Break Everything Beautiful

As we see it, the indie lit world doesn’t need another polite press. It needs pressure — something that cracks the surface, exposes the fault lines, and rebuilds on purpose. That’s why The Broken Spine exists. Not to play the game, but to challenge it. Not to compete for crumbs, but to carve out space for writers and work that would otherwise be ignored, sidelined, or misunderstood.

We’re here because too much of the current scene is stagnant. Comfortable. Safe. We’re not. We’re interested in work that risks something. We don’t care too much about how your poem lands with an individual reader. We care how it lands in the gut. How it echoes in the room after it’s read. How it changes the conversation.

We’re not just a press. We’re a provocation.

Of course we want people to enjoy the work we put out. We want poems to hit hard, essays to resonate, and stories to linger. But let’s be clear: we’re not here to please everyone. We’re not shaping our output for the broadest possible audience—we’re curating a loyal, tuned-in readership that gets what we do, and why we do it.

This is about depth, not scale.

We are not here to please the masses!

We want the work we publish to land. We want it to challenge, to stir, to move. And we want our readership to grow, yes—but not at the cost of our identity. Not by sanding off the edges or diluting the intent. You can grow and stay grounded. You can reach more people without losing the reason you started.

It doesn’t matter if every poetry fan likes us. What matters is that some do — and that they keep coming back. Because they know what they’re getting: clarity, conviction, and a commitment to the real stuff. Not trend-chasing. Not polite verse.

We want an indie lit scene that’s fearless, inclusive, and sustainable. One that celebrates the full spectrum of voices writing today — not just the ones who already have a seat at the table.

To get there, we’re focused on:

• Workshops and conversations led by people with lived experience, not just academic credentials.

• Platforming new and established writers who don’t fit the mainstream mould.

• Creating resources that demystify the publishing process and put power back in the hands of writers.

• Curating anthologies and events that don’t just reflect the world as it is, but push it toward what it could be.

• Making noise for the presses, editors, and organisers doing this work with integrity.

Because if we don’t fight for this space, who will?

This isn’t about bitterness — it’s about care. About craft. About building something that lasts longer than any one of us. The Broken Spine is a commitment to saying what needs to be said, publishing what needs to be read, and holding the door open for others to do the same.

We’re not here to fix a broken system. We’re here to create something better.

Join us — or don’t. But either way, this is who we are.