
Submissions for From the Body are now closed.
After a beautiful and emotional reading period, I'm delighted to say that - with the help of a great intern, too - I've now made final decisions on the essays that will be carried forward to the print anthology. This means that all contributors have now been contacted with the outcome of their submission. If you haven't yet received an email, please do get in touch.
From here, I will be liaising with contributors on minor edits to their submissions. My hope is that the upcoming Christmas period (apologies for using the c-word) will allow everyone time to firstly, celebrate their acceptance (and rightly so) and then spend time with their edits, to make sure any changes made are ones that authors are entirely comfortable with. There will be further updates posted here as the timeline advances.
All of that said, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who submitted their work for consideration. This is truly a passion project for me and one so very dear to my heart. It's filled me with joy and gratitude, though, to be given these windows it other people's experiences. The bravery and unashamed honesty of everyone who sent work in was and is utterly inspiring, and whether your work was accepted or not, I wanted to extend a deep thank you for allowing me to read it.
As always, if there are questions about the project then I encourage you to contact me. Otherwise, stay tuned for further updates in the coming weeks and months.
Take excellent care and be kind to yourselves.
Warmest,
Charley x
After a beautiful and emotional reading period, I'm delighted to say that - with the help of a great intern, too - I've now made final decisions on the essays that will be carried forward to the print anthology. This means that all contributors have now been contacted with the outcome of their submission. If you haven't yet received an email, please do get in touch.
From here, I will be liaising with contributors on minor edits to their submissions. My hope is that the upcoming Christmas period (apologies for using the c-word) will allow everyone time to firstly, celebrate their acceptance (and rightly so) and then spend time with their edits, to make sure any changes made are ones that authors are entirely comfortable with. There will be further updates posted here as the timeline advances.
All of that said, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who submitted their work for consideration. This is truly a passion project for me and one so very dear to my heart. It's filled me with joy and gratitude, though, to be given these windows it other people's experiences. The bravery and unashamed honesty of everyone who sent work in was and is utterly inspiring, and whether your work was accepted or not, I wanted to extend a deep thank you for allowing me to read it.
As always, if there are questions about the project then I encourage you to contact me. Otherwise, stay tuned for further updates in the coming weeks and months.
Take excellent care and be kind to yourselves.
Warmest,
Charley x

From the Body is a forthcoming anthology of creative non-fiction and non-fiction writing. Curated and edited by myself, Dr. Charley Barnes, the collection will feature work from Andrew McMillan, Cara Lisette and Jaimi Shrive. The nominated charity for the anthology is BEAT: The UK's eating disorder charity, and they will receive 50p from every anthology sold.
If you have any questions about the project ahead of submitting, please do check out the FAQ page, or get in touch if you'd like a chat.
Below you'll find a bullet-point list of everything involved in the submissions process but, again, if there's anything at all you're unsure of then please do get in touch. Please note: Submissions OPEN on August 16 and CLOSE on September 27. Work sent outside of these dates will not be read.
The call for submissions welcomes creative non-fiction/non-fiction writing on, but not limited to, the following topics:
Please note: This list is not exhaustive. Essays that deal in either one topic or the other - i.e. food or the body - will be welcomed. If you're unsure, please do email.
Submissions will CLOSE on September 27 and works submitted after this date will not be considered. Updates - detailing reading windows, emails from the editor, and acceptance/rejection timelines - will be listed on the project page of this website.
Thanks so much for your interest in the From the Body project. I can't wait to read your work.
Be kind to yourselves,
Charley x
If you have any questions about the project ahead of submitting, please do check out the FAQ page, or get in touch if you'd like a chat.
Below you'll find a bullet-point list of everything involved in the submissions process but, again, if there's anything at all you're unsure of then please do get in touch. Please note: Submissions OPEN on August 16 and CLOSE on September 27. Work sent outside of these dates will not be read.
- From the Body welcomes creative non-fiction and non-fiction. Poetry and fiction will not be considered as part of the collection.
- Submissions should be no longer than 1,500 words.
- Submissions should be size 12, in a font of your choosing (but please do make it easy on the eyes).
- Please ensure your name and email address are listed on your actual submission.
- All submissions should be emailed to fromthebodyproject@gmail.com.
- Please format the subject of your email as follows: [Author's name] - [Title of work]
- You are welcomed to include a TW/CW in your email, if you feel the work calls for it.
- In your email, please include a short biographical note of no more than 50 words.
- For every single entry there will be a £3 reading fee. This should be paid via a PayPal transfer to fromthebodyproject@gmail.com. Further details about the reading fee can be found on the FAQ page.
The call for submissions welcomes creative non-fiction/non-fiction writing on, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Eating disorders and/or disordered eating
- Body weight, gain or loss
- Diet culture and diet practices
- Post-pandemic weight loss
- Post-pandemic body image and appearance anxieties
- Shame – around eating, body weight, weight gain
- Comfort eating/comfort exercise
- Food, exercise and control
Please note: This list is not exhaustive. Essays that deal in either one topic or the other - i.e. food or the body - will be welcomed. If you're unsure, please do email.
Submissions will CLOSE on September 27 and works submitted after this date will not be considered. Updates - detailing reading windows, emails from the editor, and acceptance/rejection timelines - will be listed on the project page of this website.
Thanks so much for your interest in the From the Body project. I can't wait to read your work.
Be kind to yourselves,
Charley x