Topical Poetry  is an all-inclusive webzine, publishing diverse poems on current events and news. Launched in 2021, it combines the power of poetry and the dynamism of modern societies. In this ever-changing world, the life of topical news is short but the impact it has on us can be phenomenal. They are open year-round.  For more information, see my interview with Editor in Chief & Founder Ami Prasad and a link to submission guidelines below.

HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about Topical Poetry.

PRASAD: Topical Poetry (TP) is a global platform to publish diverse poems on current events and news. It combines the power of poetry and the dynamism of modern societies. We do not restrict ourselves to a specific number and publish all the poems that we like. We believe in equal opportunity and treat all submissions alike. Our goal is to provide a home to quality poetic reactions!

HOPKINSON: How/why was Topical Poetry originally started?

PRASAD: The Capitol insurrection on Jan 6th had flooded my mind with a lot of thoughts, and they took the shape of a poem. While exploring various poetry magazines to submit it, I realized that there was a need for publishing options for this genre of poetry, i.e., topical or news poems. Most of the traditional poetry magazines took months to publish and did not suit this form of poetry. The few outlets that published topical poems were not exclusively focused on this – hence the idea of Topical Poetry was born! Poetry on current events can be transformational, thought-provoking, and everlasting. I consider TP as an opinion column written by poets for poetry and current event enthusiasts.

HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?

PRASAD: Anyone who is interested in current events or poetry.

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?

PRASAD: With the onset of social media, the world is becoming more and more connected. We look for poems that are honest and thought-provoking responses to recent news.

HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in?

PRASAD: TP is just a few months old and has received an overwhelming response. As a new publication, we have received a variety of poems, but it would be great to see more human-interest stories, as well as poems on social issues, animal welfare, and environmental issues.

HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with Topical Poetry?

PRASAD: My favorite part is to go through each submission and read poetic reactions to various events.  It is fascinating to see different opinions on the same piece of news.  This also gives me an opportunity to learn more about current events from around the world. A lot of times, our focus is on the headlines, and various important news items fall through the cracks.

HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions?

PRASAD: Submissions can be sent through the online submission manager:

https://www.topicalpoetry.com/submit/

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?

PRASAD: We can be reached either though the contact page:

https://www.topicalpoetry.com/contact/

Or, by emailing to contact@topicalpoetry.com

Click here to read submission guidelines.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Always open

THEME(S): Poems based on current events from the previous two weeks

FORMAT: Online

SUBMISSION FEE: None

PAYMENT: None at the moment

ISSUE FREQUENCY: Bi-weekly on every other Sunday

AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: Up to 72 hours

SUBMISSION METHOD: Online submission manager

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Yes

FORMS: Poetry (optional artwork can be submitted along with the poetry)

DUOTROPE: (URL): https://duotrope.com/listing/32198/topical-poetry

SOCIAL MEDIA:  Facebook, Instagram

DUOTROPE: https://duotrope.com/listing/32198/topical-poetry

If you like this post, please share with your writerly friends and/or  follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can see all the FREE resources my site offers poets/writers on my Start Here page.