I’m really pleased to announce that I’m editing the forthcoming anthology, Modern Decadent, for Wild Hunt Books. It has only been announced today, but I’m already feeling that 2027 can’t come soon enough!

The anthology will comprise ca. 10 stories that embrace the spirit of the art and literature of the Decadent movement. I’ll be open to short stories submissions in late January 2026.

From the official project page:

Wild Hunt Books are seeking short stories for our upcoming anthology, Modern Decadent. The anthology embraces the fin de siècle literary and arts of the decadents, along with 19th century symbolism and aestheticism. We also welcome stories with a good dash of proto-Weird in the vein of Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Machen, Edgar Allan Poe, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Robert Chambers.

We encourage stories that subvert the expected and societal norms, embrace ‘art for art’s sake’ and toe the line of logic. We like stories that present people and situations that are not what they first seem. We would love to be unsettled. We want to know about secrets and decaying beauty; how society can rot from the inside. Realism is out and Decadence is in.

Submissions should be between 1,500-5,000 words (we are not seeking poetry, flash fiction, scripts, novels or novellas). We are only open to stories written in English (no translations) and not previously published, including on personal websites and blogs. We are looking for single author contributions and are not seeking multi-author written stories. All stories should be original to the author and not penned by generative AI or similar. While we accept submissions from writers anywhere in the world, we prioritise those residing in the United Kingdom, regardless of nationality or citizenship.

Submissions will be open from 19th January and close on 1st February 2026.

You can find more info on the publisher’s website. This will include what I’m looking for, when and how to submit, payment and other FAQs. Please only send stories during the sub period and via the publisher’s online portal. I do not consider any submissions emailed to me.

---