Between the 1st October and the 30th November 2026, we’re seeking weird and disturbing stories of existential dread which plunge beyond the limits of human knowledge. Give us tales of esoteric experiments, doomed ventures into impossibly ancient ruins, cursed knowledge from the stars, and malevolent planets. Horrors from shadow biospheres. Signals sent from the depths of the universe.
Guidelines
- Submissions open 1st October to midnight on the 30th November 2026.
- Please send us one story of 2,000-8,000 words.
- You must live in the North of England. This includes Cheshire, Cumbria, County Durham, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Yorkshire.
- The theme is cosmic horror. We’re looking for uncanny tales of existential dread, with a preference for the strange and the literary. Read our blog on cosmic horror here for further info on what we’re looking for.
- While we’re interested in Northern perspectives, there is no specific requirement for the story to be set in the North of England or discuss Northern identity – though of course we very much welcome submissions that do!
- Your story must be previously unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Please contact us ASAP if your story is accepted elsewhere.
- Please format the submission in a standard 11 or 12pt font (Times, Arial etc) and indent speech and new paragraphs. Include the title, your name, and the wordcount in the document. We recommend using Shunn Modern format (though there’s no need to include your address)
- The story must be your own, original work. We don’t accept writing that’s been created with any assistance from generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, etc).
You can read a blog with tips on how to get your story selected here, and our blog about cosmic horror here.
How to submit
- Submit to the editor, Nathaniel, at carnyx.press@gmail.com with Anthology Submission in the subject line.
- In your email, please confirm: 1) that you live in the North of England, 2) that the work is previously unpublished, and 3) that you haven’t used generative AI to create the work.
- Submit your work as an attached Word file or similar (.doc, .docx, .odt).
If there’s context about your story you feel is important (e.g. influences, real-world events or characters the story is based on), please include a brief overview in your email.
We aim to respond to all submissions by the end of January.
Our offer
- We’ll select between 5 and 10 stories for publication.
- The anthology’s planned publication date is September 2027. We intend to release the anthology in both print and eBook format.
- All contributors will receive four free copies of the printed anthology, and can purchase further physical copies at 50% author discount.
- Contributors will also receive a £20 honorarium.
Full terms and conditions will be agreed via contract when an offer of publication has been made.
Visit our FAQ if you have any other questions not answered here. We look forward to reading your submission soon!
