by Victoria Bromley
For Issue 09 of Swim Press, we referred to a previous list of theme ideas we didn’t end up using for past issues. Usually the time of year determines the theme we go for to be in keeping with the seasons, such as saving issue 05 Haunt for the autumn, and when Gluttony was suggested earlier in the year, we reserved it.
Gluttony is a word with many meanings and interpretations which is paramount for the theme we choose. There are many sides to the coin. While many associate the word with eating and over indulgence of food, the term has a much broader definition.
Gluttony is defined as the over-consumption and over-indulgence of anything to the point of waste. Living within a society of consumerism, whether that be clothes, electronics, material goods, we are all guilty, to some degree, of taking more than we need.
The word itself is a derivation of the Latin to “gulp down or swallow”, so it’s common for excess drinking or eating to be commonly seen as gluttonous behaviour. There are many religious associations to the word, where consuming more than necessary is defying God and depriving people and the environment around you. As one of the seven deadly sins, being a glutton could cause poverty and distress to others if all resources and pleasures are taken, and become wasteful. But nowadays, it seems that greed comes from desiring a more luxurious lifestyle influenced by unobtainable and false ideals of what success looks like.
We’re excited to see what writers come up with and of course for the photography and artwork submitted. As always with our submission guidelines, we ask writers to provide any trigger warnings and that graphic content is not welcome.
Submission for issue 09 Gluttony open Sunday 21st September until 5th October 2025. For more information, keep an eye on our submissions page which will be updated when submissions open.
swim press 