As 2024 draws to a close, it’s impossible not to marvel at how much has been accomplished in just one year. This has been a period of recalibration, of stepping boldly into the fringes of the poetry world and staking a claim on its rawest, least tamed edges. The Broken Spine has always been about art that matters, but in 2024, we’ve doubled down on that mission.
The work we’ve published this year has been unapologetically edgy, barbed, and bold—and readers have not only embraced it but celebrated it. They’ve shown us they’re hungry for poetry that doesn’t hold back, that stings as much as it soothes. And in 2025, we have no plans to slow down. If anything, we’re leaning in harder, pushing boundaries further, and continuing to champion voices that deserve to be heard.
One of the defining achievements of 2024 was the launch of The Whiskey Tree: Untamed Series. This invitation-only anthology series was designed to tackle familiar poetic themes—nature, love, and identity—but in ways that turn expectations upside down. Each instalment sees writers attack these subjects from 14 wildly different angles, producing work that’s fresh, dynamic, and often startling.
Alongside this, we introduced the Slimline Series, compact thematic collections that go straight to the core of what The Broken Spine loves most: poetry with punch. These slimlines have allowed us to publish tightly curated works that dig deep into specific themes, bringing a sharp, uncompromising focus to each collection.
But the year wasn’t just about publishing. 2024 also saw the success of our workshops on domesticity and night-time writing. These sessions brought together writers eager to explore how context shapes creativity and offered a space for bold experimentation. Their enthusiastic reception has laid the groundwork for even more workshops in 2025.
At every turn—whether it was in the hushed applause of a book launch, the snapping fingers at an open mic, or the spirited discussions in workshops—we’ve felt the impact of this work. The Broken Spine has always been about art that challenges, provokes, and resonates, and this year reaffirmed that there’s no shortage of hunger for what we’re creating.
If 2024 was about reclaiming our place on the fringes, 2025 will be about solidifying it. The work we’re planning is a statement. A declaration of intent. A commitment to staying true to our vision and pushing even harder.
The first release of The Whiskey Tree: Untamed Series Wave 2. TWT Nature 2 strips away romanticised views of the natural world, exploring its raw power, beauty, and ferocity.
This Slimline Collection soars above the skyline, delving into the shadows and ambition of urban life. Poetry with edges as sharp as cityscapes.
Si Griffiths’ groundbreaking collection reimagines romantic poetry with raw intimacy and fierce originality. This is love poetry as you’ve never seen it before.
The next Slimline Collection takes readers on a nocturnal journey through urban landscapes. Shadows, streetlights, and secrets converge in these evocative poems.
The second instalment in The Whiskey Tree: Untamed Series Wave 2. TWT Love 2 takes love in all its messy, passionate, and jagged forms and lays it bare.
Published just in time for Pride, this anthology celebrates queer voices with a vibrant mix of joy, resilience, and defiance. Guest edited by Perry Gasteiger and Romina Ramos.
Released alongside out.skirts, this collection dives deep into the nuances of queer identity and culture with wit, insight, and boldness.
Marking the centenary of The Great Gatsby, this anthology captures the allure and decay of the Jazz Age in poetry that dazzles and devastates in equal measure.
Highlighting the best shortlisted entries from the 2024 chapbook competition, Fusion 2 brings together some of the most exciting emerging voices in poetry.
A response to T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland, Yates’ collection explores desolation and renewal, finding humanity’s reflections in untamed spaces.
This luminous debut collection celebrates femininity and womanhood, interweaving strength, grace, and vulnerability in a triad of interconnected narratives.
The final instalment in The Whiskey Tree: Untamed Series Wave 2. TWT Identity 2 confronts the ever-shifting nature of selfhood, belonging, and transformation.
A collection of holiday-themed flash fiction perfect for fireside reading and seasonal reflection.
This Slimline Collection reflects on the trials, transitions, and triumphs of growing up, offering poignant and powerful insights into universal experiences.
Our mission extends far beyond the printed page. In 2025, we’ll continue to build a thriving creative community through:
The Broken Spine has never been about safe, polished poetry. It’s about the raw, the real, and the resonant. 2024 showed us there’s an audience that craves exactly this kind of work—art that isn’t afraid to bruise, provoke, or challenge.
As we move into 2025, we’re not just carrying this ethos forward; we’re amplifying it. This year won’t be about slowing down but about digging deeper, pushing harder, and creating work that leaves a mark.
Poetry that matters isn’t polite. It’s bold. It’s barbed. It’s brave. And it’s exactly what we’ll continue to deliver.
Let’s drop the Hallmark card fantasies. Nature isn’t serene. It’s not here to cradle you while you write love letters to daffodils.
Beautiful Little Fools will be a stunning hardcover anthology celebrating and interrogating the glamour, obsession, and decadence of the Gilded Age, inspired
Are you a writer with a winter-themed story waiting to shine? The Broken Spine is seeking submissions for its 2025 Festive Short
The Broken Spine is a poetry and arts collective proudly published on the coastal edge of North-West England. Founded in 2019 by Alan Parry and Paul Robert Mullen – two school friends reunited after twenty years through a mutual love of poetry.
