Issues
Current Issue
Title: Glamour
Issue no.: 5 (Winter 2025)
Glamour is a lie; a thin veneer masking our vulnerabilities, our flaws—our very humanity. In this issue, our contributors have have lifted the veil to give us a peek at the humanity beneath: from the dazzling French muse who recalls a life filled with glamour and jewels, to two lovers doomed to exist as seafoam and stardust. In this issue, we are also delighted to present the winning entry from our recent Winter Flash Fiction Competition: Susannah Riggs’ sharp and delightful story, ‘In For a Penny’.
Back Issues
Title: Machinery
Issue no.: 4 (Autumn 2025)
The world is full of machines: natural and artificial, physical and abstract, but all with a shared sense of orderliness and clockwork function. In this issue, our contributors have been exploring the different kinds of machinery that surround us, and the ways in which they shape our lives, whether for good or for ill. We are also proud to share the top entries from our recent ‘Laughter Lines’ poetry competition, including the winning entry ‘The Translated Instruction Manual for Loving’ by Ana Reisens.
Title: Love and Hate
Issue no.: 3 (Summer 2025)
Love and hate: commonplace words that encompass an almost endless array of interweaving feelings and actions. From the true story of the Auschwitz priest who sacrificed himself for a stranger, to a fictional wife’s deadly resolve, our contributors have been exploring various kinds of love and hatred, and the things people do under the influence—or in spite of—these powerful emotions. In this issue, we’re also very excited to share a 200-word flash fiction by Christi Krug, winner of our ‘Let’s Stop Pretending’ flash fiction competition.
Title: Lines
Issue no.: 2 (Spring 2025)
For this issue, we asked our contributors to draw inspiration from the many different kinds of lines that surround us, both abstract and physical. Among the lines of poetry and prose in this issue, you will find stories of characters stricken by grief, love and wanderlust, as well as an exclusive interview with debut author, Alice Brooks.
Title: One
Issue no.: 1 (Winter 2024)
We didn’t set a theme for our inaugural issue. All we asked for was poetry and short fiction that used clear, elegant language to help us experience life through the eyes of someone else for a while– and that’s exactly what we got. Stories and poems that deal with everything from love and deceit to mothman and kidney stones.
Submissions Closed
Submissions are now closed for our Winter 2025 issue, Glamour. Keep an eye on our submissions page for info on upcoming submission windows.
PENSTRICKEN 