Shutterstock / industryviews©When it comes to yearly publications, we work well in advance here on the ‘Friend’.
Our Production Team are currently busy getting our Annual 2025 ready to go to press.
Pages are being proofread now, with authors’ and illustrators’ names and bylines being checked.
Annual 2025
I can confirm that the following authors will have stories published in our Annual 2025:
Cat Jones, Christine Bryant, Barbara Dynes, Alison Carter, and Jacqui Cooper.
Sheelagh Mooney, Patsy Collins, Gwen Rollinson, Teresa Ashby, Alyson Hilbourne.
Sara Partington, Ewan Smith, Mary Hudson, Penny Alexander.
Rebecca Holmes, Sharon Haston, and Lynne Carroll.
Thanks so much to all our contributors.
Our Annual 2026
Reading for stories with a view to inclusion in PFA 2026 is now well underway.
There are still a few slots available.
I’m looking for a story set at New Year or in January, of around 2200 words.
I also need summer stories of 2400, 3500, and 1700 words; a late summer story of 2000 words; and a Hallowe’en story of 2000 words.
The Tone Of Our Annual
The tone of our annual is the most ‘traditional’ of all our publications.
So, for example, the Hallowe’en story might be a historical story about ‘guising’ in days gone by.
The best way to gauge the tone and content of our annual, like all our publications, is to familiarise yourself with the content by reading it.
Look at the types of stories we’re featuring, the themes, and the genres.
Guidelines available here.
Other Fiction Desk News
Once PFA 2025 goes to Press, I’ll turn my attention to reading for the remaining PFA 2026 stories, and the ‘Magic Of Christmas’ stories.
Our design team have also started laying out the pages of our Summer Bookazine.
For our weekly issues, I’m looking for stories from mid-June; and for our annual, from September.
155 years as the home of great reading continues!
Lucy Crichton Better known as “Fiction Editor Lucy”, I am always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, I enjoy working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of “Friend” fiction!
