The Oxford Review of Books (ORB) is a cultural magazine based at Oxford University. It was founded in Spring 2017, and publishes one issue every Oxford term, three per year. The ORB is now published in association with Stanford University. 

The ORB is home to long-form reviews and essays, as well as diary pieces, interviews, poetry, and fiction. It conducts interviews with politicians, actors, philosophers, historians, poets, classicists, and activists. It is created by current undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Oxford, and its scope is global.​

Poetry submissions for our print issue are now open!
The ORB is accepting poetry submissions for our Summer issue until midnight on the 26th of February.

POETRY

 Poetry submissions are open approximately three weeks before the Oxford term starts. Anyone is welcome to submit within this window. The ORB does not tend to publish poems over 30 lines, and welcomes submissions of 3-4 poems. Please submit as a Word file and include a third-person bio to orbpoetry@gmail.com.

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The Oxford Review of Books is now accepting poetry submissions for our Summer 2026 Issue! To  submit your entry, please email us at orbpoetry@gmail.com by midnight on the night of Thursday, 26th of February.  

One of our editors will email you regarding the outcome of your entry by Thursday, 5th of March.

Who can enter the competition?  

Anyone! We welcome submissions from current and former Oxford students but also accept submissions  from writers across the globe.

What are we looking for?  

The ORB is about original thought and high-quality expression. We strongly recommend that you read previous entries, published on our website, to get a sense of what a successful submission might look like. There is no theme which you must adhere to.

How many pieces will you publish? 

We typically publish four to six poems in our print issue. 

What format should my submission be in?  

Please submit only Word documents or PDFs. Google Docs are not accepted.  

Is there a word limit or a limit on the number of entries? 

Submissions should be a maximum of 30 lines. There is a maximum of five entries per person. Submitting  more work does not increase the odds we accept one of your pieces for publication. 

Can I submit previously published writing and/or are you open to simultaneous submissions?  

We do not accept submissions that have been previously published elsewhere. While we do allow  simultaneous submissions, if your piece is accepted elsewhere, please inform us immediately as we will need  to withdraw it from consideration.  

Can I submit to your website instead of the print issue?  

Yes! The digital edition of the ORB is open for submissions throughout the term, and you can send all  submissions for the website to either theorbdigital@gmail.com and orbpoetry@gmail.com. If you would like  to be considered for digital publication, please specify that in your email.