Twice annually mslexia ask for themed poetry and prose submissions for the Showcase (previously New Writing) section of the magazine. Winners are selected by our Guest Editors (in the past they have included Julia Blackburn, Nicci Gerrard, Pascale Petit, Rachel Cusk and Sarah Dunant) and are published in the magazine. We also make a small payment for most submissions we publish.

They look for stories of up to 2,200 words, poems of up to 40 lines, and short scripts (for theatre, radio or film) of up to 1,000 words (including character names and stage instructions).
Please note: they only accept up to four poems, two short stories and two short scripts per entrant.

Current themes

ISSUE 86: OTHER WORLDS The theme for Issue 86 is ‘other worlds’ – the mysterious space/time realms of the scientifically plausible: the ‘dust’ of Phillip Pullman’s Dark Materials, the time-travelling TARDIS, the alternate realities of Schrödinger’s cat…

Deadline: 9 Mar 2020

ISSUE 87: WILDLIFE For Issue 87 we’re inviting submissions on all creatures great and small. Whether it’s a mosquito or marmoset, a flea or a ferret, we’re itching to read your zoological creations.

Deadline: 8 Jun 2020

https://mslexia.co.uk/themed-writing/