About The Broken Spine
Specialist poetry & photography journal.beta: An early version of a program or application that contains most of the major features, but is not yet complete. Sometimes these versions are released only to a select group of people, or to the general public, for testing and feedback.
who are we?
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.
ethos?
Each issue will feature original poetry and photography from an entire spectrum of artists – unpublished to well established – all submissions are welcome and will be treated equally. We are a non-profit press and charge no submission fees; nor can we offer any monetary reward for your work at this point in time. Any future print editions will be self-funded or will rely on generous donations. We hope to be able to offer payment for work when this becomes viable.
The Broken Spine is an independent and open press that encourages people from all walks of life to submit. We encourage those internationally, from minorities, from the LGBTQIA+ community and those with disabilities to send their work. Anybody that sends work to us can rest assured that it will be carefully considered and that we will respond as soon as humanly possible. We will endeavour to provide feedback when possible – please know that we care about your work – we are both active poets who know all about the rollercoaster emotions of submissions, rejections, acceptances, feedback and never hearing anything!
Alan Parry
Alan Parry is a poet, playwright, and copywriter from Southport, near Liverpool, U.K. He is a teacher, a husband and father to three children.
Alan is forward thinking and wants to spread the ideas of tolerance, love and hope as widely as possible.
In addition to his creative writing, Alan is a regular contributor to PlanetSlop.co.uk where he covers the local live arts scene, previewing and reviewing live music and comedy, interviewing artists and penning thought pieces.
Alan is presently working on his debut poetry chapbook, Neon Ghosts, a collection of poetry which echoes the American beat poets and the subtle social observation of Northern, English writers. It is a modern beatnik, noir collection, terribly bleak in places but redeemed by intense moments of light and stark beauty. He is also exploring opportunities to take his semi-autobiographical play Sylvie to the stage.
Alan has been submitting his work to journals for less than a year and has had moderate success, seeing his work published in a range of international magazines/e-zines/journals including the following: The Literary Mark Review, Visual Verse, Peach Velvet Magazine – Junk Drawer, Black Bough Poems, Panning for Poems, Bonnie and Crew, Marias At Sampaguitas, Academy of the Heart and Mind, Streetcake Magazine, Panopolyzine, Reside, Night Music Journal and Dream Noir.
Website: AlanParryWriter.com
Paul Robert Mullen
Paul Robert Mullen is a poet, musician, lecturer, traveller and sociable loner from Southport, near Liverpool, U.K.
Paul has spent a decade gradually moving around the world, having lived and worked in the UK, Australia, China and Spain.
Paul enjoys Leonard Cohen, bass guitar riffs, porridge, paperback books with broken spines, and all things minimalist.
He is a regular contributor at Marias at Sampaguitas and has published three poetry collections on Coyote Creek Books (San Jose, California): curse this blue raincoat (2017); testimony (2018); 35 (2018)..
Paul is widely published in a range of international magazines/e-zines/journals and anthologies, including the following: 3 Moon Independent Publishing, After The Pause, Allegro, Anti-Heroin Chic, Barren Magazine, Bees Are Dead, Bending Genres, Black Bough Poems, Blossom In Winter, Bonnie’s Crew, Borderlines, Burning House Press, Cephalo Press, Cleaning Up Glitter, Constellate, Crossways, Dear Reader, Decanto, Dodging The Rain, Dreamcatcher, Dream Noir, Elephants Never, Eunoia Review, Fevers of the Mind Poetry and Art Digest, Fire, Four X Four, Ghost City Press, Heron Clan, Iceberg Tales, Last Exit, Light Through The Mist, Marias at Sampaguitas, Mojave Heart, Poetry Pacific, Panning for Poems, Pendora, Reality Break Press, Re-Side, Selcouth Station, Silk & Smoke, Streetcake, Sub-Rosa, The Canon’s Mouth, The Fictional Café, The Fiction Pool, The Foxglove Journal, The Interpreter’s House, The Journal, The Mark Literary Review, The Pangolin Review, Three Drops From A Cauldron, Turnpike Magazine, Vamp Cat, Words For The Wild and Wellington Street Review
PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS TO
SUBMISSIONS@THEBROKENSPINE.CO.UK