A submission schedule for early 2015

I shall try to submit to most of these (a mix of prose and poetry)

• January
  • Boston Literary Magazine - window opens on 15th
  • Wigleaf - stories under a 1000 words. Submit during the last week in January - see http://wigleaf.com/about.htm
  • Holdfast - Speculative fiction/poetry on "Of Land, Sea and Sky". Deadline 15th Jan. See the guidelines
  • Nottingham Writers Club - http://www.nottinghamwritersclub.org.uk/national-competition.php. Deadline 31st Jan. Max 2000 words on "Water". 1st prize £200
  • Kent and Sussex poetry competition - deadline 31st Jan.
  • Interpreters House poetry competition - Deadline 1st Feb. 1st prize 500. Entry fee 4. Details at http://www.theinterpretershouse.com/competition
  • Torriano Poetry Competition (1st Prize £250, entry fee £3, closing date 30th Jan. Winners notified by 28th Feb)
• February
  • Interpreter's House - Submission window opens
  • Stinging Fly - Submission window opens
  • Ambit - Submission window opens
  • Exeter - Competition deadline 28th Feb. Max 3000 words. Fee £6, 1st prize £500. See http://www.exeterwriters.org.uk/p/competition.html
• March
  • short fiction - Competition deadline 31st Mar. Max 5000 words. Fee £10, 1st prize £500. See http://www.shortfictionjournal.co.uk/?page_id=33
  • Straid collection award (deadline 23rd March)
  • Cinnamon poetry pamphlet competition (deadline 31st March)
• April
  • Bath short story award - http://bathshortstoryaward.co.uk/. Deadline 27th Apr. Max 2,200 words. Fee £8, 1st prize £1000.
  • Bristol Competition- deadline 30th Apr. Max 4000 words. Fee £8, 1st prize £1000. There's an anthology too See http://www.bristolprize.co.uk/
• May
  • Bridport - Competition deadline 31st May. Max 5000 words (Fee £9, 1st prize £5000) or 250 words (Fee £7, 1st prize £1000). See http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/
  • Yeovil - Competition deadline 31st May. Max 2000 words (Fee £6, 1st prize £500). See http://www.yeovilprize.co.uk
  • Cinnamon press - Story competition deadline 31st May. Max 5000 words (Fee £12, 1st prize £700). See http://www.cinnamonpress.com/competitions/annual-short-story-prize/

Nine Arches Press Poetry at Five Leaves Bookshop

I spent a formative year or so in Nottingham long ago. It was there that I once wondered whether I might become a part-time writer. I was on the tipping point, nearly on the slide. Instead I went off and did an M.Sc in something else. Nottingham seems to have a thriving arts scene, helped no doubt by the c.30k students in the city.

On 7th December I went to a Nine Arches Press Poetry reading at the impressive Five Leaves Bookshop. It's down an alley in the heart of town and has shelves of poetry books that are rarely seen in bookshops. It has some poetry magazines too, as well as the usual range of books that one might hope for in an "alternative" bookshop. If you're in Nottingham, go and buy something there. I bought myself some early Xmas presents. I've talked to Matt Merritt before; we often attend the same Midlands or London bookfairs and have 2 publishers in common. I've read his books and those of Tony Williams, who I met for the first time on the night. Those 2 readers were joined by Bobby Parker and Dorothy Lehane, who were new to me. I need to see Dorothy Lehane's work on the page. With Bobby Parker it was the other way round - until I heard Heroin Lullaby spoken I didn't realise how much I liked it.

I met Maria Taylor too (we read each other's blogs), and I think I recognised Andrew Duncan in the audience.