Submit your work to our anthology about ‘Missing’

About the Project 

We are looking for contributions to an anthology of writing that reflects the experience of having a loved one go missing,  

We welcome submissions from people with direct experience of missing someone recognising that every person’s experience is unique and valuable. 

Our aim is to create a publication that is respectful, inclusive, accessible and representative of a broad range of voices. 

Deadline: 18th of September  

Who Can Contribute? 

We welcome contributions from people who have experience of someone close to them being missing.  

Writers must be at least 18 years old. 

What Can I Submit? 

We welcome original work – poetry and various types of prose including stories, reflections and letters. 

Your contribution should be your own original work, not AI generated. 

You may submit contributions which you have previously shared privately, for example on your private social media. Please do not submit contributions which have previously been published publicly, either online or in a printed format.  

You may submit a maximum of 5 entries. 

Themes 

If your contribution is “a letter to a missing person”, please ensure that one or several of the overall themes of the Anthology: “missing”, “love”, “hope” and “memories” are included. It is possible that the missing person may read the Anthology, so please do not include any information which they may find distressing, or that they would not wish to be in the public domain. The Anthology will be printed, so please take this into account if you include life events and milestones.   

Writing should reflect one of the following themes in the context of missing:  

• love  
• hope 
• memories  

Length 

• Poem: up to 40 lines 
• Prose:  up to 1,000 words 

Style 

Please write in your own voice. 

There is no expectation that your writing is “perfect.” 

We encourage you to: 

• Write honestly and be yourself 
• Explain things clearly. 
• Avoid jargon where possible. 

You may choose to:

• Publish under your own name. 
• Use a pseudonym. 
• Publish anonymously. 

Please note that complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed. 

Looking After Yourself 

Writing about lived experience can sometimes bring back difficult emotions. 

Please consider: 

• Taking breaks while writing. 
• Talking with someone you trust. 
• Accessing support if writing becomes upsetting. 
• Only sharing experiences you feel comfortable making public. 

You are under no obligation to include details that feel too personal or distressing. 

Respecting Other People’s Privacy 

Please avoid identifying other people unless you have their permission. 

This includes: 

• Full names, personal details, professionals and agencies 
• Other identifying details 

Where necessary, the Editorial Team may suggest changes to protect confidentiality. 

Content We Cannot Publish 

We cannot publish content that: 

• Breaches privacy or confidentiality. 
• Could harm the missing person or affect an ongoing investigation. 
• Includes sensitive, personal, or time-specific information that is not suitable for publication. 
• Contains defamatory, hateful, discriminatory, or unlawful material. 
• Infringes copyright or other legal rights. 
• Puts anyone at risk. 
• Is unrelated to the experience of missing or the anthology’s themes. 

If changes are needed, we will discuss these with you wherever possible. 

Payment 

Contributions are voluntary. 

Timeline 

How to Submit 

Please send fill out the web form below, and provide an optional photograph of the author. 

Next steps

We will be in touch with further information and a full contributor agreement form if your work is chosen. Please note that while we appreciate everyone’s submissions, we may not be able to use all the pieces we receive.  

Need Support? 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your contribution, please contact bookeditor@missingpeople.org.uk