Shutterstock / simona pilolla 2©“The People’s Friend” Annual is a beloved book featuring lots of feel-good fiction, nostalgia pieces, beautiful illustrations and, of course, poetry.
It makes the perfect gift for friends and family and is guaranteed to put a smile on their face.
Though it may seem far away, I’ll soon start to reserve poems for inclusion in the 2023 edition.
So, now is the time to send your poetry in!
Length and style
In terms of length, there is no strict template as there is for The Friendship Book.
12-16 lines is much preferred, however poems can be up to 20 lines.
We’re unable to consider lengthy poetry due to space constraints, so think succinct!
Our readers prefer poems to rhyme. It’s very rare for us to feature a poem with no rhyming scheme.
Theme and tone
As with all of our publications, the Annual reflects our values.
We like poetry that leaves the reader feeling uplifted and hopeful.
Good topics for the Annual include family, friendship and seasonal.
To get a good feel of the kinds of poems we publish, it’s a good idea to pick up a copy of a previous Annual or the magazine.
Only ten poems are needed for the Annual, so it’s important to get the tone right to be considered!
How to submit a poem
If you’ve had poems published in the “Friend” in recent years, please feel free to email your submission to me.
We’re asking that all writers who have not had a poem published by us previously, to please post your submission to our office.
The address can be found in our submissions guideline for poetry.
We are unable to make exceptions as this would not be fair to other writers waiting to hear back about their own submission.
As soon as I’m able to, I’ll return to the office to pick up all poetry submissions.
Keep a lookout on our website for a guide to writing poetry for The Fireside Book.
Find our guide to writing poetry for The Friendship Book here.
Abigail Phillips Abbie is the newest member of the fiction team at the "Friend." She loves how varied the role is - every day is different and there is always a new story to read. She is keen to work closely with established writers and discover new writers, too.
