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thebrokenspine.co.uk
The Broken Spine
@thebrokenspine.co.uk
7.1K followers 3K following 3.6K posts
Independent poetry press + cultural review platform. We publish narrative-led work with edge. #PoemsAbout #LiftToTheSky #WednesdayWIPs
#PromoteIndieLit
Edited by @alanparrywriter.co.uk
www.thebrokenspine.co.uk
https://linktr.ee/brokenspinearts
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thebrokenspine.co.uk
The Broken Spine @thebrokenspine.co.uk · Apr 14
Catch up on everything Broken Spine: open + upcoming submission windows, latest releases, and all the links you need in one place.

linktr.ee/brokenspinea...

Updated, organised, no faff.
thebrokenspine.co.uk
#PoemsAbout #NoFuture is live. Post from now ‘til Thursday. Use Alt Text. Tag it. #TakeRisks #EndOnAnImage #AvoidCliché. This isn’t a drill. Engage with 3+. Don’t ghost the wreckage. Sign up for next week’s prompt: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
Silhouettes of leafless trees stand against a red-lit night sky with fires burning behind them. The horizon is fractured with flame. The Broken Spine logo appears top left, website top right, and the words “Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #NOFUTURE” are written at the bottom right.
November 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Global voices, shared stakes: Ray Carey’s “Blackers,” Susan Butler’s “Helmand Revenant,” Mary McQueen’s “That Girl,” Clare O’Brien’s “Excommunicate.” Eds: @vespertine4.bsky.social & @katiejenkinspoet.bsky.social. Free.
Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 - Eds. David Hanlon & Katie Jenkins (Digital) - The Broken Spine
Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 (Digital Edition) Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 brings together bold, contemporary voices from across the globe. Edited by David Hanlon and Katie Jenkins, this downloadable PDF anthology features work by Michael Conley, Patrick Wright, Jill McCabe Johnson, Heather Wastie, Henry Bladon, and many more. Designed by Alan Parry, with cover art by Alan Parry and Andrew Lloyd, it continues The Broken Spine’s commitment to accessible, high-quality poetry that challenges, moves, and inspires. Download now and experience poetry without limits. This is a digital product. No hard copy will be sent out.
thebrokenspine.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Tomorrow begins the blackout: #PoemsAbout #NoFuture. Don’t post early. From Friday we rage, grieve, and name the broken systems. Tag your post. Use Alt Text. Get the final prompt drop in your inbox: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
A forest fire rages in the distance, lighting the silhouettes of tall, thin trees. The air is thick with red smoke and darkness. Top left: The Broken Spine logo. Top right: "@thebrokenspine.co.uk". Bottom right text: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #NOFUTURE".
November 27, 2025 at 2:59 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Keep indie publishing thriving: Each £3 directory listing helps raise money (33% donated) for the #BrokenSpineAward Fundraiser—our £5000 poetry prize goal for 2026.
Join Our Independent Press Directory - The Broken Spine
At The Broken Spine, collaboration and community have always been at the heart of what we do. We believe in uplifting fellow independent presses, writers, and
thebrokenspine.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 10:04 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
“Winter hides in my heart…” A glimpse of the stories inside Soot & Boots. Out this month. #SootAndBoots
Book cover for “Soot & Boots: An Anthology of Short Festive Fiction.” The illustration shows a pair of tall, black, soot-dusted boots standing on a scuffed wooden floor against a textured blue-grey wall. The title appears in bold white lettering above the boots, and The Broken Spine’s logo sits at the bottom of the cover.
November 26, 2025 at 11:36 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
#PoemsAbout #NoFuture hits Friday. Write climate collapse, political burnout, joy lost in the algorithm. The ground beneath us is cracking. Draft now. Post Friday. Use Alt Text. Tag it or be lost. Sign up for more prompts: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
wildfire scene, with bare trees silhouetted in front of roaring orange flames. The sky is blood-dark and hazy. The Broken Spine branding appears top left and right, and bottom right reads: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #NOFUTURE".
November 25, 2025 at 6:39 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Don’t perform your stance. Embed it in every line.
#SpineEdicts #PoetryIsPolitical #CaptionCultureIsRot #ChooseTuesdays
Image shows the phrase: “Put your politics in the poem, not in a caption.” in white/red/blue text.
November 25, 2025 at 9:00 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Standouts: D. R. James’ “Ugly Duckling,” Hana Wilde’s “Corporate Trainer,” Anna Starkey’s “building, roar” and “ashes.” Edited by @vespertine4.bsky.social & @katiejenkinspoet.bsky.social. Free.
Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 - Eds. David Hanlon & Katie Jenkins (Digital) - The Broken Spine
Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 (Digital Edition) Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 brings together bold, contemporary voices from across the globe. Edited by David Hanlon and Katie Jenkins, this downloadable PDF anthology features work by Michael Conley, Patrick Wright, Jill McCabe Johnson, Heather Wastie, Henry Bladon, and many more. Designed by Alan Parry, with cover art by Alan Parry and Andrew Lloyd, it continues The Broken Spine’s commitment to accessible, high-quality poetry that challenges, moves, and inspires. Download now and experience poetry without limits. This is a digital product. No hard copy will be sent out.
thebrokenspine.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 6:07 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
The best gifts don’t come wrapped—they come as opportunity. Help us create a career-changing poetry award for 2026. We’re nearly at £5,000, but we need your help to cross the finish line. Let’s make this happen. 🔗
A Poetry Award That Puts Poets First – And You Can Make It Happen - The Broken Spine
Poets deserve more than empty prestige. They deserve real recognition, real opportunities, and real support. That is why I am launching The Broken Spine
shorturl.at
November 24, 2025 at 11:07 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Hardback or paperback, your choice. Soot & Boots is built for firelight reading. Pre-orders soon. #SootAndBoots
Book cover for “Soot & Boots: An Anthology of Short Festive Fiction.” The illustration shows a pair of tall, black, soot-dusted boots standing on a scuffed wooden floor against a textured blue-grey wall. The title appears in bold white lettering above the boots, and The Broken Spine’s logo sits at the bottom of the cover.
November 24, 2025 at 7:37 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Last week was fire. This week? Ashes. #PoemsAbout #NoFuture starts Friday. Write ruin, hopelessness, rage. The end of days or just Tuesday. Don’t post early—fade into the feed. Tag #PoemsAbout. Use Alt Text. Sign up for Saturday prompts: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
A burning treeline glows against a pitch-black night sky, flames and smoke rising in the background. Leafless trees stand silhouetted in front of the blaze. Top left: The Broken Spine logo. Top right: "@thebrokenspine.co.uk". Bottom right text: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #NOFUTURE".
November 23, 2025 at 5:39 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Christmas is coming. Poetry that isn’t all sugar and sentiment is rare—this one’s got bones.
@martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness
www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
November 23, 2025 at 9:16 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Two new drops before month’s end. Couldn’t be more different. Couldn’t be more us.

#SootAndBoots – our first seasonal fiction set – hits in hardback & paperback. Wintry stories with dirt under their nails.

#RitesAndTrials Coming-of-age poems stitched with class, becoming, longing, & defiance.
A book cover for Soot & Boots: An Anthology of Short Festive Fiction by The Broken Spine. The right-hand side shows an illustration of a pair of worn, frost-covered black boots with fur at the top, standing on a cold wooden floor against a textured, wintry blue-grey wall. The title “Soot & Boots” appears above the boots in large, pale, glowing letters. At the bottom, the Broken Spine publisher logo is present. The left-hand side, presented as the back cover, features centred white text on a dark green background. The text describes the anthology as a gritty, unsentimental seasonal fiction collection filled with longing and winter magic. It highlights contributions from writers including Sadie Maskery, Ellen Harrold, Victoria Harris, and Jordan River, and notes that the anthology is edited by Alan Parry. A bright yellow rectangle sits near the bottom, reserved for a barcode. A book cover for Rites & Trials: Coming of Age Poetry, part of The Broken Spine’s Slimline series. The right-hand panel features an abstract, atmospheric illustration: a silhouetted profile of a person facing right, rendered in deep black, set against a vivid red circular shape that resembles a sun or moon. Dark plant leaves overlap the silhouette, creating layered shadows. The background blends burnt orange and textured black. The title “Rites & Trials” appears in white, with “SLIMLINE” in a rounded rectangular frame. The left-hand panel shows the back cover text on a white rounded-rectangle box set against a dark background. The text describes the anthology as a stitched-together testament to becoming, naming contributors such as Molli Russell, Sam Szanto, Debbie Ross, Dave Kurley, Mana Misaghi, Rachel Burrows, Simon Maddrell, and others. The description highlights themes of class, faith, queerness, desire, and family, and characterises the poems as intimate, raw, and reaching toward connection. The Broken Spine logo sits at the bottom of the right-hand panel.
November 22, 2025 at 11:02 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Thirty writers, thirty winter visions. Soot & Boots brings them together in one seasonal anthology. Out soon. #SootAndBoots
Book cover for “Soot & Boots: An Anthology of Short Festive Fiction.” The illustration shows a pair of tall, black, soot-dusted boots standing on a scuffed wooden floor against a textured blue-grey wall. The title appears in bold white lettering above the boots, and The Broken Spine’s logo sits at the bottom of the cover.
November 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
It’s the season of giving, and we’re asking for one final push. We’ve never had arts council funding—we’ve built this prize ourselves. We’re so close to £5,000. If you believe in paying poets fairly, now is the time to give. 🔗
A Poetry Award That Puts Poets First – And You Can Make It Happen - The Broken Spine
Poets deserve more than empty prestige. They deserve real recognition, real opportunities, and real support. That is why I am launching The Broken Spine
shorturl.at
November 21, 2025 at 8:46 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
#PoemsAbout #DogTags is live. Post from today through Thursday. Use Alt Text. Tag your work. #TakeRisks #EndOnAnImage #AvoidCliché. Read 3+, repost, reply. Don’t just drop and disappear. Prompt packs here: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
Rows of dog tags on chains hang heavily from a blackened surface, evoking memorial or loss. Lighting is dim and intimate. Top left shows The Broken Spine logo, "@thebrokenspine.co.uk" top right, and the lower right reads: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #DOGTAGS".
November 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Design credit: Book design by Alan Parry; cover by Alan Parry & Andrew Lloyd. Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 — edited by @vespertine4.bsky.social & @katiejenkinspoet.bsky.social — is free to download.
Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 - Eds. David Hanlon & Katie Jenkins (Digital) - The Broken Spine
Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 (Digital Edition) Selected Poetry: Autumn 2025 brings together bold, contemporary voices from across the globe. Edited by David Hanlon and Katie Jenkins, this downloadable PDF anthology features work by Michael Conley, Patrick Wright, Jill McCabe Johnson, Heather Wastie, Henry Bladon, and many more. Designed by Alan Parry, with cover art by Alan Parry and Andrew Lloyd, it continues The Broken Spine’s commitment to accessible, high-quality poetry that challenges, moves, and inspires. Download now and experience poetry without limits. This is a digital product. No hard copy will be sent out.
thebrokenspine.co.uk
November 20, 2025 at 6:03 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Tomorrow we mark the moment: #PoemsAbout #DogTags. Not just war—what we carry, what we’re called. Post from Friday. Tag #PoemsAbout or you’ll vanish in the feed. Use Alt Text. Get your prompt boost: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
Image shows a tightly cropped view of many dog tags hanging together, suggesting remembrance or loss. Visual elements consistent: The Broken Spine logo top left, website top right, and bold bottom right text: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #DOGTAGS".
November 20, 2025 at 3:05 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
If you like fiction with cold edges, warm centres, and a touch of mystery, keep watch. Soot & Boots is coming. #SootAndBoots
Book cover for “Soot & Boots: An Anthology of Short Festive Fiction.” The illustration shows a pair of tall, black, soot-dusted boots standing on a scuffed wooden floor against a textured blue-grey wall. The title appears in bold white lettering above the boots, and The Broken Spine’s logo sits at the bottom of the cover.
November 20, 2025 at 12:20 PM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
The amazing @katiejenkinspoet.bsky.social's #Trilogy #WifeWidowWitch is a devastatingly beautiful study of womanhood — of inheritance, grief, and transformation.

It’s one of the most arresting poetry debuts of the year.

#PoetryCommunity #IndiePoetry

shorturl.at/IbEp2
November 20, 2025 at 10:12 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
🎄 What’s long, fierce, and perfect for getting deep into on Christmas morning?
That’s right—Rainbows in the Rough.
Gift your loved ones something clever, filthy, and unapologetically queer.
👉 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/...
👤 @dukestking.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 8:00 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
💅 This year, don’t get them socks.
Get them sass, stories, and righteous queer rage in a glossy cover.
OutSkirts is Christmas done properly.
👉 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/...
November 20, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Reposted by The Broken Spine
karla-eu.bsky.social
This is the _real_ Publisher's Clearinghouse, and I'm licking those stamps and pasting up my entry already.

And please add to the pot, whether you enter or not.

#WritersofSky #SkyPoets #FreeVerse
thebrokenspine.co.uk The Broken Spine @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 10d
This year is almost over, and we’re inches away from making something incredible happen. A free-to-enter poetry award with real cash prizes. The finish line is in sight. Can you help us get there? 🔗
A Poetry Award That Puts Poets First – And You Can Make It Happen - The Broken Spine
Poets deserve more than empty prestige. They deserve real recognition, real opportunities, and real support. That is why I am launching The Broken Spine
shorturl.at
November 20, 2025 at 5:44 AM
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Visibility that makes a difference: For £3/month, promote your open calls, workshops, and competitions—while supporting our £5000 #BrokenSpineAward Fundraiser.
Join Our Independent Press Directory - The Broken Spine
At The Broken Spine, collaboration and community have always been at the heart of what we do. We believe in uplifting fellow independent presses, writers, and
thebrokenspine.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by The Broken Spine
paulwritespoems.bsky.social
Would love to include details about this in TBB Christmas List going out November 30th (Sunday)
November 18, 2025 at 12:05 PM