Between the Lines
City Lit's annual anthology of poems, scripts and prose by our creative writing students.
Between the Lines showcases the work of writers across the entire range of our provision, from introductory courses such as Ways Into Creative Writing, right up to advanced courses in poetry, fiction, playwriting, screenwriting and life writing.
Between the Lines 2025 - now open for submissions
We’re now accepting submissions for next year’s creative writing anthology.
All of our students on writing courses from May 2024 - May 2025 are warmly encouraged to send in their writing to be considered for inclusion in Between the Lines 2025. The anthology will showcase the work of writers across the entire range of our writing courses, from introductory courses such as ‘Ways into creative writing’, right up to advanced courses in poetry, fiction, drama and life writing.
Submissions should be emailed as attachments to betweenthelines@citylit.ac.uk.
Submissions deadline: midnight on Sunday 1 June 2025.
We look forward to reading your work!
Submission guidelines
• Poems must be 40 lines or fewer.
• Prose (fiction or creative non-fiction) must be 1000 words or fewer.
• Scripts must not exceed 2 A4 pages in length.
• Extracts from longer works are welcome.
• There is a maximum of two submissions per student.
• Submissions must not include any AI-generated material.
• Wherever possible please send your submission as a double-spaced Microsoft Word document.
• If you are sending two submissions, please include each submission as a separate document.
• In the document(s) containing your work, please include your name, state the form of your writing (e.g. poetry, prose, script), the title of the piece(s) submitted, course(s) attended, name of tutor, and your student reference number (if available).
• The decision of the editorial team is final. The editors cannot enter into correspondence about their editorial decisions and are unable to provide feedback on those entries not accepted for publication.
• Copyright remains with the author. City Lit reserves the right to publish in its Between the Lines 2025 anthology and to use accepted pieces for promotional purposes online and in print.
Previous years
All proceeds from sales of Between the Lines go towards printing costs and the City Lit Student Bursary Fund.
Between the Lines 2024
Purchase your copy via Lulu's online store >
The 2024 anthology features work from students who studied at the college between May 2023 and May 2024.
Editors: Thomas McMullan, Maria Thomas and William Brady
Contributors: Karen Barnacle, Christabel Birbeck, Rachel Brook, Gareth Cooke, Richard D Wiggins, Anna Demetriou, Suki Ellwood, Iris Fabre, Amy Flynn, John Gilbert Ellis, Julie Granger, Solly Hardwick, Nikki Hargreaves, Louis Heyse-Moore, Corin Holfeld, Juliet Ingram, Michael Hogben, Nicole Jashapara, Julie Jenson, Jenny Kuper, Sibley Labandeira, Sian Meades-Williams, Kush Melwani, Freya Miller, Elene Montgomery, Pearl Okungbowa, Nicola Palmer, Swati Pande, Becky Singh, Nicholas Smith, Christopher Tuite, Iain Wilson, Julie Wornan, Lorna Young
Between the Lines 2023
Purchase your copy via Lulu's online store >
The 2023 anthology features work from students who studied at the college between May 2022 and May 2023.
Editors: William Brady, Thomas McMullan, Phyllis Richardson
Contributors: Galia Admoni, Karen Barnacle, Kevin Bond, Anna Davies, Anna Demetriou, Andrea Flint, Colin Grigg, Emily Hay, Emma Hermaszewska, Michael Hogben, Roberta King, Catherine Leung, Sipora Levy, Trish Liguori, Nicholas Lin, Laura Mackennon, Elisa Marcella Webb, Lynne McConway, Anna Mindel Crawford, Dee Moray, Helen O'Connor, Betsabeh Omran, Lee Ong, Ansuya Patel, Caroline Penn, Natalya Pilbeam, Anna Pollard, Nicki Regan, Sarah Salih, Lawrence Simmons, Mike Skinner, Heather Young
Between the Lines 2022
Purchase your copy via Lulu's online store >
The 2022 anthology features work from students who studied at the college between May 2021 and May 2022.
Editors: William Brady, Thomas McMullan, Phyllis Richardson
Contributors: Aby Atilol, Dilly Attygalle, Missie Biellie-Dee Luewis, Natasha Bondy, Nel Boswood, Kathy Burke, Adele Cooper Gregory (Dee), Helen Deal, Michael Dickinson, Amy Dugmore, Charlotte Fielder, Kath Gifford, Emma Gray, Bill Harpley, Michelle Heimburger, Michael Hogben, Corin Holfeld, Anita Houghton, Mark Humphreys, Aldona Kapacinskaite, Sue Lang, Joceyln Low, Joanna Lyons-Little, Rania Marandos, Urve Öpik, Ansuya Patel, Ruth Railton, JE Rowney, Jennifer Sinclair Roberts, Jo Smith, Hilary Thomas, Roy Trevelion, Diana Valk, Karina Vidler
Between the Lines 2021
Purchase your copy via Lulu's online store >
The 2021 anthology features work from students who studied at the college between May 2020 and May 2021.
Editors: Thomas McMullan and Maria Thomas
Contributors: Richard A Shury, Paula Aamli, Kauser Ahmed, Melodie Annese, Robin Bale, Nicole Bator, Ana Beatriz Millar, Missie Biellie-Dee Luewis, Angeline Braidwood, Catheryn Burdett, Votey Cheav, Barry Coidan, Helen Deal, Selena Doggett-Jones, Mauk Donnabhain, Clare Fallon, Kath Gifford, Shabana Glynn, Alka Handa, Emily Hay, Tor Hildyard, Jonathan Huish, Rebecca Hull, Rosemary J Brown, Sarah Jeffery, Anna Kibbey, Michael Klimes, Candida Lloyd, Laura Mackennon, Helen McNally, Lucie Muir, Beena Nadeem, Mia Nakaji Monnier, Roberta Noble, Lee Ong, Mel Orriss, Jacquie Palmer, Ansuya Patel, Laura Pearson, Ruth Railton, Jill Reynolds, Ian Siragher, Janet Smith, Monika Smolar, Ibrahim Sorie Bangura, Sally Spiers, Catherine Sweeney, Caroline Talbert, Sylvia Taylor
Between the Lines 2020
Purchase your copy via Lulu's online store >
The 2020 anthology features work from students who studied at the college between April 2019 and April 2020.
Editors: Claire Allen, Helen Cox, and Maria Thomas
Contributors: Paul Allchin, Sarah Ann Hall, Nicole Bator, Norinne Betjemann, Sophie Bird, Polly Bull, Susan Carberry, Lee-Ann Coleman, Kate Cook, Bronwyn Crockett, Dave Dale, Jim Donovan, Neil Doulas, Cameron Drysdale, Leo Duncan, Lauren Farmer, Roberta Francis, Anastasia Georgousis, Susan Greenhill, Lisa Hallgarten, Alka Handa, Emily Hay, Doryn Herbst, Nicola Johansson, Michael Klimes, Jenny Kuper, Sarah Lee Elson, Rosaleen Lynch, Laura Mackennon, Paul Mardling, Tom Millner, Noonie Minogue, Carol Misch, Trisha Montague, Alex Morrall, Piala Murray, Tito Oyeleru, Ansuya Patel, Gavin Ramsey, Zoë Ranson, Kate Richards, Jo Sanders, Daniela Schofield, Emily Smith, Elisse Sophia Ahmet, Surmaya Talyarkhan, Thordis Thorsteins, James Tobin, Karina Vidler, Natalie Waites, Bernadette Wren
Editions of Between the Lines from 2019 and earlier are available to take out on loan from the City Lit Student Centre & Library.
Writing courses at City Lit
Learn to write stories, articles and poetry in the same college where big names in literature such as Dylan Thomas, Andrea Levy and Malorie Blackman have trained or taught.
You can now study from the comfort of your own home on our new range of interactive online courses whether you're just starting out or ready to publish your first book. The benefits of our online writing courses include expert tuition from a published author and feedback on your work as you develop your writing skills. There will also be opportunities to participate in group discussions and activities with fellow students.