yearning for the wild
October 24, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
thebrokenspine.co.uk
#PoemsAbout #BurnForTheCamera starts Friday. Write into overexposure. Lights too hot. Love as theatre. Fame’s funeral. Draft now. Share from Friday. Tag your post. Use Alt Text. Sign up for prompts: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
A professional film camera against a dusky pink background. Details like lens focus markings, cables, and a mounted monitor are visible. Top left: The Broken Spine logo. Top right: "@thebrokenspine.co.uk". Bottom text: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #BURNFORTHECAMERA".
October 21, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
smokelong.bsky.social
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest. Previously published and unpublished micros considered, fiction, nonfiction, anything in between. Send us that stunning micro published in 2002 that disappeared when the journal went defunct. Or send something new. Deadline Nov 15 www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 - SmokeLong Quarterly
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is now an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. The grand prize winner of The Mikey is automatical...
www.smokelong.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:31 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
 Liberté pour Sonia Dahmani, avocate tunisienne emprisonnée injustement !
October 20, 2025 at 3:46 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
My #LiftToTheSky for this week goes to this poem from Sam Sax, urgent and angry and necessary. 💜
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

poets.org/poem/ode-tho...
Ode to Those Who Block Tunnels and Bridges
teach us there can be movement / in stillness. in every broken syllable
poets.org
October 20, 2025 at 10:26 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
My offering from this week's #PoemsAbout prompt, #BreaktheMould.
Thanks as ever to @thebrokenspine.co.uk and @alanparrywriter.co.uk and @karenpgonzalez.bsky.social for stepping in! 💜
Photo of blue sky with sunrise turning it orange over the sea and a glimpse of a rocky coast. The words of poem superimposed: happy residue my mould has broken lies shattered on the floor leaving behind it shifting figures tattooed beneath my skin – here is one the shape of the Eiffel Tower there another round and whole and burning as the southern sun
October 17, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
mattkendrick.bsky.social
My #WritingCraftArticle for September is all about feedback and editing skills. It got quite lengthy so I had to split it into two. This is part one, focusing on my four feedback Es, writer intention, and stars, wishes & mirrors:

🏝️⭐🧞🪞

prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com/p/no-writer-...
No Writer is an Island - Part 1
As an editor I have the privilege of working with writers at all stages of their writing journeys.
prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 11:11 AM