Frogmore call for submissions: Watermarks - New Writing by Lido Lovers and Wild Swimmers

In 2017 The Frogmore Press and Pells Pool in Lewes — the oldest freshwater pool in the UK — are publishing an anthology of exceptional new prose and poetry to celebrate the life aquatic.

The anthology will be edited by Tanya Shadrick (currently Writer-in-Residence at Pells Pool), Rachel Playforth and Rob Read. 

Tanya Shadrick, writer-in-residence at Pells Pool, Lewes

 We are looking for work by writers who find inspiration in or near lidos, lakes, sea pools and other wild swimming places. The writing has to be short — a maximum of 1000 words for prose and 50 lines for poetry — but supple. We want work full of quick turns, graceful strokes or surprising dives into the depths: stories which hold the attention and last in memory as good swimmers do when they take to the water; writing which has us catch our breath, laugh in delight or shiver a little.

Rachel Playforth

Nature and life writings are welcome, but must — like fiction and poetry — emphasise scene, story and sensation. We are not seeking local history, natural history or journalism.

We can only consider original writing in English, but authors are not restricted to UK waters: We are interested in work situated both close to home and far away.

Further criteria for submissions:

•   Original material only. Submissions must not have been published previously in print or online , nor should they be out on simultaneous submission before January 2017

•   Work should be double-spaced in Times New Roman or Arial

•   For email submissions, use Watermarks in the subject line. Only one piece can be considered, and should be sent as a Word attachment to: watermarksanthology@gmail.com

•   You can submit work by post to Watermarks, The Frogmore Press, 21 Mildmay Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1PJ. If you would like your work returned to you please enclose a suitably-sized SAE. We can only acknowledge receipt by email, so for that purpose please include an email address with your postal submission.

•   If you swim regularly at a particular lido or outdoor water, please mention this in your covering message.

•   We are not able to pay for work accepted, but contributors will receive a copy of the anthology upon publication.

•   The deadline for submissions is 15 September 2016

•   Successful authors will be contacted by the end of January 2017

Alexandra Loske, Editorial advisor