Send a new, unpublished 'after' or ekphrastic poem to After... throughout October 2026.

It’s back for 2026. The Book Bag Poetry Christmas Gift Guide. Let’s boost some poets and presses, give fellow poetics some gift ideas and maybe find some hidden gems. This year, I’ve made it even easier to share your recommendations. All you need to do is complete the form below and I’ll compile the list which will be shared in late November.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS I SMELL TOASTA Halloween anthology of poetry, flash fiction & original visual art Jen Thorne and Eric "Madp03t" Montgomery, publishing as The Ampersand Syndicate, are putting to...

Dry is but the domain of distant memory.

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. The week started wonderfully as I was in the audience for the launch of Hatchery by Elizabeth Osmond. Such a variety of voices sharing their work and support to Elizabeth. It was excellent. I shared Part 3 of Rachel Turney’s Poetic Voice feature. I feel genuinely honoured to have after poems based on my work.

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. It’s been a quieter week but I’ve still been working on lots of exciting projects with more information being shared soon. I was delighted to add the second part to Rachel Turney’s feature which included poems from her latest book and a banging dance music playlist to accompany Retired Wannabe Club Kid.

Help Paul Short raise money to support Medecins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders (MSF)