#IndieLitMagGala 2025 Spotlight: Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine
Alan Parry
October 10, 2025
Founded in 2015 and still standing strong a decade later, Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine isn’t trying to be edgy, obscure,
It doesn’t even buy a poet a pint. Not this one anyway!
At The Broken Spine, we know this because we live it. We’ve spent years lifting up poets, publishing their work, and creating a platform without asking for anything in return. We’ve never needed to make a great deal of money. We’ve never wanted to. But now, we want to make sure poets are properly rewarded for what they do.
What if we could create a poetry prize that actually made a difference? That actually paid poets for their talent?
This is what the Broken Spine Poetry Award is about. But to make it happen, we need you.
Unlike other presses, The Broken Spine is not a business in the traditional sense. Yes, it’s a registered limited company, but not a single penny lines the pockets of its founder, editors, or contributors. Every book sale, every submission fee, every donation goes back into keeping this press alive: publishing new voices, printing new work, reviewing poetry collections, running events.
The brutal truth?
I don’t take a salary. I don’t make a profit. The press survives because people believe in it. That’s it.
There’s no Arts Council funding, no secret benefactor keeping the lights on. It’s the community—you—who keep The Broken Spine running. And now, we’re asking that community to help us take the next step.
There’s a quiet injustice in the poetry world: poets are rarely paid what they deserve.
We believe poets should be rewarded for their work. But right now, we can’t afford to do that.
For years, we’ve poured our time, energy, and resources into publishing poets, amplifying voices, and providing guidance. And we’ve been lucky—the community has always been kind to us. But kindness alone won’t fund this award.
Poetry competitions exist—but too often, the prizes are small, the fees are high, and the rewards don’t reflect the true value of the work poets produce. We want to change that.
We want an award that matters.
We’re building a poetry award that does more than offer prestige. We want real, tangible rewards.
🏆 First Place – A significant cash prize
🥈 Second Place – A meaningful financial reward
🥉 Third Place – A prize that respects the poet’s work
This isn’t a token sum or a symbolic gesture. This is about recognising poetry as work—work that deserves to be paid.
To do that, we need to raise £5000 by the end of the year.
We’re putting everything we can into this:
This award can only happen if the community steps up.
This is bigger than The Broken Spine.
This is about proving that poetry has worth—not just in words, but in real, material ways. Too often, competitions and presses expect poets to work for free, to enter for ‘exposure’, to be grateful for crumbs. That’s not what we believe.
Every single penny raised will go into this award. I will take nothing. I never have. I never will.
If you believe poetry matters—if you believe poets should be rewarded for their craft—if you believe in what we do—help us make this happen.
The Broken Spine has always been about the community. This is the next step in proving that poetry has value—not just in applause, but in real support.
This isn’t just an award. It’s a statement.
Let’s make it together.
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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.