Theme: After the Flood: London

Litro is currently reading short fiction, essays, poetry, and hybrid work for its print edition theme, After the Flood: London.

We’re interested in work that engages with aftermath, climate, renewal, resilience, rebuilding, memory, and reimagined life after loss. Literal, metaphorical, speculative, and oblique responses are all welcome.

Categories & word counts

•  Short Fiction: 1,000–3,000 words 
•  Essay / Non-fiction: 1,000–2,500 words 
•  Poetry: up to 3 poems per submission 
•  Hybrid / Experimental: up to 3,000 words total 

Exceptional work outside these ranges may be considered, but please keep submissions close to the stated limits.

Requirements

The essentials we apply to every submission — so your work lands cleanly in our reading queue.

Original work & publication status

Please let us know whether the work, in full or in part, has appeared elsewhere.

Simultaneous submissions

Simultaneous submissions are welcome. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw it from Litro promptly.

Length guidance

Print space is limited, so we favour work that sits close to the stated category lengths. Exceptional submissions outside these ranges may still be considered.

One piece per theme

Please submit one piece per theme. You may submit to different themes at the same time. If we publish you in one issue, we will usually wait before running another piece by the same author, in order to make room for new voices.

Licence summary

If accepted, you grant Litro an exclusive licence to publish the English-language work in print, audio, and electronic form worldwide. You retain the right to publish the work later in a book-length collection of your own writing, or as part of a volume from which the work is an extract.

Formatting

Upload your work as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file. Please include the title and word count on the first page.

Response times

Standard response time is 14–18 weeks. Fast-Track aims for 10 business days and covers response speed only, not acceptance.

FAQ

Can I submit to more than one theme?

Yes — but please submit only one piece per theme.

Do you accept previously published work?

Please indicate clearly if the work, in full or in part, has appeared elsewhere.

Can I submit work outside the stated word counts?

Sometimes — but we strongly prefer submissions that stay close to the stated ranges.

Do you accept hybrid or formally unusual work?

Yes. We welcome hybrid and experimental work if it is strong, finished, and editorially readable.