Bad Lilies is a digital journal of poetry

Bad Lilies is edited by Kathryn Gray and Andrew Neilson. We aim to showcase the finest poetry, ranging in technique and subject matter.

Having previously published six issues per year, after a hiatus in 2024 we are now aiming to publish three a year — with issues in February, June, and October.

Bad Lilies is best enjoyed in full screen on a laptop or desktop browser, with the Zoom set to 100% or less. We particularly recommend using Chrome.

We are currently closed for submissions. Please read the guidelines carefully before sending us your work.

Cover image by John Patrick Higgins.

News and events

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We are very sad to hear of the passing of Kathryn Bevis. Kathryn featured in our eighth issue and you can read her contribution here. Our condolences to her loved ones.

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Bad Lilies, and many other British poetry journals, is mentioned in this feature in The Guardian.

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Find out more about the thinking behind Bad Lilies! Our editors Kathryn Gray and Andrew Neilson have been interviewed by The Friday Poem.

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We are delighted that the poem ‘Pollen’ by Clare Pollard has been shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem 2022.

Read ‘Pollen’ as it appears in our second issue, as well as this lovely interview with Clare.