Sign in

Dithering Chaps - submissions open

@ditheringchaps.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.5K following 177 posts

I'm David Herring, Lead Editor of indie poetry press, Dithering Chaps, based in Dorset, UK. We publish thematically-linked sequences of poems: works that riff on a core conceit, event or narrative voice. He/him. www.ditheringchaps.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
We are delighted to announce that we've chosen Tom McLaughlin's stunning debut collection, In Rooms of Falling Rain, to publish later this year. We can't wait to work with this exciting and talented poet! www.ditheringchaps.com
030
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Here's the last of our shortlisted poets, Marie Macri, reading from her poem, Proof he was here. We'd love to know what you think! We will be announcing our final choice on Wednesday. www.ditheringchaps.com
030
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Here's the next of our shortlisted poets, @victoriaspires.bsky.social , reading from her poem, The Skulker. We'll be posting films of each of our five shortlisters and, after due trademark dithering, we'll announce our final choice on 13th May. Stay tuned! www.ditheringchaps.com
4124
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Here's another of our shortlisted poets, Hilary McDaniel, reading from her poem, A Hoosier Sonnet Definition. We have two more films of shortlisted poets to post. Our final choice will be announced on 13th May, so watch this space! www.ditheringchaps.com
051
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Here's the first of our shortlisted poets, Tom McLaughlin, reading from his poem, Molly house. We'll be posting films of each of our five shortlisters over the coming days and, after due trademark dithering, our final choice will be announced on 13th May. So watch this space! www.ditheringchaps.com
062
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Here is our top five - one of these poets will be published by us, later this year ... To be honest, we'd love to publish them all - we have a tough job on our hands! www.ditheringchaps.com
031
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
We're so proud to announce our April 2026 longlist. We would be proud to publish any one of these poets. Now we really dither - trying to cut 20 down to just 5 ... our shortlist will be announced this time next week. Here's wishing us (and our longlisted poets) luck! #poetry
182
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Submissions duly logged and read. Now time to make our longlist decisions... #DitheringChaps #poetry
051
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
120
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
We love pi day, but World Poetry Day is our favourite!
011
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Submissions window - twenty days to go...
021
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Where will your poems end up...? #DitheringChaps www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions
001
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Our end of March cut-off is looming. We'd love to read your submission! #poetry #poetrysubmissions #DitheringChaps
042
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
It's always nice to be appreciated...
031
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Dithering Chaps is proud to devote one of our annual publication slots to the work of poets who have yet to publish a full poetry collection. We’re thrilled to announce our 2025 choices: BRIDGETTE JAMES, an emerging poet with a striking, intimate voice and LEANNE MODEN, poet, performer, storyteller.
030
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Hard to pull off - how about...? @anthonyetherin.bsky.social
131
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Today's shortlisted poet is @sarahcrowe.bsky.social. Here she is reading from Ode to My Left Breast, an elegant crown of sonnets, the form of which she has deftly adapted to her theme of deconstruction/reconstruction. Watch out for more of our videos and tell us who we should choose
051
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Have a collection ready to publish? Send us a sample of your work! You could be on our next shortlist in April and be in print by the end of the year... (See our recent posts for clips from our current shortlist.) www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions #poetry #submissions
052
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Third up is kerry rawlinson, reading from her poem, 'bath, in translation', from her collection, 'fluid dynamics'. This collection interrogates "the various forms physical liquids take, as well as exploring other modes and expressions of fluidity."NB kerry appears twice on our shortlist! Impressive!
031
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Second up from our shortlist is Bridgette James, reading from Baby Blues, a poem in her collection, Gestating Creatures. When he read Bridgette's submission, our lead editor, David Herring wrote, "I'm convinced that I'm in the presence of an authentic and original voice." Three more poets to come!
021
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Our first shortlisted poet is Leanne Moden, reading part of her fascinating work, The Vernal Equinox, which is an anagram poem - it only uses letters from the title! It comes from Leanne's collection, Ophelia of the Bathtub. Four more videos to go - let us know what you think! www.ditheringchaps.com
052
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
This is where the real dithering begins...!
032
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
What's in a name...?
032
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
The Ice Sonnets by Christopher James (past winner of the National Poetry and Bridport Prizes)... out now... from Dithering Chaps i.m. Frank Hurley from Shackleton's Endurance... www.ditheringchaps.com/the-ice-sonn... #OblongStockingFillers
031
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
The Ice Sonnets by Christopher James (past winner of the National Poetry and Bridport Prizes)... out now... from Dithering Chaps www.ditheringchaps.com/the-ice-sonn... #OblongStockingFillers
031
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
The Ice Sonnets by Christopher James (past winner of the National Poetry and Bridport Prizes)... out now... from Dithering Chaps #OblongStockingFillers
182
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
It's Antarctica Day and we have something for all lovers of adventure (and poetry!) 'The Ice Sonnets' by Christopher James - published today by Dithering Chaps. #DitheringChaps #PoemsForAdventurousSouls
021
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
Great to see our Lead Editor, DG Herring, featured on the Guest Poet page of the Acumen Website with his poem 'Thoughts on Crater 308'. acumen-poetry.co.uk/guest-poems/ #LiteraryMagazinesToSubscribeTo
162
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
And the winner is.... Ceri Morgan, whose innovative collection, ‘Unstuck’, will be out next May. Form mirrors emotional state: a mind unstuck from linearity; a portrait of psychological unravelling and tentative reassembly. Could your poems be next? Send them in! www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions
052
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
Our last shortlisted poet is Eloise Unerman, with her collection, 'a skeleton - finally'. Dark, cohesive & immersive, her poems have thematic depth & sustained atmosphere. If you want to be in the running for our final publication in 2026, submissions are open now: www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions
042
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Our third shortlisted poet is Ceri Morgan, with her collection, Unstuck, in which the form mirrors the emotional state: a mind unstuck from linearity. If you want to be in the running for our final publication in 2026, submissions are open now! www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions #DitheringChaps
021
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
The second of our five shortlisted poets for May 2026 is Beth McDonough, who reanimates Goya's Los Caprichos etchings, drawing parallels between 18th-century grotesques and contemporary injustices. Submissions are now open for our November 2026 publication slot - www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions.
020
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
We're down to a shortlist of five poets, all vying for a single publication slot next May. First up is Gabriel May, who has written a series of edgy and original ekphrastic poems, each one a meditation on two figures - Haruki Murakami and Raymond Carver; Lucas Cranach the Elder and Anish Kapoor...
032
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
We’re proud to announce our April-Sep reading window shortlist. We couldn't be happier at the prospect of reading each of these original and poetically-stunning collections in full. It’ll be a very tough call to choose just one... #DitheringChaps @saccharinequeen.bsky.social @cerimair.bsky.social
132
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
We’re pleased to announce our longlist of poets under consideration for publication in May 2026! The full list of longlisted poets is on our website: www.ditheringchaps.com/news Our shortlist will be announced on 15th October. Thank you to everyone who submitted - your work matters!
082
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
National Poetry Prize winner Christopher James' latest collection, The Ice Sonnets, is available for pre-order from Dithering Chaps. See our website for details: www.ditheringchaps.com/the-ice-sonn... #poetry #TheIceSonnets
051
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Looking for a poetry editor who knows what it feels like to put his work out there (and has had his fair share of rejections)? Hoping for a sympathetic ear & some constructive feedback? Why not send your work to Dithering Chaps? We do all the above. www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions
053
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Here's Nicole Durman, reading from her collection, 'Ghosts of Nightshifts Past', published by Dithering Chaps in July. #nhs #nurse #poetry (If you've written a similarly passionate and compelling bundle of words, why not send it in...)
041
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
Dorset is great for walking. Today, we went to our happy place...
041
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
Beautifully plump sloes, picked on a walk around Holes Bay, near Poole, are now bobbing in a litre of gin, slowly steeping until Xmas. It's all part of the dithering approach to boozy proofreading (with pic!)
021
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
For poetry friends from Dorset, UK, I wanted to let you know about a new Stanza group, based in Dorchester. It's been running quietly over the Summer (I've recently started attending myself) and it would be cool to see new faces - poster attached... high quality poetry chat and feedback guaranteed!!
023
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
www.ditheringchaps.com/ghosts-of-ni... #GhostsOfNightshiftsPast #Poetry #NHS #Nursing #HospiceCare
031
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Standing room only at the launch of Nicole Durman's brilliant 'Ghosts of Nightshifts Past' in late July. The launch was covered by BBC Somerset and local press and we were glad to support our host Brendon Books by selling loads of copies! Get your copy here... www.ditheringchaps.com/ghosts-of-ni...
041
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Today's launch of Nicole Durman's 'Ghosts of Nightshifts Past' has been picked up by the BBC! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #BBCNews #Poetry #NHS #Nursing #DitheringChaps
071
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Nicole Durman's stunning début collection is available now from Dithering Chaps www.ditheringchaps.com/ghosts-of-ni... #poetry #DitheringChaps #NHS #nursing
042
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
"The thrill is new things still happen..." [Helen Kay: It Was Never About the Kingfisher from Dithering Chaps] Shortlisted for the International Rubery Book Award (Poetry) 2025. www.ruberybookaward.com/2025-winners... Buy your copy here: www.ditheringchaps.com/it-was-never...
011
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Launching next month - one of the books in this box could be yours for just £9.95 - Nicole Durman's 'Ghosts of Nightshifts Past' www.ditheringchaps.com/ghosts-of-ni... #poetry #nhs #DitheringChaps
011
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Dithering Chaps will be publishing 'The Ice Sonnets' by Christopher James later this year. Chris has an impressive poetic bio - including winning the National Poetry Competition and the Bridport Prize. Here he is introducing his collection and reading 'Leonard Hussey's Banjo'...
041
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
It was a pleasure and an honour for the Dithering Chaps team to perform together at the launch of Long Poem Magazine #33 held in the Barbican Library last weekend. Here's me introducing our reading and a snippet from my poem 'Carbon Clumps'... #poetry #longpoemmagazine #Barbican
152
Dithering Chaps - submissions open @ditheringchaps.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Hi, I'm David Herring, Lead Editor of Dithering Chaps, an indie publisher based in Dorset, UK. We publish three poetry collections a year and we're open for submissions...! www.ditheringchaps.com/submissions
2192