England’s oldest literary periodical, with a history stretching back to 1732. Today the Magazine’s essence remains unchanged: it is a home for the best writing and an indispensable feature on the British literary landscape.

Across a long life – spanning several incarnations – the pages of the Magazine have played host to a wide range of canonical writers, from Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Hazlitt and John Keats in the nineteenth century, to T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden and Evelyn Waugh in the early twentieth century. Meanwhile, in recent decades the Magazine has published work by giants of contemporary fiction and poetry such as William Boyd, Nadine Gordimer, and Derek Walcott.

Eclectic in taste, promiscuously interested and unapologetically intelligent, The London Magazine continues to publish the best writing from London and the wider world.

Published six times a year, the Magazine is unmissable reading for anyone with an interest in literature, culture and ideas.



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The London Magazine

For short fiction, above all we look for elegance in voice, structure and characterisation. We do not normally publish genre fiction, such as science fiction, fantasy writing or erotica, and we do not accept flash fiction. Please make sure stories are no more than 4,000 words in length, and only submit one story per submission.

Short Fiction

We are always open to receiving art, illustrations or photography in our submissions to be featured in our print magazine or accompanying pieces on our website. We also welcome pitches for photo essays.

Illustration (Art and Photography)

The London Magazine is the UK’s oldest literary magazine, proud to have published some of the biggest names in poetry including T. S. Eliot, Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and Philip Larkin. Past winners include Kathryn Bevis, Jay Gao and Isabelle Baafi. 
Now, continuing that tradition, we launch our 2026 Poetry Prize. We are delighted to announce that entries will be judged by: Isabelle Baafi, Luke Kennard and Dean Browne.
Established to encourage emerging literary talent, the award provides an opportunity for publication and recognition. While there is no criteria as to theme, form or style, judges are looking for resonant and accomplished work. 
Poems must be previously unpublished and no longer than 40 lines. Submissions are open for international entries. 
All three prize winners will appear in a print issue of The London Magazine. Prize winners will also receive cash prizes, and will be celebrated at a prize-giving event in the summer.
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Information
Entry fee: £12 per poem
Subsequent entries: £6 per poem
Student and low-income entry: £6 per poem  
(Must be submitted with a valid university email address)
Membership entry: One free entry (subsequent entries £6)
Opening date: 19th December 2025  
Closing date: 13th March 2026
First Prize: £1000  
Second Prize: £600  
Third Prize: £400

  The London Magazine will have the unrestricted right to publish winning submissions (including runners-up) in the magazine and online.
  Subsequent entries should be submitted separately in individual entry forms through Submittable and not in the same document.
  Please read our competition rules carefully before entering. If you have any questions, please contact Zadie at info@thelondonmagazine.org

The London Magazine Poetry Prize

Poetry should display a commitment to the ultra-specificities of language. Poems should be no longer than 50 lines. Please submit no more than 5 poems in any one submission.

Poetry

Although we prefer pitches via email for non-fiction, we are open to considering full, finished essays if you have them. When submitting these, please include a brief description of the piece. We accept a broad range of essays, from lyric, memoir and personal to reportage, criticism and features, but please do not submit academic essays or reviews. We have no set word length, but we tend to publish pieces under 4,000 words. You can read past essays here on our website.

Nonfiction

Since 1732, The London Magazine has published short stories by some of the most well-regarded writers in English, from Jean Rhys and Raymond Carver to Virginia Woolf and V. S. Pritchett. Our annual Short Story Prize seeks out new voices to join this distinguished literary history.
Established to support and celebrate emerging literary talent, the prize offers writers from around the world an opportunity for publication and recognition. We are looking for previously unpublished stories of no more than 4,000 words.
We are delighted to announce that The London Magazine Short Story Prize 2026 will be judged by Camilla Grudova, Tim MacGabhann and Ayşegül Savaş.
The winning stories will be published in future issues of The London Magazine. Winners will also receive cash prizes and be celebrated at a prize-giving ceremony at the end of the year.
Information:
Entry fee: £12 per story
Subsequent entries: £6 per story
Student/Low-income entry: £6 per story
Membership entry: One free entry (subsequent entries £6)
Note: There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit, but please only submit one story per entry. Entries with multiple stories will not be considered or notified. It is necessary to read the competition rules before submitting.
Opening date: 28th July 2026
Closing date: 18th October 2026
First Prize: £1000
Second Prize: £600
Third Prize: £400
In order to familiarise yourself with the kind of fiction we publish, we recommend getting your hands on a copy of our latest issue, which can be purchased here from our shop, or subscribing to the magazine.
If you have any questions, please contact Zadie at info@thelondonmagazine.org.

The London Magazine

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