Issue Seven
July 2026
Editor's note
Happy two years of Underbelly Press!
Issue One was released in August 2024, and two years later we’re as dedicated as ever to championing raw, unfiltered voices. From the start, Underbelly Press has existed because of the generosity of writers, artists, and photographers from around the world who have trusted us with their work. Together, we’ve explored the overlooked facets of everyday life - grief, loss, mental health, human struggle, resilience and the beauty that can be found within the mundane. Our aim has always been to give space to authentic experiences, embracing the grit, vulnerability, and complexity of what it means to be human.
Thus, it felt fitting that for our two year anniversary, we’ve chosen to return to our roots. Issue 7 revisits the magazine’s initial core focus: dirty realism. Within that, deception takes countless forms. As always, I continue to be amazed by the originality and thoughtfulness of the submissions we receive. Every issue reminds me how many different ways there are to interpret a theme while remaining true to your voice.
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of Underbelly Press over the past two years, whether as a contributor, reader, or supporter.
- Lucy Huddleston, Editor-in-Chief
Contributors
EDITORS - Lucy Huddleston
COVER IMAGE - Rebecca St. Pierre
INSIDE ARTWORK - H. Lawrence
DESIGN - Lucy Huddleston & Ellen Darbyshire
SHORT FICTION - ☆ Angela Joynes ☆ Huina Zheng ☆ Ian Brownlie ☆ Kathy Prokhovnik ☆ Katy Goforth ☆ Kelly Murashige ☆ Madeleine Armstrong ☆ Megan Hanlon (CNF) ☆ Rebecca Tiger ☆ Richard Pounder ☆ Scott MacLeod ☆ Simon Collinson ☆ Vanessa Serna ☆
POETRY - ☆ Aerin Higginbotham ☆ Arielle Arbushites ☆ Arthur Neong ☆ Brandon Shane ☆ C.W. Bigelow ☆ D.L. Husband ☆ Edward Lees ☆ Ellen Williams ☆ Geoffrey Aitken ☆ JD Clapp ☆ Lee Fraser ☆ LindaAnn LoSchiavo ☆ Louis Faber ☆ Lydia Rae Bush ☆ Marie-Louise Plum ☆ Peter Devonald ☆
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY - ☆ CLAUDIO PARENTELA ☆ Danny D. Ford ☆ Karen Walker ☆ Laurie Avadis ☆ Rebecca St. Pierre ☆ Sona Eidnani ☆ Vincenzo Cohen ☆