Wildfire Words is the public face of Frosted Fire, an independent online publisher led by Howard & Marilyn Timms, who have a combined total of 100 years of editorial and design experience in print and multi-media publishing. Through online publishing, Wildfire Words shares new writing with audio with readers/listeners in more than 100 countries in all continents except Antarctica. The writers we publish range from fresh voices to established poets, short fiction authors, teachers of creative writing.
We aim to further the sharing of creative writing worldwide as text and audio of each writer’s voice.
The Wildfire team is listed here
In Wildfire Words, we give hundreds of creative writers each year an opportunity to share some of their best work worldwide. Wildfire Words selects writing for publication through competitions and submission windows, most with themes to prompt writers, some for writers to choose their best work on any theme. To date, we have published authors from more than 40 countries to thousands of readers in more than 100 countries.
Inclusivity
We aim to be inclusive of writers worldwide. We respect all other people and their well-being, beliefs, individuality, and free speech, and expect the same from all who submit. We’ll publish any writing that accepts that principle and adds fresh creative spice to the content of Wildfire Words. We’ll evaluate your poetic or prose jewel, whether it’s a cut and polished dazzler or a rough stone with some original, interesting lustre. So please don’t hesitate to submit. And we’d love to hear your gem, too, if you choose to send a recording. More about submitting.
We have at least three competitions every year and rely on them and donations to help cover the expenses of running a voluntary global writing community. Support from our lead sponsor, Annie Ellis, underpins the sustainability of Wildfire Words and enables us to run some of our competitions and submission windows solely in aid of specified charities.
Please click here if you wish to donate in support of our service.
Development. From 2018 to 2021, Frosted Fire was among the largest financial supporters of Cheltenham Poetry Festival in difficult times for the arts. After contracting Covid-19 in 2020, we reduced our voluntary roles in the organization of Cheltenham Poetry Festival events to focus on Wildfire Words and Frosted Fire. The Festival team agreed in February 2022 that we should henceforth focus our efforts and resources on our burgeoning publishing programme, at that time with printed books and online. Anna Saunders, CEO of the Festival, wrote: “We are more than grateful for your generosity. Your work and financial gifts to the Festival have been immensely appreciated and now we honour you as Life Patrons.” Howard & Marilyn Timms.
The Wildfire team 2026
Annie Ellis, Bradley Cross, Christine Griffin, Howard Timms, Katherine Parsons, Marilyn Timms
Annie Ellis is the Lead Sponsor of Wildfire Words and Frosted Fire, providing vital financial support for the basic running costs. She also sponsors two charity competitions each year for Wildfire Words, including an annual competition in memory of her daughter, Katrina, in aid of Cotswold Riding for the Disabled. As a volunteer, Annie judges the charity competitions, and acts as usability tester for Wildfire Words website and gatekeeper for online events. See also Crack a Joke competition.
Annie started writing poetry seriously in January 2014. Her first book Nature at a Cost, was released in February 2021. She has had poems published in eight anthologies and in Dawntreader, Snakeskin, and Wildfire Words.
Annie’s second collection, Tempo of Colour, was launched by Wildfire Words in November 2024.
Annie has read at Cheltenham Literature Festival, Cheltenham Poetry Festival, Winchcombe Literature Festival, Evesham Literary Festival, and Evesham Festival of Words. Click here for Annie’s page in Wildfire Words.
Bradley Cross is an audio producer for Wildfire Words, recording, editing, uploading audio alongside stories and poems. He has a BSc in Animation and MSc in Mobile Media and enjoys creative arts, including photography and video work. Bradley wears many hats; freelance, 3d modelling, 3d printing/3d scanning and video game developer — having released a Virtual Reality title by the name of Pipeline VR (2021, Everwake Games).
Christine Griffin is a judge for the 2026 Flash Fiction 150 competition for Wildfire Words, having won first prize for audio in the 2025 competition.
Christine spent her career as a secondary school teacher of English before retiring to devote herself to writing. She writes poetry and short fiction and is widely published, nationally and internationally, in Acumen, The Dawntreader, Graffiti Magazine, Writing Magazine and Wildfire Words amongst others.
Christine’s work has been showcased at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, The Cheltenham Poetry festival, The Wells Festival of Literature and the Worcester Literature Festival Flash Fiction Event. She has many competition wins to her name and has twice been Highly Commended in the Laurie Lee Prize for Writing. Christine is the author of The Road Ahead, a collection of prize-winning short stories.
Howard Timms is publisher, editor, administrator of Wildfire Words. He was a playwright and actor with production credits in the U.S. and Britain, while working in multimedia for a large online publisher in Chicago. On retirement from publishing, he carried on as a playwright and actor, with one-man-show productions at Edinburgh Fringe, Chicago Fringe, Cheltenham and several other locations. After performing at Cheltenham Poetry Festival in 2014, he followed his wife, Marilyn, into writing poetry. In 2016, Howard gained an MA with merit in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of Gloucestershire. Howard was part of the Cheltenham Poetry Festival management and publishing team from 2014 until health issues led to his withdrawal in 2022. He is now a life patron of the festival.
Howard now focusses mainly on poetry. He has had many poems and a few stories published in journals and anthologies. Howard’s first book of poetry, Deciphering the Maze (2020, Indigo Dreams) was a collaboration with Marilyn. His second collection is an audio book Waves at the Arboretum (2025, Wildfire Spoken)
Katherine Parsons (Dr) is Associate Editor for Wildfire Words responsible for editing free submission windows and judging poetry and flash fiction competitions. A PhD in contemporary literature, she is also founding editor of The Passionfruit Review.
Katherine’s own poems have appeared (or are forthcoming) in Underwood Press, The Oakland Review, The High Window, Evocations Review, and Wildfire Words.
Her first poetry collection, Little Intimacy, won a Frosted Fire New Voices competition, and was published as her prize in September 2022. Details of Little Intimacy are here.
Marilyn Timms‘s leading role in Wildfire Words is now mainly as a competition judge. A much published author in journals, anthologies, and ezines, she has won many prizes and appeared seven times in the winners’ list of Gloucestershire Writers Network annual competition at Cheltenham Literature Festival.
Marilyn’s first published poetry collection was Poppy Juice (2018, Beechwood Press). Her second book, Deciphering the Maze (2020, Indigo Dreams) was a collaboration with Howard. Two of her plays have reached the stage; the third lies mouldering alongside her novels.
Marilyn supported Howard in Cheltenham Poetry Festival management roles. In recognition of her support, the Festival made her a Life Patron in 2022.