Writing over what time tries to erase.
Palimpsest is a curated community space for short writing—micro-fiction, poetry, flash nonfiction, and reflection— about memory, identity, revision, and the stories we overwrite to survive.
Editor & curator: Annika Shenoy. Submissions and letters are read carefully. A small number are selected for publication each month.
Monthly prompt
One invitation each month. Small, specific, and open to interpretation.
Curated, not crowded
A few selected pieces, published with brief editor’s notes on craft and theme.
Conversation with the text
Letters and reflections—readers talking back, and the archive listening.
Concept
the idea behind the archiveA palimpsest is a manuscript page where the original writing was scraped away so the page could be used again—yet traces remain. This project treats memory the same way: overwritten, revised, partially erased, still visible beneath the new.
- We publish short work that explores what’s remembered, rewritten, and left behind.
- Each month’s prompt invites a different form of “rewriting.”
- Selected responses form a public archive of recorded moments.
What fits here?
200–900 words of micro-fiction, poetry, flash nonfiction, or reflective writing. You may submit anonymously. If you are under 16, please get a parent/guardian’s permission before submitting.
Participate
how to submit- Length: 200–900 words (poetry flexible).
- Include: title + first name or “Anonymous”.
- Publication: a small number of pieces are selected each month.
- Rights: you keep full rights to your work; by submitting, you grant permission to publish it on this site if selected.
Tip: put your piece directly in the email body (preferred). If you attach a document, please use Google Docs or PDF.
Editor’s note
Palimpsest is intentionally small. Selection depends on theme balance, space, and the shape of each month’s issue. If your piece isn’t selected, it may be because of fit—not because it lacked merit.
Archive
selected responsesThe archive grows slowly. Each “issue” is a small cluster of voices responding to the same prompt.
- Issue 01 — Rewrite a memory twice
- Issue 02 — Erasure: scheduled
- Issue 03 — Objects that remember: scheduled
When you publish, you can add each issue as its own page (for example: issue-01.html) and link it here.
Curator’s format
Each selected piece is published with a brief editor’s note—one or two observations about craft, imagery, structure, or voice. The aim is to build a thoughtful archive, not a feed.
Letters to the text
readers respondingWrite a letter to the story: a question, a confession, a disagreement, a memory it pulled up. Letters can be short. Some may be published (with permission).
You can sign with initials, a first name, or “Anonymous.”
What makes a strong letter?
Specificity. Name an image, a line, or a feeling. Ask a precise question. Disagree thoughtfully. Let the text push back.
Events
school & local participationPalimpsest is designed to be easy to run in a school, library, or writing group: one prompt, one workshop, one small reading.
- Palimpsest Writing Week: one prompt + a short lunchtime sharing circle.
- Workshop: “How to revise a memory on the page” (30–45 minutes).
- Cross-over session: testimony, memory, and truth (ideal for Law Society or debate groups).
Invite the archive to your group
If you’re a teacher or student leader and want to run a prompt session, email Annika. The goal is simple participation and careful listening.
Contact
collaborations & questionsFor collaborations, school partnerships, or questions about submissions, email Annika directly.
This site is text-first: no ads, no tracking, and no pressure to perform—just careful writing and careful reading.
Privacy
If you submit anonymously, only your chosen name will be published. Emails are used only for correspondence about this project.