call for submissions: essays - personal narrative
Electric Literature
SUBMISSION PERIOD: December 1 - 14, 2025 (or when they receive 500 submissions)
INFO: Electric Literature is open for submissions in personal narrative!
GUIDELINES:
Submissions must be full drafts of personal essays submitted via Submittable
While there are no restrictions on form or subject matter, submissions should center narrative and consider what it means to essay; in other words, write to interrogate, investigate, adventure, and introspect
Submissions must be between 2,000 and 6,500 words in length
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know immediately if a submission is accepted elsewhere
Previously published work will not be considered
Response time is approximately six to eight months
Writers may submit once per submission period, but writers can have active submissions across other EL categories. (This does not apply to year-round submitting members. For more information on member submissions, please refer to the welcome email you received when you signed up as member, or email wynter@electricliterature.com.)
Upon acceptance, we can offer authors $100 for publishing rights, with 90-day exclusivity
For more information on what we’re looking for, please watch our salon on EL’s General Nonfiction Program
electricliterature.submittable.com/submit
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OPEN CALL FOR PITCHES: ON AIR FEST BROOKLYN 2026
On Air Fest
DEADLINE: December 5, 2025
INFO: On Air Fest is expanding, and we want your collaboration.
For eight years, On Air Presents has built a home for creative audio and storytelling in all its forms. We spotlight the artists, storytellers, and organizations driving cultural innovation.
At On Air Fest, the stage belongs to those who are breaking form and reimagining what storytelling can be. Previous highlights have included immersive podcast performances, sound-driven art installations, and conversations with creators behind culture-shaping shows. This year, we want to hear from you.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
Pitch us your session, experience, performance, or installation.
On Air Fest 2026 will feature multiple stages, a screening and listening room, an experience hall, and performance spaces for music and sound art. We’re centered on live experience and audience connection, and we welcome curiosity, surprise, and originality.
Consider these formats:
Panels & Presentations: Launch your latest project, host compelling conversations, or experiment with live interactive content pushing the envelope of audience experience. From thought leadership sessions to futurist media theories; brand case studies and ‘how I made this,’ explainers – share your voice on stage.
Workshops & Demos: Share your expertise and inspire others through hands-on experiences, talks and demonstrations. Show us what the forefront looks like.
Performances, Stories & Ideas: Take the stage and tell a story, present a big idea, or captivate us with a performance. Short or long-form welcome, onstage or on the street.
Installations & Experiences: Create immersive, cross-platform storytelling that invites the audience to engage in new ways while in person
Screenings and Deep Listenings: Create moments of reflection, inspiration and community through attentive, collective engagement
Live Podcasts: Capture the energy of the moment with live recordings that also resonate far beyond the room.
Music, poetry, design, art and the indefinable: Surprise us! We are open to big ideas that touch hearts and change minds. Defy our expectations and bring new ways of thinking to the space.
Selected participants will be invited to present live at On Air Brooklyn 2026, February 24–26 in Williamsburg.
onairpresents.com/stories/pitch
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2026 Jason Reynolds / Simon & Schuster Travel Grant
American Library Association
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
INFO: The American Library Association is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2026 Jason Reynolds / Simon & Schuster Travel Grant.
The grant will cover the expenses of five (5) Black/African American youth or teen services librarians or school librarians/media specialists who work in either public or school libraries.
Recipients will receive up to $3000 (and not less than $1500) to pay for expenses related to attending the ALA Annual Conference including but not limited to travel, housing, registration, and a ticket to the Coretta Scott King Award Breakfast.
Five (5) winners will be selected, with an announcement to be made in February 2026 of the selected recipients. The recipients will also be acknowledged at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL during the Coretta Scott King Awards Breakfast.
The grants are funded through a generous donation provided by Simon & Schuster and administered by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR). For details regarding the selection criteria and/or more information visit the grant’s webpage.
ala.org/news/2025/09/2026-jason-reynolds-simon-schuster-travel-grant-application-now-open
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ISSUE 36
Epiphany
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
SUBMISSION FEE: $5
INFO: Submissions are open for the next issue of Epiphany. Send your best poem, creative nonfiction, short stories, and translation.
GUIDELINES:
Poetry:
Submit up to 5 poems at a time.
Preferred formatting is a standard 12-pt font, but experimental forms are welcome.
Should one of your submitted poems be accepted elsewhere, pleased promptly send us a message through Submittable.
We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).
Start each poem on a new page, and include titles.
Include a short bio with your cover letter.
Poetry contributors will receive a payment of $75 per poem and a copy of the journal.
Any work that uses AI in its creation must be identified as such.
Submissions must be written primarily in English.
Nonfiction:
Submit one essay at a time. Our word cap is 7.5k words. If you submit something longer, please make sure it's really spectacular!
Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.
Should your submitted essay be accepted elsewhere, promptly withdraw it through Submittable.
We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).
Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.
Excerpts are also welcome.
Include a short bio with your cover letter.
Nonfiction contributors will receive a payment of $175 and a copy of the journal.
Any work that uses AI in its creation must be identified as such.
Submissions must be written primarily in English.
Fiction:
Submit one story at a time. Our word cap is 7.5k words. If you submit something longer, please make sure it's really spectacular!
Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.
Should your submitted story be accepted elsewhere, promptly withdraw it through Submittable.
We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).
Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.
Novel chapters / excerpts are also welcome.
Include a short bio with your cover letter.
Nonfiction contributors will receive a payment of $175 and a copy of the journal.
Any work that uses AI in its creation must be identified as such.
Submissions must be written primarily in English.
epiphanymagazine.submittable.com/submit
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Developmental Editing Fellowship for Emerging Writers
Kenyon Review
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
APPLICATION FEE: $18
INFO: The Kenyon Review Developmental Editing Fellowship for Emerging Writers is designed to nurture and develop new voices in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The fellowship will provide support for emerging writers who demonstrate exceptional talent, promise, and commitment to their chosen craft. Participation in the program involves one-on-one mentorship by an experienced editor on the KR team over a period of four months. Fellows can expect to have monthly hour-long conversations with a Developmental Editor, who will provide feedback and suggestions on a book draft.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must be twenty-one years of age or older.
This fellowship opportunity is open to any writer who is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting creative writing program.
Applicants should not have published a full-length literary book with a major publisher, university press, or other established press, or be under contract for a book. Published work in literary magazines or journals is acceptable.
Writers from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing industry are especially encouraged to apply.
APPLICATION:
Include…
a project description (max 500 words). Please note any challenges or particular areas of concern within the work.
a poetry or prose writing sample of the project. The writing sample should be 10–15 pages (double spaced for fiction and nonfiction).
a recent copy of your CV.
All fee-paying applicants are invited to claim a complimentary half-year Print plus Digital subscription toThe Kenyon Review (for domestic addresses) or a half-year digital subscription (for international addresses) through December 31, 2025.
SELECTION PROCESS:
Our Developmental Editors (members of the KR editorial team) will review the applications and select the Fellows they will work with. They will reach out to the Fellow and arrange for an initial conversation by phone or Zoom. Fellows and Developmental Editors will collaborate on a work plan, establish goals, and determine deadlines and a schedule for monthly hour-long conversations. Over the course of four months, they will meet by phone or Zoom to discuss the progress of the writing project. Winners will be announced in early 2026.
kenyonreview.org/fellowship/developmental-editing-fellowship/
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call for submissions: Issue 19: ‘Little Changes’
Seventh Wave
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
SUBMISSION FEE: $7
INFO: We are at a critical juncture within the cyclical patterning of human civilization. We are bearing witness to multiple ongoing genocides, the violent disappearance of everyday people, and a climate crisis that stretches across space and time. We’re also currently navigating a crisis of trust in public institutions, disheartened by the way history seemingly continues to repeat itself: victims become aggressors, individualism is prized over collectivism, and power is blood in, blood out. The largeness of this moment cannot be understated.
In times like these, it can be helpful to think about scale. Because all of the crises we face are so interconnected, things can feel overwhelming and inactionable, but the flip side is also true: any positive action we take — no matter how siloed or small — will ripple outward into the web of interconnection. Love, presence, and attention are profound acts of resistance, with visible repercussions. Kissing a loved one, actively nurturing a friendship, or offering money or a place to stay are expressions of care that offer a bit of give in the otherwise impenetrable tension of our reality. So how do we return to this kind of care in a world that tries to keep us from connecting with each other? How do we build trust among each other? Actively being present is not just about witnessing, but about a persistent commitment to grappling with the truth of what we experience, encounter, and need — and engaging in any way we can.
For this issue, we are interested in stories of size and scope. What are the micro-decisions and actions that you’ve taken to fight against unjust systems? In what ways did these decisions and actions take on new forms, and lives? What essential histories have influenced your own work, and how and when do you give them voice? In a world where we’re all simultaneously star and audience, does the act of witnessing magnify or reduce us? And how does shifting our perspective, our vantage point, allow us to elude our own apathy? Only when we zoom out from our present moment to the broader account of human history can we see how we fit into the space time continuum; only when we zoom into the minutiae of everyday interactions can we viscerally understand the importance of gathering our living testimonies, our resources, our people.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
You will submit three items:
a bio of 2-6 sentences,
a 250-500 word statement (addressing the four questions below), and
your submission as a Word Document or PDF.
These are not optional.
STATEMENT + QUESTIONS:
In your statement — this will be a text field in the form on the next page — please tell us in 500 words or less: 1) What are the driving forces behind your work? Tell us what your particular aesthetic or voice will bring to this issue; 2) What are recent social issues, political decisions, or cultural mishaps that sparked meaningful conversation and inspired you to create art, write stories, or otherwise communicate your thoughts to the world? 3) Tell us a little about what you hope to get out of this editorial process; and 4) How does your submission relate to our topic?
GENRE / FORM: We welcome prose and poetry, hybrid work, and visual art.
For prose, a good limit is 3,000 words (though this isn't a strict cut-off). For hybrid work, a good limit is 10 pages (keep in mind how your work might appear on a digital platform).
For poems, you can submit up to four poems (please let us know if they are all part of a series, etc).
For art, please keep in mind that we will be publishing your work on a website. We have some visual capabilities — accordion scrollers, galleries and lightboxes, and even a flipbook, as well as audio capabilities — but we are primarily built to handle written pieces.
This call was co-curated by Joyce Chen, S. Isabel Choi, Avi Hegland-Fisher, Isabella Higgins, Jeff Katz, Lauren Peat, and Jeané D. Ridges.
Any questions, reach out to submit@seventhwavemag.com.
theseventhwave.org/announcement/issue-19-little-changes-now-open/
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7th Annual STORY Foundation Prize
Story Literary Magazine
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
FEE: $25
INFO: The 7th Annual STORY Foundation Prize is open! Stories up to 10,000 words are eligible.
The winner will receive $1500 and publication in STORY.
All entrants receive a one-year subscription to Story. Winners will be announced in April 2026.
JUDGE: Award-winning author Deesha Philyaw will choose the winner.
If you have additional questions, feel free to email us at contact@storymagazine.org
storymagazine.org/submissions/
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Outpost Fellows in Residence
Outpost Foundation
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
INFO: The Outpost Foundation’s flagship program is a residency that offers two BIPOC writers from the United States and Latin America a $4,000 award as well as complimentary travel, lodging, and meals to spend the month of September cultivating a generative writing community in the mountains of Southern Vermont. In addition to the time spent in residence, Outpost Fellows in Residence will engage in organized interactions with the community of local universities and bookstores, allowing space to share their work and expand their networks.
In addition, The Outpost Foundation will invite one BIPOC Vermont writer to receive our ongoing support in the form of manuscript reviews, meetings with literary professionals, and residency on the property. In addition, they will receive a $4,000 award. If you know of a dynamic BIPOC Vermont writer and want to be sure they are on our radar, please reach out.
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OPEN CALL: When the Water Was Gone — Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later
Literary Liberation / Raising Mothers
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
INFO: In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, devastating New Orleans and surrounding communities, altering the lives of families for generations. The storm laid bare not only the power of water and wind but the deep failures of government response, racial inequity, and environmental neglect. Families were scattered, homes were lost, and children grew up too quickly in the shadow of catastrophe.
Now, 20 years later, we return to Katrina to remember, reflect, and reckon with what remains. Raising Mothers is seeking stories from parents, caregivers, and those who were children at the time of the storm. We want to hear about survival and loss, the homes and neighborhoods you rebuilt or were forced to leave, the ways displacement reshaped family and identity, and the lessons Katrina etched into your parenting or your growing up.
WE INVITE WORK THAT:
Honors the resilience of families and communities
Explores intergenerational trauma, memory, and healing
Confronts the systemic injustices revealed and repeated by Katrina
Offers testimony of love, survival, and care in impossible conditions
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Word Count:
Essay / Narrative nonfiction, Interview, Short story and Interviews —up to 5000 words;
Graphic Narrative / Comics — no limit;
Flash CNF — up to 1000 words.
Eligibility: Open to anyone writing in English, anywhere in the world.
Restriction: No previously published work.
Evaluation: All submissions are read by us, Sherisa de Groot, Dara Mathis & K E Garland, the editors of Raising Mothers.
Response time: 3 - 6 months.
raisingmothers.substack.com/p/guidelines
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2026-2027 Writing Fellowship
The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown
DEADLINE: December 15, 2025
APPLICATION FEE: $65
INFO: The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown has supported emerging writers and artists for over 50 years, granting 10 annual fellowships to writers and 10 annual fellowships to visual artists for a seven-month residency that runs from October 1 - April 30.
Fellows, who are selected through a rigorous jury process, are awarded a $1,250 monthly stipend, private accommodations on the grounds of The Fine Arts Work Center, as well as a $1,000 exit stipend to support relocation at the end of the Fellowship. The duration of the residency is entirely self-directed, intended to serve as unrestricted time for writers in the crucial, early stages of their careers.
The Fine Arts Work Center Writing Fellowship counts among its alumni Louise Glück, Jhumpa Lahiri, Tyehimba Jess, Solmaz Sharif, Michael Cunningham, Susan Choi, Denis Johnson, Ann Patchett, Ada Limón, Viet Thanh Nguyen, John Murillo, Paul Harding and other critically acclaimed writers, many of whom have gone on to receive the highest commendations in contemporary American literature.
The application fee is $65 from December 1 at 12:00 pm until the close of the application period on December 15 at 11:59 pm. The fees is payable with a credit or debit card when you submit your application on SlideRoom. Individual application fees directly support Fellowship expenses, including Fellow stipends, the maintenance of artist live-work spaces, and overall administrative support.
For writing application questions, contact Thierry (he/him) at tkehou@fawc.org.
fawc.slideroom.com/#/login/program/86204
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Call for Submissions: Issue II
UbuntuHarlem Magazine
DEADLINE: Extended to December 20, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
INFO: Ubuntu Magazine is a digital magazine highlighting the voices of Harlem’s youth (14–25) through the celebration of our stories and lived experiences, revealing the heartbeat of our community.
Theme for Issue II: Harlem’s ARTivism: Youth in Resistance
As New York City enters a charged political moment with the upcoming mayoral election, Harlem stands once again at the crossroads of art and resistance. This issue explores the power of art as activism = ARTivism, using creativity to confront injustice, spark dialogue, and build community. This issue will be published post-mayoral election results, so Issue II will be focused on how art can be political as a whole in our community and submissions don't need to be solely about the election.
We’re calling for visual and written submissions, including photography, drawings, interviews, poetry, essays, digital art, and more. DM us on Instagram or email ubuntumagazineharlem@gmail.com if you’d like to ask about submitting something outside the box; we love creative risks.
Submit for a chance to be part of the next issue of UbuntuHarlem Magazine.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerhmr-goFQcsKQeTKsTGN4PrsGjHOXxOTXus26jnjrbcAgHg/viewform
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Parent-Writers’ Residency
Upstart & Crow
DEADLINE: December 22, 2025 at 11pm
INFO: Balancing the demands of caregiving with the focus required for sustained creative work can make dedicated writing time feel out of reach for parents. This residency is designed to ease those pressures by offering time, space, and financial support for parent-writers to immerse themselves in their craft.
This month-long residency includes dedicated access to our Granville Island studio, a $4,000 grant and an additional $1,000 in childcare support to help alleviate the practical and financial barriers parent-writers often face.
What are the goals of this residency?
Parenthood can be one of the most rewarding and transformative experiences of a lifetime. Yet for writers, creative processes often compete with the invisible labour and daily responsibilities of caregiving, leaving little room for the sustained focus that literary work requires.
Through this residency, we aim to provide material support for parent-writers, not only through financial resources, but by offering a quiet space where their creative vision is prioritized. Our goal is to support the development of a work of fiction or non-fiction that pushes boundaries in form or content, and to provide the time and resources necessary for the writer to complete a polished draft ready for publication or submission.
What will the resident receive?
A $4,000 grant, delivered in two installments (half upon commencement, half upon completion).
An additional $1,000 to support childcare needs or other caregiving costs.
One month of personal access to our writing studio during opening hours — a quiet, work-only, semi-private space in our upstairs loft on Granville Island.
Opportunities for community engagement through two workshops or events in partnership with Upstart & Crow.
Who is eligible?
This residency is intended for mid-career and established writers who are also parents or primary caregivers, with a demonstrated body of work and experience in their field.
Mid-career writers are those who have at least one published work of fiction or non-fiction (book, essay, or substantial piece in a reputable journal, magazine, or anthology). The successful candidate must be in the process of developing a significant literary presence.
Established writers are those with at least one published full-length book of fiction or nonfiction with an established publisher, or an equivalent body of work across respected magazines, journals, or anthologies. They must have a well-developed professional presence through readings, residencies, awards, or other literary recognitions.
We recognize that systemic barriers can shape the pathways through which writers gain recognition or build traditional literary credentials. We remain committed to maintaining a low barrier to access and will make exceptions to this criteria for candidates whose work demonstrates exceptional talent and originality, even if their formal record of publication is not extensive. Outstanding applications from such emerging writers will be given full consideration.
Additional eligibility criteria:
Applicants must be parents or primary caregivers of children or dependents.
Applicants must currently reside in Canada, including Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and Protected Persons.
While applicants are not required to reside in the Vancouver area, this residency prioritizes writers who are able to make full use of the studio space in person. The selected resident will be expected to work from our Granville Island studio regularly throughout the residency, as in-person engagement is a central component of the program. Exceptions will be made for applicants experiencing physical limitations to attend in person, though we ask that you specify this in your application.
Writers must be actively working on a significant fiction or nonfiction project that displays a strong voice, a clear creative vision, and innovative potential.
How will applications be evaluated?
Applications will be assessed by a panel of three carefully selected jurors. Each juror will receive a portion of the submissions to review in two rounds, first independently, then together as a group. The review process will take roughly one month.
Our 2025 jurors are: Kevin Chong, Michelle Cyca, and Robyn Smith.
Applications will be evaluated on the following:
Innovative potential: the potential for the writer and their work to expand the boundaries of literary form, explore fresh perspectives, and connect meaningfully with a broad and diverse readership.
Project vision: the clarity, originality, and feasibility of the proposed project, including its concept, scope, and artistic goals.
Engagement potential: the writer’s ability to engage genuinely and collaboratively with the literary community, demonstrating openness to dialogue, exchange, and creative contribution.
Residency fit: the depth and intention with which the writer plans to make use of the studio space to develop their work, and how in-person time will contribute to their creative process.
Relevance and contribution: the relevance of the writer’s work to engage with core questions and themes of importance and relevance, and the extent to which their work offers new, different or deeper reflections and contributions to the literary conversation.
Dates and details:
Applications for the 2025 Upstart Parent-Writers’ Residency are now open and will close on Monday, December 22 at 11pm.
Residency will commence in early March 2026.
upstartandcrow.com/programs/parents-writing-residency/
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call for submissions: “Voices of Palestine” anthology
IHRAM Press
DEADLINE: December 31, 2025
INFO: IHRAM Press is seeking writing and visual art for its upcoming anthology. “Voices of Palestine” will uplift, make known, and introduce the fertile Palestinian culture and difficult experience of this stateless, multi-religious, Arab people to a wider, international audience.
Do you have writing or artwork that embodies these themes? Your experiences matter. Submit now and join us in making these truths heard.
SUBMIT TO: hello@humanrightsartmovement.org
instagram.com/p/DPT6UO0DUJF/?igsh=QkFNUWlvV0dLZw%3D%3D
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ASIAN WOMEN CRIME FICTION OPEN CALL
Accent Sisters / Nowness China
DEADLINE: December 31, 2025
INFO: In real life, women often appear in crime reports as victims—the passive recipients of violence. This may help explain why women make up the majority of crime fiction readers: through reading, they look over the detective’s shoulder, participating vicariously in the investigation, the pursuit of the perpetrator, and the delivery of justice. As they witness the world move from chaos to order, we regain a sense of certainty and draw a measure of comfort from it.
And yet, crime fiction, particularly that from East Asia, is often a hotbed of misogyny. Women in these stories are victims, seductive accessories, or perfect saints. Even when they appear as femme fatales, they tend to revolve around men, suspended outside female friendships or emotional bonds—lonely, ornamental figures designed to be watched rather than understood.
We are searching for a new kind of crime fiction for Asian women. As the name suggests, these are crime stories with Asian women at the center. They may be the detectives, or the criminals. Regardless of their roles in the narrative, they don’t need to be perfect; they only need to be real. As novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen has said, “We can be both humane and inhumane. It’s important to acknowledge that”—those at the center of the narrative do not worry about being heroes or antiheroes.
At the same time, we recognize that more and more Asian women are moving across borders, navigating different cultures, languages, and countries. This sense of drift can render one vulnerable, but it also presents new challenges and opportunities for growth—realities rarely explored in crime writing in either English or Chinese.
With this bilingual open call, we hope to discover fresh, compelling, stereotype-defying crime fiction featuring Asian women—stories that reimagine the distance and connection between women and evil in our time.
WHO CAN SUBMIT:
Open to bilingual (Chinese/English) writers worldwide, regardless of age, gender, or background.
We welcome both established writers and fresh new voices.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Fiction only, written in either Chinese or English.
Chinese submissions must not exceed 10,000 characters; English submissions must not exceed 7,000 words.
Email your complete manuscript as a Word document to accentsociety@gmail.com. Use the subject line: “Asian Women Crime Fiction_Title of Work.” Include a brief author bio (within 100 words) and your preferred contact information in the email body.
Electronic submissions only. Manuscripts are considered final upon submission. Revisions will not be accepted after submission.
Submissions must be original and unpublished, and must not be under copyright agreement with any third party.
To ensure a smooth publication process, all selected works will be published and distributed by Accent Edition.
Submission implies consent to grant Accent Edition the right to publish and promote the work. Accent Edition will respect the author’s moral rights and enter into a formal publication agreement with selected authors. Final terms will be subject to the signed agreement.
SUBMISSION TIMELINE:
Selected works will be announced in Spring 2026.
Submissions will be reviewed in two rounds:
A preliminary review by the Accent editorial team
A final review by an invited jury of cross-disciplinary creators
AWARDS:
A total of 7 works will be selected and included in the Accent Anthology of Asian Women Crime Fiction, to be published by Accent Edition in 2026 Summer.
Authors will receive free Accent Academy membership, two complimentary copies of the anthology, and an invitation to participate in the launch event at Accent Sisters in New York (available online and in-person; travel and accommodation costs not covered)
One Grand Prize Winner will be selected by the jury and awarded a cash prize of 2,000 RMB (or 280 USD), in addition to the above benefits.
accentaccent.com/CrimeFictionOpenCall
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call for submissions: ‘twindex’ anthology
Addie Tsai / Marta Croll-Baehre / Emma Croll-Baehre
DEADLINE: December 31, 2025
INFO: For centuries, identical twins have captured the interest (and horror) of the countless untwinned, for what they have illuminated in terms of connection, doubling, likeness, and self. Whether in the eye of the eugenicist physicist, such as Josef Mengele who experimented on twins in Auschwitz, or filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s Diane Arbus-inspired horror of The Shining, through the fetishized eye of the singularly birthed, twins are often flattened and represented as a symbol rather than as distinct individuals in visual culture. TWINDEX reclaims twins’ own identity and experience, featuring scholarly and personal reflections as well as mixed media. Its structure is notably inspired by works like Alice Wong’s Disability Intimacy and Christina Sharpe’s Ordinary Notes.
Despite the rise of twin births over the last two decades from the increased access of fertility treatments and reproductive technologies like IVF, twins are still considered an anomaly, in which the ethics around representing twinhood popularly and critically remain unconsidered. We intend to bridge this gap by offering a model for “ethical” twin studies, one invariably grounded in lived experience, collectivity, community, and autonomy (i.e. advocating for centering twins’ own representation of themselves).
We are seeking the following individual or joint submissions from twin scholars, writers, and artists reflecting on twinhood, whether critically, historically, artistically, or personally: scholarly articles (20-25 pages), creative prose (10-15 pages), and mixed media creative responses that can be included in a print anthology, such as visual and hybrid work. We accept reprints and simultaneous submissions.
Please submit an abstract for scholarly articles or complete creative works by December 31, 2025 to editors Addie Tsai, Marta Croll-Baehre, and Emma Croll-Baehre at twindexanthology@gmail.com.
docs.google.com/document/d/10Y5HnucgAgs4HoltkeCXx2KPUWk5tMRZO3_jhgCkiO4/edit?usp=sharing
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2026 Anthony Veasna So Scholars in Fiction
Adroit Journal
DEADLINE: December 31, 2025
INFO: Anthony Veasna So (1992-2020) was an American writer of short stories that often drew from his upbringing as a child of Cambodian immigrants and were described by the New York Times as "crackling, kinetic and darkly comedic." His debut short story collection, entitled Afterparties, was published posthumously by HarperCollins in 2021 and was simultaneously named a New York Times Bestseller and a winner of the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize for Best First Book.
Anthony was not just one of the most talented new writers to grace this decade—he was also a member of the Adroit family, having served as a prose editor for four years. Anthony was as an inspiration to all of us, and to so many writers around the world. In honor of Anthony's contribution to both the Adroit Journal's staff community and the world's fiction readers, we will recognize six emerging fiction writers each year as Anthony Veasna So Scholars in Fiction.
ELIGIBILITY: All emerging writers who have not published full-length collections or novels are eligible (regardless of age, geographic location, or educational status), and are encouraged to submit. Writers with forthcoming debut full-length collections are eligible so long as collections won't appear earlier than April 2025.
PRIZE: Anthony Veasna So Scholars receive $200 and publication of one piece from their portfolio in a future issue of the Adroit Journal. Finalists will be awarded copies of Anthony's collection, Afterparties, and a list of semifinalists determined by the editors will be released with results.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Submissions may include up to three stories (max of 9,000 words total). Simultaneous submissions, previously published submissions, and submissions recognized by outside organizations are accepted, provided that a) a full catalogue of publication history for enclosed work is included in the submission (please note publication history at the top of the submission and in the cover letter) and b) at least one piece in the submission remains unpublished. Submitters should promptly add a note to their entry on Submittable if work disclosed as unpublished is accepted elsewhere. If the entire submission is published, it will be disqualified.
adroit.submittable.com/submit/242941/anthony-veasna-so-scholars-in-fiction
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call for novellas
Joyland Editions
DEADLINE: December 31, 2025
SUBMISSION FEE: $7 (All submission fees go towards Joyland Publishing administrative fees and paying writers and editors. Any writer who wishes to submit for free may email us at joylandeditions@joylandmagazine.com with the subject line "Submittable Fee Waiver" to receive a link to our free submission portal)
INFO: Joyland Editions is a nonprofit independent press committed to publishing books that do not fit into the traditional publishing landscape. We publish two novellas every year, and we are distributed by Asterism Books.
GUIDELINES:
We accept submissions of ~20,000-60,000 words.
Please allow up to three months for our editors to review and respond to your manuscript.
Please submit one manuscript at a time.
We are unable to personally respond to each submission that we receive.
We accept works in translation.
Simultaneous submissions are okay.
Work should be submitted as a PDF.
WHAT TO INCLUDE:
A cover letter no longer than one single-spaced page including: a brief author's bio (and translator's bio, if applicable) and a short description of the manuscript that you are submitting
The complete manuscript (~20,000-60,000 words)
All questions regarding submissions should be sent to joylandeditions@joylandmagazine.com.
joylandmagazine.submittable.com/submit
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call for submissions: Àrokò Anthology NO.1 - FOLKLORE FROM AFRICA & THE DIASPORA
Àrokò Cooperative
DEADLINE: December 31, 2025
INFO: We invite fiction and poetry that breathes new life into folklore from Africa and the African Diaspora. Send us stories that draw from folktales, myths, fables, legends, and folkloric figures—whether reimagined, adapted, or wholly invented.
We want spirits and tricksters: Anansi and Pomba Gira, Papa Legba and Tokoloshe, La Diablesse and the Soucouyant, Nommo and the Boo Hag. Ancestral whispers in the form of abiku children, duppies, and the lwa. Folklore that remembers and reinvents itself across oceans: hybrid monsters, sacred rivers, haunted crossroads, and living landscapes where the mythic walks alongside the everyday.
We welcome stories rooted in history as much as those that look toward the present and the future. From the epics and oral traditions to colonial-era hauntings and resistance myths, folklore is a living archive, passed down and transformed across generations.
This anthology seeks narratives in the spirit of Africanfuturism, not merely African settings in Western frameworks, but stories rooted in African and Afro-diasporic cosmologies, philosophies, and lived experiences. We seek folklore that breathes with its own lungs: stories where African and diasporic traditions aren’t museum pieces but living technologies.
Bring us genre-bending narratives infused with juju, hoodoo, and santería. Myths born from contemporary wounds—creation stories from refugee camps, trickster tales where Tortoise outsmarts border patrol drones, praise songs for the disappeared and the data-mined. Stories where tradition transforms—not preserved in amber, but alive, adaptive, revolutionary.
Proceeds from the anthology will be donated to support survivors of the Darfuri genocide.
ELIGIBILITY: This anthology is a space for self-identified Black writers from the African continent and the African diaspora. We are committed to addressing the systemic discrimination that many of these storytellers face, including, but not limited to, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ writers, women, and neurodivergent creators.
If you carry a story shaped by these intersectional lineages—by diaspora, by survival, by imagination—then this call is for you.
GUIDELINES:
Word range: Previously unpublished fiction 2,000 – 7,000
Unpublished specualtive poetry (up to 5 poems per submission; please submit all in a single document, not exceeding 10 pages)
Submit to: contact@aroko.coop
Stories should be in Modern Manuscript Format, attached as .RTF, .DOC, or .DOCX
Include your name, email, and pronouns (optional) in the upper-left corner of your manuscript
Multiple submissions are welcome, but each must be sent in a separate email
The subject line must be the story title
The file name must match the story title
In the body of your email, include a short third-person bio, and attach your story
We value the creativity, imagination, and craft of human authors. Submissions generated by artificial intelligence, whether in whole or in part, will not be considered.
CONTRIBUTOR COMPENSATION: As a community-focused cooperative, we are currently unable to offer monetary payment for contributions. Accepted contributors will receive one (1) complimentary copies of the print anthology and one (1) complimentary digital copy upon publication. Contributors will also be offered the opportunity to purchase additional copies at a significant author discount.
RIGHTS: By submitting, you grant Àrokò Cooperative permission to publish your story in Àrokò Anthology No.1 (print, digital, and audio). We also request permission to archive your work on our websites and to include it in future non-exclusive anthologies (print, digital, audio). We ask for six months of exclusivity (for both text and audio) from the date of publication. After this period, you are free to republish your story elsewhere. You retain your copyright and all rights to any other use of your work.
Àrokò Cooperative is a multidisciplinary community of designers, artists, technologists, and strategists committed to divesting from systems of harm, and building toward collective liberation through design. More at: aroko.coop
Aishatu Ado (she/her) is an award-winning author, poet, and peace technologist dedicated to social justice. She is a co-founding member and Editorial Director at Àrokò Cooperative, a multidisciplinary community of creative practitioners cultivating a living archive of liberatory design. A 2025 Clarion West graduate, Aishatu has received fellowships with Tin House, VONA, Voodoonauts, Roots Words Wounds, and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. Her work is published or forthcoming in Afrofuturism Short Stories Anthology, Obsidian, Fractured Lit, Ocean Poetry Anthology, and Liminal Spaces. Connect with her at: aishatu.carrd.co.
aroko.world/aroko-anthology-call-for-submissions/
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2026 INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING FELLOWSHIP
The Ida B. Wells Society
DEADLINE: January 3, 2025
INFO: The Ida B. Wells Society Investigative Reporting Fellowship is back for 2026! This no-cost, intensive program will bring professional journalists to Atlanta to sharpen their investigative reporting skills under the guidance of some of the most accomplished reporters and editors in the industry. During training, participants will work on projects they have proposed for publication in their respective newsrooms.
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
The fellowship is intended for journalists not presently assigned to investigative teams. Freelance journalists also are invited to apply.
Journalists with 3-5 years of professional experience are encouraged to apply.
IN-PERSON TRAININGS:
The selected journalists will join the Society in Atlanta for up to a week, once a month from March through July to delve into topics related to investigative reporting including:
The Investigative Reporting Mindset
Data Journalism
Process and Development
Interviewing and Writing for Investigations
Interested applicants must work with their newsroom leadership to ensure their availability to attend. Proposed projects should also be cleared by leadership to ensure their publication upon completion.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must have at least three years of professional news reporting experience.
The program is open to U.S.-based print, broadcast, digital and multimedia journalists.
Applicants must provide a resume, examples of previous written work, a project pitch, and be available for phone interviews if requested.
Applicants must be able to participate in four weeklong training sessions in Atlanta, (approx. 16 days of instruction; 24 days including travel, which will call for arriving in Atlanta on Sundays and departing on Fridays or Saturdays). Training weeks will be scattered throughout the year.
Applicants must submit letters from their employers indicating that they will be allowed to participate in the fellowship program and that their investigative work produced during the program will be published (more details of employer requirements below).
Freelancers must have a news organization willing to write a supportive statement and agreement to publish their work.
REQUIREMENTS OF APPLICANT’S EMPLOYER:
Allow participants to continue to earn their salaries while taking part in training in Atlanta without using any accrued vacation time. There will be four weeklong training courses scattered throughout the year.
Provide support and guidance to the participants as they take part in the program and work to develop a proposed project.
Publish the project.
idabwellssociety.org/news/2026-investigative-reporting-fellowship-applications-are-now-open/
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Steinbeck Fellowship Program
The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies / San Jose State University
DEADLINE: January 4, 2026
INFO: The Steinbeck Fellows Program, endowed through the generosity of Martha Heasley Cox, offers emerging writers of any age and background the opportunity to pursue a significant writing project during their fellowship tenure. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success but have not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University's creative writing program.
The Steinbeck Fellowship Program is named in honor of author John Steinbeck and is guided by his lifetime of work in literature, the media, and environmental activism. The program offers the opportunity to interact with other writers, faculty, and graduate students, and to share your work in progress by giving a public reading during the fellowship. Fellowships include a stipend of $15,000.
Award recipients will be required to reside within the counties of the San Francisco Bay Area or adjacent counties of the California central coast or central valley during most of the fellowship period. The fellowship period is for one academic year (approximately September - May).
FELLOWSHIP OFFERED:
Currently, SJSU offers one-year fellowships in Steinbeck scholarship and in creative writing, including fiction, drama, creative nonfiction, and biography. Applications in poetry will not be accepted. In awarding fellowships, the selection committee considers the quality of the candidate's proposal and writing sample, as well as any factors that would lead to expectations of future publication and further achievement. The creative writing fellowship does not require that there be any direct connection between your work and Steinbeck's.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Proposal or prospectus for work to be written (one to three pages including basic timeline)
Resumé
Three letters of recommendation (sent directly from recommender—the online system will prompt you for their email addresses)
Writing sample of no more than twenty-five pages
TIMELINE:
Deadline: January 4
Announcement of Awards: May
BEST PRACTICES FOR APPLICANTS:
Your writing sample may include excerpts from more than one project, however we encourage you to include a sample from the work you intend to pursue during the fellowship.
Extensive publication history isn’t necessary. However, the majority of our applicants have previously published in literary journals or other media.
Academic credentials are not required. Many fellows have completed advanced degrees, but admission is based on the merit of the writing sample and proposal or prospectus.
Manuscripts should follow standard formatting: double-spaced, 1” margins.
If you are not awarded a fellowship this year, please feel free to reapply.
Although we would like to offer feedback or notes on the manuscripts, we are unable to do so due to the volume of applications we receive.
sjsu.edu/steinbeck/awards-fellowships/steinbeck-fellowship/apply.php
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2026 Residency
Saltonstall
DEADLINE: January 4, 2026 by 11:59pm ET
APPLICATION FEE: $0
INFO: Saltonstall announces their Call for Entries for the 2026 Residency season! Residencies will begin May 29 and run through October 29.
They welcome submissions from artists and writers living in New York State and Indian Nations therein working in the following disciplines:
Poetry
Creative Nonfiction
Photography & Filmmaking
Painting | Sculpture | Visual Arts
Saltonstall is located eight miles east of Ithaca, New York on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ' Nation (generally known as the Cayuga Nation), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
A Saltonstall residency is a small community. We strive to provide a quiet, inviting, respectful, and nurturing community for creative individuals looking for uninterrupted time to focus on their craft.
Residencies are cohort-based. There are just five individuals in residence at a time: one poet, one prose writer, one photographer or filmmaker, and two visual artists. Each group of five arrives and departs at the same time.
We believe in and value a diverse community of creative individuals. To that end, we hope that all artists and writers feel welcome to apply for a residency, regardless of one’s level of education, experience, race, ethnicity, age, sex, religious belief, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or national origin.
There is no cost to attend Saltonstall and no application fee associated with this application. Additionally, to help offset travel to Ithaca and other personal expenses, we offer stipends of $100/week to everyone who attends. Additional stipend support (up to $1,000) will be offered based on financial need and the median household income of an applicant's County. Artist- and writer-parents and full-time caregivers will each receive a $500 stipend.
All applicants must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and must be residents of New York State or Indian Nations therein ** (all counties). Residencies are for individual artists and writers. We are unable to accommodate groups or pairs of people working together. Specific residency dates are inclusive. It is expected that those selected for a residency live at Saltonstall for the duration of the residency period and -- during the 2 - 4-week residencies -- participate in our Open House events.
saltonstall.submittable.com/submit
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Open Call for Workshop Proposals
Abode Press
DEADLINE: January 5, 2025 at 12pm CT
INFO: In 2026, we want to continue our tradition of offering affordable, accessible virtual workshops to our audience(s). We cannot wait to read through your proposals!
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: We are looking for workshops from writers/leaders that align with our core values: anti-racism, anti-colonialism, intersectionality, and empathy. In addition, we want workshops that amplify marginalized voices to create more representation in the landscape. Since we currently are only able to publish writers who live in the U.S., we are looking for writers based in the U.S. as well to lead our workshops. Abode Press looks for work that focuses on identity, origin, and culture, so any workshops that can tie in these themes will be favorably considered. In addition, we love workshops that take risks, defy genre, and subvert our expectations.
WHO SHOULD SUBMIT A PROPOSAL: We want to work with workshop leaders who align with our mission and values at Abode Press: to uplift underrepresented voices with a commitment to anti-racism, anti-colonialism, intersectionality, empathy. In addition, we want to work with Instructors who are comfortable advertising their workshops because we have noticed an increase in signups when leaders advocate for their workshops in addition to our own marketing initiatives. We especially love to work with Instructors who belong to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and/or who are based in the South.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeu4vwppJJWOgwoiJkS_AynkLFCqXSdbHcORlKCP70WYht3Fw/viewform
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WILD SEEDS RETREAT for writers of color (screenwriting, fiction, poetry)
DEADLINE: January 9, 2026 by 11:59pm ET
APPLICATION FEE: $25
INFO: The Wild Seeds Retreat provides writers of color with an opportunity to meet other writers; to workshop their writing among peers; and to engage with published writers about concerns and issues related to writing and publishing. Through its writing workshops leaders, the Retreat provides the public with an opportunity to become knowledgeable about the range and diversity of the work produced by writers of color.
Fellows will engage in daily writing, reading and sharing sessions with workshop leaders and cohort leaders. Fellows will also have an opportunity for one on one sessions with their workshop leader. A detailed itinerary will be provided to accepted fellows.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
The applicant’s submission packet must include a cover letter of introduction that includes:
The reason you want to participate in the Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color.
A statement about how you would benefit from this experience.
Background information about you as a writer.
Brief description of the project you are presently working on (if applicable).
A writing sample (up to five pages). This will be a separate upload in the application below.
Two letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your writing. This will also be a separate upload in the application below.
Scholarships are very limited. If you are requesting one, please include a rationale in your cover letter.
There is a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $25.00. How will you submit your application fee? You can either submit:
Postal mail with the signed and dated application. See the address below.
Online (if online, CLICK HERE to submit your payment.)
TUITION: This is a tuition-based program. If accepted, a tuition fee of $300.00 will be due.
centerforblackliterature.org/wild-seeds-retreat/
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2026 Bechtel Prize for Innovation in Creative Writing Instruction
Teachers & Writers Magazine
DEADLINE: January 11, 2026 by 11:59pm
INFO: Teachers & Writers Magazine is now accepting submissions of essays describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction. We are looking for essays that describe a project or activity that got students excited about writing and fostered a vibrant and dynamic culture of literacy in the classroom. We welcome essays about projects that carved a space for students to reflect on current events and social justice. The experience/project/activity should be one that:
Helped students identify as writers.
Opened new pathways to creative writing.
Engaged students in all parts of the writing process.
Promoted connections between reading and writing.
Supported the publication of student writing.
The essay itself should:
Share actual classroom experience, including how students engaged with the project (in other words, this should not be a planned project but one that has already taken place).
Focus on the classroom experience and what makes it innovative.
Focus on teaching creative writing (eg. poetry, fiction, memoir, playwriting).
Please do not send essays that have to do with teaching academic writing or teaching literature in general.
The essay selected to receive the Bechtel Prize will be published in Teachers & Writers Magazine, and the author will receive a $1,000 award.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Essays must be previously unpublished and under 2,500 words.
Please double space and use a standard font such as Times New Roman.
Attach your submissions as a Word Document or PDF.
The judge will select the winner anonymously. Do NOT include your name or any other identifying information in your document.
We do not accept work generated by large-language models (colloquially referred to as AI). We believe in process-oriented work, and we want to hear from your unique voice and experience. Large-language models may be used as a critical source for your submission only if it: 1) is clearly cited within the body of your work, 2) is distinguishable in-text from a majority of author-generated content, 3) andis used to explore contemporary issues around AI in the classroom. If we feel this criteria has not been met, the submission will be rejected.
T&W reserves the right to edit essays prior to publication.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere.
Previous winners (first place, runner-up, and honorable mention) must wait at least 2 years before submitting to the prize again.
Submissions are only accepted through Submittable. Please do not email submissions.
All submissions that conform to the above guidelines will also be considered for general publication. Submissions that do not conform to the above guidelines will not be considered for publication or the Bechtel Prize.
Selection criteria for the Bechtel Prize include the submission’s relevance and appropriateness for readers of Teachers & Writers Magazine, most of whom teach writing at the elementary, secondary, or postsecondary level. Teachers & Writers Magazine publishes work that is concise, lively, and geared toward a general audience. Prospective entrants for the Bechtel Prize are encouraged to visit the magazine to become familiar with the work of Teachers & Writers and to read past winners of the award.
JUDGE: This year’s prize will be judged by Diana Khoi Nguyen.
PRIZE: The essay selected for the Bechtel Prize will be published in Teachers & Writers Magazine, and the author will receive a $1,000 award.
Questions regarding these guidelines may be sent to editors@twc.org. Please do not send submissions by email.
ABOUT THE BECHTEL PRIZE: The Bechtel Prize is named for Louise Seaman Bechtel, who was an editor, author, collector of children’s books, and teacher. In 1919, Bechtel became the first person to lead a juvenile book department at an American publishing house. Bechtel helped establish the field of children’s literature and was a tireless advocate for the importance of literature in children’s lives. This award honors her legacy.
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Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards
Penguin Random House / We Need Diverse Books
DEADLINE: January 15, 2026 by 3:00 pm CT
INFO: Penguin Random House is passionate about encouraging the next generation of readers and authors and promoting diverse voices and stories. For over 30 years, Penguin Random House has supported this mission through the Creative Writing Awards, which in 2019 entered into an innovative new partnership with national advocacy nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. Through this program, Penguin Random House will award college scholarships of up to $10,000 each to six public U.S. high school seniors, nationwide.
Creative Writing Awards winners have gone on to become professional and award-winning authors. Since 1993, this program has awarded more than $2.9 million dollars to public high school students for original poetry, memoir/personal essay, fiction/drama, freedom of expression prompts, and spoken-word compositions. This signature program continues to empower and celebrate hundreds of young writers each year.
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants to the Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards Program in Partnership with We Need Diverse Books must:
Be current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2026
Be 21 years of age and under
Plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2026
Submit one original literary composition in English in one of the following genres of poetry, spoken word, fiction, personal essay/memoir, or book bans prompt.
AWARDS:
Awards will be distributed as follows:
$10,000 Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word
$10,000 Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry
$10,000 James Baldwin Award for Fiction
$10,000 Michelle Obama Award for Memoir
$10,000 Chinua Achebe Award for Freedom of Expression
scholarshipamerica.org/scholarship/penguinrandomhouse/#awards
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2026 Georgia Review Prose Prize
The Georgia Review
DEADLINE: January 15, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $25
INFO: The 2026 Georgia Review Prose Prize will be judged by Kiese Laymon.
PRIZE: The best short story and essay will both be published in The Georgia Review. The overall winner, chosen between the two, will receive $1,500. The runner-up will receive $600. All entries will be considered for publication. We invite writers from all backgrounds to submit.
ABOUT THE JUDGE: Kiese Laymon is a Black Southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the author of the genre-bending novel Long Division and the essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Laymon’s bestselling memoir Heavy won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, and the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the “50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years” by The New York Times. A contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Oxford American, Laymon is at work on several new projects, including the long poem Good God, the horror comedy And So On, the children’s book City Summer, Country Summer, and the film Heavy: An American Memoir. He is the founder of the Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative, a program aimed at getting young people and their parents more comfortable reading, writing, revising, and sharing.
thegeorgiareview.com/the-georgia-review-prose-prize/
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Call for Submissions: The Rebel’s Zeitgeist
Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice
Deadline: January 15, 2026
INFO: Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice is excited to announce a call for submissions for our quarterly digital publication, The Rebel’s Zeitgeist.
We invite Black writers from around the world to submit their original poetry, short fiction, essays, book reviews, short plays, and music reviews for consideration for our Spring 2026 issue. Our journal is dedicated to amplifying voices that explore themes of social justice, radical resistance, and the revolutionary liminal spaces that shape identity.The Rebel’s Zeitgeist seeks to publish work that challenges the status quo, offers new perspectives on systemic injustices, and celebrates the rich diversity of the Black experience. The Spring 2026 issue's theme is, "Beyond the Bearing of Witness." Contributors will be those who have work that speaks to the nature of resistance and the fight for liberation. We will be accepting poems, essays, and short stories.
We welcome writers Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton and Khari Dawson as guest editors of this issue. Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton is an award-winning poet, educator, and publisher. Lofton is the author of more than 35 collections of poetry and more than 177 spoken word albums. His poems have appeared in Clock House Journal, Revenge, UpStreet, Experience Reality Magazine, Quay, Dissident Voice, The Skinny Poetry Journal, Mid-Atlantic Review, and Blue-Collar Review. In 2024, his poem “To Honor Her Bold Walk” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Khari Dawson is a multi-genre writer and musician based in Maryland. Published in multiple publications, including the 2025 Jan/Feb issue of POETRY magazine, she has enjoyed support for her work through grants and fellowship opportunities with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Art Under a Minute program, the Martha’s Vineyard Creative Writing Institute, and the Smithsonian exhibit project, “Gen Z Speaks: A Right to the City.” She is a 2024 Watering Hole Poetry fellow.
We are particularly interested in pieces that:
Poetry: Captures the essence of resistance and resilience through evocative and powerful verse.
Short Fiction: Tells compelling stories that highlight struggles and triumphs in the fight for justice and equality.
Essays: Provides insightful analysis and commentary on contemporary social issues and historical events impacting Black communities.
Book Reviews: Critically examines works by Black authors, focusing on themes of social justice and transformative change.
Short Plays: Presents dramatic works that engage with revolutionary ideas and the complexities of identity.
Music Reviews: Analyzes and discusses music and artists that push through conventions with sonic innovation and creativity.
We welcome submissions from both emerging and established writers who are passionate about using their craft to promote peace and social justice. Each piece should reflect a commitment to these ideals and contribute to the ongoing dialogue around equity and liberation.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Format: Submissions must be in digital format (Word or PDF).
Length:
Poetry: Up to 3 poems, not exceeding 100 lines in total.
Short Fiction: Up to 5,000 words.
Essays: Up to 3,000 words.
Book Reviews: Up to 1,500 words.
Short Plays: Up to 20 pages.
Music Reviews: Up to 1,500 words.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Send your submission to submissions [at] blackwritersforpeace.org with the subject line “Submission: [Category] – [Your Name]”.
Guest editors will be announced in 2026.