LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

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@thetoypress.bsky.social

It's hard to believe we are gearing up to release our NINTH edition of The Toy! It is filled entirely by creators under 16 and we have some seriously talented children to showcase.

September 13, 2026 at 8:11 AM

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Attie Lime

@attielime.bsky.social

It's my Book Birthday! Proud to welcome Poems on Toast into the world. I hope you'll find the poems tasty. It's aimed at KS2 but has a wide range of poems for everyone to explore. Thanks to @troikabooks.bsky.social & to Emily Ford for the fab illustrations! Thanks too for all the kind words so far 🧡

A delicious plate of Poetry on Toast by Attie Lime

September 14, 2026 at 2:51 PM

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John Shelley - Illustrator

@studionib.bsky.social

Today’s the official release of "Stone Giant - Michelangelo’s David and How He Came to Be" in paperback. Words by Jane Sutcliffe, illustrations by your’s truly. If you missed the hardback edition, now’s your chance!
Charlesbridge publishers, ISBN 978-1-58089-296-4
#kidlit #kidlitUK #picturebook

September 15, 2026 at 3:40 PM

Ragged Rascal Rhymes

@rhymster.bsky.social

#kidlit #HaikuSaturday #quietposters
The UK's National Poetry Day (1 October) is drawing near and Tyger Tyger has issued a free themed poetry pack on the TES page: www.tes.com/teaching-res...

Poems about Wonder - poetry pack for National Poetry Day 2026 | Teaching Resources

A free set of twenty poems on the National Poetry Day 2026 theme of Wonder. These are original, contemporary poems published on Tyger Tyger Magazine, a prestigious o

www.tes.com

September 10, 2026 at 11:29 PM

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Haiku Crush

@haikucrush.bsky.social

#Haiku is alive!

Please repost. The 2026 Best Haiku international search is underway at HaikuCrush.com. Honorariums total $500 USD, $200 for the top haiku. October 18 deadline, don't miss it!

#haikusunday #callforsubmissions #poetry #micropoetry #senryu #haikuchallenge #haikufeels #poetrycommunity

Haiku Crush – the annual search for the best haiku

HaikuCrush.com

September 7, 2026 at 2:37 AM

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PaperBound Magazine

@paperboundmag.bsky.social

Read the latest issue of PaperBound yet? Full of writing, illustrations, author interviews & writing prompts, this issue includes @laurimeyers.bsky.social's poem 'V Formation' 🩵🐦‍⬛

Totally free to read now, check out the latest issue of PaperBound here 👇

paperboundmag.com/issues

August 23, 2026 at 2:06 PM

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Jonathan Humble

@northernjim.bsky.social

Ninety excellent new poems up on the Dirigible Balloon ... thirty more to go 🙂
#DirigibleBalloon #PoetryForChildren
#GoAllIn #NationalYearOfReading
dirigibleballoon.org 🎈

August 15, 2026 at 10:28 PM

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Haiku Crush

@haikucrush.bsky.social

#Haiku is alive!

Please repost. The 2026 Best Haiku international search is open at HaikuCrush.com. Honorariums total $500 USD, $200 to the top haiku. October 18 deadline, mark your calendar!

#haikusunday #callforsubmissions #poetry #micropoetry #senryu #haikuchallenge #haikufeels #poetrycommunity

Haiku Crush – the annual search for the best haiku

HaikuCrush.com

August 16, 2026 at 8:00 PM

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Haiku Crush

@haikucrush.bsky.social

Call for submissions to our #poetrycommunity. Please repost and share with #poets. Thanks! Visit HaikuCrush.com for details and deadline. $500 US in honorariums and #book publication.

#callforsubmission #callforsubmissions #poetry #micropoetry #haiku #senryu #poet #creativity #writers #writing

Haiku Crush – the annual search for the best haiku

HaikuCrush.com

August 4, 2026 at 3:45 PM

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Lauri Meyers

@laurimeyers.bsky.social

My middle grade poem in this issue of paperbound about finding your flock.

August 3, 2026 at 2:25 PM

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PaperBound Magazine

@paperboundmag.bsky.social

📚👀 Our Wonder issue is officially out now, packed full of bookish content, from top author interviews and guest articles on writing and drawing, to book reviews, new writing, illustrations, and more!

Download the brand new issue now - TOTALLY FREE! 👇💜
paperboundmag.com/issues

July 31, 2026 at 11:33 AM

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Little Thoughts Press

@littlethoughtspress.com

If your favorite ritual is reading each new issue cover to cover, then today is your lucky day!

Issue 14: Traditions & Rituals is here!

Now available in print & as a free/PWYW pdf.

Special thanks to @steenahernandez.bsky.social for serving as guest editor!

www.littlethoughtspress.com/issues

ISSUES | Little Thoughts

A collection of past Little Thoughts Press issues.

www.littlethoughtspress.com

July 22, 2026 at 6:33 PM

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Fiftywords

@fiftywords.bsky.social

Here’s one inspired by the #PoemsAbout theme #OutAfterMidnight @thebrokenspine.co.uk

Helen is fixing her lipstick. Penelope is sitting on the counter, shoes abandoned somewhere
in a previous century. The music outside
thumps through the walls. A girl is crying
in one cubicle. Three strangers have already assembled
to tell her
she deserves better.
"That's nice,"
says Penelope.
Helen nods.
"We could have used that in Troy."
A silence. Helen studies herself
in the mirror. "I still get blamed,
you know."
Penelope laughs.
"Of course you do."
"A thousand ships."
"Apparently." "I never asked anyone
to launch a thousand ships."
"No."
"They could have stayed home."
"They could."
"They seemed very enthusiastic,
from what I heard"
Helen smiles despite herself.
Midnight at The Elysium
Another silence.
"You waited twenty years."
"Did I?"
"The songs say so."
Penelope rolls her eyes.
"The songs say
I spent most of that time
at a loom or staring out of windows."
"You didn't?"
"I was running a kingdom."
"Fair." A woman enters holding one heel,
a handbag, and what appears to be
someone else's jacket.
Nobody comments.
"You ever get angry?"
Helen asks.
"At Odysseus?"
Penelope thinks.
"Sometimes."
"Because he left?"
"No."
"Because he took so long?"
"No."
"What then?"
Penelope shrugs. "Because every time
he tells the story
he becomes more of a hero." Helen laughs so hard she has to steady herself
against the sink.
"That's men." "Think they're heroes for
just washing up."
Outside, someone has started
arguing over a woman. Helen and Penelope
exchange a glance.
Neither moves.
Neither looks surprised.
"Think they'll ever learn?"
asks Helen. The girl in the cubicle
starts crying again.
Immediately,
three voices answer:
"Forget him."
"You're too good for him."
"Honestly, Pandora,
He's just after your box"
Penelope pauses.
"See?"
"What?"
"That's

June 19, 2026 at 6:01 AM

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Kay Medway

@kaymedway.bsky.social

I am so excited to find out today that there will be new poems under the Historical Horrors ticket of Scaryness Express, including two of mine: Double Double in the School Hall and Children Reading the Wall. scaryness.com #Poem #Poetry

Tickets to Scary-ness on the poetry express

Scary Poems for Children (with a sprinkle of fun)

scaryness.com

May 31, 2026 at 12:32 PM

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Rob Walton

@robwaltonwriter.bsky.social

Good to be back on board the Scaryness Express with a couple of historical horrors. Slightly scary poems for bairns and that. Lots of lovely poems from poetry friends on there. The rest of my two and all the others at scaryness.com/historical-h...

May 31, 2026 at 7:18 PM

Ragged Rascal Rhymes

@rhymster.bsky.social

Mark Bird: Finding Solace Through Poetry childrenspoetrysummit.com/2026/06/11/m...

Mark Bird: Finding Solace Through Poetry

A year ago, Air India flight AI171 crashed, killing all but one of the passengers and crew. The morning after, our headteacher at Barlby Primary School asked the Early Years team to meet him as soo…

childrenspoetrysummit.com

June 11, 2026 at 11:30 PM

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B.C. Byron

@bcbyron.bsky.social

Fly out to Mars and prove me wrong
#poem #poetry #mars

June 5, 2026 at 3:24 AM

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Jumping Jules Poetry

@jumpingjulespoetry.bsky.social

Thrilled to have a poem on The Poetry Express part of the Historical Horrors ticket. Thank you Tim Pointon. So many great poems there 👻
scaryness.com/historical-h...

Rich Boys, No Girls – Julie Stevens

Rich Boys, No Girls – by Julie StevensI must get up at fiveand walk in the dark.It’s so cold and muddyon the roads to schooland you never knowwho you might meet.I carry a meat knifeto cut my …

scaryness.com

June 2, 2026 at 8:24 AM

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Stefan Karlsson

@stefankarlsson.bsky.social

I’m enjoying the new ticket of #kidlit poetry on The Poetry Express website! The theme for this ticket is Historical Horrors. Kids will love the ghoulish stories, spooky details, & gruesome facts. Congrats to the awesome contributors!

Check it out here: scaryness.com/historical-h...

Historical Horrors

Tim the Neanderthal by Ian Brownlie MRS FOSSIL’S HISTORY LESSON by Lou Treleaven The Midnight Manifest by Elena de Roo The Serpent’s Lore by Deborah Bowkis CNUT by Graham Cawser Colosseum Dream by …

scaryness.com

June 2, 2026 at 4:51 PM

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Haiku Crush

@haikucrush.bsky.social

Alphabet Box @alphabetbox.bsky.social is about to post its #shortlist of #poets, #fiction and #nonfiction #writers soon.

Alphabet Box (Announcing Winner) @alphabetbox.bsky.social · Jun 2

Please repost. Thank you!

The Alphabet Box Issue 9 shortlist writers will be announced starting June 5 @alphabetbox.bsky.social.

#shortlist #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #callforsubmissions #writers #poets #microfiction #flashfiction #nonfiction #creativewriting #vss #vss365 #litmag #AnaisNin

June 3, 2026 at 2:55 PM

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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢

@thetoypress.bsky.social

Have you got yourself a copy of our celebrations edition yet? It's the perfect pressie for little poetry lovers!

#celebrations #giftideasforkids #birthdaypresent