Theme for Issue 06: The Body As Archive

Our bodies hold what words cannot always reach. The ache in a shoulder that carries grief. The flutter in a chest that remembers joy. The scar that tells a story no longer spoken aloud.

For Issue 06 of Thorn & Bloom Magazine, we are exploring the body as an archive — a living record of memory, trauma, resilience, and delight.

We invite writing that asks:

• What do our bodies remember that our minds have tried to forget?

• How does joy live in the body alongside pain?

• What does it mean to listen to the body's wisdom?

• How do illness, healing, pregnancy, disability, or desire leave their marks?

• In what ways does the body resist, reclaim, or rebel?

This theme is rooted in the feminist consciousness-raising tradition — trusting our lived, felt experiences as sources of knowledge and power.

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DEADLINE: 15 May 2026

PUBLICATION: June 2026

​We welcome submissions in any genre and style. Please read the guidelines before submitting your work. Any work that does not meet our guidelines will automatically be disqualified.

redrosethorns publishes original short stories, creative non-fiction, fiction, poems, prose, memoirs, academia and more.

• Please submit your work through our secure online forms found on the right side of this page. You may submit your work either by uploading documents in PDF or Word format. (If you experience any issues with uploading your document, please reach out to us at contact@redrosethorns.com.)

• All submissions must be uploaded to the forms portal on the right side of this page. To comply with GDPR and CCPA requirements regarding the secure handling of personal data, we can only consider work submitted through our official submission portal. Please do not email your manuscript to our email address.

• redrosethorns (including this publication, Thorn & Bloom) only considers original, unpublished work. We do not accept pieces that have appeared anywhere else, including on personal websites, blogs, or social media.

• In alignment with our mission to champion authentic human voices, we do not accept submissions written or edited by artificial intelligence. Furthermore, our editorial process is entirely human-led; we do not use AI to evaluate, edit, or select work.

• You retain all copyrights of your work and full license to use your work after Thorn & Bloom publication. We require First Publication Rights, so please only submit work that has not been published elsewhere.

• By submitting, you confirm that you are 18 years of age or older. We are unable to accept work from minors.

• All written work needs to be 2500 words max.

• You can submit as many pieces as you wish, though only submit one piece at a time. Please note that not all pieces submitted may be selected. 

• We do not charge for submissions; however, donations are always appreciated. 

• Please note that we do not offer compensation for pieces published in our publications. Nor do we offer complimentary print publications.

• DEADLINE for all submissions: 15 May 2026

We encourage folks of marginalised communities, including but not limited to women - both cisgender and transgender women, transgender men, non-binary, gender neutral, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour to contribute their work.​

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Please get in touch with us with any questions, concerns, or compliments at contact@redrosethorns.com

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redrosethorns does not tolerate any rudeness, discrimination, or aggressive behaviour of any kind for any reason. Only love and kindness are accepted in this space.