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Bowen Street Press (BSP) is an independent student-led publishing house run by the Master of Writing and Publishing at RMIT University.

As we’re student-run and not-for-profit, BSP is unfortunately unable to provide monetary compensation for any published work; however, all contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the publication alongside promotion across our industry networks and social media channels.

Rights
For books, magazines and zines produced solely by Bowen Street Press, BSP will hold non-exclusive usage rights for the life of the publication, so contributors are free to republish their works elsewhere. Contributors retain the copyright of their individual works, while the BSP holds the copyright to the collective volume.

We are seeking expressions of interest from emerging and established designers to create text and cover designs for all 2026 titles forthcoming from Bowen Street Press.

If you’d like to be involved, please submit your interest via the EOI form by midnight Sunday 15 March 2026.

Descriptions of our forthcoming projects can be found by expanding the titles below.

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE:
We will respond to your expression of interest by Thursday 19 March. The following is a rough production timeline (open to negotiation):

• Text design brief supplied: Wednesday 18 March 2026

• First text design roughs due: Monday 30 March 2026

• Final text design template due: Monday 13 April 2026

• Cover design brief supplied: Wednesday 29 April 2026

• Cover design roughs:‍ Sunday 10 May 2026

• Final cover design due: Sunday 24 May 2026

It is through other people that we come to know who we are; it is through a multitude of others that we discover ourselves. Come Together is a nonfiction-focused magazine seeking to interrogate what those words mean through a sense of community, and what that means to the individual—to you.

We recognise community as something that continuously finds and produces itself, something that exists in myriad forms and dimensions, from familial units to book clubs, subcultures to bird watching groups, fandoms to clubs of UFOs aficionados—these are micro and macro spaces that form between us, that connect us to one another through a broad spectrum of experiences and interests. They are things that are shared, that overlap, and that ultimately bring us together.

Come Together offers an ongoing collage of “community” and, as such, we’re inviting works and stories that explore all of this through different media in the hopes of developing a roadmap through diverse ideas and experiences of belonging and documenting a picture of how we go about forming these connections.

We are looking for:

• Nonfiction (prose) (max. 1,200 words)

• Poetry (max. 100 lines)

• Comics, illustrations (max. 1 spread or 2 single pages)

• Photo essays (max. 2 spreads, or 4 single pages), photographs and illustrations (max. 10)

• Interviews (max. 1,200 words)

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission guidelines:

Submit via Google Form or by email: cometogether.submissions@gmail.com

What to submit:

• Author/creator name

• Contact details (email, phone)

• Author/creator bio (50-100 words)

• Title of submission

  • Text submissions: editable Word document

  • Photograph and artwork submissions: hi-res JPEG, PDF or PNG file, 300 dpi at page size (210 x 150 mm)

Do you have an obsession you’ve been dying to tell someone about? Are you being haunted? Does it keep you up at night? 

We want to see you, to hear about your hidden desires, guilty pleasures, crushes, or the hills you’ve decided to die on. 

Feeling like Phoebe Waller-Bridge about the Hot Priest? Or Carrie and Mr Big? Tell us what’s driving you crazy. 

Whether it’s thinly veiled fiction about your deepest darkest desire or a scathing cultural critique, we want to hear about it. What does it mean to be obsessed? 

We’re looking for:

• Essays, autofiction, short stories, creative non-fiction and reviews no longer than 3000 words.

• Classified/personals and confessions no longer than 250 words. 

• Comics, artwork and photographs with 20 images max. Please note: the anthology will be printed A5 in black and white.

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026.

Submission instructions:

• Submit your piece(s) to: obsessionbsp@gmail.com

• Please include:

  • author/creator name

  • contact details (email and a phone number)

  • author bio in third person (50-100 words)

  • title of work(s)

• Text submissions must be sent as a Word document

• Image submissions must be sent as a hi-res JPEG, PDF or PNG file (300 dpi, 210 x 150 mm page size). 

However long the night, the sun will always rise. Whether you wake with the bird’s song or the snoozing of alarms, the new day begins differently for everyone. Daybreak brings new perspectives and horizons, the chance to start afresh within familiar routines. This magazine seeks to shed light on the concept of mornings, however they look for you. We’re looking for writing and visual works that discuss, describe, and explore the moments between waking and midday. We want your memories, musings, sensory experiences, imaginative stories, routines and rituals that are woven throughout the morning. Potential approaches to theme include:

• Personal experiences of the morning

• Routines and rituals

• Reflections upon sunlight, sunrise, dawn, as well as physical manifestations of your morning

• Active flora and fauna in the morning

• Non-fiction/articles that may follow an animal’s morning routine, differences in mornings between cultures, different morning foods across cultures and countries

• Contemplations on waking up, rising, new beginnings, dawn etc.,

• Morning playlists.

We’re looking for:

• Short fiction/prose (2000 words max)

• Poetry (100 lines max)

• Short non-fiction (1,500 words max)

• Visual media (photographs and illustrations etc., max 10 per submission)  

• Recipes, accompanied by 200-word explanation of why the recipe is significant and a picture of the finished recipe.

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission instructions:

• Send submissions to: daybreaksubmission@gmail.com

• Word (.docx) documents for written submissions

• Photographs or artwork as a hi-res PDF, JPEG or PNG file (300 dpi)

• Include:

  • Author name

  • Contact details (email and phone number) 

  • Author bio (50-100 words)

Pigeons used to be domesticated. We relied upon them as valued companions, capable of sending messages over long distances, and even performing reconnaissance. As the world changed and technology replaced their roles, pigeons were discarded from human life, left to fend for themselves.

Now they are perceived as feral invasive pests: roaming city streets, scavenging for food, and spreading disease. Pigeons still live near and flock to us, still yearning for a connection that was once lost…

DO PIGEONS YEARN? is a black and white anthology looking for a myriad of creative non-fiction and fiction works, exploring themes of dis/connection. In our chaotic and divided world, how have you been made to feel like a pigeon: discarded, rejected, disconnected? What’s left you feeling smaller, lesser, alone? 

But friendships can be found in unexpected places through communities centred around niche hobbies, or online fandoms for TV shows or games, by reconnecting with a childhood friend, or adopting a new pet. Like pigeons, we value companionship — what has made you feel reconnected recently? Have you been coming back to childhood hobbies and interests? Is there a community you’ve entered that’s made you feel welcome? How does our theme of connection colour your life? We want to hear what you have to say! 

We’re looking for:

We are looking for short stories, flash fiction, creative personal essays, poetry, photography, illustrations and art.

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission guidelines:

• Short stories and essays (up to 2000 words)

• Flash fiction (100-1000 words)

• Poetry (up to 100 lines)

• Artwork or photography with themes of dis/connection

• Word files only for written works.

• Visual media to be submitted as PDF, JPEG or PNG files – 300 dpi to be printed at A5 page size (210 x 150mm).

Please attach your full name, contact details (email and phone number) and a small bio that lets us know what your vibe is as a creative (50-100 words). 

Send submissions and inquiries to: do.pigeons.yearn@gmail.com

Ephemera are things that exist only briefly, like the afterimage of a spark that stains your eye.

Ephemera is a non-fiction anthology that meditates on the fleeting and temporary: unverifiable memories, reflections and experiences which blur reality and invention; reflections on art and history that resist preservation or commodification.

Considering the ephemerality of reaction, truth and perspective, we want you to explore the spectrum of permanence and verifiability.

We’re looking for:

• Essays, confessions, exhibition reviews, non-fiction approached in experimental ways that are creative with form, shape, language (max. 2000 words)

• Poetry (max. 50 lines)

• Illustration and photography (max. 6 images, please note that the anthology is printed in black and white)

Submission instructions:

• Send submissions to: ephemeraanthology@gmail.com

• We will accept Word documents and Google Docs

• Photographs or artwork as a hi-res JPEG or PNG file (300 dpi)

• Include:

  • Author name

  • Contact details (email and phone number) 

  • Author bio (50-100 words)

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

A hole is as deep as you make it ...

Keep Digging is a fiction anthology about the act of digging: into the past, into yourself, into the ground. We are interested in stories that explore how through the act of digging we often unearth more than we anticipated.

When you're in a hole, keep digging, because you never know what you'll dig up—and what you might learn about the person holding the shovel!

Prompts include:

• Uncovering family secrets

• Self discovery

• Gardening

• Dredging up memories

• Burying something (or someone)

• Getting stuck in a hole

• The meditative act of digging

We’re looking for:

• Short stories (1000–2000 words)

• Poetry (max.100 lines)

• Flash fiction (under 500 words)

• Photography, illustrations and art (please note, the anthology is printed in black and white)

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission instructions:

• Send submissions to: keepdigging.submissions@gmail.com 

• We will accept Word documents and Google Docs

• Photographs or artwork as a hi-res JPEG, PDF or PNG file (300 dpi)

• Include:

  • Author name

  • Contact details (email and phone number) 

  • Author bio (50-100 words)

‘In order to rise
From its own ashes
A phoenix
First
Must
Burn.’

― Octavia Butler, Parable of the Talents

Where do you see your life in five years? Twenty-five years? Where do you see humanity in 500 years?

On The Brink is an anthology of short utopian and dystopian fiction that reflects our collective hopes and fears for the future—for ourselves, for our loved ones and for the world.

We’re looking for pieces unafraid to explore the big questions—climate crisis, the rise of authoritarianism, the growth of AI. Think: towns without trees, renegade robots and the rise of authoritarianism. We're interested in stories, parables, speculations, future imaginings. Are we doomed or do you see a brighter tomorrow on the horizon?

We’re looking for:

• Short stories (1000–2000 words)

• Micro-fiction (250–500 words) submitted as utopia/dystopia pairs—collaborate with a partner or duel with your own work!

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission instructions:

• Send submissions to: onthebrinksubmissions@gmail.com

• We will accept Word documents and Google Docs

• Photographs or artwork as a hi-res JPEG, PDF or PNG file (300 dpi)

• Include:

  • Author name

  • Contact details (email and phone number) 

  • Author bio (50-100 words)

How can we pushback against our volatile and precarious world? Let’s turn towards recycling, revitalisation, revisiting, looking towards the past to build a messier future. Dig out your old walkman, start a snail mail club, raise a tamagotchi!

The Pushback is a magazine exploring the ways we can rebel against the hypercapitalist world and reliance on smart tech. We are witnessing a cultural shift back to analogue media and hand crafted art as a means to disconnect, bringing people together through shared knowledge of old technology. 

We want you to explore how these ideas manifest through music, film, art and videogames, and are looking for submissions from people with experience in or love of old school technology. We’d love pieces of work that shine a light on the inherent imperfections and messiness that come with making your own media. 

We are looking for:

• Personal essays, short stories, interviews, articles, creative non-fiction pieces, reviews (max. 2000 words)

• Comics (max. 2 pages)

• How tos, tips and tricks, instructional pieces

• Artworks inc. illustrations, sketches and photographs 

Prompts:

• How to burn a cd / download music onto an mp3 player

• Crochet patterns 

• Gift guide/where to buy retro videogames

• Film, lofi and low pixel photography

• ‘Why I left social media and went analogue … or tried to’

• How to start a snail mail club

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission instructions:

• Send submissions to thepushback.submissions@gmail.com

• We will accept Word documents and Google Docs

• Photographs or artwork as a hi-res JPEG, PDF or PNG file (300 dpi at 210 x 150 mm)

• Film work via protected Youtube or Vimeo link

• Include:

  • Author name

  • Contact details (email and phone number) 

  • Author bio (50-100 words)

Men have dominated the field of being horrible, evil and unlikable for too long. 

It’s our turn now. We are seeking your submissions for the nonfiction anthology Unlikable Women.

It’s no secret that women are often overlooked across history and society, but none are more overlooked than the unlikable woman. In this anthology, we explore the morally disruptive woman, from the horrible, historical woman to the modern-day terror; from fictional characters to real-life figures. We want to tell the stories of the women who were just (maybe?) the absolute worst, whether they were ‘good’, ‘bad’ or ‘morally grey’. What makes an unlikable woman, and who gets to decide?

We are accepting submissions from women and non-binary people.

We are looking for:

• Essays, creative nonfiction stories, interviews and movie reviews (max. 1500 words)

• Short, non-fiction poetry (max. 50 lines)

Illustrations, sketches and photographs of subjects may be included. Please note the publication is A5 and will be printed in black and white.

Prompts:

• Real-life historical and modern ‘unlikeable women’ such as Cleopatra, Yoko Ono, Elizabeth Bathory or Sinead O’Connor

• Fictional and pop culture representations such Catherine Earnshaw, Wuthering Heights or Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones

• Personal experiences (non-identifiable works and anonymous accounts)

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission instructions:

• Send submissions to unlikablewomenbsp@gmail.com

• We will accept Word documents and Google Docs

• Photographs or artwork as a hi-res JPEG or PNG file (300 dpi)

• Include:

  • Author name

  • Contact details (email and phone number) 

  • Author bio (50-100 words)

Do you lie awake at night, unable to fall asleep? Do you wish you could tell someone your deepest fears? Tell us what keeps you up at night.

Up at night is a fiction anthology that circles individuals’ interpretations of fear through a horror-inflicted lens. It will follow themes of the unknown, as well as where our own minds can take us, and provide a multifaceted response to what keeps you up at night.

We’re looking for:

We are accepting poetry, fiction and visual content that evokes the creepy or eerie. Interpretations of the theme may be varied, but will ideally take an imaginative, subjective approach to the experience of fear. Your response may be genre-inspired or realist in tone. It could be that there are images or motifs in writing you’ve been scared by, that you’d like to treat differently in your own writing. However you interpret the theme, whatever you contribute should generate a sense of unease. Successful contributions will be sensitive and thoughtful. We discourage any writing that mistakes wanton violence for depth.

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 22 March 2026

Submission guidelines:

• Short stories (up to 2000 words)

• Flash fiction (100-1000 words)

• Poetry (up to 100 lines)

• Word files only for written works.

• Visual media to be submitted as PDF, JPEG or PNG files – 300 dpi to be printed at A5 page size (210 x 150mm).

• Please submit your work as a .docx file to: nightupat@gmail.com

• Include:

  • Author name

  • Contact details (email and phone number) 

  • Author bio (50-100 words)