This poem is by Oeil Jumratsilpa, a London-based copywriter who loves to read, paint and cook. Illustration by Eric Chow

Here, I say, is my story:

on a plate or in a bowl

soups of fire, budding mountains,

red rings of oily kisses,

stir-fries of grey mornings

under a concrete highway –

the wok song, the flame dance.

My eyes follow the brown hands

– splash, flick, flip, swirl –

a hit of garlic in my nose

a puddle in my mouth.

Of my brand-new leather school shoes

a fist in my belly, a golden sweat

rolling down my spine.

Of the car exhaust in the air

sweet and smoky. Of the heat

yellow and thick, collecting on my skin.

Of my mother’s cleaver, rapping

on the bird’s eye chillies

the green-grass crunch

a splash of coolness.

Here, I am telling you

of breakfasts gone by: my father

cutting, scooping, arranging

his plate, his methodology.

Of my heartache: how it squeezes

and I can’t breathe.

Of a hollowness, a deep clanking in my chest.

Of moments I wish I’d grasped tighter.

Of hands – nut-brown, green veins, gold rings –

I long to hold

again.

Here, I say, eat.

Nice to meet you.

When I Cook is from The Nostalgia Issue – Issue 22. Order your copy here

How much would you pay for a fresh punnet of kisses? Jade Cuttle tots up the sum total of a brief relationship in this witty poem (above).

This poem is the unlikely product of Jade Cuttle’s stint as a litter-picker. Jade has performed her poetry on BBC Radio Three, won competitions run by BBC Proms and Foyle Young Poets, and is a BBC Introducing supported poetic songwriter. She lives in Paris and York.

A Receipt for Our Romance was featured in The Romance Issue of Popshot. Order your copy here.

Florianne Humphrey’s poem was inspired by an American President and Lewis Carroll’s  ‘Jabberwocky’. Illustration by Mitt Roshin.

The Blundergaffe

‘Twas quickly that the Blundergaffe,
Did raise its slithy head when hacks
Made great again its orange schnaff
On fake news paperquacks.

Beware the Blundergaffe, my girl!
The tongue that whips, the claws that grab,
Beware the crooked hounds who hurl
Their knives at those who blab.

He took his pingity in hand
And on the keys he clacky clicked,
Eyes of ire for those who withstand
He bleurged his blubbattack.

And ping! And ping! His crashing voice
Sent flooshing through the data waves,
While the slathering hounds rejoice
And the withstood stay brave.

And while the Blundergaffe cromps down
On those who breathe the fearish truth,
Across the land from field to town
His drak mistakes are streuth.

But will the Blundergaffe be slain?
Or will his chokey reign live on?
Will they ever break the chain?
Or is the chain too strong?

‘Twas quickly that the Blundergaffe,
Did raise its slithy head when hacks
Made great again its orange schnaff
On fake news paperquacks.

The Blundergaffe appeared in The Fantasy Issue of Popshot

Florianne Humphrey is a journalist, writer and workshop facilitator who has written two novels, a play and a collection of short stories, one of which was shortlisted for the 2018 Bridport Prize.

This beautiful poem by Ash Dean was written when he was caring for his terminally ill great-grandmother. Illustration by Grace Lanksbury.

To me, she was always all wrinkles,

As frail as eggshell and embellished with lace.

My lasting image is of her beaming face

When she opened the door

But the more I age the less I can ignore

Another scene projecting in my head

Of her sitting still in a hospital bed

And the first time her smile ever struck me

As forced and stuck.

She reached out for my hand like a child and froze,

Staring vacantly past me as I nervously smiled.

Her mouth began to gape

As if waiting for something deep to escape

So her tongue could prise it from her stomach.

“I’m scared Ashley, I don’t want to die,

What will happen to me?”

And I could see that with all her humility

She could not allow herself the comfort of eternal grace

But just a simple space

Awaiting her.

Tearful, she waited for me to stir.

I could only think

How someone so open and joyful had forever led me towards a glow

And how in this togetherness still

I follow where her feelings go.

“I’m scared too,

I don’t want to lose you.

I don’t know what comes after life,

No one does,

So we call it death

And attach to it things to cling on to.

But I don’t want you to worry yourself.

Embrace love.

Embrace all the happiness you have had

And carry it through every moment until your last.

What is yours in the last can never be lost.”

Delicate, we rested, heavy with feeling,

Sharing not words

But the thin protection of our being.

This poem featured in The Mystery Issue of Popshot Quarterly.

We are no longer accepting short fiction and poetry for our 28th issue on the theme of ‘earth’. Send in your writing before 9am GMT on Monday 2 March 2020.

UPDATE: SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

It’s that time again Popshot people! We are now accepting submissions for the next magazine on a theme of…“Earth”.

We have just finished putting together the Mystery issue (thank you to all who submitted, the magazine will hit newsstands at the end of next week), allowing us to open the doors for new submissions.

Our next theme is ‘earth’ and we are interested in writing that looks broadly at our planet, the soil from which all things spring, theories around and the history or mythology of creation from primordial soup to Earth Mothers that come from different ends of the planet, like Gaia and Papatūanuku.

Writers might want to look at the fight to save our planet from global warming, or the difference (fictions, even) in the interpretations or lack thereof of the crisis we are facing. At a time when some world leaders are denying that there is a problem with what humans are doing to the earth, what might the outcomes be? Your stories and poems can shoot us into the future, look at the earth from afar or teach us the lessons we need to learn now. They might have a human angle, or they may look at the role of our planet from the perspective of the plants and wildlife who also inhabit it.

Successful submissions must display excellent writing, creative flair and originality. We are looking for a mixture of humour, social commentary, honesty and thrilling storytelling. We welcome all genres and writing styles so long as they follow our guidelines for submission (for more on which, click here).

Submissions for the Summer issue are open until 9am GMT on Monday, 2 March 2020.

The Earth issue will be published in May 2020.

Guidelines for submission:

• Poems: 12 to 40 lines
• Short stories: 1,000 to 3,000 words
• Flash fiction: 100 to 1,000 words

Three entries maximum. Entries over the word count will not be considered.

To discover more about Popshot, pick up a copy from WHSmiths or another reputable newsagent. You can subscribe to either hard copy or digital editions. Four issues are published per year showcasing the best emerging fiction writers.

To see your writing published and illustrated, head to our submit page for the full guidelines. Include the issue and form of your work in the subject line (i.e. Earth – Poetry). We are open to original contributions from anyone, anywhere in the world.

At Popshot towers we have just wrapped up the Mystery issue, which will be on sale from 6 February.

Drop us a line at hello@popshotpopshot.com

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This poem by May Blythe is about how an unexpected, unlooked for encounter can bring about a dramatic change in perspective and trajectory. Illustration by Dóra Kisteleki.

I thought I’d built a fine nest,
A place of security,
But I’d forged myself a cage,
Stifled my own liberty.

Each twig carefully chosen,
Defences plaited and twirled,
More and more interwoven,
A shield for me from the world.

For years I was contented,
To dwell above and apart,
I watched Life and lives unfold,
With a distant detached heart.

By chance one day you glimpsed me,
I shrunk from your drawing eyes,
My refuge in the shadows,
Afraid of the boundless skies.

You prised a chink in my walls,
And reached inside with your hand,
You gently coaxed me to you,
My unravelling began.

Now though I am without you,
I soar with the sun and stars,
No longer Life’s spectator,
Joining with joy in her dance.

‘Nest’ by May Blythe featured in The Chance Issue of Popshot Quarterly.

This poem by Criselda Cayetano featured in The Chance Issue of Popshot Quarterly. Illustration by Wendy Denissen.

Most Terrifying Thought

the possibilities of the lives that we can live are endless

the people we can meet in a lifetime, uncountable

the consequences of every choice we make, unfathomable

the dreams that we may dream for ourselves, limitless

except, for those who have set their hearts on a single entity:

a person, an idea, a purpose, or a dream – there is no other

your heart has stubbornly set itself on the idea of marrying him,

a love so irreplaceable and unforgettable

that you would forego the excitement of a life

full of adventure, a life ought to be reimagined constantly

that your happiness lies on one out of a billion

that if it fails, you may never get it back

this is the most terrifying thought, a danger to one’s sanity

to devote your entire existence to that which you may lose forever

__________
Criselda Cayetano, 26, grew up in the Philippines but moved to Tokyo in 2015 to work for a Japanese IT company. “Although I use Japanese at work, I am most fluent in English, and poetry is a way for me to express myself in a country where my inner thoughts and feelings are often lost in translation,” she says.

The Chance Issue of Popshot features a poem written by award-winning author Joe Dunthorne who first made his name with debut novel Submarine and whose first collection of poetry, O Positive, was published this year.

What inspires and drives you to write?

Curiosity, mostly. For me, the biggest joy of writing is in not knowing where I’m going. I love the feeling of following your mind into itself, of seeing what lives inside you.

You write poetry, short stories, novels and screenplays – how do you know (or at what point in the creative process) what format your story or idea is going to take?

Usually each story suggests its ideal form. In my experience, poetry is good at pinning a single moment under a microscope. Short stories tend to suit more experimental structures, weirder voices. Novels are often more about depth of character. Although there are obviously endless exceptions. Sometimes I change a story into a poem then end up hiding it somewhere in a novel. Whatever feels right.

Your poem “The Spins” (featured in the Chance Issue) brilliantly evokes the contradictions of the festive season — wanting to see family and loving them, but the madness and emotion that prolonged proximity and forced jollity can engender. What do you and your family do at Christmas and how do you avoid getting the spins?

We are usually quite a harmonious – or conflict-averse – family. We tend to all get together in Wales or Scotland and go for walks, eat food and play board games. The most notable family Christmas argument was between my older sisters. They fundamentally disagreed about how best to cook the scrambled eggs. It may sound as though the stakes were quite low but it became the prism through which they saw each others souls.

In terms of avoiding the spins, I think that getting out of the house is essential. I would recommend contact with non-humans. Feeding birds. Hugging dogs. Nodding to cows and sheep. And of course the other important rule is: never play Monopoly.

Can you describe your writing process?

I’m a morning writer so I get up as early as I can and try to write something, anything, while my brain is still fuzzy and dreamy. Recently, I’ve gotten into using a typewriter for these early morning poems and flash fictions. There’s magic in the way the typewriter publishes your work as you write it. Every keystroke goes to print. There’s no going back. Plus, it makes a cheerful ding noise when you get to the end of the line. What could be more encouraging than that?

What is the novel or collection of poetry you wish you had written?

Oh, there are so many. Perhaps Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower – surely one of the best short story collections ever written.

What are you writing right now?

I’m writing poems and short stories and just experimenting. I recently started sketching a graphic novel about a man’s co-dependent relationship with his talking verruca.

Joe Dunthorne’s poetry collection O Positive is published by Faber & Faber (£10.99)

Illustration by Wendy Wong

We are now accepting short fiction and poetry for our 27th issue on the theme of ‘mystery’. Send in your writing before 9am GMT on Monday 2 December 2019.

UPDATED 2 DECEMBER 2019: SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

It’s that time again Popshot people! We are now accepting submissions for the next magazine on a theme of…

“Mystery”.

We have just finished putting together the Chance issue (thank you to all who submitted, the magazine will hit newsstands at the end of next week), allowing us to open the doors for new submissions.

Our next theme is ‘mystery’ and we are interested in writing that sets up or solves a conundrum or points to the enigmatic in something ordinary or beautiful.

Writers might want to look beyond the confines of genre, where mystery is central to crime novels and “whodunnits”.  Although we love the satisfaction of having a problem or murder neatly solved, we also want to see writing that is surprising, literary and pushes the boundaries of our expectations when it comes to mystery, perhaps delving into the absurd as well as the more tangible unravellings that happen with any good yarn. 

Successful submissions must display excellent writing, creative flair and originality. We are looking for a mixture of humour, social commentary, honesty and thrilling storytelling. We welcome all genres and writing styles so long as they follow our guidelines for submission (for more on which, click here).

Submissions for the Spring issue are open until 9am GMT on Monday, 2 December.

The Mystery issue will be published in February 2020.

Guidelines for submission:

• Poems: 12 to 40 lines
• Short stories: 1,000 to 3,000 words
• Flash fiction: 100 to 1,000 words

Three entries maximum. Entries over the word count will not be considered.

To discover more about Popshot, pick up a copy from WHSmiths or another reputable newsagent. You can subscribe to either hard copy or digital editions. Four issues are published per year showcasing the best emerging fiction writers.

To see your writing published and illustrated, head to our submit page for the full guidelines. Include the issue and form of your work in the subject line (i.e. Mystery – Poetry). We are open to original contributions from anyone, anywhere in the world.

At Popshot towers we have just wrapped up the Fantasy issue, which will be on sale from 8 August.

Drop us a line at hello@popshotpopshot.com

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Illustration by Seb Westcott

Luciana Francis’s beautiful poem ‘To The Garden’ likens new parenthood to nurturing a garden. Illustration by Sophie Parsons.

the last word I said before they raised you
to the lights was “stay” then with a touch I bridged the space
I said “welcome to the world”

a world I have barely paved with random steps scraps of paper
and cockles dug out from unsuspecting shores

alone with a bud nipped at the root of me
the only cry I longed for was yours the first
once you were ousted from your kingdom my parent material

nested in the quiet of a white room about to sleep
to the sound of your heart a reverse of roles so to speak
the sudden lights and my feral fear roared “get him out alive!”

the years that come and go
have left me with a beginning
my body now a tree battered by a hasty dawn but happy

that we got out

you from me and me from that Winter when
cloaked by the rain that ran down the face of our window
I did not know yet of our garden

or the roses that would return or the seeds that scatter
in spite of her departure how they go on giving away
their core tiny hearts that break open for Spring

oh the years have come and gone and much is left behind
all Love is scarborne and you
a single blossom to outnumber all tears

This poem appeared in The Escape Issue of Popshot Magazine.

We are now accepting short fiction and poetry for our 26th issue on the theme of ‘chance’. Send in your writing before 9am GMT on Monday 2 September.

The Chance Issue

UPDATE: SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

We have just finished putting together the Fantasy issue (thank you to all who submitted, the magazine will hit newsstands next week), allowing us to open the doors for new submissions. Our next theme is ‘chance’ and all the potential ramifications of taking a chance — as well as those of its bedfellows coincidence and opportunism.

Writers might want to examine what happens when you take a chance, the positive and negative outcomes of doing something extraordinary through luck or coincidence, chance encounters, impossible coincidences, the “fates” aligning to hand over an opportunity. There’s an old creative writing rule of thumb: “Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of trouble are cheating.” Do you agree? What would you do with your characters given the chance?

Successful submissions must display excellent writing, creative flair and originality. We are looking for a mixture of humour, social commentary, honesty and thrilling storytelling. We welcome all genres and writing styles.

Submissions for the Winter issue are open until 9am GMT on Monday, 2 September.

The Chance issue will be published in November 2019.

Guidelines for submission:

• Poems: 12 to 40 lines
• Short stories: 1,000 to 3,000 words
• Flash fiction: 100 to 1,000 words

Three entries maximum. Entries over the word count will not be considered.

To discover more about Popshot, pick up a copy from WHSmiths or another reputable newsagent. You can subscribe to either hard copy or digital editions. Four issues are published per year showcasing the best emerging fiction writers.

To see your writing published and illustrated, head to our submit page for the full guidelines. Include the issue and form of your work in the subject line (i.e. Chance – Poetry). We are open to original contributions from anyone, anywhere in the world.

At Popshot towers we have just wrapped up the Fantasy issue, which will be on sale from 8 August.

Drop us a line at hello@popshotpopshot.com

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Illustration by Shauna Mckeon

This poem by John Reinhart is about an unusual character who will stop at nothing to find love. Illustration by Sam Dunn

I tried inverting

tried changing my skin

grew scales

grew limbs

removed the tail

tucked back tentacles

stuck my eyes to my head

opaqued my outer layer

groomed toenails

moved to a marsh nearer to her

even ate her boyfriend

wore his clothes

to no avail

This poem was published in The Romance Issue of Popshot Magazine

Charlotte Spires explores the idea that we romanticise strangers, even those lovers we once knew so well who have since become strangers. Illustration by Karolina Burdon

Strangers

There are strangers in the beginning:

those who untuck the neatness from your edges,

propel

you forward into the warmth

reminiscent of an old friend’s

familiar grip.

Then, there are strangers at the end:

those silhouettes of a person

gutted

from the presence of your life,

who took the tucked away parts of yourself

with them.

This poem by Charlotte Spires featured in The Romance Issue of Popshot magazine.

The Popshot editors are pleased to introduce the latest instalment of our journal, The Escape Issue!

We asked our contributors for writing about escape in all its forms, from disappearing to warmer climates to slipping out of terrifying, difficult or mundane situations.

The submissions we received were of an extremely high standard. This was brilliant, but it made our job difficult to select the short stories, flash fiction and poetry for inclusion – thank you to everyone who sent in their work.

In The Escape Issue our writers wrest free from relationships, physical constraints, wriggling out of time and life-threatening situations. The stories and poems included feature escaped jaguars, flamenco classes, magic mushroom tea and monsters.

Whether you’re reading the magazine on the beach, during the commute, or over coffee on a Sunday morning, we hope you enjoy escaping into Popshot.

Words by Daniel Shand, Jonathan Greenhause, Hollie McNish, Imie Kent-Muller, Phillip Mitchell, Mantz Yorke, Hannah January, Suzanne Morrison, Amanda Huggins, Shelley Weiner, Grainne Tobin, Pam Kress-Dunn, Aaron Menzel, Jo Matthews, Barry O’Farrell, Annabelle Markwick-Staff, Maria Castro Dominguez, Jack Williams, Luciana Francis, Flora Jardine, Colleen Baran.

Illustrations by Alexandra Dzhiganskaya, Bistra Masseva, Charlotte Price, Cleonique Hilsaca, Dionne Kitching, Esther Lalane, Jade Moore, Janie Anderson, Jasmijn Evans, Jen Leem-Bruggen, Jodie Welsh, Kelly Romanaldi, Marta Cubeddu, Marta D’Asaro, Martina Messori, Matthew Brazier, Olivia Waller, Renzo Razzetto, Sam Hinton, Sara Thielker-Bowles, Sophie Parsons, Tess Smith-Roberts, Tobi Frank, Vector That Fox, Yiqing Zhang.

Orders will be dispatched within two working days.

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By Anne Walsh Donnelly, a poet from the West of Ireland. Illustration by Aurélie Garnier.

Sheila

burns the queen cakes Mam told him to make

so she won’t ask him again.

He sneaks into the tractor cab and gives Dad his sweetest smile

so he’ll bring him to check the cattle in the far field.

He buys a cowboy suit with his first Holy Communion money

tired of asking Mam to give him one for his birthday.

He risks a beating from Dad when he runs through the bog

in the white sandals Mam bought him to wear to Sunday Mass.

He cries when his chest grows tennis balls

and makes his Man United jersey lumpy.

He has sex with men. And women. Drinks beer in the college bar

unzips his jeans and shoves the empty bottle into his empty groin.

He goes home after Dad dies, to help Mam with the farm.

She tells him she thanks God every day for giving her a girl

He gets a part-time job teaching physics in his alma mater

falls in love with the school principal and his three-piece suits.

He tames his hair with a straightener, paints his nails with blush polish

that smells like turpentine and smears crimson gloop on his lips.

He teeters down the aisle in heels, wears a raw sick wedding dress

that makes him look like he’s perched on a cloud.

He gives birth to three girls. Husband presents him

with a diamond eternity ring. Sheila still burns queen cakes.

Sheila is from The Identity Issue – Issue 23. Order your copy here

The Identity Issue

The editors of Popshot are looking for submissions on the theme of identity.

Writers are invited to examine how the self is formed or undermined, how society may shape identity and the lengths individuals might go to in order to find their “true” selves.

Race, gender, sexuality, professional and family identity are ripe subjects for this theme. You might approach it with a big, sweeping idea or choose a single, expansive observation.

Successful submissions must display excellent writing, creative flair and originality. We are looking for a mixture of humour, cutting social commentary, painful honesty and thrilling storytelling. All genres are welcome.

We are currently wrapping up the Nostalgia issue, which goes on sale November 16.

The Identity Issue is out in February 2019.

Guidelines for submissions

• Poems: 12 to 40 lines
• Short stories: 1,000 to 3,000 words
• Flash fiction: 100 to 1,000 words

Three entries maximum.

Submissions for Spring are open until 9am GMT on Tuesday, December 4.

To discover more about Popshot, pick up a copy from WHSmiths or another reputable newsagent. You can subscribe to either hard copy or digital editions. Four issues are published per year showcasing the best emerging fiction writers.

To see your writing published and illustrated, head to our submit page for the full guidelines. Include the issue and form of your work in the subject line (i.e. Identity – Poetry). We are open to original contributions from anyone, anywhere in the world.  

Any questions, do drop us a line at hello@popshotpopshot.com

And please do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Illustration by Sara Gironi Carnevale