The 2026 edition of Phoenix is now open to student submissions!
Submit work under this year's theme, flux, by 1st February.
So do flux and reflux—the rhythm of change—alternate and persist in everything under the sky.
― Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles
The 2026 issue of Phoenix, our literary magazine, is seeking submissions related to our annual theme, flux.
This year’s theme
Broadly, flux is a state of change, but its own definition varies depending on discipline. In biology, it refers to the rate at which a substance crosses a permeable membrane; in physics, it is the field itself that crosses through a given surface. This raises the questions: what does it really mean to change? Can you change without changing your environment, or vice versa? How do you measure change?
Phoenix’s own definition of flux is yet to be determined. If you have dabbled in creative writing or essay writing in the past, now is your chance to dive back in!
What is Phoenix?
Phoenix is the termly student-run arts magazine of Imperial College London. As a sister publication to the student newspaper Felix, it is a revival of the original publication started in 1904, descending from the college journal founded by H.G. Wells in 1887. Anyone affiliated with the university is encouraged to submit literary or visual entries.
The magazine aims to provide a platform for the arts and the sciences to coexist and is dedicated to highlighting the scope – short essays, opinion, perspective, fiction, poetry, music, visual art, and photography – of art and thought in the form of creative expression at the College.
See past issues of Phoenix on our website.
Submission guidelines
We accept pieces of prose, poetry, photography, or visual media from all staff, students, and alumni of Imperial College London.
Prose is ideally under 5,000 words and is well-written and evocative. Stand-alone works of fiction, and works of non-fiction, such as essays and critical works, are welcome.
Poems under 40 lines are recommended, and otherwise decided on case-by-case basis.
Photography and visual art dimensions are still undecided but should be able to fit onto an A4 page, and must not extend across the page.
We are looking for submissions in the following categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction (including essays, memoirs, etc.), and art/photography.
All submissions may be submitted at the following link and must be received by 1st February 2026. They will be reviewed and edited on a rolling basis.
