Quiet footsteps.
Hushed voices.
Never underestimate your power as both reader and writer. Readers are the people who bring the story to life. They breathe the air from their lungs directly into each character. They walk the journey a footstep at a time. They hear the laugh, they feel each tear, they love and they hate. As writers, we must remember that just because we cannot see the audience doesn’t mean they are not there.
Cover Photo by Alaeddine Jaghdam via Unsplash
Cover Design – A Coup of Owls
Max Turner – Publisher
Rhiannon Wood – Editor in Chief
Sarah Boyd – Editor
Leonie Natascha – Publishing Assistant
A Coup of Owls: Winter 2025 (issue 20)
Published by A Coup of Owls Press
December 2025
This issue is available to read or as a download at the bottom of this page.
Contents
They Try The New Christmas Dress
by Mir Rainbird
A ghost that was never human animates a dry Christmas Tree.
Messenger of the Night
by Lily Black
A raven arrives at the cemetery to lead a soul onward.
Imperial Gilt and Brocade
by J. Leo Brite
What happens when the Emperor is aware of the true nature of his couture?
One Revolution
by Toshiya Kamei
A person with a new synthetic body seeks to find internal harmony and a connection to their past self.
Turning Pages
by Dustin P Brown
A pianist reflects on her skills.
Shoreline In The Deeps
by Tom Okafor
The life of a young man dealing with his mother’s cancer is changed when he meets a new love interest.
A Coup of Owls Press 
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