An independent magazine of original true stories, established in 2020
Friends On The Shelf is an independent literary magazine that publishes true, real-life stories from a wide variety of people. Friends On The Shelf’s authors range from completely new writers to well-known names. And their stories vary, too – some are funny, some tragic, some extraordinary, and some are simply a celebration of everyday life. Each issue is a wonderful glimpse into the lives of others.
Click on the cover to see a synopsis of each story
CONTRIBUTORS TO ISSUE 13
Eleni Kyriacou
Sam Brown
Johnny Ball
Caroline Stafford
Vika Medvied
Denisa Popa
Julian Perry
Ilan Adler
David J Zell
Julie Barnett
Mike Nicholson
Shmuel Green
Ian Holt
Abby Semple
Natalie Salaman
Helen Wright
Carl Heap
Teresa Robertson
Sam Green
Pierre Tran
Dennis owen
Martin Doyle
Kirst Roderick
Dan Davison
Available from 26 March 2026
The thirteenth issue of Friends On
The Shelf contains brand new true stories written by a wide selection of people – some experienced writers, some less so but everyone is a great read and told by the writer in their own words.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT FOTS …
'I love everything about this publication – its beautiful illustrations, its immaculate design, its book-size format and its finely chiselled, funny, charming, poignant and often very moving true stories, some a unique slant on things we’ve all experienced, others a ticket to somewhere new and extraordinary. A great escape – and there’s never been a time we needed one more.'
Mark Ellen, magazine editor, broadcaster
and journalist
'Reading the varied stories is like spending time with an amusing raconteur … they make you laugh, cringe, be moved or surprised, and connect with what it means to be human. Memoir at its best'
Vanessa Nicolson, Sunday Times serialised memoirist, novelist and contributor to Issue 6
'I feel proud to be in such good company.'
David Wickers, award-winning travel writer
and contributor to Issues 1, 2, 4 and 10
Thank you for believing in my story and publishing it in FOTS'
Lotie Parker, contributor to Issue 7
Writing for FOTS is a real pleasure … it's been a privilege to see my words treated with such respect.'
Iqbal Hussain, regular FOTS contributor and author of Northern Boy
' … Friends On The Shelf feels rather like tales told by the most interesting new friends gathered around a dinner table by firelight … '
Much Ado Books, Alfriston
'A fascinating snapshot of life in our times. You never know where an issue is going to take you … we hope FOTS inspires and delights you as much as it does us'
Online newsstand, Pics and Ink
with links to some of the stories
CLICK ON THE COVERS OF PREVIOUS ISSUES FOR A LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
Issue 5 sold out
Issue 6 sold out
Issue 9 available:
£7 or £4 for Subscribers
Issue 10 available:
£7 or £4 for Subscribers
Issue 11 available:
£7 or £4 for Subscribers
Issue 12 available:
£7 or £4 for Subscribers
Listen to the interview that we did for Monocle Radio to find out why we decided to start Friends On The Shelf, and what inspired us to take on this hefty but incredibly rewarding project! Click on the image (left)
