About
Incomplete Archive is a small print magazine about growing up (the kind that doesn't stop at 18). It's made by friends, and friends of friends.
Each issue is a snapshot of what we're thinking about, living through and making at the time. Over the years, I hope the collection shows how our interests, hopes and priorities shift, and helps us understand each other a little better along the way.
It's called incomplete on purpose. Drafts, fragments and works-in-progress are welcome. Honest beats perfect.
No. 01 — Home (For Now?)
This first issue is about the years when home stops being a given and becomes a choice. Some of us have just landed somewhere new. Some of us have been in the same place for years. Some of us aren't sure where home is anymore.
Some places to start. Answer one, none, or your own:
- Where are you right now, and how did you end up there?
- What does home mean to you, and has that changed?
- A place you know by heart: a room, a route, a corner shop.
- What did you bring with you, or what would you never leave behind?
- A place you can't go back to.
Read it loosely. A place can be a city, a kitchen, a route, a person. Less postcard, more kitchen table.
What to send
Anything that can live on a printed page: essays, stories, letters, poems, photos, drawings, collages, recipes, playlists, lists, maps. Not sure if something works? Ask. Other languages are welcome too; include a translation if you can.
- Essay, story, letter
- Up to 1,500 words
- Short piece or list
- Up to 500 words
- Poetry
- Up to 3 poems, 40 lines each
- Recipe
- Up to 400 words, including a short intro
- Playlist
- 8–12 tracks, with an optional line about each
- Photos or artwork
- 1–5 images, or up to 8 if they're one series
- Caption or note
- Up to 50 words
Going over? Email me first.
Files
- Writing
- A Word document, a Google Doc link, or pasted into your email. Please don't send PDFs.
- Photos
- The original file, at least 2,500 pixels on the long edge, as JPEG or TIFF. Phone photos are fine, but send the original rather than a copy from WhatsApp or Instagram, which shrink it.
- Artwork and handwriting
- Scan at 300 dpi or more. No scanner? Photograph it flat, straight on, in daylight, with no shadows.
- File names
- Your name and the title, e.g. Sam_Kitchen.jpg
How to submit
Email your work by 6 December 2026, with:
- Up to 3 pieces, attached
- Your name as you'd like it printed (a pseudonym is fine)
- A one-line bio, up to 25 words (optional)
What happens next
Every contributor gets a printed copy in the post in early 2027.
You keep all rights to your work. I may want to share some pieces on this website, but I'll always ask first.
Space is limited, so I may not be able to include everything, and I might suggest small edits. Nothing is printed without your OK.
Get a copy
Not contributing but want one? Send me a note and I'll put you on the list.
Request a copyKnow someone who should be in it? Pass this on.