We're the longest-running weekly women's magazine in the world. We're famous for our fiction and features. You can also enjoy our Specials and Pocket Novels.
The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here!
Congratulations to Léonie Gregson, the overall winner of The People’s Friend New Writers Prize, who will receive the £10,000 writing bursary for her “beautifully written, compelling” short story “Fossils”.
“When we see people in disasters, we see them as if they could be members of our own family, and that’s why we are so passionate about helping them.”
@Khalsa_Aid
founder Ravi explains how the organisation got started and grew to an international force in this week's issue.
We're not the only ones typing away today! Meet the new
@polscotdogs
recruits in our March 10 issue, as we chat to PDS Richard Moffat about their future careers and the life of a PD.
We can't believe it! We have received one of the highest honours ever! It's official! We're in the Guinness Book Of Records!
@GWR
We are the longest running women's magazine! Please retweet and spread the news!
Who doesn't have vivid childhood memories of Ladybird books? In this week's issue, we chat to
@LBFlyawayhome
Helen Day about her fab collection of them and the travelling exhibition that's bringing joy and nostalgia across the country. Check out:
We're delighted to be sharing our feature on
@simon_dell_tog
and his wild mice with you in this week's issue. Simon's mouse pics have cheered us all up, and we hope they do the same for you! Happy new issue Wednesday, folks...
In this week's issue,
@GillPlusFive
finds out about
@CityHorses
- the mounted police unit that covers the heart of London. In the feature is Police Horse (PH) Scooby - pictured below, who we're delighted to hear is back on the streets after an injury! 👍
With a bit of sadness, we bid farewell to Fiction Ed Shirley today. Or rather, we're sad, but she can't stop smiling! Things won't be the same without her. We wish her all the best for the future and her well-earned freedom. As of Monday, Lucy will be our new F.E.!
Wow! 155 years ago today a certain magazine went on sale! Here in 2024 we're still going strong! There's no-one like us! Thank you to all our wonderful readers, writers and contributors!
Attention! We're looking for 3000 word stories from authors who haven't yet been published in the "Friend". Send yours to friendfiction
@dctmedia
.co.uk
Happy Birthday to us! 153 years ago today a magazine was launched that went on to become a record-breaker! Your "Friend" has sailed a steady ship and she'll always put her readers first! Did someone say cake?
Happy Birthday to us! We are 155 years young! We champion fiction and are open to all writers...that's what we've done for 155 years. All our short stories in this week's issue are by debut "Friend" authors!
At the "Friend" HQ we're in the same building as comics like The Beano and Commando, and a lot of the team worked on Jackie and girls' comics in the past. What comic do you remember the most from your younger years? Or a favourite comic character?
And it begins! Our
#LoveDarg
campaign for 2019 with
@CatsProtection
starts in this week's issue. Everything you knit will help cats still looking for their for ever home, and this year's knits are quick and easy. Let us know how you get on!
Remember our lovely
#CloseKitFriends
yarn-bombed bus tour we did in September? Well, all that yarn is being put to good use! One of the uses is cosy blankets for cats staying at
@CatsProtection
across the country!
@StagecoachEScot
Meet our judging panel for The People’s Friend New Writers Prize! They’re helping ‘Friend’ staff pick the winners from the huge number of entries we had as we hunt for the country’s best new writing talent. Congratulations to everyone who entered!
The People’s Friend is deeply saddened by the news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at the age of 96, after 70 years on the throne. We will be joining the rest of the nation in observing a period of mourning. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family.
Listen up, agents. We have a mission for you. It's from the top. Fiction Ed Lucy is looking for stories from October onwards for the weekly and January onwards for the Special. 2000 and 3000 words, please. Any genre. Now go and see Q for your gadgets.
From all of us at
@TheFriendMag
we wish you a merry Christmas. We'd also like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your support during 2020. It's meant the world to us all that you've been there. 2021 WILL be better.
Someone has been in touch to say they heard that we're not reading manuscripts at the minute because we have too many. This is completely false! We're one of the few magazines who consider every single story that we receive and we'll continue to do so! Please retweet!
#amwriting
There was one outstanding winner in the Media Brand of the Year category. They perfectly met each of the 5 judging criteria points & has shown it has diversified into a multi-channel, multi-layer brand.
Well done The People's Friend,
@DC_Thomson
Thomson
#PPASA2022
Can we just say a HUGE thank you to our incredible IT team who have worked miracles to get over 1000 people from the company successfully working from home!
#legends
Folks, if you enjoyed our interview with
@LBFlyawayhome
's Helen Day in last week's issue, join us for a face-to-face chat with Helen on Facebook Live tomorrow (Friday!) at 11am (BST!). Hope to see you there!
Good morning, Friends! It's a very different Monday morning, but we're here! Your PF team are all working from home and we're getting the best magazine in the world ready for you!
Here are some things to remember!
1. Anyone can submit stories to us.
2. You don't need to have been published before.
3. If you're not sure about content, genre etc, you can ask us.
4. Fiction in magazines is really important!
As you know, we're all about fiction! We simply love good stories and so do our readers! Read Fiction Ed Lucy's latest blog to discover even more opportunties for writers!
Good morning, world! How is everyone getting on? How many cups of tea did you drink over the weekend? Your "Friend" family are here for you throughout the day!
Before we left the office we divided up all the manuscripts for reading and took them home...that's why today we signed up a brand new People's Friend author! Times may be hard, but never give up!
@TheFriendMag
is here to stay and we will always champion fiction! Get writing!
Here's Editor Angela and a happy "Friend" team
@warnerhotels
Alvaston Hall Hotel for our 150th Birthday Bash! Keep an eye out over the weekend for more great photos!
#pf150
I’ve teamed up with
@peoplesfriendmagazine
as Head Judge of their New Writers Prize, and to get the nation reading for as little as 6 minutes a day! Grab a brew and give yourself some me time 📕🫖
Our wonderful new look magazine is out today! Don't worry...our brilliant stories and features haven't changed, but your beloved magazine looks brighter and better!
We're still the champion of writers experienced and new! Anyone can submit a story and we know that fiction is here to stay!
#ShortStories
#Fiction
#Authors
"There have been places where we've been the first people to visit!" Dr Heather Stewart from
@BritGeoSurvey
tells us about some of her incredible expeditions as a marine geologist in this week's issue, including mapping the five deepest points of the world's five oceans!
We were saddened to hear of the death of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, this afternoon. He will be remembered for his lifetime of service to the British people, and for his devotion to the Queen and the Royal Family.
The first ever cover! Actually quite hard to read, even full size. There's a replica of the issue inside our Special 169, which goes on sale January 23.
#PF150
Wow! What a year it's been! Thank you for your wonderful company throughout the past 12 months! We're taking a festive break and we'll be back for more lovely chats on Tuesday, January 9th!
#PFWritingHour
Our first Christmas lunch in 2 years!🎄 Very festive and VERY filling as we try to stay awake at our desks😴😂 We hope you're enjoying the run up to the holidays!
"No child should carry their life in a bin bag". But for kids in care, sometimes it's the only thing they have to move their stuff around in. Read about
@wearemadlug
, the company who give a bag to a child in care for every bag you buy from them, in this week's issue.
@dawnsgeddes
WE WON! Oh, what a night! Editor Angela attended the
#PPA_Live
#PPASA22
#PPAScotland
last night and the "Friend" scooped the Media Brand Of The Year Award!
A quick correction to something we tweeted during the writing hour this week: we ARE still looking for Christmas stories for our weekly issues - deadline mid September. We are also always open to seasonal submissions at any time of the year.
152 years ago today
@TheFriendMag
appeared on shelves for the very first time! All these years later we're still giving our readers the best fiction and features around! Thank you!
It's been such an exciting day with the announcement of our New Writers Prize winner!
We also have our weekly and Special issues out today - it's very busy at the "Friend" office!
“Our aim is to change outdated perceptions of Down’s syndrome." Thanks to
@sallyjenkinsuk
for the fab feature in Special 218 (on sale now) about Jamie McCullum
@5ushi
and his organisation, Wouldn't Change A Thing
@Wouldntchangea1
, challenging the negativity surrounding Down's.
"The People's Friend" is a champion of fiction. Did you
know . . .
1. Anyone can submit, whether you've been published before or not.
2. We pay on acceptance.
3. You will then get your very own editor to work with.