Tears in the Fence is an internationalist literary magazine based in the U.K. Publishing a variety of contemporary writers from around the world, it provides critical reviews of recent books, anthologies and pamphlets and essays on a diversity of significant modern and contemporary English and American poets. Each issue features a number of regular columnists adding wide focus and independent thought on the contemporary poetry world. We are a not-for-profit community organisation.
We appreciate social and poetic awareness; enjoy what’s spontaneous, strong and direct alongside writing that prompts close and divergent readings. While our central focus stems from the political and socio-economic predicaments of the individual in relation to his/her historical and geographical landscape, Tears in the Fence is open to other human issues and concerns and seeks to be forward-looking in relation to current developments within world poetry. We believe in difference and the other. We admire tradition and experiment. We are thus eclectic and encourage localised and wider, divergent reading.
Effective writing perhaps stems from giving equal measure to the known and unknown, simplicity and difficulty, sound and sense, in an economic, vivid and uplifting way.
Regular columns include:
“Of Tradition and Experiment” by Jennifer K. Dick
“Afterword” by David Caddy
“Editorial” by Louise Buchler / David Caddy / Richard Foreman / Joanna Nissel
“Electric Blue by Morag Kiziewicz
Regular essayists and reviewers include:
Isobel Armstrong, Alan Baker, Dzifa Benson, Linda Black, Barbara Bridger, Jim Burns, Louise Buchler, Simon Collings, Belinda Cooke, Kelvin Corcoran, Jennifer K. Dick, Andrew Duncan, Edward Field, Richard Foreman, Nancy Gaffield, John Goodby, Sheila Hamilton, Graham Hartill, Jeremy Hilton, Brian Hinton, Ric Hool, Peter Hughes, Simon Jenner, Norman Jope, Peter Larkin, Dorothy Lehane, Duncan Mackay, Mandy Pannett, Gisele Parnall, David Pollard, Fiona Owen, Elaine Randell, Peter Riley, Jeremy Reed, Guy Russell, Lesley Saunders, Ian Seed, Steve Spence, Frances Spurrier, Olivia Tuck, John Welch, Nigel Wheale, Mary Woodward.
REVIEW BOOKS
Please send Review Books, journals and pamphlets to the Reviews Editor:
David Caddy Flats Durweston Mill, Mill Lane, Durweston, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 0QD
Regular contributors include: Vasiliki Albedo, Tim Allen, Isobel Armstrong, Alan Baker, David Ball, Aaron Belz, Linda Black, John Brantingham, Daragh Breen, Valerie Bridge, Barbara Bridger, Greg Bright, Daragh Breen, Louise Anne Buchler, Lesley Burt, Jim Burns, David Caddy, Sarah Cave, Vahni Capildeo, Geraldine Clarkson, Simon Collings, Sarah Connor, Elizabeth Cook, Belinda Cooke, Kelvin Corcoran, Alexandra Corrin-Tachibana, Sarah Crewe, Anamaria Crowe Serrano, Beth Davyson, Andrew Darlington, Peter Dent, Jennifer K. Dick, Mark Dickinson, Andrew Duncan, Edward Field, Adam Fieled, Melisande Fitzsimons, Richard Foreman, John Freeman, Nancy Gaffield, John Goodby, Mark Goodwin, Cora Greenhill, Charles Hadfield, John Hall, Lucy Hamilton, Lydia Harris, Andrew Henon, Michael Henry, Jeff Hilson, Jeremy Hilton, Penny Hope, Sarah Hopkins, Ric Hool, Peter Hughes, Lucy Ingrams, Lori Jakiela, Nigel Jarrett, Simon Jenner, Norman Jope, L. Kiew, Gerald Killingworth, Basil King, John Kinsella, Morag Kiziewicz, Peter Larkin, Andrew Lees, Elzbieta Wojcik-Leese, Dorothy Lehane, S.J. Litherland, Rupert Loydell, Caroline Maldonado, Sheila Mannix, Rethabile Masilo, Paul Matthews, Chris McCabe, David Miller, Jessica Mookherjee, Sheila E Murphy, Joanna Nissel, Eliza O’Toole, Fiona Owen, Mandy Pannett, Rhea Seren Phillips, David Pollard, Frances Presley, Jasmina Bolfek-Radovani, Anna Reckin, Peter Riley, Jeremy Reed, Mark Russell, Ian Seed, Aidan Semmens, Lucy Sheerman, Andrew Shelley, Robert Sheppard, Hannah Silva, Iain Sinclair, Simon Smith, Cherry Smyth, Steve Spence, Frances Spurrier, Martin Stannard, Seán Street, Jackie Sullivan, Kim Taplin, Harriet Tarlo, Nathaniel Tarn, Paul Kareem Tayyar, Nathan Thompson, Olivia Tuck, Tracy Turley, Robert Vas Dias, Sarah Watkinson, John Welch, Jane Wheeler, Charles Wilkinson, Lynne Wycherley.
Newcomers are always welcome!
David Caddy (Editor) is a poet, essayist, critic and literary sociologist. He was co-author of London: City of Words (2006), a
literary companion,with Westrow Cooper. His most recent book is Interiors and Other Poems (Shearsman Books, 2023). A literary travel novella, Cycling After Thomas And The English (Spout Hill Press) appeared in 2013. He has published nine collections of poetry. His most recent books of poems are The Bunny Poems (Shearsman 2011), Man in Black (Penned in the Margins 2007), and The Willy Poems (Clamp Down Press USA 2004). A collection of essays, So Here We Are, appeared from Shearsman Books in August 2012. His next book is Pond Life, forthcoming shortly. He regularly contributes essays to books and journals.
Louise Anne Buchler (Associate Editor) is a playwright, director, actress and poet based in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. She teaches Drama and Performance at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, screenwriting and writing for the stage at AFDA, Durban. Her work has been staged at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival.
Richard Foreman (Fiction Editor)
Joanna Nissel (Social Media Editor)
Jennifer K. Dick (Associate Editor)
Olivia Tuck (Associate Editor)
Hannah Green, Hamidah Saleem (Magazine Interns)
“Tears in the Fence is one of the best magazines in the world.” John Kinsella
Tears in the Fence 