Rianne Downey Brings Angelic Intimacy to Jacaranda, Liverpool
Alan Parry
September 21, 2025
You don’t often get a voice like Rianne Downey’s in a venue as intimate as Jacaranda. But on 24th October, the Belshill-born
At The Broken Spine, we’ve always believed that poetry is not a solo sport.
From day one, we’ve championed individual poets, spotlighting emerging voices, mentoring new talent, and giving marginalised writers a platform to speak truth without compromise. But our commitment doesn’t end there. Because behind every daring debut, every powerful pamphlet, there’s usually a small, scrappy, brave indie press making it happen.
That’s why we created #IndieLitMagGala. Not as a vanity prize. Not as a shout into the void. But as a deliberate act of celebration, for the presses who publish with purpose, the journals who say no to sameness, the editors who burn out their eyes reading submissions not because it pays, but because it matters.
Black Bough Poetry – An imagist-led, micro-verse powerhouse driven by community and led by the visionary Matthew M C Smith. A press that proves fewer words can still move mountains.
Roi Fainéant Press – Wild, unapologetic, and endlessly diverse, this press throws open the gates to bold new forms and voices.
Acropolis Journal – A relative newcomer with a reputation that belies its age. Sharp editorial taste, deep community roots.
Fevers of the Mind – A digital poetry juggernaut known for its open doors and unrelenting inclusivity. A real hub of warmth, creativity, and consistency.
IceFloe Press – Publishing across borders, genres, and identities—IceFloe is a global, poetic force, balancing urgency with deep care.
These were your picks. Your voices. Your votes for what indie publishing could and should look like.
We’re calling for fresh nominations for the 2025 edition of #IndieLitMagGala. From 1st to 15th September, we want you to tell us which indie presses are doing the work, publishing bravely, lifting others, building real community. These can be well-known names or brand-new collectives. If they’re publishing consistently and they’re active on Bluesky, they’re in the running.
You’ll stay anonymous. They won’t know a thing, until October, when we drop new features written purely to celebrate them.
This isn’t about hype. It’s about heart. Let’s raise a toast to the editors, the submission inbox warriors, the layout magicians, the risk-takers keeping the literary bloodstream alive.
📣 Nominate: here
📅 Nominations open: 1–15 September 2025
📅 Features drop: October 2025
Let’s make noise where it counts. Let’s celebrate indie, unapologetically.
You don’t often get a voice like Rianne Downey’s in a venue as intimate as Jacaranda. But on 24th October, the Belshill-born
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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.