Philippa Bowe
LightNews LightNews
banner
philippabowe.bsky.social
Philippa Bowe
@philippabowe.bsky.social
1.1K followers 810 following 960 posts
Flash fiction, poetry, translation, in English/en français. Published online and in print (Ghost City Press, NFFR, Reflex Fiction, Bath Flash Fiction, Spark2Flame, Neither Fish Nor Foul, The Hooghley Review). Pushcart Prize nom. Dance, LFC, la belle vie.
Posts Replies Media Videos
philippabowe.bsky.social
Brilliant!! Totally chuffed for you too! 🎆🎉💜
nomad-sw18.bsky.social Cole Beauchamp 🏳️‍🌈 📖 @nomad-sw18.bsky.social · 7d
Absolutely chuffed to have my story, If only, nominated for the #Pushcart, alongside so many writers whose work I adore & my writing bestie @pleomorphic2.bsky.social. Congrats to all 👋🏼

Thank you thank you Eirene and the editors of @templeinacity.bsky.social ❤️
templeinacity.bsky.social Temple in a city @templeinacity.bsky.social · 7d
Nominations nominations nominations with a corrected typo because we are having a very mercury retrograde day just like cloudflare
With apologies. templeinacity.com/temple-in-a-...
November 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
alcrisp.bsky.social
Plain screenshot of black text on a white background. It is a written piece by Cameron Awkward-Rich titled Meditations in an Emergency which reads: I wake up & it breaks my heart. I draw the blinds & the thrill of rain breaks my heart. I go outside. I ride the train, walk among the buildings, men in Monday suits. The flight of doves, the city of tents beneath the underpass, the huddled mass, old women hawking roses, & children all of them, break my heart. There's a dream I have in which I love the world. I run from end to end like fingers through her hair. There are no borders, only wind. Like you, I was born. Like you, I was raised in the institution of dream. Hand on my heart. Hand on my stupid heart.
January 27, 2025 at 3:17 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
It's that Welkin time of year again! Micros at the ready... 😀🎆
welkinprize.bsky.social The Welkin Writing Prize @welkinprize.bsky.social · 2d
There are now just eight maids-a-milking until the #WelkinWritingPrize is open for entries once again. Hope you're busy scribbling your stories.

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
THE WELKIN MINI. For micros up to 100 words. Free to enter. Deadline = 2nd January 2026. 1st prize = £75, 2nd prize = £40, 3rd prize = £25, HC = £10.
November 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Such a great initiative - for poets by poets! 🙏💜🎆
thebrokenspine.co.uk The Broken Spine @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 4d
It’s the season of giving, and we’re asking for one final push. We’ve never had arts council funding—we’ve built this prize ourselves. We’re so close to £5,000. If you believe in paying poets fairly, now is the time to give. 🔗
A Poetry Award That Puts Poets First – And You Can Make It Happen - The Broken Spine
Poets deserve more than empty prestige. They deserve real recognition, real opportunities, and real support. That is why I am launching The Broken Spine
shorturl.at
November 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Last week was fire. This week? Ashes. #PoemsAbout #NoFuture starts Friday. Write ruin, hopelessness, rage. The end of days or just Tuesday. Don’t post early—fade into the feed. Tag #PoemsAbout. Use Alt Text. Sign up for Saturday prompts: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
A burning treeline glows against a pitch-black night sky, flames and smoke rising in the background. Leafless trees stand silhouetted in front of the blaze. Top left: The Broken Spine logo. Top right: "@thebrokenspine.co.uk". Bottom right text: "Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #NOFUTURE".
November 23, 2025 at 5:39 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
My #LiftToTheSky goes to Raphael Jenkins' poems that 'balance fury and love with an impossible grace', to quote from the interview also on Only Poems. The poems and the interview are all a highly recommended read!
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

www.onlypoems.net/poets/raphae...
Poetry of Raphael Jenkins — ONLY POEMS
New poems from Raphael Jenkins
www.onlypoems.net
November 24, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
merrildsmith.bsky.social
Good morning! For #PoemsAbout #DogTags Another tough one! Thank you to @alanparrywriter.co.uk and @thebrokenspine.co.uk #Poetry
Poem: Weighted Silence The air is heavy with silence, the quiet is a roar of denial– there is no war, no marching bands no cheering crowds no reports of fallen soldiers, (tagged and tattooed in advance) no one cries, no one is seen crying, all support, we’re in full support, this operation’s to protect and save— do not say otherwise, wiser to say nothing at all. The air is heavy with silence. That silence is heavy with fear.
November 21, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
dnwritespoetry.bsky.social
Happy Friday #BlueSkyPoets! #PoemsAbout #DogTags
@thebrokenspine.co.uk
@alanparrywriter.co.uk
@karenpgonzalez.bsky.social
Have a glorious day and weekend! Excited as always to read the amazing artistic work presented here!
November 21, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
karenpgonzalez.bsky.social
I offer this for #poemsabout #dogtags @thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk #StayCreative #PoetsSupportPoets
Ukrainian Dog Tags     No one wore them We all knew who they were Boys at play in vineyards And wheatfields Almost grown Into fine men Ploughed under On battlefields Watered with tears - Bloodied homeland Invasion Reaps only what it sows karen pierce gonzalez
November 21, 2025 at 5:32 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Morning poets! Struggled a little with the #PoemsAbout prompt this week, #DogTags. Looking at the history of them I discovered soldiers in the American Civil War pinned paper notes to their backs, so went with that. Happy Friday! 💜
Thanks as ever to @thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk
Shaded grey box with a poem: all that remains we don’t cry when they leave us women with our smarting wombs and unbroken backs we don’t cry when the silence from the front line is louder than sorrowing words we don’t cry when their bodies return paper notes pinned to backs shaking letters telling us who and where we cry once we bury them flooding their graves clutching our relics tight to our ragged hearts
November 21, 2025 at 10:08 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
My #LiftToTheSky today goes to @johnchmura.bsky.social for his fierce, engaged and engaging poetry as well as his constant support for other poets. 🙏
November 17, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
welkinprize.bsky.social
The #WelkinWritingPrize is thrilled to announce nominations for Best Small Fictions 2026...

@cake-girl.bsky.social
Brian Bruso
@sfreligh.bsky.social
@jamesmontgomery.bsky.social
@noranadj.bsky.social

Congratulations all! Five sparkling micros:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stories
Against a background of fourleaf clovers, the text reads "Best Small Fictions Nominations - Karen Baumgart, Brian Bruso, Sarah Freligh, James Montgomery, Nora Nadjarian
November 16, 2025 at 5:17 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Short and sweet for this week's #PoemsAbout prompt, #Desire. Thought I'd try and get away from the obvious but didn't happen...😆Looking forward to reading others over the weekend.
Thanks @thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk
Purple box with black letters of a poem: desires my desire plays hide and seek on your body there it nestles in your belly button now flattening itself against the violoncello dips in your back trying to espouse the skin – it flitters it calms it sighs in gravelly relief at the spark in fiercely loved familiarity and giggles playing tag with your desire
November 14, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
saloneurope.bsky.social
We’re so delighted to be hosting our first Pop-up Salon in Paris tonight! Hosted by @bdiggswrites.bsky.social and @kplumhoff.bsky.social, it features wonderful readers from all over Europe

Read about them here: 👇
EWS logo in top right. Text: European Writers Salon Larger text: Pop-up salon: Paris Feuille Blanche, Café Noir 102 Rue Truffaut 75017 7-10pm CET
November 13, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
templeinacity.bsky.social
How many days left to submit? Four days including today? Three days if the count starts tomorrow or the final day is not counted? Anyway, less than one hand’s worth. November 15. Open for micro flash poetry art and letters. Don’t think you can’t. You can.

templeinacity.com/submit-writi...
Temple in a City
Temple in a City literary journal of flash fiction, poetry, art and letters
templeinacity.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:29 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Paris, baby! 🎉💓
saloneurope.bsky.social European Writers Salon @saloneurope.bsky.social · 15d
Only 3 days!
Can't wait to see everyone and hear your beautiful words
❤️🎤❤️
the eiffel tower is lit up at night
Alt: the eiffel tower is lit up at night
media.tenor.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:31 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Going straight in the diary! 🙌💜
thebrokenspine.co.uk The Broken Spine @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 16d
Mark it down: Dec 20th @ 20.00 — #PoemsAbout #OpenMic + #ChristmasParty returns! Poets, readers, friends — one final night to lift your words before the year ends. 🎤✨

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1967176915...
A Christmas tree made of soft, out-of-focus lights glows against a dark blue background. The blurred bulbs form a tapering triangle of reds, greens, yellows, and oranges. White text on the left reads: “#POEMSABOUT VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY & OPEN MIC 20.12.25 @ 20.00 — Hosted by Alan Parry.” The Broken Spine logo, shaped like a black fountain pen nib, appears at the top right.
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Today's #LiftToTheSky goes to @victoriamelekian.bsky.social, as modest as she is talented. Her reading of some of the tender, beautiful poems from her book The Accidental Courage of Our Lives is hugely enjoyable. 💫
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlck...
Sheila-Na-Gig Editions Presents Poet Victoria Melekian, October 2025
YouTube video by Sheila-Na-Gig Presents
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:49 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Slipping a piece in late in the day for the #PoemsAbout prompt #LockedDoors (after a day being poorly), will return tomorrow to read the others. Thanks as every week to @thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk 💜🙏
Orange box with black shading and black letters of a poem: Monsters Over and over / I test the lock / timidly / then exerting my furious force / to no avail / my battering ram splintering / matchsticks useless for even lock-picking / so I turn my back to the door / maybe I hope the monsters enclosed will batter or slip or seep through to me / maybe I think if I glance side-eyed I will glimpse the monster shapes bulging the wood, sending the metal groaning / until until until / I let the questions butterfly-wing to the floor I sweep them into the ocean / where the past sinks murk-deep and light-less / and I splash in waves above where sun and shadows shout and tag / and leave the door / in peace
November 7, 2025 at 8:46 PM
philippabowe.bsky.social
A fine clutch of winning stories for the latest @bathflashaward.bsky.social, so different from each other, all must-reads! 💫
November 4, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
stacebot.bsky.social
For this week's #PoemsAbout #Blood, I'm thinking about the blood list.

Thank you to the host @alanparrywriter.co.uk and @thebrokenspine.co.uk and to all of the other writers.

#poetry #poem #writing #PoetryCommunity #BlueSkyPoets
blood list i keep a list of every time love drew-- paper cuts and split lips, small evidences of wanting. each entry inked neat as inventory. what was given, what was taken back. the margins fill-- notes for pleasure some for regret. a map of each wound, even ones that never stopped bleeding.
November 1, 2025 at 3:41 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Also very happy to have a piece of flash fiction shortlisted for the wonderful @bridportprize.bsky.social! 🙏💜
White box with black/coloured writing: BRIDPORT PRIZE International Creative Writing Competition Bridport Prize shotlists and novel long list 2025
November 4, 2025 at 7:55 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
Very happy to see my slug poem (originally a micro shortlisted for the Welkin Prize) in the latest issue of @theberlinreview.bsky.social along with lots of loveliness! 🙏

theberlinliteraryreview.com/philippa-bow...
November 4, 2025 at 7:37 AM
philippabowe.bsky.social
A day late for #LiftToTheSky - it goes to these amazing poems by Ramsey Tawfick, enaged and engaging and simply beautiful (the interview with him is also worth reading). 💫✨💜
@thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk

www.onlypoems.net/poets/ramsey...
Poetry of Ramsey Tawfick — ONLY POEMS
New poems from Ramsey Tawfick
www.onlypoems.net
November 4, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Reposted by Philippa Bowe
thebrokenspine.co.uk
You know the door.
It doesn’t creak—it clenches.
It holds what shouldn’t be let out. Or in. This week: write the barricades. The silences. The don’t-go-there moments.
Prompt opens Friday.
Tag #PoemsAbout #LockedDoors. Use Alt Text.
Inbox prompts? Sign up: shorturl.at/0Xm7A
A black-and-white photo of a sealed, arched iron door set into a brick wall. The shot is taken from ground level, rough cobblestones leading the eye toward the door. Top left: The Broken Spine logo (a black fountain pen nib). Top right: “@thebrokenspine.co.uk” in white. Bottom right: bold white text—“Read Repost Reply #POEMSABOUT #LOCKEDDOORS”.
November 2, 2025 at 6:25 PM