Each author may submit one or two pieces of no more than 1,000 words in each.
With your submission/s, please send a personal bio, max 50 words.
The editors are looking for interesting, insightful, entertaining, and thought-provoking work.
Any genre will be considered – including poetry, prose fiction or prose fact in the shape of short story, essay, memoir, or dialogue, and cartoons too – from anyone living in or near Swindon or with a significant connection to the town.
Whether you are a powerful poet, a novice novelist, ambitious artist, or a bashful beginner, we welcome your work.
Shorter pieces are encouraged as the quality of your words is more important than the quantity.
All work must be by the author. Plagiarized or copied content will not be accepted.
Illustrations are welcomed.
Submissions that are generated wholly or significantly by AI are neither encouraged nor welcomed by the Editors. However, writers are free to use AI tools that provide proof reading and editing assistance.
There is no lower age limit but submissions from under 18s must be accompanied by permission from their parent or guardian for the work and for the author’s name to be published.
There is no fee for submission or publication.
NB. Submission is no guarantee of inclusion in the next edition of Swindon Writing IV. That decision rests with the Editors.
Copyright remains with the author. Artswords reserves the right to use any successful submission in Swindon Writing IV and any publicity material relating to it but the author may also publish the work themselves or submit it elsewhere.
All written submissions should, if possible, be sent as Microsoft Word Documents. Any pictures/cartoons should, if possible, be submitted as PDF document.
The submission deadline is 31 st May 2026.
Please send your finished pieces, ideally in Word Doc, by or before then to
swindonwriting@lowershawfarm.co.uk .
The Editors are Katie Guest, Zoe Thomas, Harriet Phoenix, Elliot Guest, and Matt Holland. It is they who will choose successful submissions for Swindon Writing IV.
Artswords & Literature Development Worker, Matt Holland, says this. “Swindon Artswords is dedicated to Literature development. The Swindon Writing series aims to encourage this. We are looking for interesting, insightful, entertaining, and thought-provoking submissions. Writers should not be put off from submitting their work because they are inexperienced. We know that there are many talented and dedicated writers in Swindon, and Artswords wants to
help them develop and showcase their work.”
Co-Editors of the Swindon Writing series, Katie Guest, Zoe Thomas, Harriet Phoenix, and Elliot Guest, say this. ‘We are looking forward to seeing and reading a range of writing, prose and poetry, and artwork too, from anyone living in or around Swindon. We are happy to help with queries as best we can.’
History
In late 2019, the Swindon Artswords Literature Development Project put out a call for short written works for an anthology titled Swindon Writing.
Writers in Swindon rose to the challenge, and, in 2020, Swindon Writing was published; followed by Swindon Writing II in 2022; and in 2024, Swindon Writing III.
Artswords is now seeking submissions for Swindon Writing IV from anyone living in or near Swindon or with a significant connection to the town.
If you have any questions, please send them to swindonwriting@lowershawfarm.co.uk