Fiction Ed’s Blog: We’re Going Back To The Office!


Shutterstock / paikong © Welcome Back sticky note on desk with keyboard and mouse

Just before the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, the “People’s Friend” team left the office to work from home.

It’s hard to believe that at the time of writing, we’ve now been working from home for over two years.

In that time, we’ve continued to produce the magazine from kitchen tables, dining rooms and bedrooms – sometimes with ‘help’!

Back To The Office

And now we have exciting news – we have a date to go back to the office!

And it’s today! Tuesday, 26 April will be the first time “The People’s Friend” team has been in the office together since the first lockdown.

And although the Fiction Team have seen each other in that time, due to covid regulations, it’s only been very briefly – for sorting through the backlog of mail in the office, for example.

We’re all really looking forward to going back to the office. Abbie, the newest member of our Team, has only ever worked with the Team virtually, so it’ll be great to meet in person.

What Will Be Changing?

So what will be changing?

For our readers and writers, nothing will be changing at all.

We’ll continue to accept stories by email. For published authors, that’s via their assigned editor, and for unpublished authors, that’s via our email submissions system.

Initially, we’ll be in the office one day a week, on a Tuesday.

Thank You

So as we head back to the office, it remains for me to thank all our readers and writers for bearing with us.

We couldn’t have kept the magazine going without our authors, old and new, who continued to submit stories, serials, poems and pocket novels for consideration.

We hope the magazine has continued to provide comfort, entertainment and a good read during these difficult times.

Here’s to good days ahead!

Lucy Crichton

Fiction Editor Lucy is always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, she enjoys working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of 'Friend' fiction!