Marcus Silcock Surreal-Absurd
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Burroughs and The Fall and Beavers
Throwback to 2013 when a few of my micro fictions (“Northern Cream” and “I Love Beaver”) found a home in Issue 8 of Lil’ Sprung Formal. “Northern Cream” is a distant dream—I actually wrote it in celebration of William Burroughs for an exhibition! Bits of Mark E Smith (from The Fall) in there along with… Read more
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Celebrating 25 Years of Xing the Line in London
I am heading to London tomorrow. I need to refuel at least once a year in London. It is where I cut my second teeth. Friends and artistic communities. Yes please. One of the most welcoming for many years when I lived in London was Xing the Line run by Jeff Hilson, and now also… Read more
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Willow Springs Issue 97
When I was living in Utah and just starting out as a writer, there were a few literary journals I loved and looked up to deeply. They were the places where I discovered work that made me feel both challenged and encouraged, and they helped shape the writer I was becoming. Over the years, I’ve… Read more
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Cereal City Review
I have two new flash fictions in Cereal City Review. They take place in Sitges during a mysterious power outage. No electricity or internet. No phone signals. No electronic payments. The stories are the beginning of a horror and fantasy and fabulist novella in progress that is constantly shifting. I am diving into more and… Read more
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ROUNDABOUTS
In the 1980s we moved from Northern Ireland to Milton Keynes England. They had lots of roundabouts. Here is a new prose poem about the roundabouts. Just published in the new issue of Elsewhere Magazine. https://elsewheremag.org/issue-28/ Read more
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The Organ Grinder
A new microfiction, from my manuscript in progress, Seaside Saints, is now up at The Argyle Review. Seaside Saints might become a novella in microfiction about various characters in a small seaside town in Catalunya. There are twenty or so stories so far. This one is about an organ grinder whose golden retriever retrieves the… Read more
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DEER MUSK
“The whole town smelled like chives and onion with a dash of mustard. Maciek sampled the popular dish. Chips, thin as a shoelace, mayo on the side. Clams in large pot with white wine brine. Strange, though, this hankering for deer musk.” My microfiction, “Deer Musk,” is now up at Literary Garage. It’s kind of… Read more
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DODO ERASER
Happy to have a new microfiction at Dodo Eraser. It takes place in Trieste, Italy, where I lived many moons ago. Poverty and art and dog walking. The story is called “Higher Callings.” You can read it here Read more
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“BIG FISH” NOMINATED FOR BEST SMALL FICTIONS 2025
Some nice news this morning. My micro fiction “Big Fish” has been nominated by Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction from New Zealand for Best Small Fictions 2025. Thank you to Michelle Elvy (editor of Flash Frontier). Read more
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MEAT SWEATS IN DIAGRAM
I am happy to have a serial prose poem in the new issue of Diagram. Diagram has been around a good while. It was one of my earliest publications in the early part of this century. My earlier work is in issues 3.4 and 4.4. This new work is in issue 25.4. The serial prose… Read more
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DREAM DUST IN FAVORITE READS OF 2025
Thank you to Benjamin Niespodziany for including my book Dream Dust for his favorite reads of 2025. I have always loved Benjamin Niespodziany’s end of year of list of books. I am honored to be included this year. Check out the roundup over here Read more
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BOMBAY LIT MAG
“. . . the playful, grotesque, microscopic gaze of the noisy unconscious in Marcus’ poems that makes maneuvers from foaming blond ales to “new lips for new lovers” and, as in the poem ‘Easter Rabbit’, people the poem as thoughts bubbling in someone’s mind. The poems, in giving us the impression that they are emergent… Read more
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Absurd Tales: Peas in G&Ts & Ghost Faces
New Absurdities: Peas in G&Ts, Vomited Birds, Ghost Faces Three micro-stories blending rookie cops, dream shoes & hallway haunts. You can read it HERE: https://thegorkogazette.com/2025/12/04/3-by-marcus-silcock/ Read more
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Moat Gravy and Life Confetti
My new prose poem, “Fish,” is now published at Instant Noodles Literary Magazine. It features mermaid mothers, gravy hounds, and the tiny, powerful tornadoes found in a fishbowl. Read the full piece: https://instantnoodleslitmag.com/fish-marcus-silcock/ Read more
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‘Golden Trumpet’: A Microfiction
The memory of the 90s Salt Lake City underground—the legendary nights at Bricks and The Sun—was violently punctuated by a freak tornado that slammed downtown as the millennium turned. You can read the full story now, alongside a brilliant flash by Karen Crawford, as this week’s featured MicroMonday over at Fictive Dream: https://fictivedream.com/2025/11/24/micromonday-33/ Read more
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CUL-DE-SAC OF BLOOD
🌾 New Horror Microfiction: “Potatoes of Promise” 🐖👹 I have a new horror micro story at the magazine CUL-DE-SAC OF BLOODFarmers and swines full of demons. Robot cows that don’t moo. Whales in the wall of motel 6. And a man with deer antlers. My newest microfiction, “Potatoes of Promise,” is live now — a surreal piece… Read more
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Big Fish” — My Surreal Micro Story in Flash Frontier’s Fish Issue
I’m thrilled to share that my surreal micro story “Big Fish” appears in the October 2025 issue of Flash Frontier — the Fish Issue.Read it here: Flash Frontier – October 2025 Issue “Big Fish” is a short, absurd story about what it means to live inside something vast — a creature, a system, a world — and to keep scrubbing ourselves… Read more
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Lit Balm Online Reading
A few weeks ago, I read some new microfiction for The Mercurius Show at the Lit Balm reading series. Lit Balm is an interactive livestream poetry reading series that features readings, panels, and open mics, often held biweekly. LIT BALM is brought to you by Marc Vincenz of MadHat and New American Writing (Magazine), Cassandra… Read more
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New Surreal Absurd Story in Bending Genres
I’m delighted to share that my story “Burning Bush” has just been published in Issue Forty-Seven of the always-exciting magazine Bending Genres! I’m thrilled and honored to be in such terrific company — with new work by Kim Magowan, Francine Witte, Glen Pourciau, and many more bold, brilliant voices pushing the boundaries of form and… Read more
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Mercurius Launch at Backstory Books in Barcelona
Tomorrow we continue the Mercurius surreal absurd show at Backstory Books in Barcelona. Another round of readings. Another dream map improv. The dream map improv will involve the audience this time. Since there are only three readers (Marcus Silcock, Thomas Helm, Hugh Beim-Steinberg). “The program will feature short readings from poets in the anthology, followed… Read more
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New surreal absurd stories in Rawhead
I’m happy to share that two of my prose poems appear in the inaugural issue of Rawhead Literary Journal — alongside brilliant voices like Meg Pokrass, Brad Rose, Jeff Friedman, and many more fab writers. Read my other prose poem, and the full issue here:🔗 https://rawheadjournal.org/issue-one/template-2/ Read more
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The MERCURIUS Show: Interactive Livestream Event
The September 20, 2025 episode of Lit Balm: An Interactive Livestream Reading Series will be the MERCURIUS show, and feature Vik Shirley, Thomas Helm, Marcus Silcock, and Ben Niespodziany! As always, we’ll begin with poems from our hosts and end with an open mic. It’s gonna be a doozy! I am going to read a… Read more
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MERCURIUS SURREAL ABSURD VIRTUAL READING MARATHON
Mercurius anthology of surreal absurd is out in the world. A joy to co-edit this puppy. Terrific online launch. A reading marathon of 18 readers. Other launches coming soon in London at Dorothy Gallery and Edinburgh, Scotland and Barcelona, Spain. Read more
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Double Whammy: Two New Micro Fictions
🎉 Double Whammy: Two New Micro Fictions Just Dropped! I’m thrilled to share two fresh micro fictions out in the wild. 🥋👑 The Judo King Set in Northern Ireland, this piece dives into the immigrant experience through the lens of a judo master with a secret.Published by Maudlin House. 👉 Read The Judo King 🌀 Wiggle A love… Read more
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The Judo King – New Microfiction Published at Maudlin House
I’m excited to share that my new microfiction, The Judo King, is now live at Maudlin House. Maudlin House is a small press that celebrates experimental and boundary-pushing literature, blending mainstream pop culture with avant-garde storytelling. Their mission—to challenge readers’ perspectives and explore the human condition through weird, unconventional writing. Yes please! Read the Story📖 Click here to… Read more
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‘Bunker’: A New Surreal-Absurd Microfiction
🔥 New Microfiction Published: Bunker at Blood+Honey “They were the burning bush in the wilderness of starched fathers. The wolves howled outside. Mother leaned against the dresser to pop out another sister. What big eyes, said mother.” My latest microfiction, “Bunker,” is now live at Blood+Honey — a surreal, absurdist glimpse into a family’s strange rituals at the edge… Read more
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Unbroken Journal
Super happy to have a new one paragraph story in Unbroken. “Unbroken is a quarterly online journal that seeks to showcase prose poems and poetic prose, both from established and emerging voices. We desire to give the block, the paragraph, the unlineated prose, a new place to play.” My story (or maybe it’s a prose poem)… Read more
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Chalk Talk: A Noir Flash Fiction
“The detective scans the tree. Jacaranda sticks to her sandals. Yes, you guessed it. It’s that time. The time of flowers. The fiesta of flowers. Old timers are weaving them into great wreaths on the ground, outlined in chalk.” Read more
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A Reading of Pickled Herring
A reading of my new surreal-absurd story called “Pickled Herring.” Recently published in the magazine Blood+Honey. You can read the story over here: https://www.bloodhoneylit.com/fiction/pickled-herring Read more
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Surreal-Absurd Microfiction: The Magic of Pickled Herring
“I do not like to expose my neck to the barber. My head is full of migratory birds, thinks Kato, walking the dust park remembering the lush fish. On the way to work, a plump man always stopped to ask for loose change. She refused until one day. That one day changed the rest of… Read more
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Finding the Bone
I have a new prose poem in the latest issue (number 159) of Right Hand Pointing. Right Hand Pointing is fab minimalist magazine. I have loved the magazine over the years. I am super happy to my new work in there. It is a childhood story. A bit of magic beneath the trees. Check out… Read more
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LAUNCH OF DREAM DUST IN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
Video of my reading for the launch of my new book, Dream Dust (Broken Sleep 2025), in Manchester. It was a terrific afternoon of surreal-absurd poetry at an incredible community art space: P3 Annihilation Eve – AD England. A heartfelt thank you to the dream team of fellow poets and friends who also read that… Read more
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6 BITE SIZED SURREAL-ABSURD STORIES
Dream trees, wolf eyes, hot pockets, and wing chairs. A string of new prose poems published over at Talking about Strawberries All the Time. Talking about Strawberries All the Time is an online literary journal based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They publish new issues of the magazine every October and April I am happy… Read more
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P3 Annihilation
“Manchester’s live literature scene has been awash with amazing visiting poets this spring and for this free afternoon of absurd surreal poetry, we are agog to see Vik Shirley, Stephen Emmerson and Marcus Silcock corralled by Tom Jenks and reading in a place packed with brilliant books.” Read the rest of the announcement over here:… Read more
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Do you wear socks with your sandals?
It seems like so many people love the beach. Millions of humans frolicking on the beach. I am not a cocktail sippin roll in the sand kinda fella. But a beach with howling winds and nobody else around. The only thing packed is the sand. That’s a nice beach. But I moved to a beach… Read more
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Navigating January Blues: the head and the heart
Happy Monday! January is not an easy month. Post-Christmas. Winter for many. February even more so. My head is spinning. Some lack of sleep. Too many thoughts of what’s next. Finding some kind of purpose. Trying not to read too much news. It is so easy to get lost in the head. It is good… Read more
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‘Dream Dust’: Surreal-absurd Travel Stories
Hurrah!! I have a new book coming in March 2025 from Broken Sleep Books in the U.K. Broken Sleep makes very fine books. Super happy and grateful. It is called Dream Dust. microfiction/prose poems from Berlin, Barcelona, London, Poland, Prague, Utah and more. I have been working on some of these prose poems since 2018.… Read more
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Winter Poem: Dear Working Man with Tarred Leggings
A new prose poem from my ongoing manuscript. This one is called “Dear Working Man with Tarred Leggings.” Winter poem. A little morning broth to heat the bones. Beauty does not only exist for the leisure class. Read more
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Letters to Objects: A Memoir of Portadown
Working on a new manuscript. Letters to objects. Some of it memoir. Some of it stories. Maybe prose poetry. Some with pathos (but hopefully not bathos). Tis the season for the invasion of memories. Here is one about growing up in Oakwood Place in Portadown, N. Ireland. My Granda. Roses. It can never do it… Read more
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Pulse of the Nation: A Prose Poem Inspired by Dreams
I’ve been reactivating my German from high school and college. Dreaming of Berlin. But also other things in the air. Like the prose poems of Max Jacob. Max Jacob (1876-1944) was a French poet, painter, and writer who played a significant role in the early 20th-century literary scene. He was a close friend of Pablo… Read more
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Exploring Travel Through Prose Poetry
I am super chuffed to have a new prose poem in issue 2 of Strings literary magazine. Written during the summer of 2024. I found inspiration in reading various translations of Rilke. I also acquired a new technique of writing in pencil. Rilke brought to mind my days in Trieste as a dog walker. I… Read more
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Poland is for Lovers
It’s been an epic journey from Barcelona through France and Germany to the mountains of Poland. Currently in the oldest spa town in Poland called Cieplice. It’s been around since 1281. Lushing out in the green, I wrote a prose poem on the fly. It’s called The Green Ticket. It is part of my new… Read more
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Swan Songs
Here is a Swan Song for the old life. It was written a few years ago right before Christmas and travel to Poland. After emergency surgery and feeling alive. It is also about middle age. Shame. Suffering. There is a little chisel in there as well. It’s a reference to C.S. Lewis and his answer… Read more
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Buffalo ( x8)
“Do you want to show your baby face to the world or wrap yourself in hair blankets? I think you look better wrapped in hair blankets, says Eimear.” Read more
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talking about strawberries all the time
Here are a few new surreal-absurd prose poems. Written in summer 2023 while visiting Berlin and Wroclaw. Just published at talking about strawberries all the time. Read more
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4 New Prose Poems from Wrocław and Berlin
From immigration to Las Vegas from Northern Ireland (and a new Starsky and Hutch car) to anarchist squat flags and Turkish meze in Berlin. The poems hopscotch between our two-fold consciousness. Outside/inside. Inside/outside. They are “reality in a nutshell and fear in a handful of dust.” They are “all dusty dream glitter.” Read more
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The Language of Cabbage
Cabbage has been with me a long time. It is comfort. Whether German or Polish or Irish. There are lots of cabbages. Also green. My favourite Garcia Lorca poems are green. Here is a poem about cabbage. And the colour green. Recently published in Laurel Review. Stay green! Read more
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HOBART
First time I have something published on Christmas Day. 3 surreal-absurd prose poems over at Hobart today. Thank you Jessica Almereyda for selecting and editing. A rarity to have an editor who pays such close attention to the work. Here is one of them. Nostalgia/not nostalgia. It will be the title of my new book… Read more
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Bruiser
I have 3 new prose poems in Bruiser. Sheep shearing in Warrington. The Fall Guy with Hamburger Helper and Lee Majors in a trailer park in Vallejo. Goshiwon with tiny television spitting out gameshows in Seoul. Plato’s cave in Utah. Enjoy the journeys. Check out the surreal-absurd prose poems over here Read more
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Granny Winegums
I have been finding new ways forward with various kinds of prose poetry. My new manuscript in progress, Dream Dust, is a mix of fables, serial poetry, microfictions, flash non-fiction. Maybe I’ll throw in a few flash plays. Here is a fable/prose poem. It is about Granny Winegums. American flop houses, bog butter on wheat… Read more
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The Magic Unicorn
The unicorn is magic. I dreamed of unicorns in Istanbul. It is very ancient. The personal fork was invented by the Byzantines. Then our teeth changed. We developed the overbite. We bite off more than we can chew. This is a prose poem about the golden horn of Turkey. Also Byzantines. But really unicorns. Here… Read more
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A Very Thin Crack
A surreal-absurd prose poem from my manuscript Dream Dust. Written while visiting southern Utah. This is called “The Narrows.” Read more
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BETSEY TROTWOOD
Great night at The Betsey Trotwood in London for Mercurius Magazine’s Surreal-Absurd feature. Our first live event with readings by Vik Shirley, Marcus Silcock, Jane Yeh, and Mark Waldron. Here is a phone recording of my reading with poems from my books The Green Monk & Rides & Tangling llamas on the Tresses of the… Read more
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Surreal-Absurd at The Betsey Trotwood
My first public reading since 2017. Live at The Betsey Trotwood in London on 15th July. Happy as Larry to read with some stellar poets (Vik Shirley, Jane Yeh, Mark Waldron). Tickets are limited. Available over here at Eventbrite for the price of a fancy muffin (maybe): Ahead of the reading, here is a preview… Read more
