FICTION / NONFICTION — JULY 2026

Call for Submissions: Mizna 27.2 ‘ANCESTRY/indigeneity’

Mizna

DEADLINE: July 6, 2026 at 11:59pm CT

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Mizna is opening submissions for its newest issue, seeking poetry, prose, and hybrid literary work that focuses on ancestry and indigeneity. Guest-edited by poet and scholar Umniya Najaer, this issue is interested in honoring Indigenous wisdoms in their many forms and giving space for writers and artists to explore their relationships to ancestry, inheritance, memory, spirit, land, flora, fauna, and the cultural practices that have grown from them. Amid mounting planetary brutalities, how do our ancestors speak across time? How do our experiences echo, extend, or depart from those of our ancestors? What freedom dreams have each of us inherited, and how do we live these dreams? What methods do we as writers, artists, and cultural stewards call upon to center Indigenous wisdoms and carry ancestral stories forward, whether they belong to direct kin, chosen kin, communal lineages, our deep species ancestors, or more-than-human kin? 

We invite work that views ancestry and indigeneity not as static legacies, but as living practices of remembering, grieving, resisting, creating, and imagining otherwise. We are especially interested in work that attends to the intimate and collective forms through which ancestral knowledge ruptures, transforms, and survives—in kitchens, songs, ceremonies, gardens, garments, prayers, archives, dreams, rivers, ruins, and revolutionary movements. We welcome work that utilizes experimental methods to tell new stories about our ancestors, our obligations to the living, and our relationships to land, indigeneity, sovereignty, memory, and belonging.

This issue begins from the question of rootedness: What does it mean to belong to land, lineage, memory, and place across Southwest Asia and North Africa? Across the vast SWANA region, communities have long been bound to one another through overlapping histories of migration, trade, kinship, pilgrimage, agriculture, pastoralism, urban life, and shared ecological worlds. People have practiced nomadic, agrarian, and urban lifestyles; passed on ancestral wisdom and practices; endured, resisted, and adapted to invasion, conquest, empire, enslavement, displacement, and extraction. How have histories of successive empires, interferences, destructions of heritage and sacred sites, forcible removals of people groups, and slave trades altered lives and landscapes? How have modern nation states, colonial borders, Western colonialism, neoliberal militarism, capitalist extraction, and the expansionist settler colonial project of Israel—financed and justified by the United States—intensified the struggle over land, memory, and sovereignty? And how are these struggles further compounded by regional imperial and sub-imperial powers, including Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates, whose extractive investments, proxy wars, and militarized interventions in Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and elsewhere have deepened contests over belonging, territory, resources, self-determination and collective survival? 

More concretely, how do those of us whose homelands are under active economic and military siege create new cultural technologies for surviving the present? How do those of us violently separated from our ancestral homes keep Indigenous practices alive? How do those of us living in settler colonial states such as the United States, Canada, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand support Indigenous struggles, land rematriation, sovereignty, and ecological repair? What solidarities, tensions, responsibilities, and contradictions emerge when our own freedom dreams unfold on lands whose Indigenous peoples continue to struggle for liberation? We welcome narratives from across the region that investigate and grapple with indigeneity and ancestry in a SWANA context while making connections with global Indigenous struggles. 

Transregional SWANA beyond the cartographic genres of area studies

We’re interested in how and to what extent the term indigeneity maps onto the SWANA context. A SWANA framework that stops at the inherited borders of “the Middle East” risks reproducing the very colonial cartographies it is designed to unsettle. While SWANA conventionally names South West Asia and North Africa, the histories of indigeneity, land, water, sovereignty, and dispossession that animate the region cannot be understood apart from the Sahara-Sahel, the Nile Valley, the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the western Indian Ocean. For this reason, Mizna 27.2 embraces communities and geographies often placed outside the edges of SWANA, including South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Pakistan, and India. These sites are constitutive zones through which transregional SWANA histories of mobility, empire, enslavement, ecological relation, and Indigenous world-making have unfolded.

We especially welcome work that attends to Black, Afro-descended, and Afro-Indigenous communities across the region, including Haratin, Tebu, Black Tunisian, Black Moroccan, Afro-Iraqi, Afro-Iranian, Zanj-descended, Sudanese, and other communities whose histories raise urgent questions about the relationship between indigeneity, Africanity, Arabization, enslavement, anti-Blackness, and caste. At the same time, we invite submissions from writers and artists working across the many Indigenous and ancestral transregional SWANA communities,  including Amazigh, Assyrian, Kurdish, Armenian, Palestinian, Nubian, Beja, Bedouin, Yazidi, Mandaean, Coptic, Marsh Arab, Ahwazi, Afar, Somali, Oromo, Tuareg, and other peoples whose histories unsettle the boundaries of the region itself.

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

CONTRIBUTORS

Contributors do not need to be SWANA- or Arab-identified and can be based anywhere in the world, but work submitted should be considerate of Mizna’s ethos and the social realities of our audiences, as well as aim to contribute to ongoing conversations in and beyond our communities. While we welcome submissions from former contributors seeking a space for their work in this urgent moment, we also especially encourage submissions from writers who have never been published by us before. We encourage submitters to become familiar with work that has been published in Mizna before submitting work.

FORMS OF WRITING

Mizna has long been a home for literature with innovative, experimental forms and is published with high quality print production practices. We welcome visual poetry submissions or hybrid works that cross the arbitrary boundaries of genre. In general, literary works of poetry, visual poetry, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, comics, collage, invented forms, and any forms of mixed print or hybrid work will be accepted, with consideration to the physical parameters of our print journal, technical staff, and budget. We do not consider visual art submissions.

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

> Selected contributors will receive a $200 honorarium, a one-year subscription to Mizna, and five copies of the issue.

> Please include a short cover letter (max. 200 words) with the following:

• Titles of all submitted pieces 

• Indication of any simultaneous submissions

• For prose over two pages, a 1–2 sentence overview of the piece 

• Author bio (max. 50 words) 

• Any additional information you would like the editorial team to know (max. 1 paragraph)

> File types must be .doc or .docx or PDF for pieces with more complex layouts. We do not accept other file types (e.g. Pages, Notepad, JPEG).

> Prose submissions should be double spaced and limited to 3000 words.

> Pitches for essays will not be accepted, please submit only complete and finalized drafts.

> Poetry submissions should be limited to four poems of any length (verses exceeding our page width will be treated with a runover indent).

> Please only submit once per submission period. 

> Please do not send visual art submissions.

> Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines are subject to being discarded unread. Submissions outside the open call window will likely not be considered or receive response.

> Pieces are chosen by Mizna editorial staff and a regularly changing selection committee. Accepted pieces will be contracted to be published in print after an editorial process involving authors. Mizna will hold rights to publish online or in future publications, but authors will hold copyright. Emails will be sent out for rejected pieces but regrettably we do not have capacity to provide feedback or editorial support.

mizna.org/journal/submissions/

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Creative Incubator for LGBTQ+ Writers

Lambda Literary

DEADLINE: July 8, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET

APPLICATION FEE: $25 (you may apply to more than one workshop, however, each application must be submitted separately and requires an additional fee)

INFO: Introducing Lambda Literary’s newest program: a nourishing virtual retreat dedicated to generative writing and community building for writers at all stages of their career

Each of the cohorts in fiction, nonfiction, performance writing, and poetry are facilitated by a talented faculty member with a wide range of experience across the genre they’re leading. 10 fellows per cohort offers a chance for deep, personal connection and dedicated time to focus on their own writing, community building, and learning craft across genre. 

We’re excited to build something fresh and new for our Creative Incubator Fellows. This space will encourage experimentation and invite writers at all stages of their career to practice writing as an act of creative nourishment. Together, we will foster a growth space for multi-hyphenate artists and those whose work defies genre or who are looking to learn craft elements outside of their norm and apply them to their own practice.

In this creative incubator, programming will focus on generative writing. Cohort groups will meet to create and share new work while weaving craft lessons and discussions with their faculty members and peers. No matter one’s genre(s), these sessions will support all creative writing pursuits.

INCUBATOR FELLOWS WILL:

• Participate in 3 days of generative cohort workshops

• Have a one-on-one session with their faculty member to closely discuss their own writing practice, product, and journey in publishing

• Attend generative writing sessions from visiting authors in geared towards producing writing that supports their current project or that generates something wholly new

• Read a sample of their work during the evening reading celebrations alongside fellows and faculty members

• Become a part of a powerful community of queer and trans writers and gain access to future opportunities from Lambda Literary and partner organizations such as residencies, scholarships, workshops, and more

DETAILS:

• When and Where: February 13 and February 19-February 22, 2027, takes place online. See below sample schedule for an example of what the Incubator may offer (subject to change). 

• Tuition: $725, offered on a sliding scale basis

• Scholarships, Financial Support, and Fundraising: Thanks to the support of individual and institutional donations, Lambda Literary has a robust scholarship and financial support program. Our scholarships are manuscript-, demographics-, and need-based. In addition to scholarship opportunities, Lambda Literary also offers full financial support on a need-based basis. Even if you do not receive one of the available scholarships, you’re still eligible for financial support from us.

  You may apply to as many scholarships and/or opportunities as you are eligible for. Application to scholarship and financial support does not have an impact on your application status and is only seen by Lambda Literary staff, and where noted, fellowship committees. Your response is concealed from other reviewers including faculty members who make the final decisions on all selected fellows.

  With this new plan, Lambda Literary will be offering financial support to make sure every accepted writer can attend, regardless of financial status. 

• Application Fee Waivers: A limited number of application fee waivers are available for QTBIPOC (Queer and Trans folks who are Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color) members of our community.  To inquire about a fee waiver, email retreat@lambdaliterary.org confirming your eligibility as a member of the QTBIPOC community.

  You do not need to provide any other identifying information. Waivers are given out on a first-come-first serve basis. Secure yours sooner rather than later!

• Application Review: Our application review is done in three stages by a team of Writers Retreat Alumni, our Program Manager, and Creative Incubator Faculty. Our application process is unique in that each Faculty member chooses their own cohort.

lambdaliterary.org/creative-incubator/

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Publishing Journeys Grant

She Well Read x Gatekeeper Press Publishing

DEADLINE: July 8, 2026

INFO: The Publishing Journeys Grant supports emerging writers whose stories deserve a wider platform.

In partnership with Gatekeeper Press Publishing, She Well Read will award one publishing grant valued at $8,500 to an author from a historically marginalized community. The grant supports the publication of an original work of fiction or nonfiction and provides professional publishing services through Gatekeeper Press Publishing.

WHO IS THE GRANT FOR?

This grant supports writers from marginalized communities who have experienced barriers in publishing. This includes individuals impacted by social, economic, or systemic inequities related to identity, background, or lived experience. To be eligible, applicants must be legal residents of the United States and must submit a completed manuscript.

WHAT THE GRANT INCLUDES:

The selected recipient will receive the Gatekeeper Press Publishing Signature Publishing Package, valued at $8,500.

Included Services:

• Professional Editing (Up to 100,000 words)

• Professional Cover Design

• Paperback Formatting and Distribution

• eBook Formatting and Distribution

• ISBNs and Barcodes

• Metadata Optimization

• Library of Congress Registration

• Free Author Copies

• Physical Proof Copy

• Preorder Setup (Optional)

• Imprint Setup (Optional)

• Satisfaction Guarantee

GRANT TIMELINE:

• Applications Close: July 8, 2026

• Grant Recipient Announced: Fall 2026

The recipient will be announced on She Well Read platforms and will begin working with Gatekeeper Press Publishing following the award announcement.

shewellread.com/grant

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BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest

Scribner Books

SUBMISSION PERIOD: July 8 - 14, 2026

INFO: Scribner Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, is pleased to announce the launch of the fifth BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest. The aim of the contest is to facilitate access to the publishing process for writers from underrepresented groups, and to celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation strives for progress, Scribner Books and Simon & Schuster aim to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us.

The BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest is rotated among Simon & Schuster’s other adult imprints. Previous contests have been administered by the Atria Books, Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster, and Avid Reader Press imprints.

The Submission Period begins at 12:00:00 AM ET on July 8, 2026 and ends when either (i) 500 eligible Submissions have been received or (ii) 11:59:59 PM ET on July 14, 2026, whichever occurs first. During that time, writers are invited and encouraged to submit twenty-five pages of an original adult novel using the online form below. The publisher welcomes inclusive, entertaining, and groundbreaking reads with expert pacing, depth as well as heart, and irresistible characters who leap from the page. While the contest is open to all genres for adult readers, writers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Scribner’s publishing program to ensure their book is a good fit before submitting.

At the end of the submission period, the editorial, marketing, and publicity team at Scribner Books will review all submissions for originality, relevance to today’s publishing climate, and writing quality. In December 2026, the author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Scribner Books.
 
Please see Official Rules and the FAQ section below for further details.

FAQs:

1. Will the winner receive a book deal?

   The winner will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Scribner Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC

2. Can I submit anytime during the submission period?

   The Submission Period begins at 12:00:00 AM ET on July 8, 2026 and ends when either (i) 500 eligible Submissions have been received or (ii) 11:59:59 PM ET on July 14, 2026, whichever occurs first. Because the submission portal may close early once 500 eligible Submissions have been received, writers are encouraged to submit their work as early as possible. 

3. Will the winner be paired with a literary agent?

   The winner will be provided a list of literary agents who have expressed interest in representation to contact. The winner is also welcome to search for an agent on their own. Our intention is to allow the winner the option of signing with an agent of their choice.

4. Can I submit my young adult novel?

   We are only accepting adult fiction.

5. Can I submit my novel in another language, other than English?

   The submission must be written primarily in English, though “code-meshing” is welcome.

6. How long should my manuscript be?

   Finished manuscripts should be between 50,000-80,000 words.

7. If I am a writer who isn’t 18, can I still enter?

   Participants must be at least 18 years of age.

8. Are you accepting submissions from international writers?

   No, the contest is open only to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

9. What if I have previously self-published my manuscript?

   Self-published manuscripts are not eligible at this time.

10. If I submitted last year, can I resubmit?

    Yes! If you previously participated in the BOOKS LIKE US contest, you’re welcome to enter again provided the manuscript was never published by any third party or self-published, and otherwise complies with the Guidelines and Restrictions in the Official Rules.

11. Must my 25-page submission be the opening pages from a completed manuscript?

    Yes, that’s correct. Finalists will be notified on or about October 14, 2026 and will have one week from notification to submit their final manuscript. For that reason, we recommend that entrants fine-tune their completed manuscripts prior to September.

simonandschuster.com/p/scribner-first-novel

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The Milkweed Fellowship

Milkweed Editions |📍Minneapolis, MN

DEADLINE: July 10, 2026

INFO: The Milkweed Fellowship is grounded in our belief that books have the potential to change the way we see the world, and that equity is essential to a vibrant, diverse, and empowered literary ecosystem.

This paid, one- to two-year immersion program is designed to offer the tools, experience, and exposure necessary to pursue a career in book publishing. Intended to provide an alternative point of entry to an industry where the prerequisite to an entry-level position is typically an unpaid internship, this learning-oriented position seeks to provide opportunity to those historically underrepresented among workers in book publishing—Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and those with disabilities—so they may advance, discover, and champion transformative literature for years to come.

This position is based on-site in our Minneapolis offices and is full time (non-exempt, 40 hours per week, for 12–24 months), beginning in Fall 2026. Compensation includes a salary of $40,000 per year, generous paid time off, and health and dental benefits.

WHO WE ARE: Milkweed Editions is one of the nation’s leading independent literary presses. Based in Minneapolis, our mission is to identify, nurture and publish transformative literature, and build an engaged community around it. We publish 25-30 new books of literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction each year. Our books and authors have been winners of or finalists for the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the MacArthur Fellowship, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Our offices are located in Open Book, a literary and book arts center that also houses our independent bookstore. Open Book is accessible by light rail and bus lines. 

RESPONSIBILITIES + OPPORTUNITIES: The 2026-2027 Milkweed Fellow will be offered a holistic publishing experience, working across disciplines to learn the trade of book publishing from seasoned professionals. The Fellow will take part in all stages of our publication process, and will be closely trained for some or all of the following responsibilities. Staff mentors will work with the Fellow to develop specific goals, discover the Fellow’s strengths, and, as appropriate, we will tailor project assignments and experiences to individual interests and skills. Key responsibilities mayinclude:​​

• Reading and evaluating submissions

• Composing, revising, and organizing copy pertaining to upcoming books

• Mailing books to authors and other stakeholders

• Communicating with authors to gather prepublication information 

• Proofreading and fact-checking manuscripts

• Assisting with sales and marketing efforts through digital campaigns, website updates, merchandising, and promotion of Milkweed Editions titles 

• Working shifts in our on-site bookstore

• Fulfilling orders from our on-site warehouse

• Designing and laying out communication materials for marketing and advancement      

• Drafting contracts and tracking payments to authors

• Partnering with staff to assist with the promotion, distribution, and design of new books

• Researching potential partners and new sales/event/media outlets

• Supporting outreach, fundraising, and community engagement efforts with storytelling about our work, mission, and impact

• Participating in staff meetings

• Corresponding with authors, agents, contractors, partners, and other publishers

• Researching and writing grant proposals

• Supporting events

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• An avid reader with strong interest in the literary community and the business of publishing

• A creative, industrious individual with interest in the craft of bookmaking

• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational skills

• Fluency in other languages and cultures

• A strong sense of initiative and a drive to seek out opportunities

• A collaborative team player 

• A commitment to increasing access to and equity in literature

• Someone who believes in the power of books to foment change

Please let us know if you have special experience or interests in any of the following (non-required) areas: academic research, translation, grant writing, ecological community building, text design, bookselling, book reviewing, editing, Adobe Creative Suite, communication design, copywriting, fundraising, web marketing, or anything that you see as relevant to this fellowship experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Must be able to talk on and manipulate a phone, participate in meetings, type on a keyboard, sit for extended periods, and move about an accessible office, but we are open to making this position accessible for those for whom these demands may present a barrier, using the resources available to us. We’re listening.

TO APPLY:

Applicants should submit the application materials listed below as one combined PDF via Submittable. Please include your last name in the file name of your application document (i.e., Taylor_Application.pdf). Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. CDT on Friday July 10, 2026. Queries about the application process should be addressed to fellowship@milkweed.org. Learn more about Milkweed at our website.

1. Cover letter answering the following questions (up to 2 pages single spaced): Why are you interested in working in the publishing industry and what areas are you most curious about? What are your career ambitions and what would help you achieve them?

2. Résumé (1–2 pages)

3. Writing sample: Write about the potential for literature to impact the future of humanity and the more-than-human world. Please cite specific texts. (1 page, single spaced).

We are committed to making publishing an increasingly diverse and inclusive industry. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, gender and sexual identities, and disability statuses.

milkweededitions.submittable.com/submit

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2026-2027 Breakthrough Writing Residency

Literary Cleveland |📍Cleveland, OH

DEADLINE: July 12, 2026 at 11:00 pm ET

INFO: Publishing a book is breakthrough moment in a writer’s career, a transformational step that suddenly makes available a whole host of opportunities, including readings, speaking engagements, teaching and more. But it is very difficult to complete a book-length project without support. It is a long-term process that requires encouragement, feedback, mentorship, and resources. That is why Literary Cleveland created the Breakthrough Writing Residency.

Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency provides free yearlong mentorship, support, and opportunities to help six emerging writers in Greater Cleveland develop a book-length project.
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Residents (two in each genre of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) will work with a mentor to make progress on a manuscript, gain free access to Literary Cleveland programs, take part in professional development opportunities, and present their work at the annual Inkubator Conference. The program is primarily virtual with monthly in-person meetings throughout the year. Thanks to a generous funder, residents will also receive a monthly stipend of to support their work.
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The Breakthrough Writing Residency is intended for those who demonstrate a passion for writing and a commitment to developing a book-length manuscript but who have not published a book or attended a MFA program.

Applicants are selected for the program based on the excellence of their writing and ability to complete their proposed writing project. Writing projects may include (but are not limited to) completing the first draft of a novel, memoir, poetry manuscript, or similar creative work, or revising and submitting a book-length project for publication. The residency is for personal writing projects (manuscripts) only, not community writing programs.

BENEFITS TO RESIDENTS:

• Mentorship with professional writer for encouragement and accountability

• A supportive writing cohort and environment

• Free access to Literary Cleveland classes and programs (with some restrictions)

• Participation in Inkubator Conference (as reader, presenter, or panelist)

• Opportunities to develop teaching skills

• Professional development consultation from working writers, agents, and more

• $200 monthly stipend for 12 months

 WHAT THE PRORGRAM SUPPORTS:

• The development of new writing 

• Personal writing projects that will be completed within one year (manuscripts, not community writing projects)

• Works not previously published and/or produced (excluding excerpts or individual poems or stories that are part of a larger project)

• Works of writing, including, but not limited to, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction

 WHO CAN APPLY:

The residency specifically aims to assist emerging writers who have not published a book and have not completed an MFA program.

We are especially interested in reaching writers with low or limited income for whom expensive writing opportunities are out of reach. Additionally, we encourage writers who are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, or multihyphenate, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by and in the literary community to apply.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Resident of the Greater Cleveland/Northeast Ohio area at the time of application and through completion of the residency period

• Age 18 or older

• Cannot be a current staff, board, or committee member of Literary Cleveland

• Cannot be a graduate or undergraduate student in any degree program during the residency

• Cannot already have and MFA or a traditionally published book  

Do not reject yourself! Don’t stop yourself from applying because you don’t want to take the opportunity away from someone else who needs it more. Apply and let us sort that part out! If you have any questions, email info@litcleveland.org.

‍APPLICATION + REVIEW:

The application includes:

• Application form

• Artist biography

• Artist résumé or CV

• Commitment level

• Personal statement

• Project description

• Project plan

• Writing sample and description

Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of writers from out of town so they will not know the applicants. The panel will select finalists based on the following criteria:

• Artistic excellence of writing sample

• Quality of the proposed writing project

• Feasibility of and ability to complete the writing project

Mentors will then select participants from the list of finalists.‍ 2026-2027 mentors include Joseph Earl Thomas (fiction), Ira Sukrungruang (nonfiction), and Brittany Rogers (poetry).

The residency will begin November 2026 and run through October 2027.

litcleveland.org/events-programs/breakthrough-writing-residency

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FSG Writer’s Fellowship

FSG Books

DEADLINE: Extended to July 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: Launched in 2021, the FSG Writer’s Fellowship is an annual program designed to give an emerging writer from an underrepresented community additional resources to build a life around writing—including $15,000 in funding, editorial guidance, and support from the FSG community. The Fellowship celebrates the spirit of the FSG list and its commitment to invention, curiosity, and extending the limits of literature.

THE AWARD:

$15,000 paid over two installments: half paid at the start of the Fellowship program, half paid in June 2027

Plus:

• Mentorship with an FSG house author

• Guidance from two in-house editors, who will offer line edits and structural feedback on the fellow’s work throughout the year 

• Opportunities for meet-and-greets with representatives from other departments—e.g. Publicity/Marketing, Art, Subsidiary Rights, and Managing Editorial—to discuss their areas of expertise, answer questions, and help build a broader understanding of the publishing business 

• Support with networking beyond FSG

The Fellow and finalists will also receive a collection of FSG classics.

The Fellow agrees to offer to FSG the Fellow’s first book-length work before submitting to, or soliciting offers from, any other publisher.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Five finalists will be interviewed in November 2026

• The winner will be announced in December 2026

• The Fellowship will run from January 4, 2027 to December 18, 2027

fsgfellowship.com

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2026 UNPUBLISHED NOVEL AWARD

The Black List

DEADLINE: July 13, 2026

INFO: The Unpublished Novel Award celebrates stellar unpublished manuscripts in four distinct categories: Children’s & Young Adult, Literary, Commercial Fiction (including the genres of Romance, Thriller/Suspense and Crime/Mystery) and Speculative Fiction (including the genres of Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy).

A panel of esteemed judges with experience in book publishing will select one exceptional manuscript in each category to receive a $10,000 grant to support it on the journey to publication. Any writer who has received  a manuscript evaluation on this site has the option to opt into consideration for this award for free. Recipients will retain all rights to their manuscript and will be free to sell them whenever and wherever they please (note: manuscripts cannot be under contract at any point during award consideration; self-published novels will not be accepted).

You must post an original, unpublished manuscript on www.blcklst.com, with at least one (1) evaluation, and opt-in to the Program during the Submission Period. 

Your manuscript should fall within one of the following categories: Children’s & Young Adult, Literary, Commercial Fiction (including the genres of Romance, Thriller/Suspense and Crime/Mystery) and Speculative Fiction (including the genres of Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy).

Please note that The Black List reserves the right to recategorize a submission at our discretion.

2026 UNPUBLISHED NOVEL AWARD JUDGES BY CATEGORY:

Children’s & Young Adult

• Alyson Day, HarperCollins

• Lauren Knowles, Page Street Publishing

• Larissa Melo Pienkowski, Azantian Literary Agency

Commercial Fiction (includes Crime, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Thriller)

• Kelly Farber, KF Literary Scouting

• Celeste Fine, Park, Fine & Brower

• Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, Author

• Natanya Wheeler, Nany Yost Literary Agency

Literary

• Reagan Arthur, Cardinal Publishing

• Glory Edim, Well-Read Black Girl

• Erin Edmison, Edmison / Harper Literary Scouting

Speculative Fiction (includes Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction)

• Jordan Hill, New Leaf Literary Agency

• Cree Myles, Book Influencer

• Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful

IMPORTANT DATES:

• July 13, 2026 - Submissions close

• October 2026 - Judges convene to review selections

• November 2026 - Award recipients notified

• December 2026 - Award recipients announced

REQUIREMENTS:

To be eligible, your manuscript may not be under contract at any point during award consideration. Self-published novels, regardless of ISBN status and regardless of Black List site evaluation status, will not be considered for the award. For the avoidance of doubt, no feature screenplays, pilot scripts, plays, or musical submissions will be eligible for the Program.

• You must agree to: (1) these Submission Requirements; (2) all terms relating to the Program posted on Black List’s website, which you should review and read in full; and (3) the Submission Agreement, which governs the submission of your material to Black List. The Submission Agreement includes important, legally binding terms and conditions, including arbitration of any disputes, which you must read in full before accepting.

• If requested, you must submit (by a date determined by Black List) the following materials, which are also governed by the Submission Agreement:

  • Contact and other personal information; and

  • Executed originals of the Submission Agreement.

• If selected by Black List for the Program, you will retain all rights in your manuscript and will be free to sell it as you please.

• You must be at least 18 years of age and not a minor in the state or country of your residence at time of submission.

• If the submitted materials are written by a team consisting of one or more writers: (i) each member of that writing team must comply with these Submission Requirements, including agreeing to the Submission Agreement described above; and (ii) all members of the writing team must opt-out of the Program if any other member becomes ineligible (including as a result of failing to timely agree to the Submission Agreement or failing to timely provide the materials listed above).

• The submitted materials must be wholly original to you and you must be the sole owner of all rights. The submitted materials must not in any way infringe upon the copyright of any person or entity or, to the best of your knowledge in the exercise of reasonable prudence, constitute libel, defamation or invasion of privacy or any other rights of any third party.

blcklst.com/programs/2026-unpublished-novel-award

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Open Call: Impenetrability as a Generative Force

A Public Space

DEADLINE: July 13, 2026 AT 11:59 p.m ET

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: In connection with the Editorial Fellowship at A Public Space, we are pleased to announce an open call for a special portfolio in the magazine to be edited by Berta Coll. 

IMPENETRABILITY AS A GENERATIVE FORCE:

What would you do if you encountered a door and didn’t own the key? Or if you met someone and didn’t speak the same language? Or if you read a book and it felt inscrutable? You could try to break the barrier one way or another. You could get angry because you couldn’t pass through. Or you could stare at the barrier and examine it to see what it can tell you. We have been trained to get closer, to go deeper, to reach a point. But what if we celebrate impenetrability? What if we champion those things that cannot be entered, pierced, or understood? What if we treat them as something worth protecting? 

For this open call, I would like to see prose that explores impenetrability as a generative force, as a quality that unlocks unexpected doors. I’m not interested in impenetrability as a stylistic choice that makes a text illegible or snobbishly abstruse. I want to read authors who understand impenetrability as a rare opportunity, as a channel toward clarity. I invite you to redefine our relationship with that concept, to expand its meanings in playful, surprising ways. Here are a few examples: 

• Regarding his creative process, Philip Guston once wrote, “These few people who are the closest to me and think they know me well, they don’t know me at all. And that became the most important thing, that the people closest to you don’t really know you.” 

• Édouard Glissant said, “A person has the right to be opaque. That doesn’t stop me from liking a person. A racist is someone who refuses what he doesn’t understand. I can accept what I don’t understand.” 

• In the foreword to his novel L’Écume des jours (translated into English as both Froth on the Daydream and Mood Indigo), Boris Vian provocatively stated that “the essential thing in life is to judge everything a priori.” When you judge something a priori, you refuse logical reasoning; you decide not to cross an intellectual threshold. 

• In physics, impenetrability means that two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time. This makes me think of the Swedish composer Lisa Streich, who collects unusual chords. When two or more people sing the same chord in slightly different intonations, they are circumventing something impenetrable—a complete encounter, a perfect communion. Perhaps being slightly out of tune (in music, in life) is a refusal to penetrate an imagined center. 

• One of my favorite idioms comes from the Catalan language. In Catalan, when people say they “have drunk oil,” they mean they are doomed. This idiom comes from a brutal practice in which victims were forced to drink boiling oil as a form of execution. 

ELIGIBILITY: Only previously unpublished works of fiction or nonfiction are eligible. Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work with a U.S. publisher are eligible. Writers who have self-published, published an academic text, published a book with a publisher outside the U.S., or translated another writer’s work are eligible to apply. International applicants are encouraged to apply. Work that incorporates multiple languages is eligible, so long as the primary language is English. Translations are welcome, but please note it is the translator’s responsibility to secure rights to the work before it is submitted. Only one submission per person is allowed. A Public Space reserves the right to invite submissions.  

All submissions will receive a reply by the end of August. 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• A cover letter, including a short biographical statement and a paragraph describing the connection of your piece to the open call. 

• One previously unpublished piece (fiction, nonfiction, or translation) up to 6,000 words, double spaced. 

• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. 

Note that we only accept PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx). Please do not include your cover letter as part of your manuscript. 

Questions? Write Editorial Fellow Berta Coll at berta@apublicspace.org. 

EXAMPLES FROM THE APS ARCHIVE:

• Kelly Link’s “The White Road,” published in APS No. 28: We know that they are monsters because they come at night and they tear us to pieces. But they are also monsters, I think, because we do not understand why they do what they do.

• Roland Kelts’ “Focus: Japan—America Inverted,” published in APS No. 1: The culture gap and the aura of mystery it confers on Japan suits some Japanese, bolstering their dearly held conviction that an essential Japaneseness can never be understood by gaijin—literally, the “outside people.” They are unique, they believe, and perhaps unfathomable.[...] As I learned when I moved to Japan in the late nineties, to ensure a sympathetic smile and a smooth journey from a Tokyo cabbie, you only need to concede that, yes, speaking Japanese is very difficult. The driver will be thrilled to have his nation’s impenetrability verified.

• Jonathan Lethem’s “The Night they First Played Monster Eyes,” published in APS No. 3: This band’s got something, and some of the something they’ve got is the allure of an enclave at odds within itself and yet impenetrable to others, its members exchanging small gestures of disaffection within their troupe that makes others crave to be included in the fond dissention. 

• Anne Carson’s “Variations on the Right to Remain Silent,” published in APS No. 07: There are two kinds of silence that trouble a translator: physical silence and metaphysical silence. Physical silence happens when you are looking at, say, a poem of Sappho’s inscribed on a papyrus from two thousand years ago that has been torn in half. Half the poem is empty space. A translator can signify or even rectify this lack of text in various ways—with blankness or brackets or textual conjecture—and she is justified in doing so because Sappho did not intend that part of the poem to fall silent. Metaphysical silence happens inside words themselves. And its intentions are harder to define. Every translator knows the point where one language cannot be translated into another. [...] But now what if, within this silence, you discover a deeper one—a word that does not intend to be translatable. A word that stops itself. [...] There is something maddeningly attractive about the untranslatable, about a word that goes silent in transit. 

• Allen Grossman’s “Sing, Muse, Wrath,” published in APS No. 07: When we say, “same world,” “same room and persons,” / “same course of life,” we speak approximately. 

• Amy Leach’s “Strangers,” published in APS No. 27: Whereas strangers are all pretty much opaque—you can’t candle their heads like you candle an egg. Animals are opaque like strangers; even jellyfish and glass frogs are opaque like bears; and when their anatomy is gone, they are gone. This is not true of brothers and sisters.

apublicspacedemo.submittable.com/submit

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OPEN CALL: MISRECOGNITION

A Public Space

DEADLINE: July 13, 2026 AT 11:59 p.m ET

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: In connection with the Editorial Fellowship at A Public Space, we are pleased to announce an open call for a special portfolio in the magazine to be edited by Sam Karagulin.

MISRECOGNITION:

You insist you are not the person everyone, including the state, says you are.*

Your nose detaches itself from your face, and runs off. It becomes more popular, more important, than you.**

You appear to your mother as a monstrous bird, and not her child.***

Have you been mistaken for someone else? Did they insist you really were that other person? Like catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and not recognizing yourself, misrecognition can destabilize. The present can contradict the surety of memory. For this open call, I want writing of any genre, that tells me what emerges from this encounter.  

• * Max Frisch’s Stiller (1954); It Was Just An Accident (2025)

• ** Nikolai Gogol’s “The Nose” (1836)

• *** Jordy Rosenberg’s Night Night Fawn (2026); Monica (2022)

ELIGIBILITY: Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work with a U.S. publisher are eligible. Writers who have self-published, published an academic text, published a book with a publisher outside the U.S., or translated another writer’s work are eligible to apply. Writers who have published a chapbook in the U.S. are ineligible to apply. International applicants are encouraged to apply. Work that incorporates multiple languages is eligible, so long as the primary language is English. Works of translation are eligible. Please note it is the translator’s responsibility to secure rights to the work before it is submitted. Only one submission per person is allowed. A Public Space reserves the right to invite submissions. 

 All submissions will receive a reply by the end of August.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• A cover letter, including a short biographical statement and how your submission connects to the open call.

• One previously unpublished piece up to 6,000 words, double-spaced, or up to five (5) poems. 

• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. 

Note that we only accept PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx) are accepted. Please do not include your cover letter as part of your manuscript.

Questions? Write Editorial Fellow Sam Karagulin at sam@apublicspace.org. 

RECOMMENDED READING: Below are selections from A Public Space’s archive that were among my references in developing this open call. These pieces are part of this month’s Public Access—work from the magazine’s archive, made free and open to all. 

• “The Let-Out” - Jamel Brinkley

  But all of a sudden she started walking again, with more quickness and purpose. Her steps were bringing her in the direction she was looking, and it became clear, despite every self-abnegating doubt, that she was walking toward me.

• “Again It Has Prepared Itself For My Awakening” - Patrizia Cavalli, translated from the Italian by Jorie Graham

  In broad daylight on the other hand I shall mistake them, / I shall not compete with them, / I shall act like it’s nothing…

• “This Handwriting” - Matthew Zapruder

  Very / small horses attached to invisible reins attached / to facts is how I would describe my thoughts, / but what of my memories?

• “Trans-Neptunian Object” - Suzanne Buffam

  Facts exist for whole centuries and then suddenly cease.

• “Compromise” - Ada Zhang

  It was like receiving a new man, a new husband, and to me this was a relief. 

apublicspacedemo.submittable.com/submit

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EMERGING WRITERS CONTEST

Electric Literature

DEADLINE: July 15, 2026 by 11:59 pm PT

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: For 17 years, Electric Literature has remained dedicated to uplifting emerging writers. Now, we’re furthering that mission by launching our very first Emerging Writers Contest, with categories in fiction and poetry!

One winner in each genre will receive $1,000, publication in either Recommended Reading (fiction) or The Commuter (poetry), and two weeks at the Writing Downtown residency program in Downtown Las Vegas, started by Plympton and the Writer’s Block bookstore. Second-place winners will receive $250, and third-place winners will receive $100. All fiction finalists will receive a review with feedback from a literary agent.

See below for information on judges, eligibility, and submission guidelines.

2026 CONTEST JUDGES: Our 2026 contest judges are Alexander Chee for fiction and Danez Smith for poetry.

ELIGIBILITY:

• This contest is for emerging writers only. We define an emerging writer as anyone who has not published a full-length book with a major publisher. Authors who have published chapbooks, indie or university press books with a print run of under 500, or who have self-published are all eligible, provided the work submitted to the contest is original and unpublished.

• The contest is open to both U.S. and international writers.

• Current or past Electric Literature staff members, interns, or readers in any genre are not eligible to submit.

• Friends, family, and close associates of the guest judges are not eligible to submit to that judge’s contest category.

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please email us at editors@electricliterature.com.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Submissions will open from July 1, 2026 through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on July 15, 2026 or until we reach our submission caps: 1,000 for fiction and 600 for poetry. All submissions will be considered for publication.

• Fiction writers may submit one story between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Poets may submit up to three poems, totaling no more than 1,500 words.

• Work will be judged anonymously. Please remove all identifying information from your manuscript.

• All work must be original and unpublished. Work previously published in any form (including self-published) cannot be considered.

• Translations are accepted, provided the work has not previously been published in the English language and that the translator has obtained proper permissions.

• Multiple submissions are allowed. Each entry must be sent as a new submission, and an entry fee must be paid for each.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know immediately if a submission is accepted elsewhere.

• Files should be submitted as .doc or .docx.

• Work that was created using generative AI is not permitted, with rare exception made for pieces that engage with the tool in an intentional, artistic, and transparent manner (e.g., “A conversation between Ethan Gilsdorf and ChatGPT”). Any use of AI in the creation of a piece must be disclosed in your submission.

PRIZES:

• Winners in each category will receive $1,000, publication in Recommended Reading (fiction) or The Commuter (poetry), and two weeks at the Writing Downtown residency program in Downtown Las Vegas, started by Plympton and the Writer’s Block bookstore.

• Second-place winners in each category will receive $250, and third-place winners will receive $100.

• All fiction finalists will receive a review with feedback from a literary agent.

• Winners will be announced in early 2027.

electricliterature.com/about/emerging-writers-contest/

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘Black Panama: A People in Transit’

Callaloo

DEADLINE: July 15, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: Callaloo calls for submissions to contribute to a forthcoming special section called Black Panama: A People in Transit. The special section will showcase poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and scholarly work that:

• Centers Black Panamanian American voices and experiences

• Explores the complexities of diaspora, migration, and transnational identity

• Examines the ongoing impacts of U.S. imperialism and extractive capitalism

• Contributes to conversations about global Blackness and Latinidad

• Highlights the literary innovations emerging from communities in transit

We invite self-identifying Black Panamanian writers based in the United States, Panama, or elsewhere to submit their short fiction, essays, and poems, and writers of any background to review a literary novel, short story, essay or poetry collection written by a Black Panamanian writer.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT + CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE:

The legacy of Afro-Caribbean migration during the U.S.-led Canal project fundamentally transformed Panama's cultural landscape. As Juan González documents in Harvest of Empire, subsequent mass migrations of Black Panamanians to the United States resulted directly from U.S. interventions, including 95 years of occupation.

Today, as Panamanian sovereignty over the Canal faces renewed uncertainty, North American businesses continue to claim and extract resources from Panamanian lands. In the United States, Black and Latinx immigrants navigate heightened precarity. Black-Panamanian American writers reside at the intersection of these tensions, embodying a state of perpetual transience that uniquely positions them to excavate themes of global Blackness—a manifold identity that is simultaneously rooted in and transcends Caribbean, Latin American, and North American contexts.

Callaloo seeks new, original and unpublished work from writers who embody what Carlos Melo Wynter describes as Panama's "culture in transit." In his book Panama: El Dique, El Agua, y Los Papeles, Melo Wynter writes, "Panama has been marked—indelibly or not—as the bridge of the world," a designation that has shaped the nation's constant state of flux and migration.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS + GUIDELINES:

• Please adhere to Callaloo’s general Submission Requirements and Style Guidelines particularly with regard to word count and number of submissions. All prose submissions must be submitted in English. We will review submissions that have been translated from Spanish into English with proper citation provided for the translation. 

• Poetry submissions may be submitted in both English and Spanish. We will consider accepted submissions for publication in both languages.  Any work translated by someone other than the author must include proper citation for the translation. Callaloo will not provide translation services. 

Inquiries related to this call for submissions should be directed to info@callalooliteraryjournal.com, using the subject line: Black Panama Special Section 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: All manuscripts must be double spaced (except poetry) and submitted only as a Word document (.doc or .docx). We suggest that prose manuscripts not exceed 6,000 words (excluding the abstract and references in the case of scholarly articles), although we will consider submissions of up to 10,000 words if the piece truly merits the length. All manuscripts should follow the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd edition) and include a works cited and endnotes, not footnotes.

callaloo.submittable.com/submit/353958/black-panama-a-people-in-transit

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Book Award Fiction Prize for QTBIPOC Writers

Abode Press

DEADLINE: Extended to July 15, 2026

INFO: For our first-ever full-length fiction prize, Abode Press is looking to acquire fiction short story collections or novels written by people of color who are queer and/or trans. We want work that is voice-driven, sparks social change, reminds us of home, and defies genre. We are especially interested in works that are haunting, that have a strong sense of place, that are queer, radical, and genre-defiant. Some of the editorial teams favorite authors who do this remarkably well are Octavia Butler, Mariana Enriquez, Carmen Maria Machado, Toni Morrison, and Rivers Solomon. We also love when work is inspired from theorists, such as Audre Lorde and Saidiya Hartman. 

About Abode Press: You should submit your manuscript to us if you want to house your book with a press that is primarily run by people of color who are queer/trans in Texas. Our values are a reflection of what empowers us to create change, specifically our commitments to anti-racist, anti-colonial, and intersectional work. 

 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be a writer of color who identifies as queer and/or trans 

• Must reside in the United States

• Must be at least 21 years of age by July 1st, 2026

• Must be submitting a fiction manuscript, either a novel (60k+ words) or a short story collection (40k+words)

GUIDELINES:

Please submit a sample of the full-length manuscript. Manuscript samples should be 50 pages or less, in Times New Roman or Garamond, and double spaced. It should be paginated and contain a table of contents. 

All submissions must be original work, previously unpublished as a novel or collection.

In your artist statement, you can include a synopsis of the work so we can understand the full scope of the project. The artist statement should also describe how the manuscript aligns with Abode’s commitments to anti-racist and intersectional work and tie in our interests in themes of “home, identity, origin, and culture.” The artist statement should also contain your bio with links to your social media and/or author website. 

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please make sure to withdraw the work if accepted elsewhere. 

PRIZE DETAILS

• $1000 cash prize

• 25 author copies

• Standard book contract

• Professional marketing and publicity 

• Work with an indie press and a small team who will champion your work! 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: By submitting your manuscript, you acknowledge that the work is authentically yours and has not been generated, created, or edited by AI tools. You agree that you own the rights to the work and it has not been published elsewhere. In addition, you agree that you are a person of color who is queer and/or trans based in the United States. 

abodepress.submittable.com/submit/351940/book-award-fiction-prize-for-qtbipoc-writers

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AWE Society Edgelands Nonfiction Contest

AWE Society Press

DEADLINE: July 15, 2026

INFO: AWE Society Press invites writers to submit 1500 words of nonfiction writing that takes us to the edgelands, the places where our inner and outer worlds meet. We interpret nonfiction broadly and do not want to limit you to materialistic “fact.”  We hold multiple worlds and multiple dimensions. Your writing may reflect cultural transmissions, neurodiversity, oral histories, mysticism, multidimensionality, interspecies relationality.

The final judge is Andrés González. Two winning writers will be selected to receive $150 honorarium and their essays published as the centerpiece of Therapeutic Edgelands Issue 16. They will receive 10 copies of this issue. 

tinyurl.com/edgelands-non-fiction

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Loghaven Artist Residency

Loghaven |📍

DEADLINE: July 15, 2026 by 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $25 (If this presents a financial barrier for you, please email us by noon on July 15) at info@loghaven.org.

INFO: Loghaven Artist Residency’s mission is to serve artists by providing them with a transformative residency experience and continued post-residency support. The residency is located on ninety acres of woodland in Knoxville, Tennessee. Artists live in five historic log cabins that have been both rehabilitated and modernized to create an ideal setting for reflection and work, and they have access to new, purpose-built studio space. All Loghaven Fellows are awarded stipends to support the creation of new work during the residency.

ELIGIBILITY: Practicing artists of all backgrounds and at any stage of their career are eligible to apply for a Loghaven residency. International artists and artists currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program are not eligible. Due to the living stipend and other support Loghaven provides, artists applying for a residency must already have the ability to work in the United States and receive income from Loghaven Artist Residency and the Aslan Foundation, per US tax law. Artists must be at least twenty-one years old and live more than 120 miles away from Knoxville.

This distance requirement is designed to ensure that artists are able to be fully immersed in their residency experience and can take advantage of the retreat-style environment. Please note that all eligibility requirements must be met at the time of application.

We invite applicants in the creation stage of their specified project or work cycle to apply in the following disciplines:

• Writing (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and journalism)

• Visual Arts

• Dance

• Theater

• Music Composition

• Architecture

• Interdisciplinary Work

DIVERSITY STATEMENT: Loghaven actively seeks to assemble diverse cohorts. Loghaven does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, religion, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, veteran status, medical conditions including HIV, or sensory, physical, or mental disability.

RESIDENCY SESSIONS:

• Monday, February 1 – Friday, February 26, 2027 (4 weeks)

• Monday, April 12 – Friday, May 21, 2027 (6 weeks)

• Monday, June 14 – Monday, June 28, 2027 (2 weeks for Loghaven Fellows)

• Monday, July 12 – Monday, July 26, 2027 (2 weeks for teaching and faculty artists at the university level)

• Monday, September 13 – Monday, September 27, 2027 (2 weeks)

• Monday, October 18 – Friday, November 12, 2027 (4 weeks)

APPLICATIONS:

The application panel will meet in August and September, and applicants will be contacted by November 1.

A national selection committee composed of artist peers and other arts professionals selects artists. Applicants are judged by the same criteria across disciplines. Panelists are looking for artistic excellence, defined by a depth of conceptual content, sustained impact, and boldness of vision. The panel seeks those with sophisticated technical knowledge, whether the applicant displays a high level of traditional skill or, conversely, subverts that knowledge in new or challenging ways. The panel values potential in emerging artists and evidence of commitment and evolution in more established or mid-career applicants.

REFERENCES:

All applicants are required to submit two professional references. Please provide the name, contact information, and a very brief description of the nature of your professional relationship for each reference. Loghaven contacts references only if the application advances. References would be contacted in the fall by either email or phone and would not submit a formal letter.

WORK SAMPLES:

Determine which discipline best fits your work and follow the instructions below to upload the required work samples.

There are three fillable fields for each work sample upload. Required fields are marked with an asterisk. Include the title of the work in the “Title” field. In the next field, indicate if the submitted work sample is more than four years old by answering Yes or No. In the final field, you may include an optional, short description of the work sample.

Provide all submissions in English or accompanied by a translation.

If the attached work sample is longer than the limits for your discipline, please indicate the section you would like the panel to review. If you do not indicate a section, the panelist will review it from the start until the time limit is reached.

• VISUAL ART - Submit eight JPEG images that best represent your work. They can be no more than three MB per image. Each image should contain only one artwork. Two additional optional submissions: Installation documentation (either images or video) or detail shots. If your work is based in video, please submit up to two or three works totaling no more than fifteen minutes of video. Video can be submitted in MP4 or MOV format or by Vimeo or YouTube link.

• MUSIC COMPOSITION - Submit two or three audio samples of representative work. Each should be no more than 30MB each and should be in MP3 format or in MP4 or MOV format or by Vimeo or YouTube link. The work samples should total no more than fifteen minutes of video or audio. If available, please include a score submitted as a PDF.

• DANCE - Submit two or three works totaling no more than fifteen minutes of video. Each work sample should be submitted in MP4 or MOV format or by Vimeo or YouTube link.

• THEATER - Submit either two or three videos or PDFs. If you submit via video, they should total no more than fifteen minutes together in MP4 or MOV format or by Vimeo or YouTube link. If you submit via PDF, they should total no more than 250MB or two or three PDFs of scripts or librettos, totaling no more than twenty pages.

• POETRY - Submit eight to ten short poems or excerpts of poems. The total should not exceed 15 pages and should be submitted as a single PDF.

• FICTION, NONFICTION, & SCREENWRITING - Submit two or three work samples. The total should not exceed 20 pages, and should be double-spaced and in PDF format. Though not required, we recommend that at least one work sample be in the genre that you wish to work in during your residency.

• ARCHITECTURE - Submit two to three examples of previous design-based architecture projects in the form of PDFs, video, or a combination of the two. The applicant may submit work samples including but not limited to models, drawings, and images of completed work. The applicant may submit multiple pages for each project, but the total number of pages submitted should not exceed ten and should be in PDF format. If submitting video, work samples can be in MP4 or MOV format or by Vimeo or YouTube link. The total length should not exceed ten minutes. The applicant should include a brief, 250-word description of each project with the other submitted materials. In this description, please include whether this project was ever constructed. Please review the FAQs before applying in the discipline of Architecture for additional application guidelines.

• INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK - If you are submitting only images, you may submit up to eight JPEGs that best represent your work. They can be no more than three MB per image. Each image should contain only one artwork. If you are submitting other types of media or a mix of media, please submit no more than five work samples. The work samples can include images (jpegs should be no more than three MB each), PDFs, video (MP4/MOV should be no more than 250 MB), Vimeo link, YouTube link, or audio (MP3 should be no more 30MB each).

COLLABORATIVE GROUPS: Loghaven invites collaborative teams of up to and including nine people to apply. Each collaborative team will submit one application to be considered for a residency at Loghaven. Teams will apply together by selecting the “Loghaven Artist Residency Collaborative Team Application“ within the Loghaven Slideroom portal. Please note that all team members intending to take part in the residency and receive a stipend must fill out a team member informational form within the larger team application. Collaborative groups share working space and may be expected to share living space.

QUESTIONS: Please review the FAQs on the Loghaven website for answers to many common questions. If you have a question that is not answered there, please email info@loghaven.org, and a staff member will get back to you as soon as possible.

loghaven.org/residencies/apply/

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call for submissions: POETRY, FICTION, NONFICTION

MER

DEADLINE: July 15, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $3

INFO: MER publishes creative work on mothers, mothering, and motherhood, in all its forms. You need not be a mother to submit, as long as your piece is focused on motherhood.

We publish poetry (up to 3 poems, no more than 5 pages), and fiction, creative prose/nonfiction, and hybrid works (up to 1000 words) on mothering or motherhood. We also seek mother-themed art. You need not be a mother to submit. Our calendar conforms to Eastern Time.

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

Please read our print journal and online quarterly: http://merliterary.com

• Submit work that has not been previously published online or in print.

• Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please let us know promptly if your submission is accepted elsewhere, by using your Submittable.com account to add a note to your submission telling us which titles are no longer available for consideration.

• Submissions will be considered for the print issue and for MER Online on our website unless you specify in your cover letter that you are only submitting for one or the other. If you have previously submitted to MER online or print, we request that you submit work other than that previously submitted.

• Submit your own creative work. If you collaborated with anyone or thing (eg. AI) in creating the piece, you must note that in your cover letter.

themomegg.submittable.com/submit

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THE KYOTO RETREAT

DEADLINE: July 17, 2026 |📍Kyoto, Japan

APPLICATION FEE: $95

INFO: For writers, Kyoto's tranquil gardens and winding cobblestone streets evoke narratives waiting to be penned. The changing hues of autumn during October and November paint the city in vibrant reds and golds, providing a stunning backdrop for contemplation and storytelling. Walking through the bamboo groves of Arashiyama or along the philosopher's path can stir reflections on nature, philosophy, and the human experience.

Although there will be several scheduled events during your stay, the primary purpose of the retreat is to give you an opportunity to immerse yourself in various aspects of Japanese culture and to meet other creatives. You are not required to make new work during the retreat. We want you to have ample time to explore Japan and get inspired in a calm, nurturing environment.

OUR SELECTION PROCESS: We select artists, curators, and writers at all career stages, working in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, interdisciplinary, and social practice. Individuals must be over 21 years old to apply. Our application requires you to submit a CV or resume, a brief statement about your creative interests and a description of how you anticipate using the time if selected for The Kyoto Retreat. You can also provide up to 10 work samples.

FLIGHTS & ACCOMMODATIONS: If you are selected for the retreat, you will receive a roundtrip flight to Kansai International Airport (KIX) or Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport, ITM). You will have a private bedroom in a shared, private house for four weeks (November 1 - 30, 2026). You will also receive $800 USD to supplement your meals and local transportation. Please visit our FAQs for more information.

kyotoretreat.com/about

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call for memoir book proposals by black food professionals

Jollof & Jambalaya Press

DEADLINE: July 20, 2026 at 11:59pm PT

INFO: Book proposal submissions are now open! Read the following guidelines and then click the link on the bottom of the page to submit. 

SUBMISSION FAQs:

• Do you accept proposals from authors who are not Black food professionals?

  • Not at this time. Our books are authored by Black food professionals—food writers, chefs, farmers, bakers, and others whose lives are shaped by food (a group that is historically underrepresented in the world of food journalism and publishing). If you consider yourself a part of this group, we would love to read your work.

• Do you accept proposals via email?

  • No. Proposals must be submitted via our submission form. Only the book excerpt/writing sample will be accepted via email.

• Do you accept proposals for works of fiction?

  • No. At this time, we only publish memoirs (true stories).​

• Do you accept proposals for cookbooks?

  • No. At this time, we only publish memoirs (true stories).​

• Do you accept proposals for memoirs written in experimental formats?

  • Yes. We welcome proposals for memoirs written as poetry, essay collections, comics/graphic novels, and other formats. Specify your format in your proposal.​

• Do you accept proposals for books that are longer than 40,000 words?

  • No. We publish small but potent paperback memoirs in an archival format, a nod to classic Penguin paperback books and our inspiration, Takeaway books from Somekind Press.

• Why are your books limited to 40,000 words?

  • Our books are small but potent, aimed at telling focused, compelling, true stories with no extra fluff or glossy photos. We like to envision our readers easily carrying our books around with them as they go about their day.​

• Do you accept proposals for books written using ghostwriters or AI?

  • No. We believe in books authentically written by humans. We do not accept manuscripts that have been ghostwritten or composed using generative AI. ​

• Can I submit my book excerpt as a Google Doc link?

  • No. Please submit your book excerpt as a PDF or Word document.​​​

• Can I submit my entire book manuscript rather than a 15-20 page excerpt?

  • No. In the name of equity, we will not read documents that are longer than 20 pages from any applicant.​

• Do you accept simultaneous submissions? 

  • Yes, but if your work is accepted elsewhere, please let us know as soon as possible.​

• Do you accept multiple submissions from one author?

  • No. During this submission period, we are only accepting one proposal submission per author.​

• What is your response time?

  • ​We are a small editorial team and read every proposal personally. We will respond to your submission within 45 days after the submission window closes.

NOTIFICATION: We are a small editorial team and read every proposal personally. We will respond to your submission within 45 days after the submission window closes*

 jollofandjambalayapress.com/submissions

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FORGING: ANNUAL COHORT OPEN CALL

Forge Project

DEADLINE: July 20, 2026

INFO: Forging is the digital-first journal by Forge Project. With generous support from the Terra Foundation for American Art, Forging journal has transitioned from a bimonthly open call for contributors to a call for members of a yearly cohort to apply with a package of two to three story ideas around a unified topic of the writer’s choosing.

FORGING EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:

In 2025, Forge Project established an editorial advisory committee to oversee multiple programs and to help envision new ways to support Native writers. Members include Joseph M. Pierce, Lana Lopesi, and Sheena Roetman-Wynn.

• Joseph M. Pierce (ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ, Cherokee Nation Citizen) is Associate Professor in the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature and the Founding Director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Stony Brook University. He is the author of Speculative Relations: Indigenous Worlding and Repair (Duke University Press, 2025) and Argentine Intimacies: Queer Kinship in an Age of Splendor, 1890-1910 (SUNY Press, 2019). He has published work in Critical Ethnic Studies Journal, Latin American Research Review, and Art Journal, and in popular outlets including Hyperallergic, TruthOut, and Indian Country Today. With S.J. Norman (Wiradjuri), he is co-curator of the performance series Knowledge of Wounds, and in 2024-2025 he was a Ford Foundation Scholar in Residence at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). 

• Lana Lopesi (Sāmoa) is a writer and academic from Tamaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Currently she works as an Assistant Professor in the department of Indigenous Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of Oregon. There, she teaches across her research areas of Pacific studies, Indigenous feminisms and contemporary art. Her research draws on Indigenous feminist thinking and focuses on Samoan diasporic subjectivity and specifically how Samoan moving image reveals distinct Samoan subjectivities made in relation. She is the author of False Divides, Bloody Woman, and Pacific Arts Aotearoa. Lana is co-editor of Towards a Grammar of Race: In Aotearoa New Zealand and Pacific Spaces: Translations and Transmutations.

• Sheena Roetman-Wynn (Lakota/Muscogee) is the Director of Membership for the Indigenous Journalists Association. Previously, Roetman-Wynn spent six years as director of membership and programs at the Atlanta Press Club, where she also ran APC’s annual internship program and assisted in producing debates for local, state and federal races in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting and Public Broadcasting Atlanta. She has also spent more than 15 years as a freelance journalist, editor and researcher. Roetman-Wynn holds a degree in Journalism with a research specialty in American Indian Media from Georgia State University.

CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES:

Each annual cohort will comprise up to six writers at varying levels of their careers who can successfully pitch, report and/or research, conduct interviews, and produce articles or essays for publication. Applicants will need to provide at least three writing samples, preferably published through an editorial process, along with a resume, cover letter, and one reference from a direct collaborator or professional colleague who can speak to the applicant's work and community relations. Finalists may be asked to join a brief interview to discuss details of their topic, background research, or other questions from the editors.

As part of the Forging journal cohort, writers will have the opportunity to spend up to one week in residence at Forge Project during the late fall or early spring for a self-directed retreat in our library of over 1,000 titles. During their retreat, writers will stay in a private bedroom at Forge Project with shared common spaces. Writers will also receive an additional $1,000 stipend to cover travel, groceries, and other expenses during their stay. Editors will be available during the writing retreat to discuss ideas or make connections with local experts working in their field of interest.

We invite contributors who are deeply committed to changing the way we study and interpret Indigenous survivance in the face of settler colonialism, with a focus on centering and engaging Native writers. We accept work from non-Native writers with a history of compelling research on the topic they’re proposing.

WHAT TO CONTRIBUTE:

Possible contributions to Forging may include researched essays or critical reflections tied to a political topic, feature-length news reportage, photo essays, written interviews, analysis of cultural work or popular media, as well as other literary and creative explorations. Articles and essays can range from 800 to 1,200 words, and must include images. Check to be sure we haven’t already published a similar article, or that other outlets haven’t covered the topic in the way you are proposing.

Please note: We are not able to accept works of creative writing, fiction, or poetry at this time.

• Reportage - Similar to classical news feature reporting, but it also incorporates elements of first observation and is generally deeper and more nuanced than traditional news coverage of events.

• Arguments - Provocative editorials that aim to undercut conventional wisdom on a topic by presenting something completely new to the public discourse or recasting a key historical event in a new light. In short, this section aims to stoke new debate about a longstanding issue or present a new issue altogether.

• Anchored in History - Narrative essays that are anchored in historic events that continue to shape society today. This section takes a misunderstood or undercovered episode in history and recasts it with an eye toward understanding modern conflicts and trends. 

• First Person - Essays of a highly personal nature that tell a story bigger than the writer alone, touching upon universal themes.

• Cultural analysis - Thoughtful analysis essays that articulate important ideas and themes, drawing on works of art such as books, films, television series or music

HOW TO APPLY:

Our team of editors are looking for pitches for a package or a series of two to three articles around a related topic or theme. 

• Keep it short - Limit your pitch to one page. Explain how your story ideas are related to one another. Let us know what’s interesting, why we should care, and use this opportunity to give us a sense of your voice and writing style.

• Include relevant details - Let us know why you think Forging is a good fit for your stories, what form each article will take (ie, a reported essay or feature-length news article), and how many words we can expect you to submit for your final draft .

• Introduce yourself - Give us an idea of who you are, your past experience, and why you are the right person to write this story.

• Let us know about possible conflicts of interest, if any, including work or personal relationships, and other connections

Please also include your resume, one professional reference, and three writing samples, in a single PDF to frances@forgeproject.com with the subject line “Journal Application” by Monday, July 20, 2026. Applications will be reviewed by editors and finalists will be reviewed by an independent editorial committee. Cohort members will be notified no later than Monday, August 31, 2026.

PROJECT EXAMPLES:

Impacts of federal budget cuts on tribal colleges and universities, including: 

• A reported article on overall losses, with interviews with administrators, professors, and students;

• A history of TCUs, Native Studies departments, and culturally responsive education; and

• A cultural essay on Lloyd Kiva New, the Cherokee designer and co-founder of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

The legacy of uranium mining on Navajo Nation, including:

• A researched history of environmental and health impacts;

• A photo essay with long-form captions of efforts to clean up abandoned mine sites; and

• A Q&A with activists advocating for healthcare for Diné suffering from chronic illness due to exposure to toxic chemicals.

PAYMENT DETAILS: Forge Project pays $1/word on assignment, and is looking for articles of no more than 1,200 words each. Writers can expect to be paid per assignment upon invoicing, plus a retreat stipend prior to their time in residence at Forge Project (up to $4,600 per cohort term, October 2026 to May 2027). Please note: We are not able to support travel for research and reporting at this time.

forgeproject.com/projects/forging-contributors-and-guidelines

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2026 Book Prize

Wendy’s Subway

DEADLINE: July 24, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: Wendy’s Subway is pleased to announce the 2026 Book Prize for full-length manuscripts. Manuscripts selected for this award are published as part of the Passage Series, which features books by emerging writers and artists whose work manifests in innovative, hybrid, and cross-genre forms that imagine new possibilities and expressions of the poetic, the political, and the social. 

 The author will publish a book with Wendy’s Subway within 18 months, and receive an honorarium of $1,250 and 25 author copies.

 The selected book will be announced in September 2026. 

 GUEST JUDGE: Brandon Shimoda is the author of several books of poetry and prose, most recently The Afterlife Is Letting Go (City Lights, 2024), recipient of the Colorado Book Award; Hydra Medusa (Nightboat Books, 2023); and The Grave on the Wall (City Lights, 2019), recipient of the PEN Open Book Award. He co-edited, with Brynn Saito, the first full-length anthology of Japanese American poetry, The Gate of Memory: Poems by Descendants of Nikkei Wartime Incarceration (Haymarket Books, 2025), which also includes work by Japanese and Okinawan Canadians; and co-edited, with Thom Donovan, To look at the sea is to become what one is: An Etel Adnan Reader (Nightboat Books, 2014). He curates the Hiroshima Library, an itinerant reading room/collection of books on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which is currently installed at Colorado College, where he also teaches (creative writing and Asian American literature). 

ELIGIBILITY: The call is open to writers at any stage of their career. Writers may be based anywhere. Wendy’s Subway is committed to a publishing practice that amplifies marginalized and underrepresented writers.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but should the manuscript be accepted for publication elsewhere, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible and withdraw your Submittable application.

FORMAT + GUIDELINES: Please submit a manuscript of 40 pages or more of original work. While excerpts from the manuscript may have been previously published (as chapbooks, online, or in journals and anthologies, for instance), the manuscript as a whole should reflect a new and unpublished work. Your manuscript may include visual art and illustrations, but please note any pre-designed manuscripts will undergo a significant design process if selected. Collaborations are accepted. While experimental approaches to translation will be considered, one-to-one translations of another author’s writing are not eligible.

 Our submission review process is not anonymous. Your manuscript should include: page numbers, a title page, a table of contents, and acknowledgments of previous publication, if applicable. Please also include a one-paragraph biographical statement in the submission form. You may only submit one manuscript for consideration. You will not have the opportunity to make any edits or revisions to your manuscript in Submittable once it has been submitted. The selected author will engage in an editorial process with the Wendy’s Subway editorial team once the manuscript has been accepted. 

We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our program and with the Passage Series to learn more about our work before submitting.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Wendy’s Subway abides by the Code of Ethics developed by the Community of Literary Magazines and Publishers (see below). We are committed to fairly and ethically evaluating each and every submission. A group of external readers and Wendy's Subway staff will review all applications before the judge selects a manuscript from the 10 finalists. Close friends, relatives, colleagues, and students (past and present) of the judge are not eligible to submit. 

 CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believe that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.

HOW TO SUBMIT: Please submit online using our Submittable page. No hard copies accepted. There is an entry fee of $20. 

 The $20 submission fee assists our small press in supporting publishing costs and writer honoraria. We recognize that not everyone can afford this expense at this time, and are committed to making this call as accessible as possible. Please email publishing@wendyssubway.com using the subject line “Book Prize Waiver” to make a request for a fee waiver if this expense presents a hardship for you.

You can write to us at publishing@wendyssubway.com with any questions about your eligibility or the application process.

wendyssubway.submittable.com/submit

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2027 emerging writer fellowships

The Center for Fiction

DEADLINE: July 31, 2026

INFO: The Center for Fiction / Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowshipprogram annually provides financial support, professional and creative development, personalized mentorship, and community engagement to nine early-career, New York City-based fiction writers.

During the one-year Fellowship period, Fellows receive:

• A grant of $5,000

• The opportunity to have their manuscript revised and critiqued by an experienced editor

• Access to write in our Writers Studio

• A monthly Open Studio where creative work is shared and discussed

• The opportunity to meet with editors, authors, and agents who represent new writers at monthly dinners

• Two public readings as part of our annual program of events

• A professional headshot for personal publicity use

• Inclusion in an anthology distributed to industry professionals

• Invitation and ticket to our First Novel Fête

• Complimentary admission to all Center events

• A 25% discount on writing workshops at The Center

• A workshop on reading as performance

The Fellowship also marks the beginning of a lifelong relationship with The Center. Alumni remain a vital part of our community, launching their debuts on our stage, participating in our programs, and offering support to new Fellows.

Our 125 Fellowship alumni have published over 60 books, reflecting The Center’s mission to nurture and champion exciting new voices. Fellows have gone on to receive prestigious honors and awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Whiting Award, the NAACP Image Award, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award, the Gotham Prize, and the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35.

centerforfiction.org/grants-awards/nyc-emerging-writers-fellowship/

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THE SARABANDE OPEN: FICTION + NONFICTION

Sarabande Books

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

DEADLINE: July 31, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: Each year during the month of July, Sarabande offers writers and translators the opportunity to get their manuscripts in front of our editors without the mediating factors of agents or judges. Providing direct access to writers is a core Sarabande value, rooted in our long-held belief that you, writers, know best what kind of work we're going to love. 

We can’t wait to read your full-length manuscripts of poetry, fiction, hybrid work, literary nonfiction, and literature in translation! 

ELIGIBILITY:

The Sarabande Open is open to manuscripts in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included. 

It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent titles below.This submission period is open to manuscripts in English. We recommended all those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Submission form must include a cover letter with a brief author bio and acknowledgements of past publications.

• Manuscript must be anonymous.

• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt.

• Prose manuscripts should be between 150 and 250 standard, double-spaced pages. 

• Manuscript should be paginated consecutively with a table of contents.

• Submission must be submitted electronically through Submittable, accompanied by a $30 submission fee.

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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THE SARABANDE OPEN: TRANSLATION

Sarabande Books

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

DEADLINE: July 31, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: Sarabande is pleased to offer a fully open reading period for literary works in translation. 

ELIGIBILITY:

Publication of a translated work is contingent upon the agreement to grant English language rights and other contractual terms. Sarabande reserves the right to reject any submitted manuscript or to withdraw a publication offer if contractual obligations are not met. We recommended all those who intend to submit a proposal familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find recent bilingual titles and works in translation here.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Translators wishing to submit a query should include:

• A one-page cover letter that that addresses the book’s cultural, historical, and artistic significance

• A brief biography of the poet and the translator, including previously published works

• A sample translation of at least 20 pages (more complete manuscripts are preferred, but not required

• A statement confirming that permission has been granted to the translator(s) for English translation and publication of the original text by the rights holder

• Submission of more than one proposal is permissible with separate reading fees. 

• Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted. We ask that you notify us immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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Drue Heinz Literature Prize

University of Pittsburgh Press

DEADLINE: July 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $25

INFO: The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of literary short fiction and makes their work available to readers around the world. The Prize is open to authors who have published at least three short stories or novellas, or one book-length collection of fiction, or a novel.  

Manuscripts are judged anonymously by internationally known writers. Past judges have included Ann Patchett, Richard Russo, Robert Penn Warren, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, Margaret Atwood, Russell Banks, Michael Chabon, Rick Moody, Joan Didion, Manuel Muñoz, Deesha Philyaw, and Quan Barry. 

PRIZE: Prize winners receive a cash prize of $25,000, publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press, and support in the worldwide promotion of their book.

ELIGIBILITY:

1. The Prize is open to writers who have published a novel or a book-length collection of fiction with a reputable book publisher, or a minimum of three short stories or novellas in reputable magazines, journals, or online publications. Self-published materials do not count toward this requirement. 

2. The Prize is open to manuscripts in English, whether or not the authors are citizens of the United States. Manuscripts translated into English will be considered for the Prize. 

3. Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 300 pages. Prior publication of the entire content of your manuscript in any format makes it ineligible. 

4. Manuscripts may also be under consideration by other publishers. However, if a manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere and you wish to accept this offer, you must immediately notify the Press and withdraw your manuscript from consideration as it is ineligible.

5. Authors may submit more than one manuscript to the competition as long as one manuscript or a portion thereof does not duplicate any material submitted in another manuscript. 

6. Current University of Pittsburgh employees and students, and former employees and students affiliated with the University within the last five years, are not eligible for the Prize. 

7. The winning submission will be offered a standard Prize publication contract, the terms of which are not subject to revision.  

The winner and finalists will typically be notified by the end of the calendar year.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

1. During the submission period (July 1 – July 31) simply click the link above. You’ll be taken to our secure Submittable page where you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions: 

2. Manuscripts must be double-spaced and pages must be numbered consecutively. 

3. Each submission must include a list of all of the writer’s published short fiction work, with full citations. You will be given an opportunity to enter this information into a field in Submittable. 

4. Manuscripts will be judged anonymously. Therefore, the author’s name, other identifying information, and publication information must not appear within the manuscript. This is to ensure that only anonymous manuscripts are visible to the judges. Failure to strictly adhere to this rule is grounds to remove your manuscript from consideration for the Prize. 

Each year, the winner and finalists will be announced via press release by the end of the January following the submission period. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please email eomalley@upress.pitt.edu.

upress.submittable.com/submit 

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Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

Prairie Schooner

DEADLINE: August 1, 2026

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: Our annual summer nonfiction contest is open to all types of creative nonfiction essays up to 5,000 words.

The winner will receive $1,000 and publication in our Spring 2027 issue.

This year's guest judge is Orenda Fink. 

Orenda Fink is a musician, songwriter, performer, writer, and certified Jungian depth coach specializing in shadow work, dream interpretation and narcissistic abuse recovery. Her work has been profiled in NPR, Vanity Fair, and more. She has been writing, recording, and touring since 1997, most notably with the bands Azure Ray, O+S, and the Casket Girls. Her first book, The Witch’s Daughter, is a memoir detailing life as the child of a mother with an undiagnosed personality disorder. It was a finalist for the 2025 Southern Book Prize. Born and raised in the South, Orenda now resides in California’s Mojave Desert with her husband, Todd Fink of The Faint, and their dog, Grimm.

GUIDELINES:

Entries will consist of three parts:

• Cover Letter: In the cover letter, include the submission's title and your contact information, including e-mail address, phone number, and mailing address. Your name and contact info must not appear anywhere within the manuscript itself (double-check headers and footers!).

• Essay Manuscript: The contest is open to all types of creative nonfiction essays up to 5,000 words. We're interested in reading imaginative essays of general interest. (Scholarly articles requiring footnote references should be submitted to journals of literary scholarship.) Manuscripts should be double-spaced and use a standard font, and, again, the submitter's name and contact info should not appear within the manuscript itself.

• Entry Fee: Each submission must be accompanied by the $20.00 fee, which includes a copy of the Spring 2027 issue of the Schooner in which the winning essay will appear.

  Multiple submissions are welcome and encouraged, but a separate entry fee must accompany each submission. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, provided you withdraw your work promptly should it be accepted for publication elsewhere. We do not consider work that has been previously published anywhere, including online publications.

This contest is administered anonymously. Editorial Assistants, Assistant Nonfiction Editors, the Guest Judge, and the Editor in Chief of the Schooner are not privy to submitters' identifying information.

If you have a problem with your submission, please write to Managing Editor Jessica Poli at prairieschooner@unl.edu.

prairieschooner.submittable.com/submit

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Open Call for ‘Crip Time’

SUSPECT

DEADLINE: August 1, 2026

INFO: “Good shit takes time.” Alice Wong says in her disability memoir Year of the Tiger. In both senses of “crip time” — both the non-normative, flexible timelines of disability culture and an appropriate moment for disabled folks to take center stage — SUSPECT seeks writing that draws on and centers disabled lived experience and disability theory. 

Rejecting the mind/body binary, we invite writing on all stripes of disability: physical, cognitive, and psychological, invisible and visible. Bring us your writing from beyond fearmongering pity and supercrip inspiration porn. Bring us your writing from (un)expected places of becoming — from the daybed to the highway, from mountains to menus of braille. Give us stim and sensory overload, ramp and rattling pills. Give us obstinance and gloss, access intimacy and mess. Come as you are, in joy or with steel. Let's see what good shit we can make with crip time.

Submissions might address (but not be limited to):

• Crip time and futures

• Ableism and accessibility

• Mad studies and neurodiversity

• Disability culture and materiality

• Interdependence and independence

• The double edges of diagnosis and cure

• Intersecting struggles

Suggested reading includes:

• Uncanny Magazine #24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction. Eds. Dominik Parisen and Elsa Sjunneson-Henry.

• The Right Way to Be Crippled and Naked. Eds. Sheila Black, Michael Northen, Annabelle Hayse.

• Beauty is a Verb. Eds. Sheila Black, Jennifer Bartlett, Michael Northen.

• We are Not Your Metaphor. Eds. Zoeglossia Fellows.

• Year of the Tiger. Alice Wong.

• Brilliant Imperfection. Eli Clare.

• Blind Rage. Georgia Kleege.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Submission period: 1 June – 1 August 2026

• Announcement of decisions: 1 November 2026

• The portfolio will run throughout November 2026

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

SUSPECT invites submissions exploring the theme of “Crip Time” for our Themed Portfolio. Authors may submit to one or multiple of the following categories —

• Short fiction: Please submit either a single short story ranging from 1,500 to 6,500 words or a suite of flash fiction ranging from 2-4 pieces with a minimum word count of 1,500

• Poetry: Please submit a suite of 3-5 poems of not more than 10 pages

• Essays: Please submit either a single essay ranging from 1,500 to 6,500 words or a suite of flash non-fiction ranging from 2-4 pieces with a minimum word count of 1,500

Although we accept simultaneous submissions, we ask that you inform us if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept previously published work. As our mission is to publish Asian authors, submitters (or translated authors) must identify as Asian. Please include a short cover letter in your submission detailing your connection to your Asian and/or disabled identity.

We look forward to reading your submissions. Please direct submissions and any questions to Sharmini at suspect@singaporeunbound.org. 

PAYMENT:

SUSPECT pays USD100 for each accepted work/suite of work. For translations or collaborative works, payment is made to the translator or submitter only.

We ask for the non-exclusive right to publish your work (1) on the website of SUSPECT accessible globally, (2) in our weekly newsletter and on our social media for publicity purposes, and (3) in subsequent print anthologies, if any. We also ask contributors not to republish the Work in any form within six months of publication in SUSPECT.

AI USE: Please see here for our AI policy.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/crip-time

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call for submissions: ‘Stories of Women of Colour, Culture & Becoming’

IHRAM Press

DEADLINE: August 1, 2026

INFO: We are opening submissions for an issue dedicated to amplifying the voices of women of colour, including transgender women and women living across cultures as expats, migrants, or in diasporic communities.

This issue will explore stories of hope, resistance, and resilience—shining a light on the struggles, strengths, and creativity of women of colour worldwide.

WE ARE EAGER TO PUBLISH:

• Experiences of discrimination and inequality (health, social, political, economic).

• Intersectional feminism: recognizing that inequalities are lived differently across identities and contexts.

• Cultural and generational stories—memories, traditions, and the legacies women carry.

• Creative expressions of solidarity, empowerment, and collective care.

WHAT DO IHRAM PRESS PROMISE TO YOU?

We also acknowledge that terms such as “women of colour,” “BIPOC,” or “BAME” can be limiting, centering whiteness in ways that feel triggering or reductive. We invite contributors to self-identify in the ways that feel most authentic to them. This issue is a platform for visibility, empowerment, and art as resistance. We recognize that not all inequalities are experienced the same way. Therefore, we wish to highlight intersectional feminism in this collection and amplify those voices.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Poetry - Maximum 5 poems per submission, one publication per author.

• Short-Stories/Essays - 2500 words or less

• Visual art - Accepted Visual Art includes: mixed media, acrylics, oil paintings, drawings, photographs, collages, sculptures, or any forms that fit our publication’s themes. *Submission for artwork is unlimited. Please note, your published artwork might be presented in black-and-white and therefore should be suitable for “print”. We WILL NOT accept any AI-Generated art. Ensure your artwork is submitted as .JPG, .PDFs, or .PNGs.

• Submission Requirements - Include the call you are responding to in the email’s subject line

  • Your full name and/or pen name.

  • Your country of residence.

  • A brief third-person bio (roughly 100 words). If your bio includes references of your past work, feel free to provide links!

  • A brief foreword to your piece (between 300-500 words), explaining your inspiration for creating it, background information, explanation of key characters, and any other key insight for the reader.

• Compensation for Accepted Submission - Writers whose submissions are accepted will receive payment of $50. Accepted artists will receive $25.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Submit your work to submit@humanrightsartmovement.org

Please include the the following required information in your submission email:

Include the call you are responding to in the email’s subject line

• Your full name and/or pen name.

• Your country of residence.

• A brief third-person bio (roughly 100 words). If your bio includes references of your past work, feel free to provide links!

• A brief foreword to your piece (between 300-500 words), explaining your inspiration for creating it, background information, explanation of key characters, and any other key insight for the reader.

• *If your piece is accepted, we will request a high-resolution author photograph. However, authors are not required to provide photographs of themselves and are always welcome to decline, should they wish to remain anonymous.

humanrightsartmovement.org/ihram-submissions

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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS

CALL FOR HORROR WRITERS

Harriet’s House

INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2026/2027 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.

During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.

GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

Writers can send their stories to harrietshousemag@gmail.com

harrietshousemag.com

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “NOTES, COMMENTARY AND REFLECTIONS”

Small Axe Journal

INFO: The Small Axe Journal is getting a new section. Named “Notes, Commentary and Reflections,” this section will feature pieces that address urgent contemporary issues in the Caribbean.

GUIDELINES: Submissions should have a maximum of 2,500 and should be uploaded to our submissions portal, which can be found on our website.

smallaxe.net/sx/submissions

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Amp

INFO: Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.

GUIDELINES:

• Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.

• Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.

• Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.

• Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.

To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:

“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”

From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.

Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.

The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).

PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.

aaartsalliance.org/magazine/about

FICTION / NONFICTION — JUNE 2026

ALAN ANDRES WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE

Associates of the Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: June 5, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: The Alan Andres Writer-in-Residence is a year-long residency (Oct 2026–Sept 2027) with a $70,000 stipend, $2,500 for professional development, and a private office in the Boston Public Library to complete a children’s or YA project (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, or graphic novels).

RESIDENCY BENEFITS:

• A total stipend of $70,000, paid in monthly installments over one year. 

• The opportunity to request up to an additional $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, a critical reading of your manuscript, or a similar activity that will be helpful to you in completing your manuscript. 

• A private office in the Boston Public Library in Copley Square from October 2026 to September 2027. Office space usage is contingent on the Library being open to the public and it being safe to work on-site.

• Access to and use of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections. 

• A forum for the presentation/promotion of your finished literary work. 

• Opportunities to establish connections with writers (including previous Fellows), publishers, artists, and the community-at-large through participation in/attendance at library readings, lectures, and other events. 

• At the end of the residency, your completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s archives. (However, you retain all rights to your completed work.) 

ELIGIBILITY:

• The proposed literary project should be intended for children or young adult readers. All genres are welcome, including fiction, non-fiction, scripts, graphic novels, or poetry. 

• The applicant should demonstrate active engagement as a writer, whether full or part-time, as an avocation or profession. 

• Since this program is intended for emerging authors, the applicant should not have any prior professional book publications. (Self-published books, textbooks, works for hire, articles, and short stories published in an anthology do not count against this eligibility criteria.) 

• Only one proposal may be submitted per person. 

• Joint applications or proposed collaborations by more than one author are not permitted. 

• Works that are already under contract with a publisher are not eligible for submission. 

• The fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens or green card holders living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont).  

• Must be legally eligible to work in the US, as a U.S. citizen or green card holder. English fluency required. 

• There are NO age, gender, race, or educational requirements. 

TERMS OF RESIDENCY:

1. You will work a minimum of nineteen (19) hours per week from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. 

2. You will participate in a public reception at the BPL on October 6, 2026, to mark the beginning of your residency. 

3. You will complete a submission-ready manuscript by the end of residency, which you will present at a second public reception, on a mutually agreed upon date. 

4. Throughout the fellowship, you will consult with a designated member of the Associates staff or board on a regular basis to keep them apprised of progress on your manuscript. 

5. During your fellowship, you will participate in or create at least one program for Boston Public Library patrons, such as a presentation to Boston-area students, as mutually agreed upon with BPL Youth Services staff.  

6. Throughout your fellowship and thereafter, you will be considered an Ambassador for the Associates of the BPL. You will include an acknowledgment to the Associates of the BPL in all work created during the residency, and during any media opportunities stemming from the program, using mutually agreed-upon language. 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• To apply, please complete the application form (below) and upload a proposal (5 pages max.) and writing sample (15 pages max.) by Friday, June 5, 2026, at 11:59 pm. The documents should be double-spaced with one-inch margins and at least 11-point font. The attachments should not include any biographical information, since there will be a blind judging process. See questions #13 and 14 in the FAQ below for more details. 

• Basic questions about the application will be answered via email (via hello@AssociatesBPL.org); no calls please. Questions regarding how to present your work will not be considered. Inquiries concerning applications under review will not be answered.  

• If using Submittable creates an undue burden for you, you can alternatively mail your submission to: Writer-in-Residence Program, Associates of the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. 

• Late applications will not be considered. Once submitted, applications cannot be altered by either candidates or Associates staff.  

SELECTION PROCESS:

• Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges, which includes a rotating group of authors, librarians, booksellers, publishers, editors, book designers, teachers, and/or citizens representing different areas of the world of children’s literature. Associates staff do not vote in this process. In addition to naming the fellow, the judges may also designate a selection of finalists. 

• The judges do not know the candidates’ names, gender, educational qualifications, or any background information. This blind-judging process focuses solely on the quality of the submissions.  

• Submissions will be judged on the merit of the original writing. Work suspected of being derived from or enhanced by an AI writing program will only increase the chance that it will be eliminated from consideration by the judges. 

• The candidate selected to be the 2026-2027 Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence will be notified by Friday, August 14, 2026. 

KEY DATES:

• Application Deadline:  Friday, June 5, 2026 at 11:59 pm

• Notification: Friday, August 14, 2026

• Residency Period: October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027

QUESTIONS? After reading these guidelines and reviewing the application form, if you still have questions, please refer to our FAQ page or email us.

associatesofthebostonpubliclibrary.submittable.com/submit

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ALAN ANDRES PICTURE BOOK WRITER FELLOWSHIP

Associates of the Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: June 5, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: The Associates of the Boston Public Library's Alan Andres Picture Book Writer Fellowship intends to make a profound impact on the lives of emerging writers.

BENEFITS:

• $25,000 stipend, paid in monthly installments over one year. 

• The opportunity to request up to an additional $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, a critical reading of your manuscript, or a similar activity that will be helpful to you in completing your manuscript. 

• Completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s Special Collections (the writer retains all rights to their completed work) 

• Opportunity to publicly present your manuscript at a fall reading. 

• Opportunities to establish connections with writers (including previous Fellows), publishers, artists, and the community-at-large through participation in/attendance at library readings, lectures, and other events. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Submitted manuscripts will be judged on their ability to tell a compelling and original story appropriate to the developmental age of the intended audience. 

• Works that qualify can be either of the following categories:  

                   Ages 0-3 (board books) 

                   Ages 3–8 (picture books and early readers) 

• Eligible projects may include fiction, non-fiction, memoir, or poetry. Graphic novels are not eligible. 

• Since this program is intended for emerging authors, applicants should not have already published any books for children. 

• The fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens or green card holders living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont) at this time. 

• Only one proposal may be submitted per person. 

• There is no requirement to work at the Boston Public Library, though the recipient will have the chance to attend events at the library with other writers. 

• The Associates of the Boston Public Library does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or educational attainment.  

• Works by talented writer-illustrators are welcome; however, the story or concept will be given greater importance. 

• No AI may be used in the creation of this submission. 

TERMS OF FELLOWSHIP:

1. You will participate in a public reception at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square to mark the beginning of your fellowship. 

2. Throughout the fellowship, you will consult with a designated member of the Associates staff or board on a regular basis to keep them apprised of progress on your manuscript. 

3. During your fellowship, you will participate in or create at least one program for Boston Public Library patrons, such as a presentation to Boston-area students, as mutually agreed upon with BPL Youth Services staff.  

4. Throughout your fellowship and thereafter, you will be considered an Ambassador for the Associates of the BPL. You will include an acknowledgment to the Associates of the BPL in all work created during the residency, and during any media opportunities stemming from the program, using mutually agreed-upon language. 

5. You will complete a completed manuscript by the end of residency, which you will present at a second public reception, on a mutually agreed upon date. 

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

• To apply, please complete the application form on Submittable and upload a proposal (2 pages maximum) and writing sample (5 pages maximum) by June 5, 2026, at 11:59 pm. No extensions will be provided or granted. The documents should be double-spaced with one-inch margins and at least 11-point font. The attachments should not include any biographical information, since there will be a blind judging process. See our FAQs for more details. 

• Basic questions about the application will be answered via email (via picturebook@associatesbpl.org); no calls please. Questions regarding how to present your work will not be considered. Inquiries concerning applications under review will not be answered.  

• If using Submittable creates an undue burden for you, you can alternatively mail your submission following the format and answering the questions on the Submittable form to: Alan Andres Picture Book Writer Fellowship, Associates of the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. All mailed submissions must be postmarked before 11:59 p.m. on (June 5, 2026). 

• Late applications will not be considered. Once submitted, applications cannot be altered by either candidates or program staff.   

SELECTION PROCESS:

• Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges, which includes a rotating group of authors, librarians, booksellers, publishers, editors, literary agents, book designers, teachers, and/or citizens representing different areas in the field of children’s literature. Associates staff do not vote in this process. In addition to naming the fellow, the judges may also designate a selection of finalists. 

• The judges do not know the candidates’ names, gender, educational qualifications, or any background information. This blind-judging process focuses solely on the quality of the submissions.  

• Judges will be looking for compelling and original stories that are developmentally appropriate to board books or picture books. Particular attention will be given to texts that convey memorable or unique characters, distinctive settings, and an emotionally compelling plot.  

• The text must also serve to inspire an illustrator's creative interpretation. Writers may electronically submit instructions to a future illustrator of the work that suggest the flow of words, images, and page breaks.

 KEY DATES:

• Application Deadline:  Friday, June 5, 2026, at 11:59 pm

• Notification of Selected Fellow: by or before Friday, August 14, 2026

• Residency Period: October 6, 2026, through September 30, 2027

QUESTIONS? Check out our FAQs or email us at picturebook@associatesbpl.org 

associatesofthebostonpubliclibrary.submittable.com/submit

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BLACKSTONE PUBLISHING NOVEL INITIATIVE

The Black List x Blackstone Publishing

DEADLINE: June 9, 2026

INFO: The Black List and Blackstone Publishing have announced The Blackstone Publishing Novel Initiative, a new partnership to identify an unpublished manuscript to enter into a $25,000 publishing deal. 

This program is open to manuscripts in all genres, but Blackstone is particularly interested in genres that elevate familiar themes from  fresh, compelling perspectives, with a particular emphasis on thrillers, high-concept mysteries and romances, and horror stories. 

The Black List will assist Blackstone Publishing in identifying a shortlist of outstanding manuscripts through a submission period on blcklst.com from November 20, 2025 until June 9, 2026.

All submissions must have received at least one evaluation while being hosted on blcklst.com. Once a manuscript has received an evaluation, it can be submitted to any partnership for which it is eligible at no additional cost.

REQUIREMENTS:

• You must post an original manuscript on www.blcklst.com, with at least one (1) evaluation, and opt-in to the Program during the Submission Period. The Program is open to manuscripts in all genres, but Blackstone is particularly interested in manuscript submissions that elevate familiar themes such as love, adventure, guilt, desire, betrayal, family, identity, and obsession, among others from fresh compelling perspectives. 

• Submitted manuscripts must not be under contract elsewhere. 

• For the avoidance of doubt, no feature, pilot, play, or musical submissions will be eligible for this Program.

• You must agree to (1) these Submission Requirements, (2) all terms relating to the Program posted on Black List’s website, which you should review and read in full, and (3) the Submission Agreement, which governs the submission of your manuscript to Company and Black List. The Submission Agreement includes important, legally binding terms and conditions, including arbitration of any disputes, which you must read in full before accepting.

• If requested, you must submit (by a date determined by Company) the following materials, which are also governed by the Submission Agreement:

  •  Contact and other personal information; and

  •  Executed originals of the Submission Agreement.

• If selected, you will have the opportunity to enter into a book deal with Company, which shall be negotiated in good faith.

• You must be at least 18 years of age and not a minor in the state or country of your residence at time of submission.

• If the submitted materials are written by a team consisting of one or more writers, (i) each member of that writing team must comply with these Submission Requirements, including agreeing to the Submission Agreement described below, and (ii) all members of the writing team must opt-out of the Program if any other member becomes ineligible (including as a result of failing to timely agree to the Submission Agreement or failing to timely provide the materials listed above).

• The submitted materials must be wholly original to you and you must be the sole owner of all rights. The submitted materials must not in any way infringe upon the copyright of any person or entity or, to the best of your knowledge in the exercise of reasonable prudence, constitute libel, defamation or invasion of privacy or any other rights of any third party. You understand and agree that Black List will share any information that you provide in connection with the Program with Company.

blcklst.com/programs/blackstone-publishing-novel-initiative

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2027 Marble House Family Residency

Marble House Project |📍Dorset, VT

DEADLINE: June 14, 2026, by 11:59pm ET

INFO: Marble House Project is a multidisciplinary artist residency program that fosters collaboration and the exchange of ideas, by providing an environment for artists across disciplines to live and work together. The residency is dedicated to ecological principles and integrates sustainable practices, including small-scale organic food production and waste conservation. Residents sustain their growth by engaging with the grounds while working on their artistic practice. Marble House Project is founded on the belief that the act of creating, whether in the studio or in nature, is how human potential expands and community thrives.

Marble House Project accepts approximately 50 residents and is open to artists living in the United States and abroad. You must be at least 21 years old.   Each session accommodates eight artists and is specifically curated to bring together a diverse group of creative workers, to maximize potential for collaboration and dialogue while in residence and beyond.

Artists will be notified by email by the end of September.

RESIDENCY DATES FOR 2027

• July 19th - August 2nd.  Family Friendly Residency. 

ABOUT MHP:

All residents live together in the historic, eight-bedroom Manley-Lefevre house, a communal space organized around responsibilities-sharing systems which highlight sustainability and community. The residency is an opportunity to develop and carry out practices of mutual support, group conversation, and to cultivate adaptive relationships with the environment. This can take the form of discussions with guest multidisciplinary artists, thinkers, and activists and other individual and group activities that benefit our community of residents.

Residents will be paired and asked to cook for shared dinners at least three times over the course of their residency, Monday-Friday. . Each session culminates with a short video interview and artists are invited to publicly share their work with our community and each other. Marble House Project provides private bedrooms, food, private studio space, and artist support. We are not able to cover costs related to travel or materials. There is no fee to attend the residency.

Applications are accepted in all creative fields including but not limited to writing, dance and choreography, performance, music composition and sound, film and video, visual arts, and culinary arts. Applications are reviewed by a jury of alumni and artists are selected based on quality of work, commitment to practice, and project description. Please choose the application that best describes your work. Two artists may apply together as a collaborative, and should complete one application with information about both artists  Within each application you will be asked to select the session dates best for you. 

If you are applying to the ecology residency you must have a project that aligns with this theme.  You may also apply to the other residency sessions as well.

If you are applying to the family friendly residency, you must have a child with you between the ages of 4 to 14.  You may also apply to other residencies as well but will be unable to bring your child.

Marble House Project does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. For exact dates, more information or questions about the residency, visit our FAQ page. If you still have questions you may   contact info@marblehouseproject.org. 

Personal information is not shared with our jury and will remain confidential. This includes email, home address, phone number and any information regarding your family, anything else you would need to tell us and how you heard about Marble House Project.  All of our outreach questions also remain confidential and blind to our jury.  

For more information on the ecology or family friendly residency please visit marblehouseproject.org/residency-details

marblehouseproject.submittable.com/submit

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Kate Medina Fellowship for Literary Narrative Nonfiction

The New York Public Library x Random House Publishing Group

DEADLINE: June 15, 2026

INFO: The New York Public Library and Random House Publishing Group are pleased to offer the Kate Medina Fellowship for Literary Narrative Nonfiction to support writers whose projects engage meaningfully with collections accessible onsite at the Library’s flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Projects requiring access to original materials including manuscripts, archives, books, photographs, prints, maps, newspapers, and journals will be given preference, but all worthy projects will be considered. 

Established with the generous support of Kate Medina and Random House Publishing Group, the fellowship promotes originality and excellence in nonfiction works that combine strong storytelling, reportorial precision, artistic writing, and depth of research into important subjects and ideas. The selected fellow will receive a stipend of $30,000 to support four continuous months of research to be taken between September 1, 2026–March 15, 2027. 

Fellows at The New York Public Library have sustained access to the Library’s world-class collections and space to work in one of the shared study rooms of the Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the Humanities. The Library will provide opportunities to connect with our expert librarians, subject specialists, and curators for consultation or guidance and to engage with NYPL’s broader scholarly community. As part of the Library’s commitment to expanding knowledge in the humanities more broadly, and to provide Fellows with public platforms for their scholarship and research, each Fellow will be expected to give a presentation on their work at the Schwarzman Building and to provide a blog post for the research channel of the NYPL blog. 

For assistance with the application process, email fellowships@nypl.org.

KEY DATES:

• Applications due: June 15, 2026

• Applicants notified: July 31, 2026

• Award period: The fellowship shall be taken as four continuous months between September 1, 2026–March 15, 2027, beginning no later than November 15, 2026. 

ELIGIBILITY:

The Kate Medina Fellowship for Literary Nonfiction is open to individuals with the legal right to work in the United States. NYPL does not sponsor employment visas for these fellowships.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Applications are submitted through the NYPL Fellowship Portal. Click here to be taken to the application form. A complete application must include the following:

• Application form completed in the NYPL Fellowship Portal

• Project proposal of no more than 1500 words—see guidelines below

• An updated CV 

• A writing sample 

• One professional letter of recommendation 

PROJECT PROPOSAL:

Successful project proposals will include a thorough explanation of how in-person access to collections accessible at The New York Public Library is essential to the progress and completion of the project. Proposals should also include:

• Abstract of the project's major themes, questions, and arguments

• Significance of the project

• Project plan, including a timeline of your work with the Library's collections during the fellowship term and a desired start date

• Expected project outcomes including existing book contractual obligations, if any

• Personal statement detailing the impact this fellowship would have on your project and/or career as well as the likelihood of successfully completing your project without this fellowship

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of expert Library staff who will consider the following criteria:

• Need for research holdings of The New York Public Library

• Uniqueness of materials and innovative uses of material

• Quality of the project plan as it relates to the size and scope of materials to be accessed

• Impact this grant might have on the applicant's project and/or career

nypl.org/about/fellowships-institutes/kate-medina-fellowship-literary-narrative-nonfiction

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PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants

PEN America

DEADLINE: June 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants were established in the summer of 2003 by a gift from Priscilla and Michael Henry Heim in response to the low number of literary translations appearing in English. Their purpose is to promote the publication and reception of translated world literature in English. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Translations of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or drama, originally written by a single individual.

• Translations should not have previously appeared in English in print or should have appeared only in an outdated or otherwise flawed translation.

• The project must be an unpublished work in progress that will not be published prior to April 15, 2027, as the grants are intended to support the completion of a final book.

• There are no restrictions on the nationality or citizenship of the translator, but the works must be translated into English.

• Projects may have a maximum of two translators but are limited to one original author.

NOT eligible: Translations of works with multiple original authors, such as anthologies, translations of literary criticism, and scholarly or otherwise technical texts.  

Note: Translations from Italian will automatically be considered for the PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature.

Note: Translators may only submit one project per year. Projects that have been previously submitted and have not received a grant are unlikely to be reconsidered in a subsequent year. Translators who have previously been awarded PEN/Heim Translation Fund grants are ineligible to reapply for three years after receiving a grant–for example, grant recipients from 2023 are now eligible to reapply.

 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

All documents should be formatted in 12pt Times New Roman, single spaced, with 1-inch margins.

• A 1-2 page statement outlining the work and describing its importance.

• A biography and bibliography of the author, including information on translations of their work into other languages.

• A CV of the translator, no longer than 3 pages.

• If the book is not in the public domain and the project is not yet under contract, please include a photocopy of the copyright notice on the original (the copyright notice is a line including the character ©, a date, and the name of the copyright holder, which appears as part of the front matter in every book). Please note that for some foreign titles, the front matter may not include a ©. Additionally, please include a letter from the copyright holder stating that English-language rights to the book are available; a copy of an email from the copyright holder is sufficient.

• If the translation is currently under contract with a publisher, please submit a copy of the contract.

• A translation sample is required. For prose, this should be within the range of 5-8 pages (when formatted as required, this will be approximately 3,000-5,000 words). For poetry, please include 1-2 poems per page, within an 8–10 page range.

• The same passage in the original language (and, if the work has been previously translated, the same passage in the earlier version). 

pen.submittable.com/submit

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PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists

PEN America

DEADLINE: June 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered to an author of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel in progress. Previously called the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, the award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist them in completing their novel at a crucial moment in their career. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names, receives a grant of $5,000. 

ELIGIBILITY:  

• Candidates must be writers of children’s or young adult fiction.

• Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated significant sales.

• The writer’s previously published book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher. Self-published works are ineligible.

• The submitted work must be a novel in progress that will not be published prior to April 15, 2027.

NOT eligible: Graphic novels and picture books. Manuscripts written by more than one person.      

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

All documents should be formatted in 12pt Times New Roman, single spaced, with 1-inch margins.

This application requires two PDFs. The judges will only review the second, which asks for an outline, letter of utility, and manuscript. Please make sure these materials do not contain the author's name. Other materials are for internal use. 

A first PDF containing:                                            

• A 1-2 page cover letter including a 1-3 sentence summary of the project, a description of how the candidate meets the criteria for the grant, and a list of the candidate’s published novel(s) for children and/or young adults.

• 1-3 reviews of the candidate’s novel(s) from professional publications. These may be copies or links.

• A 1-2 page letter of recommendation or support from an editor or fellow writer.   

 A second, anonymous PDF containing:    

The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on this PDF to ensure anonymity.

• A 2-4 page outline of the novel in progress being submitted. 

• A 1-2 page description of how the funds will be used to complete the project. What will the candidate be able to accomplish with this funding that they could not do otherwise? Book sales, earnings, or other relevant information may be included here. 

• A 50–75 page manuscript sample. This document should be double spaced for legibility. 

pen.submittable.com/submit

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PEN/Bare Life Review Grants

PEN America

DEADLINE: June 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The PEN/Bare Life Review Grants recognize literary works by immigrant and refugee writers. For the 2027 grant cycle, we will confer two PEN/Bare Life Review Grants with cash prizes of $5,000 each. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• The submitted project must be the work of a single individual, written in or translated into English. In the case of translated works, the grant will be conferred to the original author.

• The project must be an unpublished work in progress that will not be published prior to April 15, 2027, as the grants are intended to support the completion of a manuscript.

• The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.

• This grant is available to foreign-born writers based in the U.S., and to writers living abroad who hold refugee/asylum seeker status.

• Writers may only submit one project per year.

NOT eligible: Scholarly or academic writing.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

All documents should be formatted in 12pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. Each section should be single spaced with the exception of the writing sample which should be double spaced. 

All applications require the following, submitted as one PDF file in the order below:

• A 1-2 page description of the work, answering: Why is this project important, and why did this author choose to undertake this project?

• A 1-2 page statement answering: How will this grant aid in the completion of the project? (This space can additionally be used to discuss any permissions, rights, contracts, publication timelines, or other aspects of your project.)

• The author’s CV, including information on previous or forthcoming publications.

• An outline that includes the work completed thus far and the work remaining.

• A writing sample of up to 40 pages for poetry, and 75 pages for other genres. This section should be double spaced for legibility.

pen.submittable.com/submit

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PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History

PEN America

DEADLINE: June 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History recognize literary works of nonfiction that use oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement. Two PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History are awarded each year, with a cash prize of $15,000.   

ELIGIBILITY:    

• The submitted project must be the work of a single individual, written in English.

• The project must be an unpublished work in progress that will not be published prior to April 15, 2027, as the grants are intended to support the completion of a manuscript.

• The project must be a work of literary nonfiction.

• Oral history must be a significant component of the project and its research.      

NOT eligible: Scholarly or academic writing.      

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

All documents should be formatted in 12pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. Each document should be single spaced with the exception of the writing sample which should be double spaced. 

• A 1-2 page description of the work, answering: Why is this project important, and why did this author choose to undertake this project? 

• A 1-2 page statement answering: Why and how is oral history used in the project?  

• A 1-2 page statement answering: How will this grant aid in the completion of the project? (This space can additionally be used to discuss any permissions, rights, contracts, publication timelines, or other aspects of your project.)

• The author’s CV, including information on previous or forthcoming publications.

• An outline that includes the work completed thus far and the work remaining. The outline should include the names of interviewees.

• 6-10 pages of unedited transcripts of the project interviews relating to the writing sample. 

• A 20-40 page writing sample which utilizes the submitted project interviews. This document should be double spaced for legibility.

pen.submittable.com/submit

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Voodoonauts Fellowship Retreat 2026: Afro-Whimsy

Voodoonauts Summer Workshop

DEADLINE: June 18, 2026 at 11:59pm PT

INFO: “Afrofuturism is an exploration and methodology of liberation, simultaneously both a location and a journey.” -D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem

Voodoonauts is a community space and free online writing fellowship where conversations around the Black Speculative as freedom take place. Voodoonauts was founded by four Black writers Shingai Njeri Kagunda, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, LP Kindred, and Hugh "H.D" Hunter who saw a shortage of Black storytelling-centered spaces in the mainstream SFF community. Our inaugural fellowship was held in July 2020 with 25 Black writers at varying stages of their career.  

This year the theme of our Fellowship will be Afro-Whimsy. In a moment where the politics of a our world wage war against, Black, Brown, Queer and Immigrant bodies, how do we draw from the lineage of Afro-diasporic belly laughter, dancing, eroticism, loving, and communing through food and fellowship to tell the stories rooted in the worlds we want to be alive for.

FELLOWSHIP DATES: The 2026 fellowship will take place virtually from August 14-16, 2026.

OUR CO-FOUNDERS:

• Shingai Njeri Kagunda is an Afrosurreal/futurist storyteller from Nairobi, Kenya with a Literary Arts MFA from Brown. Shingai’s work has been featured in the Best American Sci-fi and Fantasy 2020, Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2021, and Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2020. She has work in or upcoming in Omenana, FANTASY magazine, FracturedLit, Khoreo, Africa Risen, Baffling Magazine, Uncanny, and Lightspeed Magazine. Their debut novella & This is How to Stay Alive was published by Neon Hemlock Press in October 2021 and won the IGNYTE award for best Novella 2022. Shingai is the past co-editor of Podcastle Magazine and FANTASY Magazine, and the co-founder of Voodoonauts. They are a creative writing teacher, an eternal student, and a lover of all things soft and Black.

• Yvette Lisa Ndlovu is a Zimbabwean sarungano (storyteller). Her debut short story collection Drinking from Graveyard Wells (University Press of Kentucky, Spring 2023) was selected for the 2021 UPK New Poetry & Prose Series. She is pursuing her MFA at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where she teaches in the Writing Program. She has taught at Clarion West Writers Workshop online and earned her BA at Cornell University. Her work has been supported by fellowships from the Tin House Workshop, Bread Loaf Writers Workshop, and the New York State Summer Writers Institute.  She received the 2017 Cornell University George Harmon Coxe Award for Poetry selected by Sally Wen Mao and was the 2020 fiction winner of Columbia Journal’s Womxn History Month Special Issue. She is the co-founder of the Voodoonauts Summer Workshop for Black SFF writers. Her work has been anthologized in Tor.com and Fiyah Literary Magazine’s Breathe FIYAH anthology and the Voices of African Women Journal. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Columbia Journal, Tor.com, Fiyah Literary Magazine, and Kweli Journal.

• Hugh “H.D.” Hunter is a storyteller, teaching artist, and community organizer from Atlanta, Georgia. He’s the author of two self-published books, Futureland (Random House, 2022), and Something Like Right (FSG, 2023). He's also the winner of several indie book awards for multicultural fiction. Hugh is committed to stories about Black kids and their many expansive worlds. He loves vegan snacks, basketball, and stories that make you cry -- but make you smile after. According to some, he's the world's fastest reviser. Check out Hugh’s work at thesoutherndistrict.com and follow him @hd_tsd.

• LP Kindred is a Chicagoan-Angeleno who writes and edits speculative fiction that features Black and/or Queer Lives. LP is a proud instructor for Clarion West and the inaugural Voodoonauts Summer Workshop, as well as BTS for FiyahCon/Ignyte Awards. When Kindred is not writing and supporting writers, he can be found singing, eating good food, pretending to be fancy, watching bad TV, and lifting heavy objects. He is or will be an alum of Hurston-Wright, VONA, and Clarion. His fiction can be found in Fiyah Literary Magazine, LeVar Burton Reads, Speculative City, Prismatica Magazine, Queer Blades, and Escape Pod. #GhostClass

Email voodoonauts@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Follow us on social media for updates:
Twitter: @voodoonauts
Instagram: @voodoonauts

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfycKRn18NAOh9w3NaMx8PU16CJgOT268G8HVZ3wh2tZ-ASYw/viewform

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Blank Page Revival

Slant’d

DEADLINE: June 19, 2026 at 11:59pm PST

INFO: Blank Page Revival (BPR) is our month-long creative writing program for AAPI ages 25+. BPR challenges its writers to overcome their perfectionism, channel communicable creative practices, and tackle a new piece of work from start to finish in just 30 days.

‍The program is centered around risk, play, collaboration, and building a sustainable writing practice.

‍So, what are the “risks” involved? At the start of the month, participants are intentionally blind matched with a writing partner, and each duo is tasked with co-writing a piece in a specific genre/form — we keep both the pairing and genre a surprise until the IRL kickoff! (past themes have included “Choose Your Own [Adventure]” and “Humor”)

We are happy to announce that BPR 2026 will kick off with an in-person creative writing event in San Francisco! 20 participants will engage in community-building sessions, writing sprints, and creative reboot sessions alongside their fellow cohort. After the in-person event, writers will then participate in three virtual sessions with their creative writing partner and dedicated writing coach. The goal of the program is to have a completed piece of collaborative writing done in 30 days.

PROGRAM DATES:

• IRL kickoff — late August/early September (TBD)

• Virtual sessions — throughout September

SLIDING SCALE COST: $250-$350 (please see FAQ below for cost transparency and outline)

• In alignment with Slant’d broader mission, we intentionally uplift works by AAPIs. This includes mixed-race Asians, adoptees, and folks who were not born in the U.S., but have been here long enough to consider themselves American.

• We ask that participants do not bring existing projects to work on as their collaborative piece.

• Our program align with our publishing house’s mission and editorial vision. Please review these before applying.

• We especially want to invite AAPI writers who identify as disabled, neurodivergent, trans, and LGBTQIA+, West Asian, South Asian, who do not have an MFA, who are unagented, or who do not have professional/career training in the arts.

FAQs:

Do I have to be located in San Francisco to participate?

You are welcome to apply if you can commit to being in San Francisco for the in-person kickoff event; otherwise, the three virtual sessions are designed for writing duos and coaches to collaborate from far and wide.

However, while you don’t have to be based in San Francisco, we unfortunately cannot subsidize travel at this time.

slantd.com/blank-page-revival

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OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FINDING YOUR WAY HOME

twurl

DEADLINE: June 24, 2026

INFO: For the inaugural issue of twurl, our theme Finding Your Way Home is an invitation to return to a site of importance: geographic, psychic, familial, erotic and ancestral, while insisting that the journey may be as valuable as (or more valuable than) the destination.

We’re interested in wayfinding, waywardness, desire paths and the routes we make across physical, social and psychological landscapes, and those who guide us, when established paths are adversarial, traumatic, limiting or simply ill fit.  A “desire path” is the route made by repeated movement; the unofficial trail that appears when people choose what works over what’s prescribed.  The prescribed, may also be well suited when presented with the right lens; these identifiable wayfinding tools often include maps, signs and landmarks that cue our cognitive skills through often unconscious recollection. This issue looks to that kind of lived intelligence: improvisational, embodied, local, abstract and or exact. These routes that present desired and unintentional returns to self. 

For the inaugural issue, we invite a constellation of poetry, autotheory, fiction and photography that speaks to the multiplicity of Black gay life through the lens of place, movement and return. In a social climate where Black LGBTQ lives remain under political attack and many of us move through the world marked by otherness, within our families, workplaces, cultural institutions and sometimes even in our chosen communities, questions of home and belonging can feel precarious. Also, in the absence of a widely held collective literary canon, politic, or media representation further complicates what it means to imagine “home” both individually and collectively. This precarity, this longing without guarantee, sits at the heart of the twurl’s inaugural issue.

So lastly, wayfinding, at its core, is the practice of orienting oneself within space using memory, intuition, signs, landmarks, and design to understand where one is and how to move forward. In this issue, we treat wayfinding as both a material and metaphysical act: a method of survival, a language of navigation and a poetics of becoming.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

We are not seeking neat conclusions, redemption arcs, or “Disney endings”. We welcome work that resists closure; pieces that lean into opacity, darkness, contradiction and otherwise the taboo undercurrents of Black Gay experience. We are looking for works that showcase a high regard for craft, technique, uniqueness and intellectual rigor (especially for autotheory work). 

We seek writing and photography grounded in locality: streets, bedrooms, porches, clubs, sanctuaries, classrooms, backseats, barbershops, basements, group chats, coastlines, church lots; sites where the body learns the map. We invite works that speak to the often shared disorientation of the Black queer experience. Works that lean into quiet and the quotidian . Return to self, to place, to memory, to body; return amid the messiness of living and the weight of sociopolitical struggle.

To emphasize Black gay poetics, we’re drawn to work wrapped in:

• Fragrant diction and illustrious imagery.

• Faggotry

• We encourage engagements with erotics, the body, spirit and psyche as sites of knowledge and meaning-making.

• Erotics and the body as archive

• Spirit, psychic life, and intuition as legitimate knowledge systems

• Collisions between the intimate and the historical: family lore, documents, screenshots, letters, archives, scholarship, institutional language, and other cultural basins.

• Bring us the routes you took to survive. Bring us the routes you took to desire.

• We want the work to feel like it’s written in Butch queen language and language that embraces your local dialect whether you’re from Baltimore, NOLA or Brooklyn. 

• Most importantly, we want to feel the work.

Possible starting points (not prompts, consider them potential doors…)

• A return to a hometown, a lover, a neighborhood, a body, a name

• “Home” as fantasy, trap, sanctuary, performance, or refusal

• Migration, exile, cruising, pilgrimage, escape routes

• Navigation by scent, sound, music, nightlight, rumor, prayer

• Queer kinship as a map; loneliness as a geography

• The archive as a lover / the lover as an archive

• Language as wayfinding: code-switching, dialect, silence, omission

• Black queer time: delays, loops, hauntings, detours, late arrivals

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Short Story (Fiction)

• Submissions should be 1,000 - 3500 words.

• Submit one piece only.

Flash Memoir

• Your submission should be 750-1,000 words.

• Submit one piece only.

Autotheory

• Submissions should be 1000 - 3500 words. 

• Submit one piece only.

• Included Chicago style citations where relevant.

• We invite writing that braids critical, psychoanalytic, and/or academic inquiry with personal narrative and lived experience. We’re drawn to work that is intellectually rigorous without becoming dense or stuffy; scholarship that can think clearly while moving with lyric force. In an effort to unseat colonial expectations of “proper” academic voice, we welcome forms that stretch beyond conventional argumentation and citation: the poetic, the fragment, the epistolary, the dream, the confession, the field note, the prayer. For example think of texts like The Map to The Door of No Return by Dionne Brand or Lose Your Mother by Saidyiah Hartman or bell hooks. 

Formats:

• General Format Guidelines

  • Submit works that are unpublished. If your work ends up being accepted to another publication before we get back to you about your submission, please immediately let us know (twurlpublishing@gmail.com). 

  • Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

  • We seek First North American Serial Rights for all accepted submissions; all rights revert to the author upon publication.

  • Submissions will be read by an anonymous panel of readers. 

  • Upload your text submission as a Word (DOCX), portable document format/PDF (PDF) or rich-text format (RTF) file. No Pages, TXT, or Open Office Documents. 

  • Typed, double-spaced (poetry may be single-spaced) pages. 

  • Numbered pages.  

  • Margins should be set at no less than 1” and no greater than 1.5”.  

  • Please include, name and title of pieces on every page. 

  • You can submit to across genres but for Short Story, Flash Memoir and Autotheory please only submit one piece for these genres.

  • All poets, photograhers and writers who submit must identiy as a part of the Black community/African diaspora and simultaneously as a Black queer/gay man, transman, stud/butch lesbian, a butch queen, GNC/non-binary or a masc-identifying person. 

  • A short bio, no more than 150 words (Include in cover letter box). This is an opportunity to tell us about your work, your journey as a writer/poet/artist, where you've been published and anything else you’d like to include. 

twurl.subfolios.com/submit

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Fall 2026 Narrative Shifts

Seventh Wave

DEADLINE: June 30, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: If you’re looking for community, mentorship, and accountability, our program might be for you.

We are thrilled to open up applications for our Fall 2026 digital residency, Narrative Shifts. For more information about this program, please visit our site here. We have summarized some of the pertinent information below: 

• The logistics: Narrative Shifts is a genre-agnostic writing program that includes seven sessions over seven weeks, centering specific aspects of craft that any writer, reader, or thinker can wield both on and off the page. In 2026, we will be running two intakes — spring and fall — each with three cohorts of 12-16 residents. Each session is two hours long. 

• Benefits: Throughout these seven sessions, residents will learn concrete tools of craft, tips for submitting and publishing  work, best practices for cover letters, and more. Residents will get access to Seventh Wave's specially curated resources, an optional one-on-one with their facilitator, and the opportunity to practice public speaking by performing their work during the seventh session. There is also an eighth session — the bonus session — which invites an established author into the room. Past authors have included Ocean Vuong, Alexander Chee, Melissa Febos, Kaveh Akbar, Ruth Ozeki, and more. 

• Costs: This program costs $895, which is approximately $125 per session. There will also be two fully-funded seats per cohort, and payment plans are made available to any paying participant.

• Application materials: In addition to general information, the primary application requirement is filling out our statement of interest, which asks three questions about you, your work, and why you want to join the residency.  

• No fee. There is no application fee to apply to Narrative Shifts.  

• Info session. To learn more about the program, be sure to register for our info session, taking place on Wednesday, June 3, at noon PST. 

seventhwavemag.submittable.com/submit

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Indigenous Creative Nonfiction Prize

Chapter House Journal

DEADLINE: June 30, 2026

INFO: Chapter House Journal is proud to announce its inaugural Indigenous Creative Nonfiction Prize, launching with the Summer 2026 issue, Celestial Bodies: Honoring the Stars, the Moon, and Sky. This new prize centers Indigenous voices and storytelling, with the winner selected by guest judge Cynthia J. Sylvester and awarded $250.

Inspired in part by the April 1, 2026 launch of NASA’s Artemis II, this issue invites writers to reflect on our place within the vast histories of Nihimá Nahasdzáán, Yethi’nisténha Ohóntsya, Uŋčí Makhá, and all our relations. Submissions may explore connections between land, sky, memory, and cosmos, including Indigenous knowledge, star stories, and ancestral perspectives.

GUIDELINES: Writers may submit one full-length piece or up to three shorter works (maximum 5,000 words total).

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Cynthia J. Sylvester is born into the Kiyaa’áanii Clan for the Bilagáana Clan and is an enrolled member of the Diné. She is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her debut book, The Half-White Album (University of New Mexico Press, 2023), won Best LGBTQ+ Book at the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards.

chjournal.submittable.com/submit

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Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize

Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF)

DEADLINE: July 1, 2026

INFO: The Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize is open to unpublished writers of Caribbean heritage in the United States and Canada. Self-published writers may apply. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Open to writers of Caribbean heritage or descent residing in the United States or Canada

• Must be 18 years or older

• Self-published writers are welcome to apply

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• One original work of fiction, 3,000 words or less

• Work must not have been published in any nationally distributed publication

• Submitted in English (translations from another language accepted)

• One entry per writer — multiple submissions, including across categories or under pen names, will be disqualified

• Submissions must go through the contest portal; emailed manuscripts will not be considered

PRIZE PACKAGE:

• US$1,750 cash prize

• BCLF Trophy and branded merchandise

• 1-year Family/Household Membership and gift certificate from the Center for Fiction

• A caché of books from Akashic Books

• A gift from Moleskine

• Feature episode on the BCLF Cocoapod

• Author interview and profile on the BCLF website

• Publication in MOKO Magazine, PREE, and Carib News

• Exclusive 6-month one-on-one mentoring opportunity with an editor at a Big 5 publisher, including a tour of a publishing office

Note: There is a NET 120-day period for release of prize funds (no exceptions).

bklyncbeanlitfest.org/bclf-short-fiction-story-caribbean-american

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Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean

Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF)

DEADLINE: July 1, 2026

INFO: The Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean is open exclusively to Caribbean writers of all levels who reside and work in the Caribbean. Writers who are on temporary assignment overseas may also apply.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Open to writers (published or unpublished) born and raised in the Caribbean and holding Caribbean nationality

• Writers currently on temporary assignment outside the Caribbean may apply, except those based in the US or Canad

• Must be 18 years or older

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• One original work of fiction, 3,000 words or less

• Submitted in English (translations from another language accepted)

• One entry per writer — multiple submissions, including across categories or under pen names, will be disqualified

• Submissions must go through the contest portal; emailed manuscripts will not be considered

PRIZE PACKAGE:

• US$1,750 cash prize

• BCLF Trophy and branded merchandise

• A caché of books from Akashic Books

• A gift from Moleskine

• Feature episode on the BCLF Cocoapod

• Author interview and profile on the BCLF website

• Publication in MOKO Magazine, PREE, and Carib News

Note: There is a NET 120-day period for release of prize funds (no exceptions).

bklyncbeanlitfest.org/bclf-short-fiction-story-caribbean-american

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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS

CALL FOR HORROR WRITERS

Harriet’s House

INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2026/2027 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.

During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.

GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

Writers can send their stories to harrietshousemag@gmail.com

harrietshousemag.com

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “NOTES, COMMENTARY AND REFLECTIONS”

Small Axe Journal

INFO: The Small Axe Journal is getting a new section. Named “Notes, Commentary and Reflections,” this section will feature pieces that address urgent contemporary issues in the Caribbean.

GUIDELINES: Submissions should have a maximum of 2,500 and should be uploaded to our submissions portal, which can be found on our website.

smallaxe.net/sx/submissions

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Amp

INFO: Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.

GUIDELINES:

• Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.

• Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.

• Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.

• Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.

To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:

“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”

From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.

Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.

The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).

PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.

aaartsalliance.org/magazine/about

FICTION / NONFICTION — MAY 2026

NATIVE WRITING INTENSIVE

We Need Diverse Books

DEADLINE: May 4, 2026

INFO: This multi-day retreat offers an opportunity for reflection, conversation, and manuscript and career development for Native writers focusing on children’s literature.

Less than two percent of children’s books published in the United States depict characters from American Indian and First Nation populations. This is why we launched the Native Writing Intensive — to provide a nurturing and instructive meeting place for Native writers to help them hone their craft and publish their stories.

Since 2020, we’ve hosted the intensive every summer and we’ve welcomed dozens of participants from all over the US and Canada. Over four days, our participants attend keynotes and workshops, receive critiques on their work, and connect with other writers to build community.

The Native Writing Intensive offers an opportunity for reflection, conversation, celebration, and manuscript and career development. The 2026 intensive will be a reinvention of previous programs with a deeper writing-craft focus.

The 2026 We Need Diverse Books Native Children’s-YA Writing Intensive will take place from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, July 26 at at the Texican Court Hotel in Irving, Texas.

Applications open March 9 and close May 4. Acceptance letters sent by May 15. Limited travel scholarships are available; find scholarship essay prompts in the application. More intensive details regarding housing and meals may be found in the application, too.

OUR WRITING INTENSIVE INCLUDES:

• Presentations and Q&A sessions with agent, author, and editor faculty members.

• A manuscript workshop where your work (or project proposal) will be celebrated as a springboard to discuss craft elements. Participants will be required to read manuscript partials of all fellow attendees prior to arrival and be prepared to discuss.

• A 10-page critique (one long project or two picture books) in standard manuscript format or a career consultation with faculty. You’ll chat one-on-one with one of the faculty authors and editor. For assignment purposes, you’ll indicate on the application whether you’re already agented, etc.

ELIGIBILITY:

Who should apply for the Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive?

• Native/First Nations/Indigenous writers seeking a weekend devoted to deep study, craft and conversation, manuscript feedback, and career mentorship.

• Apprentice/beginner, agented, and/or published children’s and YA writers who are Native/First Nations/tribal citizens/members or recent descendants who are connected to their respective cultural communities. (Priority will be given to those still in their pre-publishing apprenticeship and new voices with three or fewer books published.)

• Native/FN/Indigenous writers, including those who are Elders, 2SLGBT+, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Métis, Black Natives, Five SE Tribes Freedmen, Indigenous folks who’re from urban/rez/’burbs/rural/small-town, Native veterans, etc.

• Native/First Nations/Indigenous writer-illustrators are welcome to apply and will receive feedback on both aspects of their work, though the program emphasis will be on writing rather than illustration.

It is not required that your children’s or YA writing be centered on Native characters or topics. Please feel free to bring your mainstream nonfiction about, say, the history of roller skates or fiction about, say, rebellious robot rock stars from outer space.

diversebooks.org/programs/nativewritingintensive

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ARTS WRITERS GRANT

Andy Warhol Foundation

DEADLINE: May 6, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in four categories—articles, books, short-form writing, and translation—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. The program also supports art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply.

Writers are invited to apply in one of the following categories:

• Article

• Book

• Short-Form Writing

• Translation

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for a translation grant, your proposed project must:

• be a translation of a book into English;

• be primarily about contemporary art;

• include evidence of the ongoing or completed process to secure rights for the translation.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for the translation grant, you must meet one of the following requirements:

Be a translator who has published at least

• one translation of a work into English in the broader artistic or cultural fields of at least 3,000 words.

Be an arts writer who has published at least

• two articles about contemporary visual art of at least 2,000 words each; or

• four articles about contemporary visual art of at least 500 words each; or

• one book about contemporary visual art or a related subject

In addition, you must be:

• a US citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or a holder of an O-1 visa (if your application advances to the final round, you will need to submit current documentation);

• at least twenty-five years of age.

You are not eligible for this grant if you are:

• applying on behalf of an organization;

• applying for a project in which your primary involvement will be as an editor;

• applying for a project to translate your own writing;

• applying to translate a project that is primarily fiction or poetry;

• applying to translate a project that is primarily about Andy Warhol;

• applying for a project that will be published by a commercial gallery;

• applying for a Creative Capital Award for any project in the same grant year (including as a collaborator);

• a former grantee of The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant;

• a current employee, consultant, board member, or funder of Creative Capital or the Andy Warhol Foundation, or an immediate family member of such a person.

artswriters.org/

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TULSA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP

📍Tulsa, OK

DEADLINE: May 7, 2026 at 6:00 pm CT

INFO: Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports artists as vital contributors to Tulsa’s cultural life.

We invest in long-term creative practice, offering artists the time, resources, and community to develop ambitious work rooted in Tulsa.

Our approach is artist-centered and flexible, grounded in the understanding that meaningful creative work takes time—and that artists thrive when trusted to define their own paths.

Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a place-based, durational award supporting visionary artists and arts workers across disciplines.

Open to artists and arts workers with at least five years of field experience, the Fellowship selects up to ten awardees, who will be announced live on November 6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Each awardee is provided a comprehensive support package that includes a $150,000 stipend, housing support, fully subsidized studio space, and access to shared art-making facilities.

Awardees commit to developing ambitious, community-engaged work that contributes to Tulsa’s cultural life and advances the Fellowship’s mission to support independent arts practitioners.

Program details may evolve to best support participating artists and the Fellowship’s mission.

Competitive applications will demonstrate:

• A rigorous and innovative arts practice

• A meaningful connection to making work in Tulsa

• A forward-thinking, achievable project with strong community engagement and impact

AWARD STRUCTURE:

Each Fellow is supported through a comprehensive three-year award package designed to strengthen artistic development, stability, and well-being.

Financial Support

• $150,000 project development and artistic practice stipend (over 3 years)

• $36,000 housing support (over 3 years)

• $1,500 studio move-in stipend

• $3,600 studio assistant support (over 3 years)

• $3,600 health and wellness support (over 3 years)

Community & Connection

• Cohort gatherings and shared meals

• Open studio events and public programs

• Opportunties to engage with visiting arts professionals

Studio Workspace

• Access to a fully subsidized private studio (337–583 sq ft)

• Shared facilities include a ceramics studio with kilns, a woodshop, metal equipment, a media lab, an archival printer, a roof terrace, a performance rehearsal space, a podcast recording studio, and meeting rooms with video and audio capabilities
  (Estimated value: $36,000 over 3 years)

Wellness & Care

• YMCA membership for household

• Caregiver reimbursements for key Fellowship activities

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

All applications are completed online and free to submit. Detailed instructions are provided in the application portal.

• Basic information, including contact details, residence, citizenship, identity, and household information

• Artistic background, including resume/CV, website, social media platforms, biography (up to 250 words), and collaborator information
  (Collaborators must submit individual applications)

• Artistic Practice Statement (up to 500 words) and Fellowship Statement (up to 500 words)

• Three-year project proposal, including project title, description (up to 500 words), role statement (up to 200 words), and optional visual or media support materials

• Proposed use of the fellowship stipend, estimated budget for the $150,000 award, including living expenses, artistic production, and project-related costs.

• Three professional references from the arts field

tulsaartistfellowship.org/award

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Marketing Grant for Debut Diverse Romance Authors

We Need Diverse Books x AH2 Romance Collection

DEADLINE: May 7, 2026

INFO: In partnership with AH2 Romance Collections, this new grant seeks to uplift diverse authors who write adult romance and who have a debut novel publishing in 2026 or 2027. Authors may be traditionally publishing, indie publishing, or self publishing their debut.

Grantees will receive $1,200 USD to market their book, and this funding can be used in a variety of ways, including: 

• Purchasing pre-order incentives and shipping supplies

• Printing swag items like bookmarks and stickers

• Hiring a designer to help with social media graphics or creating art cards

• Other promotional strategies

WNDB warmly thanks AH2 Romance Collections for making this program possible.

GRANT ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must identify as diverse, as per WNDB’s definition of diversity. 

• Applicants must be debut adult romance authors with their book publishing in 2026 or 2027. If you have published a book or novella in any age category or genre, you are not eligible for this grant. Applicants who have published short pieces of work, such as essays, short stories, poems, and articles, are eligible.

• Applicants must reside in the U.S.

• Applicants must be at least 18 years in age.

• Eligible genres include contemporary romance, historical romance, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, romantic comedies, and New Adult romance.

• Please note: Under Executive Order 13224, all 501(c)(3) organizations must confirm that grant recipients are not affiliated with federally identified terrorist groups. To comply, we must compile any of your former legal names that have been registered with the United States government. We are aware that we are asking for potentially sensitive information and we apologize for this intrusion. WNDB will keep this information in the utmost confidence and will never use any former name(s) in our correspondence with you.

diversebooks.org/programs/debut-romance-authors-grant

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Artist as Catalyst LA

The Peace Studio |📍Los Angeles, CA

DEADLINES:

• Priority - May 8, 2026

• Last call - May 15, 2026

INFO: Artist as Catalyst (AAC) is a three-day immersive experience designed to equip young storytellers, artists, and cultural catalysts (ages 18–30) with the tools, opportunity, and community to use their craft in the service of peace-building.

Throughout this multi-day intensive, participants engage in a dynamic blend of workshops, keynotes, collaborative labs, and community events—all within a diverse and generative environment. AAC brings together some of LA’s most influential artists, cultural leaders, activists, and peace builders, featuring world-class talent and thinkers who are at the forefront of their fields.

This program balances artistic excellence with restorative practices, providing catalysts from various disciplines the opportunity to network, make lasting connections, and collaborate on a group-based “Peace Project.” Participants also have the chance to apply for micro-grants to further develop their ideas in partnership with their cohort.

By centering story as a tool for connection and impact, AAC nurtures a new generation of artists prepared to shift culture and catalyze meaningful change.

PROGRAM DATES: June 12 - 14, 2026

LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA

TUITION: This program is fully funded for all accepted participants.

PARTICIPANT PROFILE: Los Angeles-based artists & cultural leaders, ages 18-30

We welcome creative people of all disciplines to apply. This program is right for you if you agree with the three statements below:

• I am creative.

• I believe I am capable of making positive change in the world through the stories I tell.

• I believe there is strength and power in community.

2026 THEME: The Power is In The People

"This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal." - Toni Morrison

The power to shift culture is in the hands of the people, our stories, and our connection to one another. No matter where we are on our artistic journey you hold the power within you to think critically, craft, and create. There is power in making tangible art, of telling true stories, and it will be what sustains us through any era of societal unrest and uncertainty. Our collective work,  collaborative economics, along with our innovation and tenacity will outlive any artificial intelligence threatening our cultural landscape and wellness. Our humanity cannot be reproduced or replicated. Our uniqueness is what makes us whole and irrefutable. Sharing our offerings, skills, assets, and abilities with one another makes our collective power undeniable. We are the original technology. However we contribute our ability to tell stories, no matter the industry, is our way to disrupt oppressive systems that agitate our peace. As an artist, it is our duty to answer the call on our life by sharing our gifts. Who are you and what can you offer? We are constantly evolving, elevating, learning and changing. When we bring our full selves to the collective, there is nothing we cannot do. The Power is in the People. 

The Peace Studio is committed to offering equitable opportunity to all. For accommodation requests or  any questions, please contact aacla@thepeacestudio.org.

thepeacestudio.org/what-we-do/leadership-development/artist-as-catalyst

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call for submissions: Opus II, Issue III: ‘Vesper’

Half Mystic Journal

DEADLINE: May 8, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $2 / submission

INFO: Half Mystic Journal is an international and independent publishing project dedicated to the celebration of music in all its forms, run by queer, disabled, and BIPOC editors.

Submissions are open for Opus II, Issue III. Our thirteenth issue celebrates the theme of Vesper: in English, a song signifying nightfall; in Latin, the planet Venus as the evening star. We’re looking for penumbras, sleep paralysis, obsidian, susurration, event horizons, violin strings caught between quasars, burnt-out lightbulbs, bells tolling in a vacuum, shattered mirrors held to the night sky, the ouroboros, lunar maria, cicada-song so harsh & generous it punctures the vein of twilight. Darkness is a door opening endlessly into itself, exhaling smog around the edges of sound. Bring us the dream you can’t wake from, and let us hold it under a while longer.

GUIDELINES:

Half Mystic Journal publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translations, and hybrid work. We ask that each piece links to music and the vesper theme.

Submit up to five pieces of up to 3000 words each. We don't accept previously-published writing; we do accept and encourage simultaneous submissions.

In your cover letter, include a brief biographical note and the genre(s) of your submission. For translations, enclose the full text of the piece in its original language and a statement declaring that you have the author’s permission to publish the translation, or that the original text is in the public domain. Translations must be to or from English. In all submissions, authors are responsible for acquiring the rights to print copyrighted material.

We recommend that you read Half Mystic Journal’s past issues to familiarise yourself with our goals, aesthetics, and style.

COMPENSATION: We pay US$20 per accepted piece and charge US$2 per submission. We recognise that submission fees present a barrier to access, so if you're in need of a fee waiver to share your work with us, please reach out to journal@halfmystic.com. Limited waivers are available for writers in need on a first come, first serve basis.

You can expect to hear from us within four weeks. Thank you for honouring us with your work. We don't take that privilege for granted.

halfmystic.submittable.com/submit

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WRITINGS ON DIASPORICAN VISUAL ARTISTS

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO)

DEADLINE: May 10, 2026

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO), the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States, invites art critics, curators, art historians, and art or art history students to submit their original writing focusing on contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists to be included in our Diasporican Art in Motion initiative and RicanWritings online magazine. 

As a research center focused on the Diasporic Puerto Rican experience, we are committed to promote the creation of knowledge of our cultural heritage and expressions. Diasporic Puerto Rican artists have been at the forefront of identity issues, and their work often examines and expands the national representation boundaries. The production of knowledge based on Diasporic Puerto Rican Artists will not only help the understanding and promotion of their work, but will enlighten the understanding of ourselves and of our diasporic journeys. 

In alignment with Centro’s Rooted + Relational research initiatives themes for 2026 (Boricuas in Relation and Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture), we are particularly interested in artists with more than one heritage and artists who self identify as afrodescendants.

Up to 10 selected writings will be published on CENTRO’s digital magazine RicanWritings, social media, and appear in the Diasporican Art in Motion database.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Essays should be no more than 1,500 words and focus on one of the artists in the Diasporican Art in Motion database. 

• Essays can take the form of an artist profile, exhibition review or response, short interview with commentary, or a response to a specific artwork. 

• Submissions should follow the same standard requirements of our Centro Journal Style Guide with the exception that submissions won’t be sent by email but through a digital form instead. 

• Any writer can submit more than one writing for different artists. Manuscripts can be submitted either in English or Spanish. 

• Writings should be original and not previously published.

• We encourage writings on artists whose work has not been widely studied.

SUBMISSION PROCESS:

• Complete the form in Submittable, ensure all mandatory fields are completed, and review and confirm your submission.

• You will receive email confirmation of your form.

• Your manuscript undergoes a rigorous internal review process where your submission is evaluated on its quality, originality, and relevance. 

• We will email you with our decision and, if applicable, further steps.

COMPENSATION FOR SELECTED ESSAYS: $300

CONTACT INFO: If you encounter any issues or have questions about the submission process, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at DiasporicanArts@hunter.cuny.edu.

ABOUT DIASPORICAN ART IN MOTION (DAM)

DAM is a digital repository and research catalyst seeking to document the impact of migration on Puerto Rican visual culture and community-building through in-depth profiles of contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists. This community of artists is understudied and as a result, they are underrepresented in the Arts field. Their underrepresentation stems from the fact that diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists often fall outside the boundaries of American, Latin American, and Caribbean art. Moreover, their uniqueness and singular contributions to the arts are overshadowed and diluted by their lack of exposure in sanctioning academic fields and institutions. 

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/writings-on-diasporican-visual-artists/

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Creative Residency Program

Martin House |📍Buffalo, NY

Deadline: May 13, 2026

INFO: The Martin House Creative Residency Program is a project-based residency that provides creative individuals a designated time and space to develop new works of the imagination inspired by one of the great examples of 20th century architecture.

The primary goals of the program are to:

• Nurture creativity by offering individuals from multiple disciplines a thought-provoking environment in which to produce works and present them to our community.

• Expand interpretation of our site through active solicitation of diverse perspectives and voices.

• Provide audiences an opportunity to discover and engage more fully with the Martin House and the creative arts.

• Strengthen the Martin House and the region as a center for architecture, art, design, and culture.

The residency is a competitive program that is open to applicants who seek the resources to support ongoing projects or the creation of new work. Creative makers who are selected to participate will generally spend 2-4 weeks onsite either consecutively or incrementally within the specified residency term. Length of stay is project-based and determined by the needs of the applicant and in alignment with the Martin House schedule.

Residents are also expected to deliver a free public program, performance, exhibition, or other creative presentation in order to share their Martin House-inspired work with the larger public.

Residency proposal must relate directly to the Martin House. End-products may revolve around any of the themes central to the site. Subjects of inquiry may relate to architecture, art, art history, landscape, building and design, social history, state and local history, issues of gender, race and class, modernism, urbanism, housing and gentrification, business and industry, the history of technology, cultural studies, engineering and applied sciences, for example.

The Martin House Creative Residency Program is made possible through the Herer Family Charitable Fund.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications are accepted in two distinct categories:

• Artists: The residency program supports the development and presentation of creative works representing a wide range of artistic styles and practices.

• Researchers: The program also provides opportunities for writers, researchers, scholars, critics, and cultural theorists to publish texts or produce projects in various fields, specifically as they relate to Frank Lloyd Wright and the Martin House.

Individuals in all stages of their creative practice may submit proposals to the residency program from the following arts and humanities disciplines, including but not limited to: architecture, design, historic preservation, literature, music, dance, theater, film, and related areas of exploration. Creative makers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives are especially encouraged to apply.

Acceptance is competitive and based on the review of applications by a selection committee. The panel is composed of external jurors and a selection of Martin House staff. Applications will be rated on the following evaluation criteria:

• Artistic and intellectual merit of the proposal as covered in the project description, work samples, resume, and previous creative experiences.

• Feasibility of the completion of the project as proposed and within the time and resources offered.

• Relevance of the project to the Martin House and the stated goals of the Martin House Creative Residency Program.

• Quality of the proposed public engagement program, performance, exhibition, or presentation inspired by the Martin House.

BENEFITS OF THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM:

Residents will have wide-ranging access to our architectural campus composed of three Wright-designed homes set within a historic landscape, as well as an award-winning contemporary glass structure conceived by architect Toshiko Mori as an exhibition and visitor space.

Residents will receive a stipend of $5,000. 50% of the stipend will be provided upon arrival to Buffalo; the other 50% will be offered upon completion of the project. Travel expenses of up to $1,000will also be provided to residents who are from outside the Buffalo-Niagara region. Additional funding for materials will not be provided.

Individuals selected to participate will room on campus at the Gardener’s Cottage as part of their residency.

Residents will have heightened access to Martin House collections and collections information. Other locally-accessible research resources are available through:

• University at Buffalo Archives Darwin D. Martin + Frank Lloyd Wright Collections

• Buffalo + Erie County Public Library Special Collections

• Buffalo History Museum Research + Artifact Collections

The Creative Residency Program is an opportunity for the Martin House to respond to and engage with our community. We anticipate that it will lead to more robust interpretations of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Martin House, and the people who once lived and worked here so as to expand the dialogue as to what great architecture is and why it matters.

martinhouse.org/events/residency/

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2027 Residencies

Ragdale |📍Lake Forrest, IL

DEADLINE: May 14, 2026 at 11:59pm CST

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: 18-day residency session for individuals. Based on personal financial considerations, artists determine their own residency fee and may opt to pay according to our suggested sliding scale.  No financial aid application is required. Admitted residents are responsible for their own travel to and from Ragdale.  

Ragdale awards a limited number of fellowships each year. All qualified applicants may apply for fellowships through this application. A fellowship award includes an 18-day fee-waived residency for individuals and a stipend of at least $1000. All applicants who apply for fellowships will be considered. Please note that applicants may be awarded a residency without a fellowship award. Fellowship awards are disclosed upon acceptance. 

ELIGIBILITY:

Ragdale encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and to that end, emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply. While there are no publication, exhibition, or performance requirements for application, applicants should be working at the professional level in their fields.   

Ragdale encourages artists of all backgrounds to apply and does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of age, disability, gender, origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

GUIDELINES:

All applicants submit electronic materials through the Submittable application portal. Do not email or mail any application materials. Please note the following requirements to complete your application. A completed online application form includes:

• An artist statement explaining your work, vison, or story (one page or less)

• A brief work plan that outlines your studio needs (one page or less)

• A one to two-page CV or resume

• A works list outlining work samples

• Work samples that show work from the past 2-3 years. All media is acceptable. Most electronic file types and sizes are accepted

• If you would like to be considered for a fellowship, we require an eligibility statement of 500 words or less for each fellowship you would like to be considered for. An eligibility statement explains how you qualify for the selected fellowship and how a fellowship would support your work at this time

• Letters of recommendation are not required or accepted

WORK SAMPLES:

Work sample requirements

• Written work: 20 pages of written work (in up to eight files).

• Visual work: 8 images (in up to eight files), plus an image list that includes the following information: title, year, media, dimensions, and an optional short description of each work.

• Time-based work: Up to 10 minutes of audio or video per application (in up to eight files or links*), plus a works list that includes the following information: title, year, media, and an optional short description of each work. *A pdf with hyperlinks is an acceptable alternative to file uploads. Please include a password if applicable.

• Please note: For proposals with more than one type of media: please be fair to reviewers and to fellow applicants; use your best judgement as to what is equivalent. For example, if you plan to submit written work and photos, you may submit 10 pages of written work and 4 photos.

EVALUATION:

Applications are reviewed by Ragdale’s Curatorial Council jury and staff. Evaluations of work are based on the following criteria:

• Work samples: Documented works are original, inventive, and exciting.

• Work samples indicate relevance in their contemporary field.

• Work sample presentation: Work samples are high-quality and technically proficient in execution, and are professionally presented and documented.

• Artist’s experience: Artist statement and CV/Resume reflects continued development of ideas, serious inquiry into subject matter, and exceptional aesthetic investigation in the chosen medium.

• Work plan: Artist demonstrates they will maximize the benefits of a residency at Ragdale. What is the reason for seeking time and space in this particular residency program and is there a sense of urgency reflected in the goals described?

NOTIFICATION:

Notifications are sent to applicants via email by September. Final packets, including scheduled session dates, are sent by October.

COLLABORATIONS:

Artists collaborating on a project must submit individual application forms and appropriate work samples, along with a joint description of the work they intend to do at Ragdale. Clearly specify your work and living space needs, i.e., how many private studios and/or sleeping quarters are needed. You may also submit an example of a previous collaborative work (either completed or in progress). Any specific questions about collaborations can be directed to the Residency Manager before applying. Collaborators must be accepted to the residency separately in order to attend as a group.

TIMELINE

• May 14: 2026 Residency Application Submission Deadline

• September: Notifications of residency or fellowship award sent. 

• October: Accepted residents' final welcome packets with session dates sent 

QUESTIONS?

All inquiries should be directed to admissions@ragdale.org.

ragdale.submittable.com/submit

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BOOK PUBLICITY GRANT FOR UNDEREPRESENTED AUTHORS

Page One Media

DEADLINE: May 15, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Last year we launched our first fully pro bono book publicity campaign for an underrepresented writer in publishing. Out of all of the submissions, we chose, as a team, Malavika Kannan and her forthcoming debut novel, Unprecedented Times, which publishes on August 18. We are thrilled to be able to support Malavika, her book, and her career in this way. Tune in to our social media to hear more about what’s happening for Unprecedented Times as that campaign gets underway. 

We’re getting an earlier start on the process this year, so we have more time to read the submissions and also to give a longer submission period for authors. The submission requirements are the same as last year and listed below and on the Grant submission page on our website. 

BACKGROUND ON THE PAGE ONE MEDIA GRANT PROJECT:

The Page One Media Grant Project began in 2021. You can learn more about it here in this blog post. It was one way that we felt we could help support authors who have, over the decades, been less likely to have their books acquired and less likely to have them resourced through sales, marketing and publicity support. I had worked in publishing for 20 years when I decided to leave my in-house job in 2019. We know that diversity benefits businesses and it is also true that it benefits people and learners. Page One wants to be a part of aiding that change in publishing. Without an equal chance at high level publicity, authors are at a disadvantage for publishing their next book and the cycle of underrepresentation continues.  

WHO QUALIFIES?

We take an intentionally broad view of diversity. If you come from a traditionally underrepresented group in publishing and this includes women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, disabled people, and more, you should submit your project.  

There are only two circumstances that disqualify an author from consideration for the Page One Media book publicity grant. First, we don’t currently work with books that are being self-published or published by hybrid presses. This is not unique to the grant project, and it is not a statement on the quality of these books, but we have worked on them in the past and we have found that we can’t make enough of an impact because media still use publishers and imprints as a qualifier for book review and other types of coverage. Why do they do this? Because we publish a preposterous number of books annually in the United States. Nearly 400,000 books are traditionally published and another million are self and hybrid published. We have also found that in the instances where we have worked on these books, they don’t have enough distribution or large enough print runs to feel the impact of our work and to therefore benefit through sales.   

Second, the 2027 grant round will only consider books being published by U.S.-based publishing houses, by U.S.-based authors, and publishing in the 2027 calendar year. 

All the other requirements are ones that we require of all books we work on:  

• We, the Page One team, must love the book. We best represent stories, research and ideas that truly resonate with us.  

• The publisher must be aware that the author is considering working with us.   

• Galleys must be available in both print and e-formats. 

• Underrepresented is an intentionally broad term and includes any group that has had less access to being published. Don’t count yourself out. Tell us about yourself: who you are, what is important to you, and how you are trying to be a force for good in our world through your book. We want to hear from you. 

We are asking for some additional materials during the submission process. Those are: 

• The full manuscript of the book. We will keep it completely confidential and will destroy it after the grant process ends. 

• Complete our grant questionnaire. 

• Provide the Publisher Affidavit form to your publisher representative (this needs to be an in-house employee of your publisher) to confirm the publication date of your book. Please submit it with your materials. 

• Provide your publisher author questionnaire if you have one. If you don’t, please fill out ours. 

• Submit all requested materials by May 15, 2026, at 11:59pm EDT. Any materials received after 11:59 pm EDT on May 15, 2026, will not be considered.  

Do not delay in submitting your materials. The more we can get a head start on reading submissions; the sooner we can announce the grant recipient. 

NEXT STEPS + INSTRUCTIONS:

• Carefully review the submission requirements in this post and in our terms and conditions. We will not notify you if required materials are missing. If materials are missing, you won’t be considered. 

• Download the Publisher Affidavit form and have your publisher fill it out, sign and return it with the rest of your materials. 

• Fill out our P1M Grant Project questionnaire form. 

• Submit all your materials together; this will be done through the P1M Grant Project questionnaire form. Do not submit anything via email. It will not be considered. 

• Sign up for our newsletter and follow our social media accounts (not required but this is where we will announce the grant recipient).  

• You can get started with the submissions process here.  

Note: Do not submit yourself twice. If you are publishing two books in 2027 choose only one to be considered for the P1M Grant. If you submit two, we will only consider the first book submitted. 

Please direct any questions to hello@page1m.com. We can’t wait to read your book and learn more about you! 

page1m.com/grant/

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The Climate Writers’ Residency

Upstart & Crow |📍Vancouver, BC

DEADLINE: May 15, 2026 at 11:00 pm

INFO: As we move deeper into an era of overlapping crises, the stories we tell matter more than ever. This residency is designed to support writers whose work illuminates pathways forward — writing that offers unique, enchanting ways of rethinking how we narrate our relationships to the natural world, each other and to the systems that shape our futures.

The program includes dedicated, month-long access to our Granville Island studio, a $4,000 grant, and a focused environment for writers developing an original work of non-fiction.

We welcome work that expands how climate stories can be told. This may include projects that foreground underheard perspectives, explore place-based relationships to land and water, interrogate inherited assumptions about progress and growth, or imagine new social and ecological possibilities.

Click here to begin your application.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THIS RESIDENCY?

Our aim is to provide the time, space, and material support for the development or completion of a boundary-pushing non-fiction manuscript that contributes meaningfully to contemporary climate discourse, while maintaining a strong commitment to literary craft. Without diminishing the realities we face, this residency seeks to champion forward‑looking, solutions‑oriented storytelling that explores imaginative pathways toward resilience and reciprocity.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

This residency is intended for mid-career and established writers 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 currently reside in Canada, including Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and Protected Persons.

• While applicants are not required to currently reside in the Vancouver area, this residency prioritizes writers who are able to make meaningful, in-person use of our work-only studio space. The selected resident will be expected to work regularly from our Granville Island studio throughout the residency period, as on-site engagement is a core component of the program. Please note that living accommodations are not included at this time. Exceptions to in-person participation will be made for applicants experiencing physical limitations; if this applies to you, we ask that you outline your needs within your application.

• Writers must be actively working on a significant 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 2026 jurors are: Anne Shibata Casselman, David Isaac, and Stephanie Wood.

Applications will be evaluated on the following:

• Depth of engagement: how thoughtfully the work grapples with ecological questions and their social, cultural, or political dimensions. 

• Perspective: the project’s ability to look beyond narratives of ecological collapse, towards original and compelling ways of imagining livable futures and ways of inhabiting and sustaining our world.

• Imaginative contribution: the project’s potential to expand climate storytelling and offer new ways of thinking.

• 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.

RESIDENCY DATE: This residency will commence in June 2026 at a date to be determined by the recipient 

upstartandcrow.com/programs/climate-writer-residencies/

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FULLY-FUNDED FELLOWSHIPS

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA)

DEADLINE: May 15, 2026

INFO: Residencies can be transformative to an artist’s process and the effect on an artist’s career profound. A residency at VCCA gives artists the time and space to explore and go deeper into their work. Away from the constraints of “the real world” and in an accepting environment of talented peers, one can dream and create with the feeling that anything is possible.

VCCA’s Mt. San Angelo location in Amherst, Virginia, typically hosts 360 artists each year in residencies of varying lengths (no minimum; up to six weeks) with flexible scheduling. A residency at Mt. San Angelo includes a private bedroom with private en-suite bath, a private individual studio, three prepared meals a day, and access to a community of more than 20 other artists in residence.

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, VCCA is surrounded by natural wonders and hiking trails. Many local sites and additional inspiration can be found in short drives to Lynchburg (20 minutes), Charlottesville (1 hour), Roanoke (1.5 hours), or Richmond (2 hours).

The following fully-funded fellowships are expected to be available for the Spring 2027 residency period at Mt. San Angelo in Amherst, Virginia.

• CHRISTINA CHIU LATINX WRITERS FELLOWSHIP

Who: Writers, with preference given to those of Latin American descent
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)

LEARN MORE

• BARBARA CROOKER CAREGIVING FELLOWSHIP

Who: Artists in any discipline who are caregivers to an ill or disabled family member
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)

LEARN MORE

• RICHARD E. CYTOWIC NONFICTION FELLOWSHIP

Who: Writers of long-form nonfiction, with preference given to writers who are gay, residents of Washington D.C., or caregivers to an ill or disabled family member
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)

LEARN MORE

• GOLDFARB FAMILY FELLOWSHIP

Who: Writers of creative nonfiction
What: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)

LEARN MORE

• GREATER OPPORTUNITY FELLOWSHIPS

Who: Artists in any discipline who have not previously been in residence at VCCA, with preference given to those who self-identify as people of color
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)

LEARN MORE

• MONTANA FELLOWSHIP

Who: Artists in any discipline who live in Montana
What: One-month residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)

LEARN MORE

• TAHIRA ZAHEER FELLOWSHIP FOR SOUTH ASIAN WRITERS

Who: Writers, with preference given to those who are South Asian 
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2027 (January – April)

LEARN MORE

vcca.com/apply/fully-funded-fellowships/

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Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency

Adirondack Center for Writing |📍

DEADLINE: May 18, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: The Adirondack Center for Writing offers a two-week residency annually in autumn to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at a lodge on Twitchell Lake in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Six residents will be chosen: three from the Adirondack region (aka “The North Country”… see FAQ below for specifics) and three from anywhere in the world. Quality of written submissions is the primary consideration when accepting applications.

The residency is generously provided by the estate of Anne LaBastille, who wrote books capturing challenges of the region, including Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake from her cabin on Twitchell Lake. During the residency, writers will paddle to the site of her property and explore the lake with locals.

The Lodge at Twitchell Lake provides an abundance of physical space, and each resident has their own bedroom and bathroom. There are plenty of writing spaces in and around the property. Internet access is available.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Cover Letter: In the space provided in Submittable (no attachments), include a brief, third-person bio and a work plan detailing your goals for this residency.

2. Writing Sample: Please send up to 10 pages double spaced, or 2,500 words max of your best writing in the genre you will working in at the residency. Prose: 10 pages max. Poetry: 10 poems max. NOTE: Make sure your name does not show up anywhere in your writing sample. Writing samples that include your name will not be considered. Quality of written submissions will be our primary consideration when accepting applications.

3. Application Fee: $30. Your application fee ensures that the residency can remain free to selected residents.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Residency Dates: September 20 – October 4, 202

• Notification: July 2026

Contact info@adirondackcenterforwriting.orgor 518-354-1261 with any questions.

adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency/

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CALL FOR FEMINIST GENRE FICTION - SCI-FI, HORROR, FANTASY/ROMANTASY, AND SPECULATIVE FICTION

Feminist Press

SUBMISSION PERIOD: May 18 - June 5, 2026

INFO: We’re looking for novels, novellas, and short story collections that bring a literary depth and flair to genre fiction— specifically sci-fi, horror, fantasy/romantasy, and speculative fiction.

Please consider how your submission is aligned with Feminist Press's decolonial feminist mission. If you use the conventions of sci-fi to script an alternative world, does your plot interrogate its kinship to empire? How might your horror story mirror and warp the grim details of our global slide towards fascism, or the queer and racial politics of monstrosity?

If your work spikes genre with social critique and moral reflection in the vein of María Fernanda Ampuero, K-Ming Chang, N.K. Jemisin, Megan Milks, Carmen Maria Machado, Ted Chiang, Alison Rumfitt, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, or other comparable voices, please send it to us!

We really value the submissions that are sent to us and spend a lot of time reviewing each manuscript thoughtfully. If your work does not fit the above description, please wait to submit until our next open call. We will not consider submissions outside of this scope.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Where and how should I submit my manuscript for review?
During our open submissions period, please submit your manuscript via our Submittable portal.

What should I include in my submission?
In one PDF, please include the following:

• A synopsis of your work, including a brief explanation of why this submission is a good fit for Feminist Press

• A short author bio, including anything you’ve published before and where we might find you on social media (if applicable)

• A brief marketing plan that outlines the following: your network, your promotional experience and capacity, and your ideas for positioning your work

• At least three sample chapters (or 50 pages) of your work

When does the submissions period end?
Our reading period has reached capacity and is now closed.

Why are you doing a call specifically for novels/novellas?
As we look at our editorial plans for the next few years, we’re hoping to add more novels and novellas to our list. We’re hoping this themed call will inspire new folks to submit their work in progress.

Not sure if your novel is a fit for the Press? Check out recent titles A World Between by Emily Hashimoto, Black Wave by Michelle Tea, The Iliac Crest by Cristina Rivera Garza (tr. Sarah Booker), and Fiebre Tropical by Julián Delgado Lopera.

What about short stories or nonfiction submissions?
After this specific call for novels, our next open submissions will be open to international literature, hybrid memoirs and nonfiction, literary fiction, short story collections, and anthologies. The next call will be winter 2025/2026.

What types of books do you publish at Feminist Press?
FP’s mission as a small, independent nonprofit publisher is to champion intersectional and nuanced works that spark critical dialogue, dive deep into lived experience, and move the feminist conversation forward. Our team is passionate about international literature, hybrid memoirs, boundary-pushing literary fiction, and intersectional activist nonfiction either by single authors or as anthologies. We are looking to publish more fiction by BIPOC, queer, and trans writers in fantasy and speculative fiction genres. Our books are compelling, accessible, voice-driven works that speak to our present moment and beyond, ranging from hilarious to heartbreaking, literary to playful. We are thrilled by books that experiment with form and language in political ways, and while we are not an academic press, we are open to works of theory and history that marry rigor with readability.

We define our feminism as anti-racist, anti-capitalist, anti-imperial, and decolonial, and we intend to make that explicit with not only our work, but also our practices of solidarity. We especially encourage Black and Indigenous writers and other writers of color, queer and trans writers, and disabled and neurodivergent writers to submit their work, and we strive to make our press a safe and liberatory home for such authors. In 2023 and beyond, we particularly hope to collaborate with and center Palestinian authors, in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the century of Zionist settler colonialism in Palestine.

We recommend taking a look at what we’ve recently published to see if your work is aligned with our editorial vision. Peruse our most recent rights catalog and our website to familiarize yourself with our publishing program. Some standout Feminist Press titles include None of the Above: Reflections on Life Beyond the Binary by Travis Alabanza, Lion Woman’s Legacy by Arlene Voski Avakian, Fiebre Tropical by Julián Delgado Lopera, Head Above Water by Shahd Alshammari, Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu, translated by Tiffany Tsao, and It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror, edited by Joe Vallese.

What types of books don’t you publish at Feminist Press?
Feminist Press does not publish children’s books, poetry collections, drama/plays, doctoral dissertations, or literary criticism.

When can I submit?
Our current open submissions period is now closed.

Do you accept mailed submissions?
We are not accepting mailed submissions at this time.

How long will it take to hear back?
Our small team receives hundreds of submissions each season though we publish only ten to fifteen books a year. We try to respond as promptly as possible, but it can take up to six to nine months for us to review and respond to a query.

Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
We do accept simultaneous submissions. If you’ve submitted your work to another publisher and decide to publish with them, please let us know to withdraw your manuscript from consideration by emailing us at editor@feministpress.org.

Do I need an agent?
Feminist Press works with many writers who have agents, as well as many writers who do not have agents and who submit their work directly to the Press. We’re happy to work with authors in either case. Some writers also get agents after Feminist Press publishes their work.

Can I have feedback on my proposal?
As much as we would like to help, we are not able to offer advice on writing a book proposal nor can we suggest other publishers for your work. We recommend researching other publishers on the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) website to find other indie presses and learn about their submissions guidelines. This is also a phenomenal resource by Jane Friedman on how to build a compelling proposal to pitch to publishers.

feministpress.org/pages/open-submissions

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Craft Archive Fellowship

Center for Craft

DEADLINE: May 20, 2026

INFO: The Craft Archive Fellowship advances archival research on underrepresented and nondominant craft histories in the United States, including feminist, queer, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, intersectional, and other communities and approaches that may not be specifically listed here.

he Fellowship supports a range of scholars—from independent artists to emerging and established researchers. Four Craft Archive Fellows receive honoraria of $5,000 each to conduct research in an archive of their choosing. They may engage in both conventional and innovative approaches to archival research.

ELIGIBILITY:

Proposals are welcome from a range of scholars, from emerging to established, including artist-researchers. Funding is intended to support independent research and is not intended to support research conducted on behalf of an institution, corporation, or nonprofit organization.

Archives are repositories for and collections of primary source materials where people can conduct research. However, the histories preserved and stored within institutional libraries and archives often reflect dominant cultural narratives, limiting the types of histories that can be told and accessed by scholars in the future. This fellowship takes an expansive understanding of what an archive is, to delimit what an archive can be. For the purpose of this grant, the Center for Craft understands archival craft research as, but not limited to: 

• Digital and in-person archives: Recipients can direct their research towards a digital or site-specific archive, such as institutional archives that feature underrepresented craft communities. An in-person visit is not required.

• Objects as archives, the study of a new collection of materials, such as oral histories, community-created archives, site or place as an archive.

• Funding from this grant can be used to visit more than one archive, as funding and time permits. However, engagement with just one archive is all that is expected.

Applicants must be: 

• 21 years of age or older 

• Eligible to receive taxable income in the United States 

Applicants cannot be: 

• Disqualified persons, such as substantial contributors to or current employees, consultants, or board members of the Center for Craft, or immediate family members of such a person

If an applicant has been previously awarded a Center for Craft grant but did not complete the project, or is still in the process of completing a grant or fellowship, they are not eligible to apply.

Applicants may only receive one Center for Craft grant and/or fellowship per year. Awards cannot be deferred to the next year due to outstanding applications or multiple awards.

The Center encourages applications from historically underrepresented populations. The Center for Craft prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or perceived disability, age, marital status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected category. Applying does not constitute a promise or guarantee of being awarded a grant.

USE OF FUNDS:

Award funds may be used to cover travel and living expenses, personal stipends/honoraria, image rights, photocopies or other reproductions, subcontracted research assistance, purchase of primary source materials, and other incidental research expenses. Award funds may be used towards rent, childcare, and healthcare, as needed. 

• For travel purposes, the Center for Craft recommends applicants use the following resources: U.S. General Services Administration and Budget Your Trip.

• When working with artists (to conduct oral histories or otherwise), the Center for Craft requires recipients to provide appropriate compensation. For remuneration estimates, we recommend consulting the floor wages listed on the Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.) fee calculator website. 

• When working with community members, the Center for Craft requires that all grant recipients provide financial remuneration for their time, labor, and services rendered towards the awarded project scope and goals.

• Award funds can be used towards course buyouts, as needed.

centerforcraft.org/grants-and-fellowships/craft-archive-fellowship#grant-overview

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Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize

Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism

DEADLINE: May 29, 2026

INFO: The Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism has opened submissions for the sixth annual Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize. The prize is awarded for essays authored by currently incarcerated and formerly incarcerated writers. This program is an effort to uplift the work of authors who’ve experienced incarceration, and increase opportunities for these writers’ narratives to educate the public about the impact of imprisonment and policing.

We award two prizes, each for an original essay of 1,500 words or less on the topic of prisons, policing or a related subject. Essays can be written in the first person and can be personal narratives (although they do not have to be). The prize for each winning essay is $3,000.

We define “incarceration” broadly–people who have experienced prison, jail, ICE detention, electronic monitoring, or any other form of state-sanctioned confinement are welcome to submit essays.

Essays can be submitted in two ways:

• They can be emailed to essayprize@truthout.org. (Feel free to submit your essay either as an attachment or within the body of the email.)

• They can be mailed to:
  Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize 
  c/o Truthout
  PO Box 276414
  Sacramento, CA, 95827

The deadline for submissions is May 29, 2026. Prizes will be announced by September 30, 2026.

Essays must be unpublished and unique to this contest; they should not be simultaneously submitted to other publications. Each writer maysubmit one essay. Writers based anywhere in the world are eligible.

This essay prize is given in honor of Keeley Schenwar, who was a devoted mother, daughter, sister, friend, writer and advocate for incarcerated mothers. During her own incarceration, Keeley wrote often, including this essay about childbirth, breastfeeding and incarceration. Keeley was the sister of Maya Schenwar, director of the Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism. Keeley was one of the inspirations for Truthout’s early and sustained dedication to covering the injustices and violence of incarceration and policing.

truthout.org/articles/keeley-schenwar-memorial-essay-prize/

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CALL FOR short fiction SUBMISSIONS: ISSUE 6 — ‘VEXED’

Plantin Mag

DEADLINE: May 30, 2026

INFO: A call for BLACK IMMIGRANT WRITERS ONLY. If you are a 1st or 2nd generation Black Immigrant and you have a short story (1000-3000 words), flash fiction (250-500 words), or a creative memoir/hybrid piece (3000 words max) please share with us. Hablamos español. Non-english or bilingual entries welcome.

We are especially looking for fresh, unpublished authors. Young or old. Self-taught or degree-holding. We don’t care about a cover letter or whether or not you have a list of credentials. We don’t care whether you format it double spaced Times New Roman or use Wingdings. We don’t care if the piece has been previously published or not. Just send us a PDF or Word Doc.

COMPENSATION: We are a small team and appreciate donations. However, we would like to pay our writers $100 per accepted piece. Your piece will then be paired with an artist who will illustrate a digital cover.

ISSUE 6 THEME: Vexed

At this time, we are particularly looking for work relating to Black Immigrant narratives on being petty, vengeful, or just plain childish. Get your lick back. Right your wrongs. Have the last laugh. We want to read it all!

plantinmag.com/Submit-Fiction

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2026 Whiting Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-ProgresS

Whiting Foundation

DEADLINE: May 31, 2026 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: The 2026 Whiting Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-Progress of $40,000 will be awarded to ten writers completing a deeply researched and imaginatively composed book-length work of nonfiction for a general adult readership. The grant supports multiyear projects at a crucial mid-process stage, after substantial progress has been made but before the final work is complete, when additional support can meaningfully shape the final work. The program’s objective is to foster original, ambitious projects brought to the highest possible standard.

Whiting welcomes applications for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. The work should be intended for a general, rather than academic, adult readership. Self-help titles, historical fiction, textbooks, books primarily for a scholarly audience, and books for young readers are not eligible.

Examples of the wide range of previous grantees can be found on the program's website. 

Projects must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by May 31, 2026, and a fully executed contract must be uploaded with the application. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible.

Please note that we cannot offer any extensions for contracts that are not signed by both writer and publisher by the application deadline.

Projects will be evaluated by a panel of expert judges according to established review criteria. The application includes three written responses addressing the work, research design, and narrative approach.

If you have any questions about the eligibility of your project or the application process, please contact the Whiting Foundation awards-grants@whiting.org.

Writers must submit the materials listed below via the online application form by 11:59pm ET on Thursday, May 31, 2026. All materials, including letters of recommendation must be received by that deadline; incomplete applications will not be considered. The application form includes detailed instructions for each requested item.

• The original proposal that led to the contract with your publisher.

• Up to 15,000 words or approximately 50 double-spaced pages from your draft. Please submit full-length draft chapters, rather than short excerpts from across your book, to the extent the word count allows.

• A statement of work yet to be completed.

• A plan for use of funds.

• Written responses to three prompts that relate to your project: detailing the work’s premise, its research methods and design, and its narrative approach.

• A signed and dated contract (please note that to be eligible, books must be under contract with a Canadian, UK, or US publisher – unfortunately, we can make no exceptions to this requirement).

• A current resume - recommended length 2-4 pages.

• A list of grants, fellowships, or other funding received for the book.

• A letter of support sent from your publisher to the Foundation is required. Two additional confidential letters of recommendation can also be submitted, however they are optional. Letters must be received by the Foundation before the May 31st deadline.

Each project under submission will be peer reviewed by a panel of judges, presided over by Whiting’s Resident Director, taking into consideration the submitted chapters (while understanding that they are reading a work in progress) alongside the written responses provided. The ten grantees will be selected in December 2026/January 2027 and announced soon after. 

If you have any questions about the eligibility of your project or the application process, please contact us at awards-grants@whiting.org.

whiting.org/writers/nonfiction-grant-for-works-in-progress/about

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CALL FOR NARRATIVE ESSAY: Transnational Solidarities: South Asia & Palestine

Zines for Falastin

DEADLINE: May 31, 2026

INFO: A collaborative call for first person narrative essay submissions (under 1000 words) sharing stories of transnational solidarities with Palestine from folks with ties to South Asia (via birth, current residence, or diasporic). We are looking for essays that speak about the portals into and the shape of your solidarity with the interconnected fights towards the liberation of Palestine. We are looking to hear from those who have been finding creative and courageous ways through. From those who have been acting with intention towards making material dents to support our kin in Falasteen via mutual aid initiatives. From those who have been showing up to engage local communities via mobilization and organization, via storytelling and culture. From anyone who has made relational, material, career, or otherwise sacrifices towards speaking truth to power from wherever they are.

The essays can include research integration, historical notes or contemporary works and examples, i.e. we love citations. Or can draw from archival memories, such as personal or collective ancestral archives and quotidian tales, interviews, i.e. we believe in fighting against the erasures of histories of our interconnected anticolonial fights. We are looking for essays that uphold the principles of Palestinian liberation (al-thawabet), and written with anti-zionist, anti-imperial and anti-colonial lens.

The zine will be compiled and curated by the zinesforfalastin collective and friends and available digitally and in limited-print runs.

CONTACT: zinesforfalastin@proton.me if you have any questions

instagram.com/zinesforfalastin/p/DWin1b1lyxi/

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Boa Short Fiction prize

Boa Editions

DEADLINE: May 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

INFO: Since its founding in 2010, the Boa Short Fiction prize has been awarded to some of the most exciting and unique voices in American fiction. As with all Boa fiction titles, our prize-winning short story collections are more concerned with the artfulness of writing than the twists and turns of plot. It is our belief that short story writing is a valuable and underserved literary form that we are proud to support, nurture, and celebrate.

Submissions are invited only through Submittable or by post mail. We do not have the staff capacity to read or respond to manuscripts that are submitted by fax or email.

JUDGE: Boa Publisher Peter Conners

WINNER RECEIVES: 

• Book publication by Boa Editions. in spring 2028

• $1,000 honorarium

*Please note that submission fees allow us to offer a $1,000 honorarium and also offset the cost of publishing and promoting the winning collection. As a non-profit literary publishing house, we understand that submission fees can be difficult to accommodate. Please know that 100% of your fee will go toward supporting the publication of an excellent short story collection and to supporting Boa’s mission to bring the highest quality literature into the world. Manuscripts that do not win the contest are still eligible for publication by Boa. 

boaeditions.org/pages/boa-short-fiction-prize

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2026 AHL–Grace Charity Foundation Research Fellowship

AHL Foundation

DEADLINE: May 31, 2026 by 11:59 pm EDT

INFO: The AHL–Grace Charity Foundation Research Fellowship is an annual one-year fellowship open to art historians, researchers, and curators with an interest in researching and archiving the activities of artists of Korean heritage. The selected fellow will contribute to the development of the Archive of Korean Artists in America (AKAA) as part of the AHL Foundation’s mission to recognize and support the accomplishments of talented Korean artists working in the United States.

This research fellowship was made possible thanks to support from the Grace Charity Foundation. Founded by Kim Jin-soo, CEO of Image Solutions, a world-class life science company, and his wife, Kim Eun-sil, a board member of AHL Foundation, the Grace Charity Foundation seeks to support both educational and Christian missionary activities. Since 2015, the AHL Foundation and Grace Charity Foundation have awarded this fellowship annually to a scholar focusing their research on Korean artists and archiving their activities and work.

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS:

• $4,000 stipend for the selected research fellow

• Contribute to the development of the Archive of Korean Artists in America (AKAA)

• Notification of Results: August 1, 2026

ELIGIBILITY + REQUIREMENTS:

• An ideal candidate would be someone with a strong academic background in Korean Contemporary Art. 

• Experience in digital archiving is preferred.

• Candidates must have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. English and Korean bilingual proficiency is preferred. 

• The AKAA Fellow will be expected to devote at least one day a week at the gallery for researching, organizing collections, and digitizing archival materials in AKAA Archive Room. 

• During the fellowship, recipient is required to update the data on the AKAA Archive website, including new works and artist bios on the AKAA website.

• A stipend of $4,000 will be available for the Research Fellow. Preference is given to applicants who live and work in (or near) New York City. 

• Fellowship recipient must attend the Awards Ceremony on November 7, 2026.

 AWARDS:

• $4,000 stipend

• 1-year fellowship at the AHL Foundation

*Please note that travel and other costs for the award ceremony will not be supported or reimbursed.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

We recommend having all your information ready to input and upload before starting the online application since it cannot be saved during the process. Please have the following items ready to submit:

• Cover letter stating interest in the fellowship position

• Full curriculum vitae of education, professional experience, honors, awards, and publications

• Contact information for two references

• One writing sample (in English)

ahlfoundation.org/research-fellowship/

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Book Award Fiction Prize for QTBIPOC Writers

Abode Press

DEADLINE: May 31, 2026 by 11:59pm

INFO: For our first-ever full-length fiction prize, Abode Press is looking to acquire fiction short story collections or novels written by people of color who are queer and/or trans. We want work that is voice-driven, sparks social change, reminds us of home, and defies genre. We are especially interested in works that are haunting, that have a strong sense of place, that are queer, radical, and genre-defiant. Some of the editorial teams favorite authors who do this remarkably well are Octavia Butler, Mariana Enriquez, Carmen Maria Machado, Toni Morrison, and Rivers Solomon. We also love when work is inspired from theorists, such as Audre Lorde and Saidiya Hartman. 

About Abode Press: You should submit your manuscript to us if you want to house your book with a press that is primarily run by people of color who are queer/trans in Texas. Our values are a reflection of what empowers us to create change, specifically our commitments to anti-racist, anti-colonial, and intersectional work.  

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be a writer of color who identifies as queer and/or trans 

• Must reside in the United States

• Must be at least 21 years of age by June 1st, 2026

• Must be submitting a fiction manuscript, either a novel (60k+ words) or a short story collection (40k+words)

 GUIDELINES:

Please submit a sample of the full-length manuscript. Manuscript samples should be 50 pages or less, in Times New Roman or Garamond, and double spaced. It should be paginated and contain a table of contents. 

All submissions must be original work, previously unpublished as a novel or collection.

In your artist statement, you can include a synopsis of the work so we can understand the full scope of the project. The artist statement should also describe how the manuscript aligns with Abode’s commitments to anti-racist and intersectional work and tie in our interests in themes of “home, identity, origin, and culture.” The artist statement should also contain your bio with links to your social media and/or author website. 

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please make sure to withdraw the work if accepted elsewhere. 

Please note we will be accepting submissions until May 31st, 2026. We can't wait to read your work! 

PRIZE DETAILS

• $1000 cash prize

• 25 author copies

• Standard book contract

• Professional marketing and publicity 

• Work with an indie press and a small team who will champion your work! 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By submitting your manuscript, you acknowledge that the work is authentically yours and has not been generated, created, or edited by AI tools. You agree that you own the rights to the work and it has not been published elsewhere. In addition, you agree that you are a person of color who is queer and/or trans based in the United States. 

abodepress.submittable.com/submit

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T&W Magazine Editorial Fellowship 2026

Teachers & Writers Magazine

DEADLINE: May 31, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: Teachers & Writers Magazine is accepting applications for the Teachers & Writers Editorial Fellowship until May 31, 2026. The fellow will join the T&W Editorial Board and assist with the production of Teachers & Writers Magazine. The Editorial Fellowship is intended to give graduate students, recent graduates, and early-stage professionals with equivalent experience an opportunity to gain editorial and publishing experience through hands-on assignments and mentorship from skilled editors. By the end of the fellowship term, the fellow should have a body of knowledge and work which may be shared in a resume and/or portfolio. One fellow will be selected for this term. 

The Editorial Fellow will be expected to attend monthly meetings via Zoom, where the editorial board will discuss submissions, accept editorial assignments, generate new content, and further engage in the publication of Teachers & Writers Magazine. The fellow will be paired with an experienced editor to establish a mentor relationship and provide time and space for questions the editorial fellows may have. 

The fellow will be expected to edit at least one piece per month. In addition to accepting editing assignments, fellows may pitch ideas to generate or solicit new material for the magazine. The Editorial Fellowship will last for one year (July 2026 - June 2027), with the possibility of renewing for a second year following a review. The fellow's stipend will disbursed over the course of the year on a bi-monthly (every other month) schedule. 

DETAILS:

• Stipend: $3,000

• Location: Remote

• Hours: Approx. 12 hours per month 

• Duration: 1 year with potential to renew for a second year 

TO APPLY: Please share a cover letter, resume/CV, and a brief editorial statement (200-300 words) sharing why you are interested in this fellowship, what you hope to gain from the experience, and your editorial vision for the magazine. 

Preference will be given to applicants with experience teaching creative writing. Learn more about Teachers & Writers Magazine at www.teachersandwritersmagazine.org.

twc.submittable.com/SUBMIT

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Black River Chapbook Competition: poetry + PROSE

Black Lawrence Press

DEADLINE: May 31, 2026

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: Twice each year Black Lawrence Press will run the Black River Chapbook Competition for an unpublished chapbook of poems or prose between 16-36 pages in length. The contest is open to new, emerging, and established writers.

PRIZE: The winner will receive book publication, a $500 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication.  

All entries are read without identifying information by our panel of editors. All manuscripts should include a title page (listing only the title of the work), table of contents (if applicable), and when appropriate, an acknowledgments page. Manuscripts should be paginated and formatted in an easy-to-read font such as Garamond or Times New Roman. Manuscripts should be 16-36 pages in length (double-spaced for fiction), not including front and back matter (table of contents, title page, etc.). Identifying information for the author should not be included anywhere on the manuscript itself, including in the name of your file or in the "title" field in Submittable. You are welcome to include a brief bio or something about yourself in your cover note on Submittable, which will only be made accessible to the editorial panel after the group of Semi-Finalist and Finalist manuscripts has been chosen.

A note regarding previously published work: Chapbooks containing individual stories or poems that have been previously published online or in print are absolutely eligible for the BRCC–please simply note previously published work on an acknowledgments page. On the other hand, if your chapbook–or a significant portion of the work included in your chapbook–has been previously published as a book or chapbook-length collection (including publication with a press, self-publication, online/digital publication, and publication in a small, limited-edition print run), then the manuscript is not eligible for the BRCC.

• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable and encouraged, but please notify us by withdrawing your manuscript on Submittable immediately if it is accepted for publication elsewhere.

• Multiple submissions (the submission of more than one manuscript to the contest) are permitted.

• Collaborative collections are welcome.

• Hybrid/multi-genre submissions are also welcome; please enter under the submission category that best fits your work.

• Prose category: Beginning with the Spring 2019 contest, our category previously titled “fiction” has been re-categorized as “prose” to accommodate fiction, creative non-fiction, lyric essay, and prose hybrid manuscripts. (Chapbooks of prose poems and poetry/prose hybrid projects can be submitted under either poetry or prose, per your preference.)

• We cannot accept translations for the BRCC.

• We will consider submissions including visual art (i.e. interior illustrations or photographs), but please note we do not regularly publish chapbooks with interior art. Please do not include suggested cover artwork with your submission.

blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit

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2027 EMERGING WRITER AWARDS

Key West Literary Seminar

DEADLINE: June 1, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $12

INFO: The Cecelia Joyce Johnson Award, Scotti Merrill Award, and Marianne Russo Award recognize and support writers who possess exceptional talent and demonstrate potential for lasting literary careers.

Each award is tailored to a particular literary form. The Merrill Award recognizes a poet, while fiction writers may apply for either the Johnson Award (for a short story) or the Russo Award (for a novel-in-progress).

Winners of the 2027 Emerging Writer Awards will receive full tuition support for our January 2027 Seminar and Writers’ Workshop Program, round-trip airfare, lodging, a $500 honorarium, and appear on stage during the Seminar. They will be in Key West from January 3 – 11, 2027.

Please review the criteria, complete the application form, and upload the required documents via Submittable. Due to an increased volume of applications and our thorough review process, we have implemented a $12 application fee to cover review costs.

ELIGIBILITY: Writers of any age who live in the United States and have not yet published a book with a major publisher are eligible to apply. If you are the author of a book that is self-published, published with an independent press, or had a print run of 500 or fewer copies, you may or may not be eligible. If you think your eligibility could be called into question, please provide relevant details about prior publications as part of your cover letter. We reserve the right to make all final decisions regarding eligibility.

kwls.org/awards/emerging-writer-awards

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Call for Submissions: “Liberation Poetics: Caribbean Feminisms Against Imperialism, from Cuba to Palestine”

Intersect Antigua-Barbuda

DEADLINE: June 1, 2026

INFO: Imperialism is far-reaching, stretching across borders, and harming people across difference: from martyred people of the soil to stolen oil. This is a crucial period in which Caribbean feminists, emboldened by and spirited with a decolonizing, Queeribbean sensibility, must rise to meet this moment.

With this in mind, we invite you to submit critical essays, fiction, plays, poetry, posters, screenplays, art, and photography that address the urgency of leveraging Caribbean feminisms as a primary antagonism against imperialism and fascism.

We invite participants to submit pieces that address imperialism, from the perspective of gender, race, color, class, nation, and/or sexuality, in any of the following broad topics:

• Queering resistance

• Resisting the masculinization of revolution

• Rootedness in Caribbean identity, poetics of relation, opacité, antillanité, creolité: Moving across the Afro-, Indo-, and Indigenous Caribbean

• Caribbean feminist perspectives and stories on grief, trauma, healing, and joy

• Ancestral insurgencies: lessons from past movement shakers and revolutionaries

We also invite participants to consider the following writing prompts:

• How do the attention economy,  new media, and generative AI technologies depoliticize, distort, and fracture relation?

• How can Caribbean feminist thought be in dialogue and praxis with Sudanese and Congolese feminist thought and movements as they agitate against violent imperial extraction?

• What does a turn to the ‘Queeribbean’ offer as an antagonism against imperialism’s political, religious, and cultural conceits?

• Whose stories, from plant, animal, and human life, are not being told in this moment?

Access the full call for submissions for the complete list of topics and prompts. Read excerpts from Maurice Bishop’s 1980 speech against imperialism here.

intersectantigua.com/blog/call-for-submissions

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call for Multigenre Full-Length Manuscripts

SplitLip Press

DEADLINE: June 1, 2026

ENTRY FEE: $15

INFO: We are currently open for multigenre full-length books over 125 pages.

When we say "multigenre," we're looking for hybrid prose! A little fiction, a little nonfiction, a little genre-blurring...first and foremost, we seek out manuscripts that question boundaries (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional—you get the gist). Our editors are drawn to work with a twist, whether that means blending fact with fiction, employing speculative elements, placing lyricism alongside criticism, and/or image-based work interacting with text. Some of the books we've published which could be considered potential multigenre comps would be Sienna Liu's Specimen, Aubrey Hirsch's Graphic Rage, Sean Enfield's Holy American Burnout!, Heather Bartel's Exit the Body, Calvin Walds' Flee, and SJ Sindu's I Once Met You But You Were Dead. We'd love it if you'd add a copy of any (/all) of our books to your submission, and we'll happily throw in free shipping (to the US only--apologies!) as a thanks!

Examples of (non-SLP) multigenre books that fit our definition: I Hope This Helps by Samiya Bashir, Borderland Apocrypha by Anthony Cody, Root Fractures by Diana Khoi Nguyen, A Window That Can Neither Open Nor Close by Lauren Russell, Tetra Nova by Sophia Terazawa, and Blackouts by Justin Torres.

Historically underrepresented perspectives are WELCOME and ENCOURAGED and HIGHLY SOUGHT—we want to help bring your voice to the world!

OUR PRESS MISSION: We publish boundary-breaking fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid books, lifting the transition boards that prevent fluidity and smashing those we cannot pry up. We love work that questions the concept of truth, and work that reinterprets what we think we know. We prize experimentation (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional); we welcome the unanswerable. We want to see the dark and the light side of the moon—or we want to see it obliterated. If your book is a wedge in a crack, Split/Lip Press is the hammer helping you split the wall apart.

However, Split/Lip Press does not tolerate manuscripts celebrating racist, homophobic, or misogynistic perspectives, and will discard such manuscripts unread. We believe in breaking boundaries at Split/Lip, but we will not assist agendas of hate.

FORMATTING GUIDELINES: Times New Roman 12 (or similar), double-spaced (unless you are specifically using special formatting—which we'd love to see), and PLEASE remove your name from the manuscript and file name—we want to review your manuscripts without names attached. There is a box on the submission form where, if you choose, you may indicate any information about positionality which may be helpful for the readers to know.

While we love and welcome work which includes images/diagrams/etc, images may need to appear in black-and-white within a 6" x 9" printed book, so please keep that in mind when submitting.

HUGS + THANKS: We work closely with our authors on all elements of their book, from design to promotion. We are engaged in the literary community, and as writers ourselves, we know how important it is to have a book that you love that is supported by a press that loves you. We'd love for you to be part of the Split/Lip Press family.

Simultaneous submissions are obviously welcome. Our reading process is a process and we move quickly and efficiently, but we also don't interrupt it prematurely. So if another publisher snags you first, we just ask that you withdraw your submission (and congrats to you!).

We intend to reply to all submissions by September 15, 2026, so please do not query about the status of your manuscript before that date. If you haven't seen anything from us by 9/15/26, check your status in Submittable and double-check your email spam filter because Submittable's messages sometimes get stuck there—we will definitely respond!

Thank you for considering Split/Lip Press as the home for your book!

PS: The reading fee helps cover our costs as a press, and our MG/C reading team splits 25% of the submission fees collected during this reading period as compensation for their hard work. But we don't want a fee to keep us from finding the best work out there. If you can't afford the reading fee, please send an email to splitlipthepress@gmail.com before submitting to receive a manuscript fee waiver, no questions asked.

splitlippress.submittable.com/submit

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Alan Andres Writer-in-Residence

Associates of the Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: June 5, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: The Alan Andres Writer-in-Residence is a year-long residency (Oct 2026–Sept 2027) with a $70,000 stipend, $2,500 for professional development, and a private office in the Boston Public Library to complete a children’s or YA project (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, or graphic novels).

RESIDENCY BENEFITS:

• A total stipend of $70,000, paid in monthly installments over one year. 

• The opportunity to request up to an additional $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, a critical reading of your manuscript, or a similar activity that will be helpful to you in completing your manuscript. 

• A private office in the Boston Public Library in Copley Square from October 2026 to September 2027. Office space usage is contingent on the Library being open to the public and it being safe to work on-site.

• Access to and use of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections. 

• A forum for the presentation/promotion of your finished literary work. 

• Opportunities to establish connections with writers (including previous Fellows), publishers, artists, and the community-at-large through participation in/attendance at library readings, lectures, and other events. 

• At the end of the residency, your completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s archives. (However, you retain all rights to your completed work.) 

ELIGIBILITY:

• The proposed literary project should be intended for children or young adult readers. All genres are welcome, including fiction, non-fiction, scripts, graphic novels, or poetry. 

• The applicant should demonstrate active engagement as a writer, whether full or part-time, as an avocation or profession. 

• Since this program is intended for emerging authors, the applicant should not have any prior professional book publications. (Self-published books, textbooks, works for hire, articles, and short stories published in an anthology do not count against this eligibility criteria.) 

• Only one proposal may be submitted per person. 

• Joint applications or proposed collaborations by more than one author are not permitted. 

• Works that are already under contract with a publisher are not eligible for submission. 

• The fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens or green card holders living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont).  

• Must be legally eligible to work in the US, as a U.S. citizen or green card holder. English fluency required. 

• There are NO age, gender, race, or educational requirements. 

TERMS OF RESIDENCY:

1. You will work a minimum of nineteen (19) hours per week from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. 

2. You will participate in a public reception at the BPL on October 6, 2026, to mark the beginning of your residency. 

3. You will complete a submission-ready manuscript by the end of residency, which you will present at a second public reception, on a mutually agreed upon date. 

4. Throughout the fellowship, you will consult with a designated member of the Associates staff or board on a regular basis to keep them apprised of progress on your manuscript. 

5. During your fellowship, you will participate in or create at least one program for Boston Public Library patrons, such as a presentation to Boston-area students, as mutually agreed upon with BPL Youth Services staff.  

6. Throughout your fellowship and thereafter, you will be considered an Ambassador for the Associates of the BPL. You will include an acknowledgment to the Associates of the BPL in all work created during the residency, and during any media opportunities stemming from the program, using mutually agreed-upon language. 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• To apply, please complete the application form (below) and upload a proposal (5 pages max.) and writing sample (15 pages max.) by Friday, June 5, 2026, at 11:59 pm. The documents should be double-spaced with one-inch margins and at least 11-point font. The attachments should not include any biographical information, since there will be a blind judging process. See questions #13 and 14 in the FAQ below for more details. 

• Basic questions about the application will be answered via email (via hello@AssociatesBPL.org); no calls please. Questions regarding how to present your work will not be considered. Inquiries concerning applications under review will not be answered.  

• If using Submittable creates an undue burden for you, you can alternatively mail your submission to: Writer-in-Residence Program, Associates of the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. 

• Late applications will not be considered. Once submitted, applications cannot be altered by either candidates or Associates staff.  

SELECTION PROCESS:

• Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges, which includes a rotating group of authors, librarians, booksellers, publishers, editors, book designers, teachers, and/or citizens representing different areas of the world of children’s literature. Associates staff do not vote in this process. In addition to naming the fellow, the judges may also designate a selection of finalists. 

• The judges do not know the candidates’ names, gender, educational qualifications, or any background information. This blind-judging process focuses solely on the quality of the submissions.  

• Submissions will be judged on the merit of the original writing. Work suspected of being derived from or enhanced by an AI writing program will only increase the chance that it will be eliminated from consideration by the judges. 

• The candidate selected to be the 2026-2027 Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence will be notified by Friday, August 14, 2026. 

KEY DATES:

• Application Deadline:  Friday, June 5, 2026 at 11:59 pm

• Notification: Friday, August 14, 2026

• Residency Period: October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027

QUESTIONS? After reading these guidelines and reviewing the application form, if you still have questions, please refer to our FAQ page or email us.

associatesofthebostonpubliclibrary.submittable.com/submit

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Alan Andres Picture Book Writer Fellowship

Associates of the Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: June 5, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: The Associates of the Boston Public Library's Alan Andres Picture Book Writer Fellowship intends to make a profound impact on the lives of emerging writers.

BENEFITS:

• $25,000 stipend, paid in monthly installments over one year. 

• The opportunity to request up to an additional $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, a critical reading of your manuscript, or a similar activity that will be helpful to you in completing your manuscript. 

• Completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s Special Collections (the writer retains all rights to their completed work) 

• Opportunity to publicly present your manuscript at a fall reading. 

• Opportunities to establish connections with writers (including previous Fellows), publishers, artists, and the community-at-large through participation in/attendance at library readings, lectures, and other events. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Submitted manuscripts will be judged on their ability to tell a compelling and original story appropriate to the developmental age of the intended audience. 

• Works that qualify can be either of the following categories:  

                   Ages 0-3 (board books) 

                   Ages 3–8 (picture books and early readers) 

• Eligible projects may include fiction, non-fiction, memoir, or poetry. Graphic novels are not eligible. 

• Since this program is intended for emerging authors, applicants should not have already published any books for children. 

• The fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens or green card holders living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont) at this time. 

• Only one proposal may be submitted per person. 

• There is no requirement to work at the Boston Public Library, though the recipient will have the chance to attend events at the library with other writers. 

• The Associates of the Boston Public Library does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or educational attainment.  

• Works by talented writer-illustrators are welcome; however, the story or concept will be given greater importance. 

• No AI may be used in the creation of this submission. 

TERMS OF FELLOWSHIP:

1. You will participate in a public reception at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square to mark the beginning of your fellowship. 

2. Throughout the fellowship, you will consult with a designated member of the Associates staff or board on a regular basis to keep them apprised of progress on your manuscript. 

3. During your fellowship, you will participate in or create at least one program for Boston Public Library patrons, such as a presentation to Boston-area students, as mutually agreed upon with BPL Youth Services staff.  

4. Throughout your fellowship and thereafter, you will be considered an Ambassador for the Associates of the BPL. You will include an acknowledgment to the Associates of the BPL in all work created during the residency, and during any media opportunities stemming from the program, using mutually agreed-upon language. 

5. You will complete a completed manuscript by the end of residency, which you will present at a second public reception, on a mutually agreed upon date. 

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

• To apply, please complete the application form on Submittable and upload a proposal (2 pages maximum) and writing sample (5 pages maximum) by June 5, 2026, at 11:59 pm. No extensions will be provided or granted. The documents should be double-spaced with one-inch margins and at least 11-point font. The attachments should not include any biographical information, since there will be a blind judging process. See our FAQs for more details. 

• Basic questions about the application will be answered via email (via picturebook@associatesbpl.org); no calls please. Questions regarding how to present your work will not be considered. Inquiries concerning applications under review will not be answered.  

• If using Submittable creates an undue burden for you, you can alternatively mail your submission following the format and answering the questions on the Submittable form to: Alan Andres Picture Book Writer Fellowship, Associates of the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. All mailed submissions must be postmarked before 11:59 p.m. on (June 5, 2026). 

• Late applications will not be considered. Once submitted, applications cannot be altered by either candidates or program staff.   

SELECTION PROCESS:

• Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges, which includes a rotating group of authors, librarians, booksellers, publishers, editors, literary agents, book designers, teachers, and/or citizens representing different areas in the field of children’s literature. Associates staff do not vote in this process. In addition to naming the fellow, the judges may also designate a selection of finalists. 

• The judges do not know the candidates’ names, gender, educational qualifications, or any background information. This blind-judging process focuses solely on the quality of the submissions.  

• Judges will be looking for compelling and original stories that are developmentally appropriate to board books or picture books. Particular attention will be given to texts that convey memorable or unique characters, distinctive settings, and an emotionally compelling plot.  

• The text must also serve to inspire an illustrator's creative interpretation. Writers may electronically submit instructions to a future illustrator of the work that suggest the flow of words, images, and page breaks.

 KEY DATES:

• Application Deadline:  Friday, June 5, 2026, at 11:59 pm

• Notification of Selected Fellow: by or before Friday, August 14, 2026

• Residency Period: October 6, 2026, through September 30, 2027

QUESTIONS? Check out our FAQs or email us at picturebook@associatesbpl.org 

associatesofthebostonpubliclibrary.submittable.com/submit

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BLACKSTONE PUBLISHING NOVEL INITIATIVE

The Black List x Blackstone Publishing

DEADLINE: June 9, 2026

INFO: The Black List and Blackstone Publishing have announced The Blackstone Publishing Novel Initiative, a new partnership to identify an unpublished manuscript to enter into a $25,000 publishing deal. 

This program is open to manuscripts in all genres, but Blackstone is particularly interested in genres that elevate familiar themes from  fresh, compelling perspectives, with a particular emphasis on thrillers, high-concept mysteries and romances, and horror stories. 

The Black List will assist Blackstone Publishing in identifying a shortlist of outstanding manuscripts through a submission period on blcklst.com from November 20, 2025 until June 9, 2026.

All submissions must have received at least one evaluation while being hosted on blcklst.com. Once a manuscript has received an evaluation, it can be submitted to any partnership for which it is eligible at no additional cost.

REQUIREMENTS:

• You must post an original manuscript on www.blcklst.com, with at least one (1) evaluation, and opt-in to the Program during the Submission Period. The Program is open to manuscripts in all genres, but Blackstone is particularly interested in manuscript submissions that elevate familiar themes such as love, adventure, guilt, desire, betrayal, family, identity, and obsession, among others from fresh compelling perspectives. 

• Submitted manuscripts must not be under contract elsewhere. 

• For the avoidance of doubt, no feature, pilot, play, or musical submissions will be eligible for this Program.

• You must agree to (1) these Submission Requirements, (2) all terms relating to the Program posted on Black List’s website, which you should review and read in full, and (3) the Submission Agreement, which governs the submission of your manuscript to Company and Black List. The Submission Agreement includes important, legally binding terms and conditions, including arbitration of any disputes, which you must read in full before accepting.

• If requested, you must submit (by a date determined by Company) the following materials, which are also governed by the Submission Agreement:

  •  Contact and other personal information; and

  •  Executed originals of the Submission Agreement.

• If selected, you will have the opportunity to enter into a book deal with Company, which shall be negotiated in good faith.

• You must be at least 18 years of age and not a minor in the state or country of your residence at time of submission.

• If the submitted materials are written by a team consisting of one or more writers, (i) each member of that writing team must comply with these Submission Requirements, including agreeing to the Submission Agreement described below, and (ii) all members of the writing team must opt-out of the Program if any other member becomes ineligible (including as a result of failing to timely agree to the Submission Agreement or failing to timely provide the materials listed above).

• The submitted materials must be wholly original to you and you must be the sole owner of all rights. The submitted materials must not in any way infringe upon the copyright of any person or entity or, to the best of your knowledge in the exercise of reasonable prudence, constitute libel, defamation or invasion of privacy or any other rights of any third party. You understand and agree that Black List will share any information that you provide in connection with the Program with Company.

blcklst.com/programs/blackstone-publishing-novel-initiative

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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS

CALL FOR HORROR WRITERS

Harriet’s House

INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2026/2027 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.

During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.

GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

Writers can send their stories to harrietshousemag@gmail.com

harrietshousemag.com

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “NOTES, COMMENTARY AND REFLECTIONS”

Small Axe Journal

INFO: The Small Axe Journal is getting a new section. Named “Notes, Commentary and Reflections,” this section will feature pieces that address urgent contemporary issues in the Caribbean.

GUIDELINES: Submissions should have a maximum of 2,500 and should be uploaded to our submissions portal, which can be found on our website.

smallaxe.net/sx/submissions

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Amp

INFO: Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.

GUIDELINES:

• Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.

• Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.

• Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.

• Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.

To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:

“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”

From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.

Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.

The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).

PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.

aaartsalliance.org/magazine/about

FICTION / NONFICTION — APRIL 2026

call for submissions: Issue I

Xenolithic Edges Literary 

DEADLINE: None (Submissions cap at 150 per reading period)

INFO: Xenolithic Edges Literary is a journal by and for queer diaspora writers of color/the global majority who are living and writing on margins, against limits, over borders, in limbo, between lines, and with hybridity.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Queer diaspora writers of color/the global majority only. 

• Genre and form are irrelevant. (Genre of piece requested for purpose of award nominations only. We will nominate for Best of the Net, Genrepunk Editors' Choice Award, and Monarch Queer Literary Awards.)

• Submit 1 piece at a time. Max. 2500 words. 

• No bigotry tolerated.

• No use of AI permitted.

• Submitted work must be previously unpublished. By publishing with XE Literary, you grant us First Serial Rights and agree to acknowledge us as the publication in which your piece first appeared. All rights revert back to you immediately following publication.

• Simultaneous submissions allowed. If your piece is accepted elsewhere, please email us at xenolithicedges@gmail.com to withdraw your submission.

• After submitting, please wait for a response before submitting again. If rejected, you may submit again during an open reading period as soon as you would like. If accepted, you must wait two more issues to submit again (i.e.  if accepted into Issue I, you must wait until the open reading period for Issue III before submitting again).

• We aim to respond to all submissions within 4 months.

xenolithicedgesliterary.com/submit

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2027 OPEN CALL

Creative Capital

DEADLINE: April 2, 2026 at 3:00pm ET

INFO: In celebration of 25 years of national artist support, the 2027 Open Call invites project proposals from individual artists for the Creative Capital Award and the new State of the Art Prize. All grants will be awarded via a national, open call, external review process.

The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of innovative, original, and imaginative new artistic works. The Award provides unrestricted project grants from $15,000 up to $50,000, plus professional development support, industry connections, and community-building opportunities.

The State of the Art Prize aims to recognize and support one artist from every U.S. state and inhabited territory, with an unrestricted artist grant of $10,000. Through the 2027 Open Call for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients for the new State of the Art Prize.

OVERVIEW:

Celebrating 25 years of national artist support, Creative Capital invites individual artists to apply for grants to create new works in the visual arts, performing arts (dance, theater, music/jazz), film, literature, technology, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms across all 50 states and territories. The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call will be the second year Creative Capital continues its goal to grant artists residing in all 50 states. See the complete list of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and 2026 Inaugural State of the Art Prize Artists in all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. in the press release.

Founded in 1999, our mission as a national nonprofit organization is to champion artistic freedom by providing grants and services to individual artists creating new work. The new State of the Art Prize is designed to help support more regional and rural artists, to invest in grassroots creative economies, and to foster a vibrant cultural landscape across the U.S. Both the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize support artists of all backgrounds at all career stages working across a range of disciplines, themes, and ideas.

Creative Capital Award

For the 2027 grant cycle, Creative Capital invites professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts (Dance, Theater, Music/Jazz), Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Creative Capital seeks new project proposals for formally and/or conceptually innovative works in all disciplines.

Creative Capital welcomes a full range of artistic approaches and thematic inquiries, including boundary-pushing formal explorations, as well as projects that engage urgent social issues of our time. Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that Creative Capital has not previously funded.

The Creative Capital Award aims to support approximately 50 new artistic works in the following areas:

• Visual Arts: architecture & design, craft, drawing, ecological art, illustration, installation, painting, printmaking, performance art, photography, public art, sculpture, social practice, sound art, video art, technology, and socially-engaged visual art

• Performing Arts: dance, jazz, multimedia performance, music, music theater, opera, theater, playwriting, technology, and socially-engaged performing arts 

• Film: animation, documentary film, experimental film, and narrative film 

• Literature: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays (playwrights please submit under Performing Arts/Theater)

Creative Capital’s transformative giving approach is built on the principle that artists need funding as well as networks and advisory services in order to realize ambitious projects and build thriving careers. Recipients of the Creative Capital Award will receive grant funding, professional development services, and community-building opportunities. Awardees will also have access to the Creative Capital Artist Lab—suite of online professional development courses.

The State of the Art Prize – NEW!

Through the 2027 Open Call process for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients of the State of the Art Prize. Now in its second year, this new national initiative aims to recognize one artist residing in each U.S. state and inhabited territory with a $10,000 unrestricted grant per artist. All applicants to the 2027 Open Call will be automatically considered for the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize. Both grants follow the same application, external review process, and evaluation criteria; there is no separate application process. State of the Art Prize recipients will also have access to the Creative Capital Artist Lab—a suite of online professional development courses.

State of the Art Prize recipients may apply again to future open calls for the Creative Capital Award. However, artists who have already received the Creative Capital Award may not apply for the State of the Art Prize. Both the State of the Art Prize and the Creative Capital Award are one-time awards.

ELIGIBILITY:

• US citizen, permanent resident, Tribal ID holder, or O-1 visa holder at time of application

• At least 25 years old at time of application

• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline

• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program at time of application

• May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year

• May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award

• May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year

• State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2027. Prize recipients must verify their state or territory of residence in order to receive the grant.

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional

• Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization 

• Curation or documentation of existing work

• Journalism projects and podcasts

• Educational projects intended for a student audience

• Children’s and young adult literature, and graphic novels

• Projects that will premiere or be completed before July 1, 2027

creative-capital.org/creative-capital-award/award-application

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2026 Home Double Issue: Call for pitches + Submissions

Oxford American

DEADLINE: April 3, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $3

INFO: What makes a place feel like home? Is it an inbuilt connection to the land? Fond memories of a childhood bedroom or family table? A sense of pride and shared community?

The Oxford American is now accepting pitches for our special Summer/Fall 2026 double issue dedicated to Home. It’s an idea as gloriously complicated as the South itself, and we’re interested in works across genres that tackle it from all angles. We think of home as our region, but also as our physical houses and apartments. Home can be our sanctuary, but also our cage. It can represent our connection to a community, and can be troubled by violence, displacement, and loss within that community. It’s deeply personal, but always political.

We want stories about how an idea of a home can change when you leave it, whether by choice or by force. We wonder how our domestic lives—our messy rooms, our packed closets, our dustless collections—reflect or inform the social life of the South. We welcome meditations on homesickness, personal histories of home-making, and polemics against a “home sweet home.” We would love to read critiques of domestic architecture, investigations of threatened ecological homelands, and reports from neighborhoods affected by ICE raids. Where are your second homes, your spiritual homes, and how do they thrive? No subject is too great or small, no setting too famous or too obscure, so long as the story is fresh. We learned long ago to follow our writers’ passions.

We’re seeking reported features, personal essays, short stories, short dispatches and meditations, poems, cultural criticism, and work that does not fit neatly into a specific genre or form. For fiction and poetry, full drafts may be submitted; for nonfiction work, please send us a pitch.

The ideal Oxford American pitch will be well-crafted and thoughtful, with a strong sense of the story’s setting, characters, and narrative possibilities. Enthusiasm, surprise, and originality are essential to an Oxford American essay; please pitch a story rather than a subject. In all pitches, we like to see high quality writing; passion for the subject and command of the idea; an explanation of the scope in the proposed piece; and familiarity with the Oxford American.

We will be accepting pitches through Submittable only for this project. Please submit by April 3rd. We will accept pitches on a rolling basis. Drafts will be due beginning in late April.

The Oxford American will not consider any work produced by generative AI. By submitting, you certify that no generative AI was used in the creation of the pitch and that none will be used in the drafting process.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The editorial mission of the Oxford American is to explore the complexity and vitality of the American South. If your work does not somehow engage with the American South—however you choose to define it—it is probably not a good fit for the OA.

We will respond to all pitches and submissions by May 1st, 2026.

The Home Issue will be on newsstands nationwide August 11th, 2026.

Compensation will depend on the length and complexity of the story; all writers will be paid. Generally, fees will range from $300 for short dispatches to $1,500 for reported features.

oxfordamerican.submittable.com/submit/350327/2026-home-double-issue-call-for-submissions

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Call for submissions: 'Migrant Futures' Issue

Plantin Mag

DEADLINE: April 7, 2026

INFO: Now more than ever, as Black Immigrants are being targeted globally, we’re interested in how we imagine new possibilities. So we’re pleased to present the theme for our newest issue: Migrant Futures! Send us your best speculative poetry and short stories on your visions of the Black Migrants of tomorrow.

plantinmag.com/submit-1/

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EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIP

GrubStreet

DEADLINE: April 7, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship aims to develop new, exciting voices by providing three writers per year tuition-free access to GrubStreet’s classes and several key publishing/industry events. Over the course of one year, each Emerging Writer Fellow will attend a combination of seminars and multi-week courses of their choosing, along with a wide selection of other topical programming, in order to enhance their understanding of craft and the publishing industry.

We hope that this year's fellows will be able to join us in-person for classes and events. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston.

OVERVIEW: The Emerging Writer Fellowship will be awarded to three writers who demonstrate a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their writing abilities, and financial need. Any person 18 and older who demonstrates ability and passion for writing is eligible.

The Emerging Writer Fellowship will provide access to each of the following:

• 5 multi-week courses

• 5 three-hour seminars

• Access to key annual industry events and other craft-related programs.

• Access to GrubStreet's Director of Faculty & Fellowships and/or other program staff members for quarterly (or as-needed) office hours for personalized mentorship. (Optional)

• At the end of the program, fellows will also receive a complimentary one-year GrubStreet membership so they can continue enjoying extra community perks even after their program year ends.

IMPOTANT DATES:

• Notifications sent: end of May 2026

• Fellowship duration: June 2026 to June 2027

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

This fellowship is open to anyone 18 and older with a passion for writing. The fellowship specifically aims to assist writers in need of financial assistance in reaching their writing goals. We particularly encourage writers of color, ethnic minorities, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by the literary community to apply.

In the program's first year, we were able to offer one fellowship to one student. As of the 2018-2019 cycle, we were able to begin offering a second fellowship in memory of novelist Anita Shreve, longtime board member and dear friend of GrubStreet. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we now offer three fellowships each year.

HOW TO APPLY:

The Emerging Writer Fellowship Application Form will require the following:

A sample of your writing that demonstrates your artistic style and voice. 5-10 pages for prose, screenwriting, or playwriting. 3-7 pages for poetry.

A personal statement—no more than 500 words please!—which should include the following:

• How you envision using the fellowship.

• A description of your relationship to writing. By this we mean: what excites you about it? What does it mean to you personally?

• How the fellowship will help you in your growth and success as a writer.

• Your writing and workshop history (Note: Prior workshop experience at GrubStreet is not required).

QUESTIONS? If you have specific questions about the Emerging Writer Fellowship, email programs@grubstreet.org or call the office anytime at 617.695.0075.

grubstreet.org/write/emerging-writer-fellowship

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2026 Editors-in-Chief: Community Anthologies

Seventh Wave

DEADLINE: April 10, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $5

INFO: We are excited to open up applications for our 2026 cohort of editors-in-chief, who will be curating our next round of Community Anthologies. For more information about this program, please read our announcement post, visit the FAQ section of our Submit page here (scroll down to "Anthologies"), and check out our latest Community Anthologies here.

We have summarized some of the information below: 

• Four editors-in-chief: We will be selecting four individuals to be our 2026 EICs. Each EIC will curate and publish a "Community Anthology," which is a digital anthology that publishes 6-8 writers or artists on Seventh Wave's website here.

• Budget + stipends: Each EIC will receive a $1,000 stipend for curating their issue. Each anthology has a budget of up to $2,050: $1,000 of that goes to the EIC, $600-800 goes to contributors (each contributor is paid $100 for their work), and there is a $250 stipend that an EIC can use to work with a featured artist for the issue. If two individuals want to apply as co-EICs, they would split the EIC stipend, with the understanding that they would most likely be divvying up the work as well.

• Overview of work: Seventh Wave will guide the four EICs through five phases of work together: call curation, submission/selection, editing, staging, and publication. EICs are required to attend a monthly meeting, each of which focuses on one of the five phases of the work. For example, our first monthly meeting will focus on the call curation process, and during that month, EICs will work to produce their own 1-paragraph prompt for their anthology, which will serve as their call for submissions. 

• Application materials: As you'll see in the form, we're asking folks to submit a bio, your topic of interest, intended submission method, and a statement of interest that addresses a few simple questions. Please note: your topic and submission method can change once selected; however, we want to get an idea of what topic you are thinking of curating to ensure that we are bringing in a diverse set of potential topics. There is a $5 application fee, which honors the time it takes our team to read and respond to every submission. If the $5 fee is cost prohibitive, you can submit your full application to submit@seventhwavemag.com for free by April 10. 

seventhwavemag.submittable.com/submit

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FUTUREPOEM OPEN READING PERIOD 2026

Futurepoem

DEADLINE: April 10, 2026 at 11:59pm ET (or until 350 submissions have been received)

INFO: Each year, we invite a rotating panel of distinguished guest editors to read and select two new books for publication. Our 2026 Guest Editors are Cole Swensen, Brandon Brown, and Cristina Pérez Diaz. Futurepoem welcomes unpublished, full-length manuscripts of poetry, prose, and multi-genre work that challenge and expand on the potential for poetic form, language, and process. Work by underrepresented and emerging writers is especially welcome.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Our reading period is an open process. Our group of initial readers and guest editors will have access to your cover letter and know your name when reading your work. Each year, we invite a rotating panel of distinguished guest editors to read submitted work and, in collaboration with our core editors, select two books for publication. All submissions are read by initial readers who then recommend a limited group of manuscripts to the guest editors. The guest editors also have input into the group of final manuscripts that are considered. Manuscripts must be unpublished book-length works of poetry, prose, or multi-genre work.          

We welcome international submissions originally written in English. However, we cannot currently accept work translated into English from other languages. We are open to unpublished work that incorporates other languages, or self-translated work. We welcome unpublished book-length collaborative writing but we do not currently accept anthology submissions. Work previously published in chapbook form is fine, as long as the manuscript in its entirety has not been published in its current form. And though we are open to books with visuals, books that are heavily image-based may be better served by a different publisher. Authors of books Futurepoem has published and previous winners of Futurepoem's Other Futures Award are ineligible. If your work engages with AI, please disclose its use in your submission cover letter or notes, just as you would cite any other source. If your work or process does involve AI, we are particularly interested in work that engages with it critically. Any undisclosed use of AI to generate or substantially alter your work will result in disqualification.         

You may submit work previously submitted to Futurepoem, as our guest editors shift every year. Our 2026 guest editors are Cole Swensen, Brandon Brown, and Cristina Pérez Diaz. You may only submit one manuscript to this call. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but we do ask that you notify us or withdraw your manuscript via our online submissions system if your book is accepted elsewhere. This year, we are instituting a submission cap of 350 submissions — we're a small team, and we want to make sure that each submission gets careful attention. Submission length: 50 – 200 pages. There is a sliding scale administrative/processing fee for each submission.*          

* Our $10 fee supports a higher honorarium for our guest editors, the rising administrative costs of our review process, and our continued use of Submittable. Our goal is to maintain our open submissions period as an accessible opportunity for writers. In case this fee represents a hardship to you, we've instituted an option for a reduced fee of $7. Additionally, there is an option to submit and sponsor someone else's submission for $15.

HOW TO SUBMIT + DEADLINE: We will accept manuscripts via our online submissions system from March 10 to April 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. E.S.T. We are only able to accept online submissions, so please do not send hard copy submissions via regular mail. We may request hard copies of your manuscript for further consideration, so please include your email, phone number and address so that we can contact you. In order to keep this opportunity open to the maximum number of writers, we are only accepting one submission per writer.       

SELECTED MANUSCRIPTS: We will select two books for publication as part of the Futurepoem book series. The intended publication year for these books is 2028. Our goal is to try to announce selections for publication by the end of July 2026. Because we are a small organization with limited resources we are not able to provide feedback on submissions.

futurepoem.submittable.com/submit

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2026 Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Fellowships

Tupelo Press

DEADLINE: April 12, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: BIPOC writers are invited to apply for a fellowship on the stunning Olympic Peninsula!

This is an opportunity for a BIPOC writer to focus entirely on their work. The accepted BIPOC writing fellow may choose a two-week residency in (your preference of) July or September 2026. The fellowship includes the cost of round-trip transportation, daily breakfast and dinner, as well as a small weekly stipend.

Applications will be evaluated by readers proficient in evaluating poetry, literary fiction and nonfiction, including hybrid work.

Tupelo Press strives to give the writing fellow the creative space and time to work without the distractions of daily life. We offer a private room in “Gentle House,” a 130 year-old farmhouse with peekaboo views over the Salish Sea and full views of Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge, and the Pacific Ocean. The writing fellow’s room will also serve as a studio with desk, chair, lighting, bookcase and other writing-related amenities. A downstairs living room offers a common area with additional writing spaces with a view of the stunning Olympic National Park. Please note that Gentle House is not yet fully accessible. (We hope to have Gentle House fully accessible in the future.)

Port Angeles features a pier with a variety of shops, restaurants, galleries and coffee shops. The Black Ball Ferry takes you from Port Angeles to Victoria. Cycling trails are available by bike from Gentle House. Salt Creek features tide pools and local deer. The house is an 8-minute drive from the entrance to Olympic National Park, and about a two-and-a-half hour drive to Cape Flattery, Neah Bay and the justly famous Hoh Rainforest.

tupelopress.subfolios.com/submit/493/merrill-family-charitable-foundation-fellowship-at-gentle-house

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The Margins Residency

Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW)

DEADLINE: April 13, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Building on the foundation of the Workshop's flagship Margins Fellowship, which has incubated writers since 2014 and produced National Book Award winners, screen adaptations, and celebrated debuts, the Margins Residency expands our reach beyond New York City to writers across the United States.

Four residents will be selected to participate in a residency at Writing Downtown Las Vegas, an independent bookstore and literary hub offering dedicated writing space, workshops, and community. Residents receive access to AAWW's broader network of editors, agents, and publishing professionals, the same professional scaffolding that has made the Margins Fellowship a launchpad for some of the most vital voices in contemporary Asian American literature.

The Margins Residency exists because talent is everywhere, but institutional support is not. Asian and Asian diasporic writers across the country deserve the time and resources to write the books that will shape how our stories are told, and who gets to tell them.

WINNERS WILL RECEIVE:

• 2-4 week residency with Writing Downtown in Las Vegas, Nevada, including airfare; 

• One-hour virtual consultation with an AAPI literary agent;

• One complimentary seat to an AAWW workshop;

• One full-day pass to the AAWW’s 2026 Publishing Conference. 

• Networking and mentorship through the AAWW Fellowship communities. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Applicants with previously published books are ineligible.

• All genres of work will be considered.

• All submissions should include a one-page synopsis or overview of the work

• Our ideal manuscript is a nearly-complete draft of 50,000-100,000 words – let us help you get your book over the finish line!

• Please attach all materials in either Word .doc, .docx, or PDF format

• All work must be original; translations will not be accepted

Please note all applicants must attach a statement of purpose, a CV/resumé, and a writing sample. There is no application fee. We do not accept handwritten documents, letters of recommendation, or support materials.

aaww.submittable.com/submit

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Accent Sisters Work-Study Fellowship Program

Accent Sisters (New York, NY)

DEADLINE: April 13, 2026

INFO: Accent Sisters is excited to offer a fellowship program for individuals passionate about literature, visual arts, and community engagement. The fellowship provides hands-on experience in a bookstore and a hybrid event space, where exhibitions, book launches, film screenings, educational programs, and other forms of public programming take place.

This work-study fellowship is ideal for someone looking to build a career in cultural institutions, independent bookstores, or art galleries. Fellows will work closely with both the bookstore and gallery teams, gaining skills in book curation, exhibit planning, marketing, and community outreach, while developing a personal project that merges these disciplines.

ELIGIBILITY: *Open to upcoming senior, upcoming second year graduate students, and recent graduates of undergraduate/graduate programs.

WHAT YOU WILL GET:

• Opportunities to work closely with some of the best writers, artists, and creators;

• A chance to pitch projects, events, and develop programs for a thriving and diverse community;

• Be part of the most exciting happenings in New York’s art and cultural scene;

• Free passes to attend all in-person events and classes held at Accent Sisters;

• Fellow discounts to purchase products at Accent Sisters;

• Towards the end of the fellowship, we will work with you to develop a special  showcase of your personal project and/or your work at Accent Sisters.

• One-on-one mentorship with Accent team;

• A stipend of $600 dollars (paid in two installments)

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

• Hybrid; Part-time; 3 days/week; on-site work required

• Location: 89 5th Ave Suite 702, New York, NY 10003

• Duration: April 20 - August 20

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS:

The ideal candidate will be highly organized, proactive, and passionate about literature and the arts. They should have strong communication skills and be comfortable working independently and in a team environment.

• Professional proficiency in English, fluency in Mandarin or other foreign languages is desirable and varies depending on fellowship position.

• Demonstrated interest in literature, visual arts, or the organization of cultural events.

• Excellent people skills: friendly and professional in communicating with customers and visitors.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace; knowledge of social media management tools is a plus.

• Experience in event planning or marketing is a plus.

• Familiarity with local literary or art communities is desirable.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Store Opening Hours:

• Thursday: 4-9PM

• Friday, Saturday: 2-9PM

• Sunday: 2-6PM

on-site shifts will be assigned during these times

Flexible Work Hours*:

• Tuesday-Friday: 1-4PM

This is the time when you might be contacted/needed regarding remote work, as well as any work requiring on-site engagement (such as exhibition installation, special event planning, outreach activities, in-person meeting, etc.)

accentaccent.com/FellowshipSummer2026

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘QUEER MYTHOLOGIES’

Foglifter

DEADLINE: April 15, 2026

INFO: As Foglifter revitalizes our website and digital production, we are interested in creating and holding space for works that may not fit within the constraints of our print edition. We are now accepting submissions for our new Online Exclusive Issue dedicated to showcasing queer voices across a wide spectrum of creative forms. 

As always, we are seeking art that aligns with our mission of promoting queer, transgressive, and original work. The themes will change from issue to issue. For 1.2, our theme is Queer Mythologies: a celebration of spirituality, folklore, and queer cosmologies. This open call seeks dreamlike, symbolic, and otherworldly explorations that reimagine mythology through a queer lens—queering gods and monsters, rewriting origin stories, and uncovering hidden lineages of desire, transformation, and devotion. 

We welcome interpretations of tarot, astrology, ritual, and divination that challenge binaries and expand spiritual narratives beyond the normative, embracing fluidity, mysticism, and personal myth-making. Submissions may be visual, textual, or hybrid, and should evoke a sense of the uncanny, the sacred, and the speculative—worlds where queerness is ancestral, cosmic, and divine.

Pieces must be original, unpublished work in genres including, but not limited to: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, comics, visual art, scripts, and multimedia (video, audio, music, interactive pieces, experimental work, etc.) that align with the current issue’s theme.

This online exclusive issue will be published as a summer issue on our website. We’re especially interested in pieces that experiment with form, push boundaries, and reflect the complexity, joy, rage, beauty, and multiplicity of the queer experience.

WHY ONLINE EXCLUSIVE?

Our print publication has limits—page counts, dimensions, ink. This digital issue is a space without borders. We want to uplift work that can’t—or won’t—fit in print: multimedia projects, audio pieces, visual art, and performance pieces  that demand to be seen and heard in digital space.

General Submission Guidelines:

• We accept only first rights to publication.

• We do accept simultaneous submissions, however please withdraw pieces that have been accepted elsewhere.

• Please include a short bio, description of your work, any past publications, and applicable trigger warnings in your cover letter.

• Visual and [multi]media work must be web-viewable—please include links or uploads through Submittable and include content warnings if applicable

Genre Specific Guidelines

• Please submit up to 5 pieces

• For video and audio submissions, please limit to 5 minutes

• We accept art created via all mediums (except AI — if a submission is suspected or found to be AI generated, it will be declined and we will not consider your work in the future). This includes, but is not limited to, photography, painting, digital, ink, pencil, collage, etc.

• Acceptable file types: .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .png, .svg, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .odt, .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .3gp, .wmv

• All applicable artworks submitted will be considered for cover art for the online exclusive issue

• We love experimental work, feel free to submit hybrid forms that blend genres

• For grant purposes, we cannot consider submissions that do not include a completed demographic survey with their submission

Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.

 foglifter.submittable.com/submit

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OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: POETRY, FICTION + CRITICISM

Lampblack Lit

DEADLINE: April 15, 2026

INFO: For the past 6 years we have been publishing work from established and up-and-coming black authors in our magazine. We usually have a theme for folks to follow, but last year we decided to start accepting any and all works of prose and poetry from writers who are Black, African, members of the African Diaspora, or any other term respectfully used to describe black people. This year we are continuing on in that tradition. Please send us your favorite unpublished works before the deadline and we will try to make space for you in our magazine.

GUIDELINES: From March 1st until April 15th, Lampblack is accepting submissions of previously unpublished poetry, prose and criticism for Volume VI.

Please submit no more than 5 pages of poetry or 15 pages of prose via email to magazine@lampblacklit.com. Please include your name, the title of your submission, and the genre you are submitting to in the subject line of your submission.

COMPENSATION: We will pay $300 for accepted submissions in any genre. If your work is accepted, please be aware that Lampblack will likely ask you to take part in promotional readings and events.


*We encourage you to read our past issues to gain a sense of our aesthetic. They are available on our website and in local independent bookstores. If you cannot afford to purchase one of our magazines and would like to read it before submitting, please reach out to us at magazine@lampblacklit.com and we will ensure you are provided with a digital copy of the magazine free of charge.

lampblacklit.com/submissions

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The Breakout Prize

Epiphany

DEADLINE: April 15, 2026 (or when they reach 300 submissions per genre)

INFO: Formerly a student writing contest, the Breakout Prize now brings visibility and support to outstanding early-career writers who have not yet published a full-length book.

Previous winners have gone on to sign with literary agents, publish at esteemed presses, win prizes, receive fellowships, and develop rich and rewarding literary careers. Previous judges include Victoria Chang, Hilary Leichter, Manuel Munoz, Shane McCrae, Marcus Wicker, Safiya Sinclair, Alexander Chee, Tracy O'Neill, and Nadia Owusu.

This year’s judges are Cynthia Cruz in poetry and Alexandra Kleeman in prose.

PRIZE:

Two writers — one in prose and one in poetry — each receive:

• $1000 cash prize

• Publication in a print issue of Epiphany

• One-year print subscription to Epiphany 

epiphanymagazine.org/opportunities

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Sun and Zhang Family Distinguished Fellowship for AAPI Social Practice Artists of the American South

Hambidge Center

DEADLINE: April 15, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $30 (If this represents a barrier to submitting an application, please contact our Office Manager at office@hambidge.org to discuss a waiver. The DEADLINE to request a fee waiver is four days before the application deadline.)

INFO: The Hambidge Center is pleased to announce the new Sun and Zhang Family Distinguished Fellowship for AAPI Social Practice Artists of the American South.

This merit-based award supports an Asian American Pacific Islander social practice artist working in the South or deeply rooted in the region, recognizing work that blends creative practice with meaningful community engagement. The selected Fellow will receive a two-week residency and a $700 stipend during the fall 2026 session.

RESIDENCY DATES: Fall (September - December)

ABOUT THE HAMBIDGE CENTER:

The Hambidge Center is situated on 600 forested acres in the mountains of north Georgia and offers miles of nature trails, meadows, waterfalls, a swimming hole and an abundance of wildflowers.

The oldest residency program in the Southeast, Hambidge provides a self-directed program that honors the creative process and trusts individuals to know what they need to cultivate their talent, whether it’s to work and produce, to think, to experiment or to rejuvenate. Residents’ time is their own; there are no workshops, critiques, nor required activities.

Each resident is given their own private studio which provides work and living space with a bathroom and full kitchen. The studios are designed to protect residents’ time, space and solitude.

Resident groups are intentionally kept small enough (8-10 people) to gather around the dinner table each evening, Tuesday through Friday, for delicious vegetarian meals prepared by our chef. These communal meals are an essential part of the Hambidge residency experience. Serious topics are discussed (and light-hearted ones, too), experiences are shared, and encouragement is given. Many a collaboration and life-long friendship have begun at the Hambidge dinner table.

Members of each resident group come from different walks of life and work in different creative disciplines; from musicians, culinary artisans and scientists, to visual artists, writers, dancers and arts & culture administrators. Each year, residents of all ages come to Hambidge from over 30 states across the U.S., as well as internationally.

Specialized equipment and facilities include the Antinori Pottery Studio, and a beautifully rebuilt turn-of-the-century Steinway grand piano housed in Garden Studio.

ACCESSIBILITY: Hambidge offers two ADA-compliant studios: Brena Studio and Cove Studio. Our dining and common areas can be navigated, but are not yet fully compliant. There are no sidewalks or paved areas; the connecting driveways are gravel and uneven. If you come to Hambidge without a car, the on-campus studios will require a walk to get to Lucinda’s Rock House. On average, the studios are 0.3 miles from the Rock House with a 157-elevation gain, walking on a gravel road with uneven terrain. For more information, please contact our Office Manager at 706-746-7324.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU APPLY:

• The studios are comfortable, but rustic and secluded. They are purposely simple, and most are out of sight of each other and somewhat isolated. 

• We are located in a forested environment. Residents should expect to occasionally encounter wildlife and insects – and sometimes the insects are inside the studios. 

• It is very dark at night. There are no street lights or ambient light, other than the moon and stars.

• Due to our remote location, there is no cell service at Hambidge. Each studio has a phone for emergency, local and incoming calls. 

• To encourage focused creativity, there is no internet in the studios. WiFi is available 24 hours a day in the communal space of Lucinda's Rock House.

Please thoroughly read the Guidelines, Application Instructions, and our FAQs before submitting your application.

ELIGIBILITY: Qualified applicants must feel they have achieved a level of excellence within their discipline. We are looking for applicants whose creative practice is a professional practice and not a hobby. It is not required that your creative career is your only career, or that you make your livelihood doing it. We seek applications from emerging and mid-career creatives, as well as from those who are established with national and/or international reputations.

Applications for residency are judged primarily on the quality of submitted work samples and professional promise. Hambidge accepts approximately 170 artists each year. There are no publication, exhibition, or performance requirements contingent on a Hambidge residency.

The Hambidge Center encourages creative professionals of all backgrounds to apply for admission. We celebrate varied ideas, world views, and personal characteristics, and are committed to being an organization that welcomes and respects everyone regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, race, religion, philosophical or political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, geographic origin, and socioeconomic status.

RETURNING FELLOWS: Returning Fellows must submit a new application with recent work samples in the appropriate category of their discipline. After attending a Hambidge residency, Fellows must wait 2 years before returning. For instance, if you were in residence during the 2022 Summer Session, you may apply to return for the 2024 Summer Session.

RESIDENCY FEE:

• The residency fee is $300 per week.

• Note: the actual cost of a residency is $2250/wk. Every year, the Hambidge Center raises funds to supplement $1950 for every residency week, leaving each resident with only the $300/wk fee.

Funding
Hambidge offers several merit-based Distinguished Fellowships which remove the fees for a two-week residency and provide a $700 stipend. Available Distinguished Fellowships vary from session to session and are listed in each session's application. Unless otherwise noted, they are reserved for first-time residents. The list of previously awarded Distinguished Fellowships can be seen here.

Financial Aid
Hambidge offers limited financial aid scholarships to accepted residents. The average award amount is $250, with a maximum award of $500. In an average year, aid is awarded to 35% of those who requst it; resulting in 8% of all residents receiving some financial aid.

Upon acceptance to the program, applicants requesting financial aid will have five days to complete the required forms and may be asked to submit last year's tax return or other confirmation. International applicants will be asked to complete a questionnaire instead of providing a tax return.

ADMISSION PANELS: Applications in each discipline are reviewed by panels of three esteemed peers within that discipline. Panel membership is rotated frequently.

LENGTH OF STAY: Applicants may request stays between two weeks and eight weeks. Residents arrive on Tuesday and depart on Sunday. Residencies of one week are available to Arts & Culture Administrator applicants and Culinary applicants ONLY. Eight-week residencies will only be scheduled in the Fall and Spring Sessions. The maximum length of residencies awarded in Summer Session is four weeks. Because of differing lengths of individual stays, residents will arrive and depart on varying schedules.

CREATIVE DISCILPLINES:

Hambidge accepts applications in the following disciplines:

• ARTS & CULTURE ADMINISTRATION - including proposals for professional projects and/or personal creative projects by administrators working for arts, culture or environmental organizations, or independently (a freelance curator, for example). It is not a requirement that the organization be a non-profit, however it must be an organization that works with or assists other people or produces public projects.

• CERAMICS - including functional and sculptural

• CULINARY ARTS - including recipe development, cookbook writing, food writing, food styling, food photography, and food preservation

• DANCE - including choreography, performance, and theory

• MUSIC - including composition, performance, vocal, and theory, in all genres of music

• SCIENCE - this residency offers scientists in any branch of science a place to write and/or organize research

• VISUAL ARTS - including book arts, conceptual art, design, drawing, environmental art, fiber arts, film & video, installation arts, metalworking, mixed media, multimedia art, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and woodworking

• Note: We do not have darkroom, sculpture/woodworking, or printmaking facilities, but provide exploration space for artists working in those disciplines. Those working in wood or metal must bring their own tools and machinery.

• WRITING - including academic scholarship, criticism, fiction, history, poetry, journalism, nonfiction, philosophy, playwriting, screenwriting, storytelling

• Multidisciplinary
  If your proposal combines PROFESSIONAL expertise in more than one discipline, you will be asked to indicate the other discipline(s) that should be considered in the JUDGING of your proposal. Make sure your proficiency in each discipline is demonstrated in your submitted work samples. Expert jurors from all the indicated disciplines will be asked to judge your submission at an expert level.
  
  Examples: a journalist creating both written and photographic content; a graphic novelist; a ceramicist writing a guide to glazes. NOT, for example, a visual artist exploring scientific themes in their work.
  
  NOTE: Don't weaken your application by including secondary, less expert work samples. If, for example, you are a dancer who intends to dance during your residency, but also enjoys painting, you may dance and paint if you're accepted at Hambidge without saying you are Multidisciplinary and without including paintings in your work samples.

REFERENCES - Hambidge no longer requires letters of recommendation as part of the application materials.

COLLABORATIONS - Collaborative couples and groups must submit the Slideroom application specific to Collaborations. EACH MEMBER of the collaboration must ALSO complete this form before the deadline in order for your application to be complete.

COUPLES - Non-collaborating couples who wish to be in residence together must submit individual applications. They may request concurrent residency dates and choose whether or not to share studio/living space. The acceptance of one partner does NOT guarantee the acceptance of the other. No other provisions are made for partners.

CHILDREN - Hambidge has hosted several residents accompanied by their children. We are still developing our parental program, but we are quite willing to work with applicants to find the best timing and to recommend part-time childcare for their stay. Before you submit an application, read more about our Parental Residencies.

hambidge.org/guidelines-apply

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Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship

Pen Parentis

DEADLINE: April 17, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: Submissions are open for the Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents.

This Fellowship was established to encourage and inspire new, high-quality writing by parents of children under 10. The word count is intentionally low (there are CHALLENGES inherent in being a parent!) and the count changes every year, to incentivize the creation of new work.

PRIZE: One talented writer who is the parent of at least one child under 10 years old will receive $2000 to further their writing career, a year of mentorship as a All-Access Member of Pen Parentis (including access to the accountability group of your choice), and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story online at the Pen Parentis Literary Salon on the second Tuesday of November. The winner will be reading alongside three established writers who are also parents with the opportunity to interact personally with these authors. The confirmed readers will be available by September.

Second and Third Place winners will receive $500 and $250 and each place-winner will become part of our exclusive (and lovely) Fellowship Ring which includes a year of Pen Parentis All-Access Membership (with the accountability group of your choosing) -- we zoom twice per year.

(Gratitude to The deGroot Foundation for doubling the prizes!) 

The winning story will be published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) as well as included in the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology.  

The winner will reign as the Pen Parentis Fellow from November 2026 through November 2027, and will gain full access to Pen Parentis Member perks during that time period. (It's a lot, so knock our socks off with your writing!) From time to time, as career opportunities arise, they will be presented to the Fellow. 

GUIDELINES:

•  Word Count/FORMAT: Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story—any genre, on any subject—of up to 440 words, double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 point or similar font, with one inch margins. (This word count is intentionally small so that you can write something new - be brilliant!)

• DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME OR ANY SORT OF CONTACT INFO ON THE STORY ITSELF--ONLY THE TITLE OF THE STORY AND WORD COUNT. Please number your pages.

• We no longer accept mail-in submissions.  

PEN PARENTIS MEMBERS:

If you are a Pen Parentis Intro, Pro, or All-Access Member, your first entry is free (at higher levels, your second and third entry are also free, see website for details.)  

Put only the title of the story and its word count on the manuscript. Please number your pages! 

IMPORTANT FOR ALL ENTRANTS:

One dependent child MUST still be under ten on November 12, 2026 for a writer to be eligible to win this Fellowship. 

Please do NOT add any additional information in your cover note, even if you have published a thousand novels and won the Pulitzer. Just give us the information we request. We judge blind and prefer to be surprised by your extensive credentials. 

Entry Fees will not be refunded. Simultaneous submissions are okay, please let us know if it is accepted elsewhere (we are thrilled for a writer when this happens! Acceptance is always good news!) Multiple submissions are fine: simply submit as if you were submitting for the first time. 

Cover letters are not necessary. If you would like to tell us how you felt when you heard of our Fellowship and/or how you heard of us, we may use that as a testimonial on our website.  

JUDGING: 

Judging is blind and based only on the following 5 criteria:

1. adherence to contest rules

2. creativity

3. narrative arc

4. emotional truth

5. elements of surprise, humor, writing skill, and/or layers of depth. 

FAQ:

Q: Can I send my [insert genre/style/language]?

All genres and styles of unpublished fiction are welcome. English must be the primary language and if we don't speak the secondary one, you better be pretty convincing. No plays or poetry (we love them, but sorry, no. If your narrative poem "can work" as fiction, please submit it as fiction. We love experimental fiction!) Novel excerpts are acceptable if they can stand alone as a story - don't tell us it is a novel excerpt until you win, we are judging stand-alone narratives. 

Q: How do you feel about simultaneous or multiple subs?

Simultaneous submissions ok, but notify if published elsewhere. 

Multiple submissions welcome, but separate entry fee for each submission (see above). 

Q: How do I know if I am a Member or not?

Intro, Pro, and All-Access Members support Pen Parentis by monthly donations. If you are not making a monthly donation to Pen Parentis, you are either a Basic Member or you have just heard about us. Hi! Feel free to upgrade your Membership if you like! (find out more at Penparentis.org).

Thanks for your support. It helps offset costs like this Submittable subscription.

Q: I made a mistake, can I send you an edit?

No. Please proof your work before you send it.

Q: I have a very good reason you should refund my entry fee, will you please consider it?

No. Entry fees will not be refunded. 

Q: What if I won before? 

Previous CASH winners of this fellowship are not eligible. Finalists, long listed & honorable mentions are absolutely encouraged to try again. Second or Third place winners who did not win cash awards are also fine to try again!

Winner: please list our Fellowship in your writing bio for the 12 months following your reading! 

See our website at penparentis.org for past winners. 

Help my form isn't working!

For any technical questions related to filling out the online form, contact support@submittable.com.

penparentis.submittable.com/submit

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2027 Writers-in-residence program

Hedgebrook

DEADLINE: April 17, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $45

INFO: Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports women-identified writers,18 and older, from all over the world for residencies of two or three weeks. The cottage, all meals, and the entire residency experience at Hedgebrook are free to selected writers. Travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for. Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in their own handcrafted cottage. Days are spent in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.

GENRES:

• Fiction

• Non-Fiction

• Playwriting

• Poetry

• Screenwriting/TV

hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence

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Open call: 2026 Critics-in-Residence

The Luminary x Sixty Inches From Center | St. Louis, MO

DEADLINE: April 17, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: The Luminary, in partnership with Sixty Inches From Center, is pleased to announce an open call for a Local Critic-in-Residence to participate in a week-long paid residency in St. Louis, MO, alongside a traveling writer selected by Sixty. 

Rooted in The Luminary’s commitment to art, thought , and action, this residency supports arts writers and cultural critics who are not only invested in interpretation and analysis, but in how ideas move, circulate, and take form in the world. We encourage applicants who think expansively about criticism as a creative, public, and material practice – whether through essays, print ephemera, DIY publishing, zines, and experimental forms, or other modes of distribution beyond traditional platforms. 

The program invites writers who are curious, rigorous, community-minded, and invested in building critical dialogue with and beyond St. Louis as a site of inquiry and exchange. 

RESIDENCY DATES: July 1-7, 2026

The residency will coincide with The Luminary’s summer exhibition, featuring a large-scale sound work engaging collective voice, ecological futures, and non-human entities.

RESIDENCY FOCUS + GUIDING THEMES:

Applicants are encouraged to consider how their writing and research connect with:

• Art as a site of thought, critique, and public engagement

• Ecological Futures, non-human narratives, and collective imagination

• Free Speech, democratic prints, and new modes of independent publishing

• The relationship between analog and digital processes and spaces

• Being present in place and translating local experience into writing

• The role of arts criticism in regional and diasporic communities

WHAT THE RESIDENCY INCLUDES:

• $1000 paid honorarium

• Paid travel

• Local housing for the residency period (a staycation)

• Access to The Luminary’s programs, archives, and publications

• Introductions to artists, organizers, and cultural workers in St. Louis

• A hosted community share-out dinner with invited guests

• Access to a risograph printer, with optional demo and print support

• Publication opportunities with Sixty Inches From Center

• Publication opportunities in a print zine produced with Melon Press

Writers may produce essays, criticism, interviews, field notes, experimental writing, or hybrid forms. 

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

This open call is for local writers based in or connected to St. Louis who are:

• Emerging or established arts writers, critics, journalists, or cultural thinkers

• Engaged with local or regional arts ecosystems

• Interested in expanding or deepening their writing practice

• Aligned with values of equity, accessibility, and community accountability 

We especially encourage applicants connected to Indigenous, diasporic, and queer communities, folks living with disabilities, and those historically underrepresented in arts publishing. 

ACCESSIBILITY:

The Luminary’s residency apartment is located on the second floor of the building and is only accessible via one flight of stairs. For additional questions about the space and accessibility, please contact us at info@theluminaryarts.com

SELECTION PROCESS:

The Luminary will review applications and nominate three finalists, who will then be reviewed in collaboration with Sixty Inches From Center. One local writer will be selected to participate alongside Sixty’s traveling critic.

Selection will consider:

• Relationship to arts communities

• Writing voice, perspective, and critical approach

• Experience level, access, and growth potential

• Alignment with the values of The Luminary and Sixty

• Capacity to contribute meaningfully to local and national discourse

RESIDENCY TIMELINE:

• Application deadline: April 17

• Panel deliberations and final decisions made: May 1, 2026

• Participants notified: May 15, 2026

• Residency begins: July 1, 2026

This residency is a part of a shared commitment to expand arts writing in St. Louis, support regional cultural criticism, connect local and national writers, and build platforms for critical, community-rooted dialogue. 

theluminaryarts.submittable.com/submit/349795/2026-critics-in-residence-open-call

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2026-2027 Baldwin Fellowship Program

Baldwin for the Arts

DEADLINE: April 18, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $15

INFO: The mission of Baldwin For The Arts is to support the creation of art reflecting the lived experiences of African, Asian, Caribbean, Indigenous, Hispanic/ Latino/a/x, and dual-heritage backgrounds at no cost to the artists.

Exclusively devoted to people of the Global Majority, Baldwin For The Arts is committed to cultivating creative liberation for literary, visual, performing, and interdisciplinary artists. Baldwin Fellowships cover all residency costs for accepted artists including transportation, living accommodations, a private workspace, and daily meals prepared by a local chef.

The term “Global Majority” is a positive (re)framing of diverse and historically marginalized communities. Rather than view people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino/a/x, and dual-heritage backgrounds as minorities, the term recognizes that ‘Globally’ these populations are the Majority.

At this time, we are not accepting international applications. We encourage you to frequent our Instagram account and subscribe to our website to receive newsletters and stay informed about future updates and opportunities.

Emerging and established artists of the Global Majority who specialize in the following disciplines are encouraged to apply:

• Literature: All genres.

• Performance: All disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience, including theater, music composition, and dance.

• Visual: All art forms that use paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, and filmmaking (includes documentary, narrative, and experimental projects).

• Interdisciplinary: All projects that use multiple disciplines, such as science, technology, literature, philosophy, to create new and unique artistic experiences.

baldwinforthearts.org

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The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction

The de Groot Foundation / Desperate Literature

DEADLINE: April 19, 2026

INFO: The de Groot Foundation is delighted to partner with The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction to support emerging writers. The prize offers financial support, residency, publication opportunities, and more.

The aim of the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is both to celebrate the best of new short fiction under 2000 words and to give winners the most visibility possible for their writing. That’s why we’ve teamed up with sixteen different literary and artistic institutions to not only offer cash prizes and writing retreats but also to ensure that all our shortlisters have the opportunity to be published in multiple print and online journals, have their work put in front of literary agents, and present their stories at an event.

PRIZES: 

First Prize:

• €2000

• A week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation.

• A consultation with Literary Agent Charlotte Seymour from Johnson & Alcock.

• A manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy.

Runner-up Prizes:

• €1000 (two prizes available).

desperateliterature.com/prize/

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Inkluded Academy

Inkluded

DEADLINE: April 19, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Inkluded Academy is a tuition-free publishing course taught by industry professionals that aims to educate and help place BIPoC publishing aspirants in the book business.

Held over the course of eight Saturdays in the summer, the Academy includes a rigorous curriculum, invested mentoring, and a commitment to job placement. The curriculum covers the foundational aspects of agenting, editorial, managing editorial, production, contracts, royalties, publicity, marketing, sales, scouting, and subsidiary rights. In addition to lectures, discussions, Q&A, practical instruction, and assignment review, each participant will receive career counseling, one-on-one sessions, and guidance from a mentor.

Inkluded Academy aims to be a much-needed pipeline between aspiring professionals from the BIPoC space and publishing. Matriculants who successfully complete the Academy in full, which includes attending all sessions and submitting all assignments, will receive a stipend from Inkluded.

ELIGIBILITY:

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply.

• You must identify as BIPoC.

• You must reside in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) and be able to commute into New York City. Applicants that do not currently reside in the tri-state area but are planning to relocate and are able to commute into NYC for the Academy’s in-person sessions may be considered.

DURATION:

The academy takes place between June 25-September 12, 2026.

• Saturday classes take place virtually 10am-4pm EST. Thursday sessions take place virtually from 7pm to 9:30pm EST. Orientation and Capstone are conducted in-person.

• All dates are mandatory, and participants are required to be present for the duration.

inkluded.org/2026

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call for maNuscripts

Screen Door Press

DEADLINE: April 20, 20026

INFO: Dedicated to discovering unique, exceptional, and varied voices within Black literary traditions, the Screen Door Press imprint will celebrate the very best in fiction across a broad range of categories. Its goal is to publish thought-provoking books that use relatable characters, strong narratives, and beautiful language to champion diverse views from throughout the Black diaspora. Submissions are open to writers of all backgrounds.

GUIDELINES:

Submission materials must include:

• Full manuscript

• Cover letter

• Author bio OR resume/CV

• Contact information

PRIZE: Authors will each receive a publishing contract and a $5,000 prize.

EDITOR: Crystal Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is the award-winning author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, a culinary memoir; Perfect Black, a collection of poems; and three works of fiction—The Birds of Opulence, Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries. She is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, an O. Henry Prize, a USA Artists Fellowship, and an Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. She has received recognition from the Yaddo Foundation, Hedgebrook, The Vermont Studio Center for the Arts, The Hermitage Foundation and others. Her short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including most recently in The Atlantic, The Kenyon Review, STORY, Agni Literary Journal, Emergence, Oxford American and Southern Cultures. She was Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021 to 2023. Wilkinson currently teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky where she is a Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor.

kentuckypress.com/screen-door-press/

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Critical Writing Open Call 2026

Recess |📍Brooklyn, NY

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Recess invites applications for the 2026–2027 Critical Writing cohort.

Critical Writing at Recess initiates meaningful exchange between artists and writers and supports the mutual production of new work. Through a practice-led approach, the program brings together a cohort of writers to engage artists in the Recess community, develop new texts, and collectively produce a digital reader of contemporary art writing.

Throughout the program, each writer commits to publishing two texts while collaborating with the cohort to develop and edit a digital reader that places the Recess archive in conversation with texts from across the field.

DATES: The program runs August 2026 through June 2027, with monthly gatherings that alternate between virtual and in-person sessions.

Each participant receives a $4,000 stipend—distributed in three equal payments across the program year—that includes compensation for the writing, collaborative work, and participation in cohort sessions.

OPEN CALL TIMELINE:

• Virtual Info Session: Monday, April 13 at 6:00pm EST

• Application Deadline: Thursday, April 30 at 11:59pm EST

• Applicant Interviews: Early June

• Decisions Announced: July

PROGRAM STRUCTURE:

The Critical Writing program centers dialogue between writers and artists while fostering new forms of critical engagement with contemporary art.

The cohort will:

• Meet monthly in facilitated sessions with invited artists, editors, and cultural workers

• Develop new writing in a 8-10 week editorial timeline through peer exchange and editorial workshops

• Publish two original texts in reflection of Session projects during the program year

• Collaboratively produce a digital reader connecting the Recess textual archive with art writing from across the field

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

The Critical Writing program will run from August 2026 through June 2027. The cohort will meet monthly in the evenings, tentatively every third Wednesday between 6-8pm EST. Review the program schedule below with the understanding that dates and timing may flux based on the shared calendars of the participants.

2026

• Saturday, Aug 1 Half-Day Orientation: Writing Toward Abolition 11:00am–4:00pm — In person at Recess

• Wednesday, Sept 16 Open Desk with an Artist-Writer 6:30–8:00pm — Recess

• Wednesday, Oct 21 Reading Room: The Artist Interview 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom

• Wednesday, Nov 18 Reading Room: Publishing Textual Art 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom

• December Cohort publishes the Digital Reader

2027

• Wednesday, Jan 20 Reading Room: The Editor’s Voice 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom

• Wednesday, Feb 17 Open Desk with an Artbook Publisher 6:30–8:00pm — Recess

• Wednesday, Mar 17 Reading Room: Writing Across Marginality 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom

• Wednesday, Apr 21 Open Desk with a Curator-Editor 6:30–8:00pm — Recess

• Wednesday, May 19 Reading Room: The Writer as Public Artist 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom

• June Cohort curates a public program

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

The Critical Writing program is open to writers at any stage of their practice. We are selecting three writers for this year's Critical Writing cohort and reserving one spot for an alum of the Assembly program

We welcome applicants working across genres and forms, including:

• essays

• criticism

• poetry

• fiction

• experimental writing

• hybrid or interdisciplinary practices

Applicants may be emerging writers, mid-career writers, or those with extensive publication histories.

What matters most is a deep engagement with writing as a form of artistic and cultural inquiry.

Applicants will be asked to provide personal information, short written responses, writing samples, and literary references.

recessart.org/critical-writing-open-call-2026

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2026-2027 Rooted + Relational Community Micro-Grant Program

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College has announced that it is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Rooted + Relational Community Micro-Grant program. CENTRO will award up to 12 grants, each up to $5,000, to non-institutionally affiliated and non-academic community organizations, individuals, or projects for community-based programs. We invite community organizers, artists, creatives, writers, agricultural workers, activists, and cultural workers who reside in Puerto Rico and/or the United States and its territories to apply. 

The 2026-2027 the Rooted + Relational theme is Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture. CENTRO seeks to fund projects that examine

• How do race, gender, sexuality, and body politics shape the everyday lives and histories of Boricuas across the archipelago and diaspora? 

• What happens when we center race and Blackness in a field of study that has too often championed color-blindness and the myth of racial democracy to avoid the hard questions about racism, anti-Blackness, complicity, and erasure?

During the 2026-2027 academic year, grantees will implement their funded projects within their chosen communities. They will also present their work at a CENTRO event, attend three virtual meetings, and have their work highlighted through CENTRO’s communications and media channels.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Applicants must be community-based individuals, groups, or organizations engaged in artistic, community-driven, agricultural, activist, or cultural projects 

• Applicants must not be affiliated with a college or university (professors, graduate students, and academic staff are not eligible).

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

• Past Rooted & Relational Grant Recipients are not eligible. 

To learn more about the “Rooted + Relational” initiative, please click here. For questions or assistance with the application process, please contact: Rosa Cruz, Partnerships and Outreach Manager, at centrofl@hunter.cuny.edu. 

centropr.submittable.com/submit

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2027 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

International Women’s Media Foundation

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship gives academic and professional opportunities to women journalists committed to human rights and social justice reporting.

During this fellowship, the selected journalist will have the chance to complete research and coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies and to participate in an internship with The Boston Globe. In the past, fellows have spent time in New York City at The New York Times as writing fellows. As of 2027, the fellows will no longer be writers at the Times. The IWMF and fellowship organizers are currently arranging the fellow's placement for June - July 2027.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

• The Neuffer Fellowship is open to women, nonbinary and gender non-conforming journalists whose work focuses on human rights and social justice issues.

• All applicants for the Neuffer Fellowship must be working journalists with at least three years of full-time, professional journalism experience. Internships and journalism-related work completed as a university student do not count as professional experience. Applicants may be affiliated or freelance journalists.

• Journalists from any country around the world are eligible to apply. However, applicants must speak, read, and write English fluently in order to fully participate in and benefit from the Fellowship.

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS:

The application for the 2027 Fellowship is now open March 8th to April 19th 2026. The winner will be announced around August 2026. 

FELLOWSHIP SCHEDULE:  

• June 2026: Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow will be selected        

• February - May 2027: Fellowship begins in Boston with an internship at the Boston Globe and research/coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies        

• June - July 2027: TBD        

• July 2027: Fellowship ends

QUESTIONS:

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions page for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship before starting your application or contacting the IWMF.          

For any inquiries related to the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, or if you are experiencing accessibility/connectivity issues, please contact IWMF Programs at programs@iwmf.org.

iwmf.submittable.com/submit

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call for submissions Creative Nonfiction

The Margins (Asian American Writers’ Workshop)

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Margins is open for creative nonfiction submissions, with a particular interest in lyric essays and pieces that incorporate historical and/or cultural analysis. We’re also interested in essays that play with genre, such as zuihitsu and flash essays.

 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Submit either: a single piece of up to 3,500 words OR up to three flash essays of no more than 1,000 words each (please submit the pieces in a single document).

• All work must be previously unpublished.

• We accept submissions in translation; please confirm you have secured the rights to translate the original piece before submitting.

• We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately if the work has been accepted elsewhere by messaging us through Submittable and indicating which pieces are no longer available.

• Pieces must be your original work, authored or written solely by you, and may not include material generated by AI. 

• We welcome submissions from Asian and Asian diasporic writers, including those that identify as South, Southeast, East, North, and Central Asian; SWANA; Pacific Islander; and Indo-Caribbean.

 WE’RE LOOKING FOR PIECES LIKE:

• Nina Li Coomes’s essay on breastfeeding during a heatwave;

• Sarah Aziza’s lyric investigation into language and her family history in Palestine;

• Maddie Mori’s piece on wine;

• Daphne Palasi Andreades’s hybrid essay featuring Filipino nurses during the pandemic;

• Tina Chang’s zuihitsu considering violence against Asian women.

 COMPENSATION: We pay for all published pieces. Rates for writers are here. 

 TIMELINE: Writers can expect to hear back on their submissions within four to six months. 

aaww.submittable.com/submit

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call for submissions: ‘futures - a science fiction series’

Radix Co-op

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $5

INFO: We’re thrilled to announce the return of our beloved chapbook series. Futures: A Science Fiction Series, invites submissions from writers speculating about the future in inventive, fascinating, and yes, political short fiction. Six stories will be selected which will be published and made available as individual chapbooks and as part of a combined box set.

The title Futures is a call-in; we seek fiction that considers the audacious possibilities of the coming times: in the fearful uncertainty of tech-feudalism, the escalation of digital colonies, the blurring lines between reality and imagined constructs, and radical reimagination of our social and political structures. We want stories tackling both dystopian and utopian possibilities, located in the many subgenres that categorize sci-fi: afrofuturism, climate fiction, cyberpunk, time travel, and more, that stir the boundaries of imagination, but always stories that are political, speak for the marginalized against autocratic structures of money, military might, racial and ethnic superiority, and colonialism. 

By using science fiction as a means to unpack these issues, we hope that the stories will allow for a better understanding of our world and give us more tools in our struggle to make it better.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: We are looking for unpublished short stories that could be described as “literary science-fiction.” The work should be about more than just rayguns and spaceships. (But there’s nothing wrong with those things!) They should explore the human element of science fiction, ask tough questions, and examine what it would mean to be alive in a future that is yet unwritten. We believe that good science fiction reflects the dreams and nightmares of the present day. 

Pieces submitted should adhere to the following guidelines:

Cover Letter

Please submit a cover letter with your submission, listing:

• Your contact information

• The title, word count, and a summary of the submission

• An author bio under 150 words listing any major publications or awards

Manuscript Guidelines

• Between 5,000 and 15,000 words

• Your manuscript must be a single Word or PDF document. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, OR ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IN THE MANUSCRIPT.

• We require documents typed in a neutral font, 12.0 size, and double-spaced pages. Ensure your document is numbered.

• One story per entry, but multiple individual entries by a writer are allowed. Any submission with more than one story will be immediately disqualified.

• A nominal fee of $5 is required with every entry to cover facilitation costs. If this fee is a barrier for you, please email meher@radix.coop for a fee-waiver. A minimum number of fee-waivers are available to claim. 

CONTRIBUTORS & PAYMENT:

Contributors will be paid a $500 flat fee for their selected story. Each author will also receive ten author copies at the time of publication, and two box sets at the time of publication. 

If you are a person of color, queer, trans, disabled writer, or find your identity on the margins of the mainstream, we would especially love to hear from you.

radix.coop/publishing/submissions

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2026 Gwen Ifill Award

International Women’s Media Foundation

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Gwen Ifill Award was established to honor the memory of the legendary co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour, who passed away in November 2016. Gwen Ifill was among the most respected journalists of our time, a trailblazer and an incredible role model and mentor for young journalists. The award is given annually to a trailblazing journalist who reflects and carries forward Gwen’s professional legacy and personal lived experience.

The award is open to journalists working in the United States. Candidates for the award will be evaluated on criteria including their record of outstanding achievement in journalism, and the extent to which they represent the values Ifill embodied, including in the areas of mentorship, leadership and commitment to a diversity of perspectives in journalism. Beginning in 2024, each Gwen Ifill awardee will receive a cash prize, courtesy of The UTA Foundation.

If you are experiencing any accessibility/connectivity issues with the application process, please contact programs@iwmf.org. 

iwmf.submittable.com/submit

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2026 Nonfiction Prize

Autumn House Press

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026

INFO: For the 2026 prize, the Autumn House staff, as well as select outsider readers, serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is Ira Sukrungruang. The winner receives publication of their full-length manuscript and $2,500. 

We will announce the finalists and the winner of the prize in August 2026. 

GUIDELiNES:

• The winner will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book

• All finalists will be considered for publication

• Nonfiction submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (37,500-75,000 words)

• The reading fee is $35. (We will waive the submission fee for those undergoing financial hardship or living with limited means. Before you reach out to request a waived fee, please read our full statement and instructions here. If the guidelines are not followed, we will not be able to offer a waived fee.)

• Autumn House is looking for personal essay collections and memoirs; we do not accept self-help books

• The book must be previously unpublished as a whole. However, individual pieces may have been published in journals, magazines, or anthologies.

• We only accept original manuscripts; AI-generated or AI-supported works are not accepted

• Do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript; if your name appears within the body of the text, please omit it or black it out (first name is fine, but last name must be omitted)

• Do not include a bio or an acknowledgments page in the manuscript

• Feel free to include a table of contents (This does not count as part of your final page count)

• Simultaneous submissions permitted

• Friends, family members, and former students of judges or Autumn House editors may not submit to the prize. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships.

• Former employees of Autumn House, including interns, may not submit to the prize.

ABOUT THE JUDGE: 

Ira Sukrungruang is the author of four nonfiction books This Jade World (2021), Buddha’s Dog & Other Meditations (2018), Southside Buddhist (2014), and Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist Boy (2010), the short story collection The Melting Season (2016), and the poetry collection In Thailand It Is Night (2013). With friend Donna Jarrell, he co-edited two anthologies that examine the fat experience through a literary lens—What Are You Looking At? The First Fat Fiction Anthology (2003) and Scoot Over, Skinny: The Fat Nonfiction Anthology (2005). He is a former member of the Board of Trustees for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), and is currently on the Advisory Board of Machete, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press dedicated to publishing innovative nonfiction by authors who have been historically marginalized.

autumnhouse.org/submissions/nonfiction/

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2026-28 Generations in Dialogue Literary Mentoring Program

Generations in Dialogue Program (GID) x Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC |📍 Los Angeles, CA

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026

INFO: The Fr. James L. Heft, SM Generations in Dialogue Program (GID), part of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC, is a two-year, funded program, which will bring together emerging writers and well-established writers—together comprising a group of poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and essayists of varying cultural and religious backgrounds.

Program components include semi-annual retreats (honoraria & travel expenses provided), a supportive community offering encouragement and feedback on participant’s work, and consideration of important issues facing writers in the age of A.I.

Led by poet Laura Reece Hogan, the cohort will focus on the role of human thought and creativity and consider questions such as: What is it about literature that demands fresh human thought? Why does the evolving literary tradition need contributions from the lived, diverse experience of writers to move forward? How do we sustain human-based literary traditions, protect literary works from unauthorized A.I. infringement, and intentionally cultivate human-created literature? We are moving forward into a new world of A.I. assistance in every quadrant—how best can we do that as creators of the written word?

A Catholic approach to these topics prioritizes the human being. As we see in the work of authors as varied as Dante and Joyce, the Catholic literary tradition values the human experience, from moments of suffering and loss to moments of transcendence and joy. This tradition fosters an approach that is grounded in the daily reality of our lives and yet reaches for the sublime and otherworldly.

The Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies will advance and promote the creative work and public profile of participants, as well as elevate their perspectives and voices in a world where they are increasingly needed.

Questions? Email iacs@usc.edu.

dornsife.usc.edu/iacs/gid/

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Martha MOCA ARTIST Residency

MarthaMOCA |📍Lambertville, NJ

DEADLINE: April 30, 2026

INFO: MarthaMOCA provides one-month residencies for artists of all disciplines. Residents are given use of a fully furnished private live/work space- with a studio, bathroom, & kitchen on the ground floor and a lofted bedroom and living space above. The residency comes with a $500 stipend. Residents are free to enjoy our 40 acre property; with walking paths through the woods, a tranquil pond, lap pool when in season, and garden. Because we are in a rural setting, it is preferable for residents to bring a vehicle. 

There are no requirements to create or produce work while in residence; we encourage artists to use their time as best suits their own process. The towns of Lambertville, New Hope, and Frenchtown are nearby and supply necessary amenities.  The closest train station is Hamilton Station via NJ Transit, and the closest airports are Newark and Philadelphia. NYC is a 1.5 hour drive away, and Philadelphia is 45 min. 

Application submissions will be accepted for September and October 2026 residencies from April 1-30th 2026. We typically make a decision by mid May. All applicants will be emailed a response then. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13Di_jeh4ddjHW4obfY7knjoWMdUJNbkYg9IuyMJSkh0/viewform?edit_requested=true

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2026 DAY OF TRANSLATION: CALL FOR PANELS

Center for the Art of Translation x The Center for Fiction | 📍Brooklyn, NY

DEADLINE: May 1, 2026

INFO: On Thursday, September 24, 2026, Center for the Art of Translation will present our seventh annual Day of Translation, held at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn and livestreamed worldwide. The Day of Translation connects readers of literary translation; literary translators at every stage of their careers; and anyone interested in the movement of ideas among languages, cultures, people, and places. This day of conversations about language and literature features provocative panels on translation, broadly defined.

In an effort to invite more of our community’s interests and curiosities, the Center for the Art of Translation welcomes panel proposals for the 2026 Day of Translation.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES:

• Proposals that expand or complicate the idea of translation are often the most engaging for our audience. 

• We are explicitly seeking proposals that illuminate a wide range of perspectives, both in terms of participants and subject matter. 

• Multilingual panels are welcome.

• The most successful panels are generally limited to 4 or 5 participants, including a moderator; our emphasis is on making sure every voice is heard.

• Proposed panels should aim to be an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes in duration, including a brief audience Q&A.

Staff from the Center for the Art of Translation and The Center for Fiction will review all panel proposals, and accepted panels will be determined by late May 2026. The Center for the Art of Translation will offer round-trip transportation to New York, lodging, and honoraria to accepted panelists.

For examples of 2025 Day of Translation panels visit: catranslation.org/event/day-of-translation-2025-2/

airtable.com/appYFAcM7lbDL4kRT/pagjJvzE9s9ysty7g/form

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call for fiction

Newance

DEADLINE: May 1, 2026

INFO: Newance is a solar punk quarterly journal set in 2066 that actualizes the next forty years. In the process of imagining the future, we invite readers to expand their range of possibilities and envision a workable future. Not utopian, not dystopian, but equitable. No longer living under the lies and whims of the few hoarders that control governments and power in 2026, humanity is set to create new systems and processes that center the wellness of the planet and all human and non-human animals.

Newance is seeking fiction that fits our magazine. We are looking for a story set in Spring 2066 that is imaginative and in retrospect shows readers how some of our current problems were/are being addressed successfully, despite challenges.

GUIDELINES: Word count between 3,000 - 5,000 (shorter or longer will still be read, but please keep it under 7,000). Please refer to our first issue to understand what we publish: https://tinyurl.com/yjxc7djt

COMPENSATION: Pay is 50 euros.

TO SUBMIT: https://tally.so/r/PdXRR1

substack.com/@newancemagazine

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Call for submissions: Back of the Envelope

The Offing

DEADLINE: May 1, 2026

INFO: Back of the Envelope seeks writing of any length and genre which relates to, or draws on, science and the natural world. Sharing its wonder or its horrors, relating the untold stories of discovery, or toying with everyday curiosities, we're interested in hearing from those inside and outside the scientific community.

theoffingmag.submittable.com/submit

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Waterston Desert Writing Prize

DEADLINE: May 1, 2026 at 11:59pm PST

INFO: The Waterston Desert Writing Prize (the Prize) was established in 2014 and inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the High Desert, a region that has been her muse for more than 40 years. Waterston was named Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024 for a two-year term.  The Prize provides financial and other support to writers whose work reflects a similar connection to the desert, recognizing the vital role deserts play worldwide in the ecosystem and the human narrative. 

The Prize will recognize the winner with a $3,000 cash award, residency at PLAYA in Summer Lake, Oregon, and a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum on September 17, 2026. Proposals will be reviewed by the Waterston Desert Writing Prize Advisory Committee and the 2026 guest judge.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY: Nonfiction writers who illustrate artistic excellence, sensitivity to place and desert literacy with the desert as both subject and setting.  The award supports literary nonfiction writers who are completing, proposing, or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript. It is recommended the writing sample submitted is part of the proposed project or closely represents it in content and style.

HOW TO APPLY:

Step 1. Fill out the online application form on Submittable. This form is the ONLY location identifying information (your name, address, email) should appear.

​Step 2. Upload ONE Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF file. Combine the three parts of the application described below into one document and do not place your name or other identifying information on any page of the document.

a. Biographical Statement: One double-spaced page in 12-point type and one-inch margins. Do not disclose your identity in this information. A resumé or curriculum vitae will not be accepted. Provide a brief narrative that summarizes:

• Your educational, professional, publication, and writing experience

• How the Waterston Desert Writing Prize award will benefit your work

• Your commitment to making a meaningful contribution to the body of desert literature

b. Proposal Title and Description: No more than one double-spaced page in 12-point type and one-inch margins. The description should include:

• Proposal title

• Brief description of the project

• Desert locations included in the project’s research 

• Brief description of how the project will contribute to desert literature and expand knowledge of the deserts

• NOTE: A budget is not required

c. Writing Sample: No more than 10 double-spaced pages in 12-point type and one-inch margins. Please keep in mind:

• Writing samples that are in other genres such as poetry, fiction or juvenile literature will be disqualified. 

• Writing samples can be published material or unpublished drafts. 

• You must be the sole author and have full ownership of the work.

• Any extra materials included with the proposal, and not requested in these guidelines, will not be reviewed.

d. No use of generative AI tools permitted: The High Desert Museum assumes that all applications and writing samples are generated by the author themselves. The use of generative AI tools are not permitted and are in violation of the Prize submission guidelines.

Step 3. Submit materials. All applications must be submitted via Submittable. Please note that incomplete and late applications will not be reviewed.

thewaterstondesertwritingprize.submittable.com/submit

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Native Writing Intensive

We Need Diverse Books

DEADLINE: May 4, 2026

INFO: This multi-day retreat offers an opportunity for reflection, conversation, and manuscript and career development for Native writers focusing on children’s literature.

Less than two percent of children’s books published in the United States depict characters from American Indian and First Nation populations. This is why we launched the Native Writing Intensive — to provide a nurturing and instructive meeting place for Native writers to help them hone their craft and publish their stories.

Since 2020, we’ve hosted the intensive every summer and we’ve welcomed dozens of participants from all over the US and Canada. Over four days, our participants attend keynotes and workshops, receive critiques on their work, and connect with other writers to build community.

The Native Writing Intensive offers an opportunity for reflection, conversation, celebration, and manuscript and career development. The 2026 intensive will be a reinvention of previous programs with a deeper writing-craft focus.

The 2026 We Need Diverse Books Native Children’s-YA Writing Intensive will take place from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, July 26 at at the Texican Court Hotel in Irving, Texas.

Applications open March 9 and close May 4. Acceptance letters sent by May 15. Limited travel scholarships are available; find scholarship essay prompts in the application. More intensive details regarding housing and meals may be found in the application, too.

OUR WRITING INTENSIVE INCLUDES:

• Presentations and Q&A sessions with agent, author, and editor faculty members.

• A manuscript workshop where your work (or project proposal) will be celebrated as a springboard to discuss craft elements. Participants will be required to read manuscript partials of all fellow attendees prior to arrival and be prepared to discuss.

• A 10-page critique (one long project or two picture books) in standard manuscript format or a career consultation with faculty. You’ll chat one-on-one with one of the faculty authors and editor. For assignment purposes, you’ll indicate on the application whether you’re already agented, etc.

ELIGIBILITY:

Who should apply for the Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive?

• Native/First Nations/Indigenous writers seeking a weekend devoted to deep study, craft and conversation, manuscript feedback, and career mentorship.

• Apprentice/beginner, agented, and/or published children’s and YA writers who are Native/First Nations/tribal citizens/members or recent descendants who are connected to their respective cultural communities. (Priority will be given to those still in their pre-publishing apprenticeship and new voices with three or fewer books published.)

• Native/FN/Indigenous writers, including those who are Elders, 2SLGBT+, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Métis, Black Natives, Five SE Tribes Freedmen, Indigenous folks who’re from urban/rez/’burbs/rural/small-town, Native veterans, etc.

• Native/First Nations/Indigenous writer-illustrators are welcome to apply and will receive feedback on both aspects of their work, though the program emphasis will be on writing rather than illustration.

It is not required that your children’s or YA writing be centered on Native characters or topics. Please feel free to bring your mainstream nonfiction about, say, the history of roller skates or fiction about, say, rebellious robot rock stars from outer space.

diversebooks.org/programs/nativewritingintensive

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Arts Writers Grant

Andy Warhol Foundation

DEADLINE: May 6, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in four categories—articles, books, short-form writing, and translation—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. The program also supports art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply.

Writers are invited to apply in one of the following categories:

• Article

• Book

• Short-Form Writing

• Translation

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for a translation grant, your proposed project must:

• be a translation of a book into English;

• be primarily about contemporary art;

• include evidence of the ongoing or completed process to secure rights for the translation.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for the translation grant, you must meet one of the following requirements:

Be a translator who has published at least

• one translation of a work into English in the broader artistic or cultural fields of at least 3,000 words.

Be an arts writer who has published at least

• two articles about contemporary visual art of at least 2,000 words each; or

• four articles about contemporary visual art of at least 500 words each; or

• one book about contemporary visual art or a related subject

In addition, you must be:

• a US citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or a holder of an O-1 visa (if your application advances to the final round, you will need to submit current documentation);

• at least twenty-five years of age.

You are not eligible for this grant if you are:

• applying on behalf of an organization;

• applying for a project in which your primary involvement will be as an editor;

• applying for a project to translate your own writing;

• applying to translate a project that is primarily fiction or poetry;

• applying to translate a project that is primarily about Andy Warhol;

• applying for a project that will be published by a commercial gallery;

• applying for a Creative Capital Award for any project in the same grant year (including as a collaborator);

• a former grantee of The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant;

• a current employee, consultant, board member, or funder of Creative Capital or the Andy Warhol Foundation, or an immediate family member of such a person.

artswriters.org/

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Tulsa Artist Fellowship

📍Tulsa, OK

DEADLINE: May 7, 2026 at 6:00 pm CT

INFO: Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports artists as vital contributors to Tulsa’s cultural life.

We invest in long-term creative practice, offering artists the time, resources, and community to develop ambitious work rooted in Tulsa.

Our approach is artist-centered and flexible, grounded in the understanding that meaningful creative work takes time—and that artists thrive when trusted to define their own paths.

Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a place-based, durational award supporting visionary artists and arts workers across disciplines.

Open to artists and arts workers with at least five years of field experience, the Fellowship selects up to ten awardees, who will be announced live on November 6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Each awardee is provided a comprehensive support package that includes a $150,000 stipend, housing support, fully subsidized studio space, and access to shared art-making facilities.

Awardees commit to developing ambitious, community-engaged work that contributes to Tulsa’s cultural life and advances the Fellowship’s mission to support independent arts practitioners.

Program details may evolve to best support participating artists and the Fellowship’s mission.

Competitive applications will demonstrate:

• A rigorous and innovative arts practice

• A meaningful connection to making work in Tulsa

• A forward-thinking, achievable project with strong community engagement and impact

AWARD STRUCTURE:

Each Fellow is supported through a comprehensive three-year award package designed to strengthen artistic development, stability, and well-being.

Financial Support

• $150,000 project development and artistic practice stipend (over 3 years)

• $36,000 housing support (over 3 years)

• $1,500 studio move-in stipend

• $3,600 studio assistant support (over 3 years)

• $3,600 health and wellness support (over 3 years)

Community & Connection

• Cohort gatherings and shared meals

• Open studio events and public programs

• Opportunties to engage with visiting arts professionals

Studio Workspace

• Access to a fully subsidized private studio (337–583 sq ft)

• Shared facilities include a ceramics studio with kilns, a woodshop, metal equipment, a media lab, an archival printer, a roof terrace, a performance rehearsal space, a podcast recording studio, and meeting rooms with video and audio capabilities
  (Estimated value: $36,000 over 3 years)

Wellness & Care

• YMCA membership for household

• Caregiver reimbursements for key Fellowship activities

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

All applications are completed online and free to submit. Detailed instructions are provided in the application portal.

• Basic information, including contact details, residence, citizenship, identity, and household information

• Artistic background, including resume/CV, website, social media platforms, biography (up to 250 words), and collaborator information
  (Collaborators must submit individual applications)

• Artistic Practice Statement (up to 500 words) and Fellowship Statement (up to 500 words)

• Three-year project proposal, including project title, description (up to 500 words), role statement (up to 200 words), and optional visual or media support materials

• Proposed use of the fellowship stipend, estimated budget for the $150,000 award, including living expenses, artistic production, and project-related costs.

• Three professional references from the arts field

tulsaartistfellowship.org/award

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WRITINGS ON DIASPORICAN VISUAL ARTISTS

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO)

DEADLINE: May 10, 2026

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO), the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States, invites art critics, curators, art historians, and art or art history students to submit their original writing focusing on contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists to be included in our Diasporican Art in Motion initiative and RicanWritings online magazine. 

As a research center focused on the Diasporic Puerto Rican experience, we are committed to promote the creation of knowledge of our cultural heritage and expressions. Diasporic Puerto Rican artists have been at the forefront of identity issues, and their work often examines and expands the national representation boundaries. The production of knowledge based on Diasporic Puerto Rican Artists will not only help the understanding and promotion of their work, but will enlighten the understanding of ourselves and of our diasporic journeys. 

In alignment with Centro’s Rooted + Relational research initiatives themes for 2026 (Boricuas in Relation and Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture), we are particularly interested in artists with more than one heritage and artists who self identify as afrodescendants.

Up to 10 selected writings will be published on CENTRO’s digital magazine RicanWritings, social media, and appear in the Diasporican Art in Motion database.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Essays should be no more than 1,500 words and focus on one of the artists in the Diasporican Art in Motion database. 

• Essays can take the form of an artist profile, exhibition review or response, short interview with commentary, or a response to a specific artwork. 

• Submissions should follow the same standard requirements of our Centro Journal Style Guide with the exception that submissions won’t be sent by email but through a digital form instead. 

• Any writer can submit more than one writing for different artists. Manuscripts can be submitted either in English or Spanish. 

• Writings should be original and not previously published.

• We encourage writings on artists whose work has not been widely studied.

SUBMISSION PROCESS:

• Complete the form in Submittable, ensure all mandatory fields are completed, and review and confirm your submission.

• You will receive email confirmation of your form.

• Your manuscript undergoes a rigorous internal review process where your submission is evaluated on its quality, originality, and relevance. 

• We will email you with our decision and, if applicable, further steps.

COMPENSATION FOR SELECTED ESSAYS: $300

CONTACT INFO: If you encounter any issues or have questions about the submission process, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at DiasporicanArts@hunter.cuny.edu.

ABOUT DIASPORICAN ART IN MOTION (DAM)

DAM is a digital repository and research catalyst seeking to document the impact of migration on Puerto Rican visual culture and community-building through in-depth profiles of contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists. This community of artists is understudied and as a result, they are underrepresented in the Arts field. Their underrepresentation stems from the fact that diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists often fall outside the boundaries of American, Latin American, and Caribbean art. Moreover, their uniqueness and singular contributions to the arts are overshadowed and diluted by their lack of exposure in sanctioning academic fields and institutions. 

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/writings-on-diasporican-visual-artists/

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book publicity grant for underepresented authors

Page One Media

DEADLINE: May 15, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Last year we launched our first fully pro bono book publicity campaign for an underrepresented writer in publishing. Out of all of the submissions, we chose, as a team, Malavika Kannan and her forthcoming debut novel, Unprecedented Times, which publishes on August 18. We are thrilled to be able to support Malavika, her book, and her career in this way. Tune in to our social media to hear more about what’s happening for Unprecedented Times as that campaign gets underway. 

We’re getting an earlier start on the process this year, so we have more time to read the submissions and also to give a longer submission period for authors. The submission requirements are the same as last year and listed below and on the Grant submission page on our website. 

BACKGROUND ON THE PAGE ONE MEDIA GRANT PROJECT:

The Page One Media Grant Project began in 2021. You can learn more about it here in this blog post. It was one way that we felt we could help support authors who have, over the decades, been less likely to have their books acquired and less likely to have them resourced through sales, marketing and publicity support. I had worked in publishing for 20 years when I decided to leave my in-house job in 2019. We know that diversity benefits businesses and it is also true that it benefits people and learners. Page One wants to be a part of aiding that change in publishing. Without an equal chance at high level publicity, authors are at a disadvantage for publishing their next book and the cycle of underrepresentation continues.  

WHO QUALIFIES?

We take an intentionally broad view of diversity. If you come from a traditionally underrepresented group in publishing and this includes women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, disabled people, and more, you should submit your project.  

There are only two circumstances that disqualify an author from consideration for the Page One Media book publicity grant. First, we don’t currently work with books that are being self-published or published by hybrid presses. This is not unique to the grant project, and it is not a statement on the quality of these books, but we have worked on them in the past and we have found that we can’t make enough of an impact because media still use publishers and imprints as a qualifier for book review and other types of coverage. Why do they do this? Because we publish a preposterous number of books annually in the United States. Nearly 400,000 books are traditionally published and another million are self and hybrid published. We have also found that in the instances where we have worked on these books, they don’t have enough distribution or large enough print runs to feel the impact of our work and to therefore benefit through sales.   

Second, the 2027 grant round will only consider books being published by U.S.-based publishing houses, by U.S.-based authors, and publishing in the 2027 calendar year. 

All the other requirements are ones that we require of all books we work on:  

• We, the Page One team, must love the book. We best represent stories, research and ideas that truly resonate with us.  

• The publisher must be aware that the author is considering working with us.   

• Galleys must be available in both print and e-formats. 

• Underrepresented is an intentionally broad term and includes any group that has had less access to being published. Don’t count yourself out. Tell us about yourself: who you are, what is important to you, and how you are trying to be a force for good in our world through your book. We want to hear from you. 

We are asking for some additional materials during the submission process. Those are: 

• The full manuscript of the book. We will keep it completely confidential and will destroy it after the grant process ends. 

• Complete our grant questionnaire. 

• Provide the Publisher Affidavit form to your publisher representative (this needs to be an in-house employee of your publisher) to confirm the publication date of your book. Please submit it with your materials. 

• Provide your publisher author questionnaire if you have one. If you don’t, please fill out ours. 

• Submit all requested materials by May 15, 2026, at 11:59pm EDT. Any materials received after 11:59 pm EDT on May 15, 2026, will not be considered.  

Do not delay in submitting your materials. The more we can get a head start on reading submissions; the sooner we can announce the grant recipient. 

NEXT STEPS + INSTRUCTIONS:

• Carefully review the submission requirements in this post and in our terms and conditions. We will not notify you if required materials are missing. If materials are missing, you won’t be considered. 

• Download the Publisher Affidavit form and have your publisher fill it out, sign and return it with the rest of your materials. 

• Fill out our P1M Grant Project questionnaire form. 

• Submit all your materials together; this will be done through the P1M Grant Project questionnaire form. Do not submit anything via email. It will not be considered. 

• Sign up for our newsletter and follow our social media accounts (not required but this is where we will announce the grant recipient).  

• You can get started with the submissions process here.  

Note: Do not submit yourself twice. If you are publishing two books in 2027 choose only one to be considered for the P1M Grant. If you submit two, we will only consider the first book submitted. 

Please direct any questions to hello@page1m.com. We can’t wait to read your book and learn more about you! 

page1m.com/page-one-medias-pro-bono-book-publicity-campaign-for-publishing-year-2027/

ROLLING SUBMISSIONS

CALL FOR HORROR WRITERS

Harriet’s House

INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2026/2027 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.

During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.

GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

Writers can send their stories to harrietshousemag@gmail.com

harrietshousemag.com

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “NOTES, COMMENTARY AND REFLECTIONS”

Small Axe Journal

INFO: The Small Axe Journal is getting a new section. Named “Notes, Commentary and Reflections,” this section will feature pieces that address urgent contemporary issues in the Caribbean.

GUIDELINES: Submissions should have a maximum of 2,500 and should be uploaded to our submissions portal, which can be found on our website.

smallaxe.net/sx/submissions

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call for submissions

The Amp

INFO: Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.

GUIDELINES:

• Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.

• Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.

• Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.

• Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.

To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:

“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”

From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.

Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.

The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).

PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.

aaartsalliance.org/magazine/about

FICTION / NONFICTION — MARCH 2026

2026 VIRTUAL SUMMER RETREAT

Abode Press

DEADLINE: March 7, 2026

READING FEE: $10

INFO: Starting June 7th, 2026, Abode Press is returning with our virtual retreat experience! With the success of our first retreat, we are coming back bigger and better than ever! We will also have workshops available in poetry, fiction, novel, and nonfiction, and attendees will also be able to attend 2-3 craft talks and lectures throughout the week (x2 as much than our first retreat).

Most retreat experiences are costly, tending to be upwards to $2000. At Abode, we are working tirelessly to increase accessibility for writers to attend much needed spaces to work on their craft and build connections without compromising their livelihood. This is why the retreat will have an asking price of $325 (sliding scale) with partial scholarships available to writers in need, but because of this low price, applicants will be selected based off the strength of their application and alignment with our press.

Applications will open via Submittable from January 1st to March 7th. It is FREE to apply for the first application (though we do appreciate donations!). Applicants may apply for additional cohorts but must select a reading fee of $10 or more for each additional application for it to be accepted.  Applicants will be notified of acceptance in late-March. All funds will go towards paying our presenters, press operations, and Retreat admins.

VIRTUAL RETREAT:

• Starting June 7th, workshops every Sunday in June 2026 from 11am-2pm CST

• Includes 2-3 weekly craft talks, lectures, and panels

• Cost: $325 asking price, sliding scale. *Scholarships for writers in need.

• Acceptances will be sent in late-March

FACULTY:

• Ariana Brown (Poetry Instructor) - Ariana Brown is a queer Black Mexican American writer and the author of We Are Owed. (Grieveland, 2021) and Sana Sana (Game Over Books, 2020). A national collegiate poetry slam champion, Ariana holds a B.A. in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies, an M.F.A. in Poetry, and M.S. in Library Science. She lives and works in Houston, TX, where she teaches creative writing to teens. She has been writing, performing, and teaching poetry for over a decade.

• Saúl Hernández (Poetry Instructor) - Saúl Hernández is a queer writer, who was raised by former undocumented parents. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Texas at El Paso. Saúl is a 2025 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. His debut poetry collection, How to Kill a Goat & Other Monsters, is a 2025 Lambda Literary Award Winner in Gay Poetry, a Texas League of Writers’ Discovery Award Winner, was longlisted for a PEN Open Book Award, and received the Institute of Letters’ honor-winner for First Book of Poetry. He's the winner of both the 2022 Pleiades Prufer Poetry Prize judged by Joy Priest & the 2021 Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize judged by Victoria Chang. His poems have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize & Best of The Net. Saúl’s work is featured in American Poetry Review, Poetry Daily, The Slowdown, Literary Hub, & elsewhere. 

• Camille U. Adams (Nonfiction Instructor) - CAMILLE U. ADAMS, Ph.D. was born and raised in beautiful Trinidad and Tobago. She is the author of the explosive memoir How To Be Unmothered: a Trinidadian memoir, finalist in the Restless Books Prize in New Immigrant Writing 2023. Camille’s memoir writing is featured in Passages North, Citron Review, XRAY Literary Magazine, Variant Literature, The Forge Literary Magazine, Kweli Magazine, and was awarded Best of the Net 2024 (creative nonfiction). Her other honours include an awarded fellowship as an inaugural Tin House Reading Fellow, an inaugural Granta nature writing workshop fellowship, an inaugural Anaphora Arts Italy Writing Retreat Fellowship, a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, a Community of Writers Fellowship, A VONA scholarship, and a Roots Wounds Words Fellowship.

• Annell López (Short Fiction Instructor) - Annell López is the winner of the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize and the author of the short story collection I’ll Give You a Reason, a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for best debut short story collection. Named a best short story collection of 2024 by Electric Literature, I’ll Give You a Reason has been longlisted for the Maya Angelou Book Award, the Reforma Latinx Book Award, and shortlisted for the Clark Fiction Prize. Most recently, López was recognized as a Gambit’s 40 under 40. Her work has appeared in Guernica, American Short Fiction, The Common, Brooklyn Rail, Refinery29, and TIME. López received her MFA from the University of New Orleans, where she was awarded the Joanna Leake Fiction Prize. She is working on a novel. 

• Benedict Nguyễn (Novel Instructor) - Benedict Nguyễn (she/her) is a #freelanceflailing dancer, writer, and creative producer who's taught workshops for AAWW, Tin House, and at Louis Place. She’s danced in recent projects by Sally Silvers, Kris Seto, Monstah Black, among other choreographers, appeared in the short film “Don’t F*ck with Bà” (2024, dir. Sally Tran), and began developing the dance theater work “DEFENSE” with Sugar Vendil in 2025. Her writing on labor and culture has appeared in The Baffler, BOMBMagazine, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Review of Books, and AAWW’s The Margins. A Publishers Weekly 2025 Writer to Watch, Benedict is the author of the [redacted] freelance labor zine nasty notes (2022). Her debut novel Hot Girls with Balls (Catapult 2025) was an ABA Indie Next Pick, an Aardvark Book Club Pick, and a USA Today National Bestseller. 

abodepress.com/2026-virtual-summer-retreat

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ISSUE III - POETIC JUSTICE

UbuntuHarlem Magazine

DEADLINE: March 10, 2026

INFO: For their next issue, UbuntuHarlem Magazine - a digital magazine highlighting the voices of Harlem’s youth (14–25) through the celebration of their stories and lived experiences - seeks visual and written submissions including photography, drawings, interviews, poetry, essays, digital art, and more.

The theme of the issue is Poetic Justice and will explore love beyond romance; friendship and chosen family; mother/father, child and generational relationships (including relationships with abuela or tía, or whomever is that person in your fam for you); healing within Harlem; and community care as resistance. 

bit.ly/UbuntuHarlemIssue3

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Writers’ Conference

One Story

DEADLINE: March 11, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $20

INFO: Our annual Writers’ Conference will take place this July at Poets House in Manhattan. Over the course of five days, writers will participate in workshops, attend craft lectures and panel discussions, give readings, and build community with one another against a backdrop of the scenic Manhattan waterfront. This conference is designed for fiction writers who are serious about their craft and excited to be part of a literary community.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Writing Workshops: At the start of each day, writers will participate in intensive workshop sessions. Each session is an opportunity for writers to not only gain actionable feedback on their work in progress from their classmates and workshop instructor, but learn valuable craft lessons by analyzing the work of fellow students.

• Craft Lectures: Our roster of craft lectures are led by established authors and publishing professionals and explore fiction’s most important elements. Our 2026 Craft Lecturers will be: Hannah Lillith Assadi, Thomas Grattan, Lincoln Michel, Tracy O’Neill, and Weike Wang. 

• Panels: At our agent and editor panels, writers will learn the best practices for submitting their work to agents and literary magazines from industry professionals and ask questions about the process.

• Featured Author Reading: Each year, one of our editors joins a One Story author who has recently published a book for an intimate conversation about the writing process. This event will be held at a local independent bookstore and will be open to conference students and the public. Our 2026 Featured Author will be ’Pemi Aguda.

• Student Readings: Student readings are a chance for conference attendees in different workshop groups to connect and hear each other’s work in a low-pressure, supportive environment. Readings are open to workshop participants and One Story staff.

CONFERENCE INSTRUCTORS:

• Manuel Gonzales (CONTRIBUTING EDITOR) - Manuel Gonzales is the author of the collection, The Miniature Wife and other stories, as well as the novel, The Regional Office is Under Attack! He currently serves as the fiction editor for The Bennington Review and as a contributing editor for American Short Fiction and One Story magazine. He lives in New England where he teaches literature and creative writing at Bennington College.

• Victoria Redel (AUTHOR OF ONE STORY ISSUE #210, "THAT SUMMER, '53") - Victoria Redel is a first-generation American author of four books of poetry and six books of fiction, most recently the poetry collection, Paradise and the novel I Am You, published in October 2025 by Zando Project/SJPLIT. Victoria’s work has been widely anthologized, awarded, and translated into many languages. Her novel, Loverboy (2001) was adapted for feature film directed by Kevin Bacon. She’s received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts and The Fine Arts Work Center. Victoria has taught at Columbia University, the New School, Vermont College of Fine Arts and was the McGee Distinguished Professor at Davidson College. She is a tenured faculty in the graduate and undergraduate creative writing programs at Sarah Lawrence College and lives in New York City and Utah.

• Hannah Tinti (CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE EDITOR) - Hannah Tinti is the co-founder and executive editor of One Story magazine. She is the author of the bestselling novel The Good Thief, which won The Center for Fiction’s first novel prize, and the story collection Animal Crackers, a runner-up for the PEN/Hemingway Award. Her most recent novel, The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley, is a national bestseller and is in development for television. She co-founded the Sirenland Writers Conference in Italy and has taught writing at New York University’s Graduate Creative Writing Program, Columbia University’s MFA program, CUNY, and at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. For more information please visit hannahtinti.com.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

There is a $20 nonrefundable application fee. All applications must be sent through Submittable. All applicants will be notified of acceptance by mid-April 2026.

We are seeking applicants who are excited to be part of a literary community and ready for a fun and productive conference. Applicants should submit a 5000 word writing sample along with a personal statement. Complete application guidelines are available on the application.

Applicants will be chosen based on the strength of their writing sample and their personal statement.

FEES:

• Application Fee: $20 (non-refundable)

• Conference Fee: $1,575 (Member Price: $1,475)

The cost of the conference includes:

• Workshops (no more than 10 people) where you’ll receive focused feedback on your work

• Craft lectures by visiting authors to improve your skills

• Panels of publishing professionals to connect you with the business side of writing

• A fifteen-minute private conference with your workshop instructor

• Morning coffee and tea service and evening wine and cheese mingles

• A welcome breakfast on Monday morning at the conference’s start

• A farewell dinner at the conclusion on Friday evening 

The cost of the conference does not include:

• Travel

• Meals (except those listed above)

• Lodging

SAMPLE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

(All times are in ET. Times are tentative. The schedule will vary from day to day, but this is an idea of what an average conference day looks like.)

• 9:45AM - Coffee, tea, & light snacks

• 10:00AM – 12:30PM - Workshop

• 2:00PM – 3:15PM - Craft lecture

• 3:00PM – 4:30PM - Student Reading

• 5:00PM – 6:30PM - Industry Panel

• 6:30PM – 7:30PM - Reception

one-story.com/learn/summer-conference/

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Writings on Diasporican Visual Artists

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO)

SUBMISSION PERIOD: March 11 - May 10, 2026

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO), the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States, invites art critics, curators, art historians, and art or art history students to submit their original writing focusing on contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists to be included in our Diasporican Art in Motion initiative and RicanWritings online magazine. 

As a research center focused on the Diasporic Puerto Rican experience, we are committed to promote the creation of knowledge of our cultural heritage and expressions. Diasporic Puerto Rican artists have been at the forefront of identity issues, and their work often examines and expands the national representation boundaries. The production of knowledge based on Diasporic Puerto Rican Artists will not only help the understanding and promotion of their work, but will enlighten the understanding of ourselves and of our diasporic journeys. 

In alignment with Centro’s Rooted + Relational research initiatives themes for 2026 (Boricuas in Relation and Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture), we are particularly interested in artists with more than one heritage and artists who self identify as afrodescendants.

Up to 10 selected writings will be published on CENTRO’s digital magazine RicanWritings, social media, and appear in the Diasporican Art in Motion database.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Essays should be no more than 1,500 words and focus on one of the artists in the Diasporican Art in Motion database. 

• Essays can take the form of an artist profile, exhibition review or response, short interview with commentary, or a response to a specific artwork. 

• Submissions should follow the same standard requirements of our Centro Journal Style Guide with the exception that submissions won’t be sent by email but through a digital form instead. 

• Any writer can submit more than one writing for different artists. Manuscripts can be submitted either in English or Spanish. 

• Writings should be original and not previously published.

• We encourage writings on artists whose work has not been widely studied.

SUBMISSION PROCESS:

• Complete the form in Submittable, ensure all mandatory fields are completed, and review and confirm your submission.

• You will receive email confirmation of your form.

• Your manuscript undergoes a rigorous internal review process where your submission is evaluated on its quality, originality, and relevance. 

• We will email you with our decision and, if applicable, further steps.

COMPENSATION FOR SELECTED ESSAYS: $300

CONTACT INFO: If you encounter any issues or have questions about the submission process, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at DiasporicanArts@hunter.cuny.edu.

ABOUT DIASPORICAN ART IN MOTION (DAM)

DAM is a digital repository and research catalyst seeking to document the impact of migration on Puerto Rican visual culture and community-building through in-depth profiles of contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists. This community of artists is understudied and as a result, they are underrepresented in the Arts field. Their underrepresentation stems from the fact that diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists often fall outside the boundaries of American, Latin American, and Caribbean art. Moreover, their uniqueness and singular contributions to the arts are overshadowed and diluted by their lack of exposure in sanctioning academic fields and institutions. 

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/writings-on-diasporican-visual-artists/

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RAZ/SHUMAKER BOOK PRIZE IN FICTION AND POETRY

Prairie Schooner

DEADLINE: March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm CST

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: The Prairie Schooner Raz/Shumaker Book Prize Series welcomes manuscripts from all living writers, including non-US citizens, writing in English. Both unpublished and published writers are welcome to submit manuscripts. However, we will not consider manuscripts that have previously been published anywhere in the world, which includes self-publication. Writers may enter both contests. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but we ask that you notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted for publication somewhere else. No past or present paid employee of Prairie Schooner or the University of Nebraska Press or current faculty or student at the University of Nebraska will be eligible for the prizes.

PRIZES: Winners will receive $3000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press.

MANUSCRIPT: We prefer that fiction manuscripts be at least 150 pages long and poetry manuscripts at least 50 pages long. Novels are not considered; we will consider manuscripts comprised either entirely of short stories or one novella along with short stories (please do not send a single novella or a collection of novellas). Manuscripts may contain stories or poems that have been published in journals or in chapbook form; however, if the full-length manuscript includes work from a previously published chapbook, the majority of the manuscript must be additional work not appearing in the chapbook. Prairie Schooner accepts electronic submissions as well as hard copy submissions. Please see below for further formatting guidelines and the link to submit electronically.

• Electronic Submissions - The author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript. Acknowledgments of previous publications should not be included. All entries will be read anonymously. No application forms are necessary. Click here to submit via Submittable.

• Hard Copy Submissions - The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. Acknowledgments of previous publications should not be included. All entries will be read anonymously. Please include two cover pages: one listing only the title of the manuscript, and the other listing the author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address. No application forms are necessary.

For hard copy submissions, photocopies are acceptable. Please do not bind manuscripts with anything other than a binder clip or rubber band. Please include a self-addressed postage-paid postcard for confirmation of manuscript receipt. Please use a standard postcard—small index cards will not be accepted by the U.S. Postal Service. A stamped, self-addressed business size envelope must accompany the submission for notification of results. No manuscripts will be returned. All manuscripts that do not win will be recycled.

NOTIFICATION: Results will be emailed or mailed and winners will be announced on this website on or before August 15 of each year.

prairieschooner.unl.edu/book-prize-guidelines/

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Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship

Democracy Center / Japanese American National Museum

DEADLINE: March 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST

INFO: The Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) is thrilled to announce the 4th annual Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship. This year’s fellowship will award $5,000 unrestricted awards to two emerging writers of color who write critically about visual art.

Writers of color have knowledge and experiences that differ from the dominant Eurocentric ones, and their perspectives give art produced by marginalized communities the depth of attention and consideration it deserves. The fellowship encourages critics of color starting out in the field to continue writing about works from their own cultural and political perspectives, enriching and broadening cultural criticism as a practice and profession. By supporting and highlighting these voices, the fellowship broadens public discourse and strengthens participation in cultural conversations by diverse communities.

HOW WE DEFINE ARTS WRITING:

This fellowship is for arts writers, defined as journalists, critics, and cultural commentators who analyze, contextualize, and interpret the arts for public audiences. Arts writing includes criticism, reviews, essays, opinion pieces, and other forms of nonfiction writing about art, artists, cultural institutions, and creative movements.

This fellowship does not support creative writing or artistic production. Submissions of poetry, fiction, screenplays, plays, memoir, or other creative literary works are not eligible and will not be reviewed. While these forms are vital to the cultural ecosystem, this program is specifically focused on supporting writers whose primary practice is writing about the arts, rather than creating art through literary forms.

2026 FOCUS: VISUAL ART:

The focus of this year’s fellowship is visual art. In order to ensure full consideration of your application, please make sure your writing samples provide critical, analytical, or interpretive perspectives on visual art.

Although visual art takes many forms and is experienced in many different contexts, for the purposes of this award, visual art is defined as a creation that is primarily visual in nature or  that is shown in a museum, gallery, or other space dedicated to visual art. For example:

• Reviews of performance, sound art, film, video, or other time-based work in a museum or gallery setting will be considered, but a review of a performance, play, concert, or screening in a theater will not.

• Analytical writing about immersive or interactive art spaces and installations will be considered, but discussions of functional architecture and design will not, even if they appear in a museum or gallery setting.

• Criticism of visual art in public spaces (such as murals, sculptures, and monuments) or online (such as NFTs, memes, or websites) is eligible as long as the works discussed are primarily visual in nature.

• Critical views on the visual art market, its figures, or trends are acceptable, as long as they are directly related to the aesthetics, production, or reception of visual art. 

AWARD:

Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowships will be awarded to two (2) emerging writers of color, each of whom receive a $5,000 award to be spent over a six-month period.

The awards are unrestricted. Funds may be used for any purpose that helps the fellows advance their careers, including paying themselves to write.

In addition to the cash award, the fellows are given the opportunity to write a piece of criticism or review for the Democracy Center blog as well as the opportunity to deliver a talk at the Democracy Center at JANM on their work.

A brief, written report in the form of a letter accounting for the use of funds is required at the end of the fellowship period. No receipts or other documentation is required.

janm.org/ja/democracy/arts-writer-fellowship

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Teen Summer Writing Fellowship

GrubStreet

DEADLINE: March 16, 2026 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Teen Summer Writing Fellowship is an intensive, three-week creative writing program for young writers. Through classes, workshops, and readings, students will generate new work, learn about the craft of writing, and gain knowledge of the writing/publishing world. In the tradition of adult writing fellowships, each student will receive a stipend of $800 upon completing the program and successfully completing its requirements. Fellows have the option of staying on for a fourth week to help edit and format the YAWP Anthology, which will collect writing from from all teens participating in summer programming at GrubStreet.

The YAWP Fellowship is by application only and 20 students will be chosen to participate. YAWP fellowship recipients may only attend the fellowship every other year, once as an incoming freshman/sophomore and once as an incoming junior/senior. Students learn techniques in all genres: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. And no matter their favorite genre, they’re expected to try any and all writing techniques covered in the program. Students are also encouraged to fuse genres and explore sub-genres like sci-fi/fantasy, verse novels, speculative fiction/magical realism, mystery, romance, and whatever their imagination calls for. This program is rooted in artistic exploration and learning how to commit to their art no matter where life takes you.

ELIGIBILITY:

• High school students entering grades 9-12 in fall of 2026

• Boston and Greater Boston residents looking for a creative community.

  • Only applicants who live and attend school in Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex or Plymouth counties will be considered, although Boston residents will be prioritized

• Writers of any genre who are eager to experiment and explore a future in the arts

WHEN:

• Mondays through Fridays, July 20th to August 7th, 2026, 10:30am to 3:30pm

• Annual Teen Writing Fellowship Showcase: August 5th, 2026, 6:30pm to 8:30pm

• Optional All-YAWP Anthology Week: August 17th to 21st, 2026, 1pm to 4pm

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Once the application period opens, each student must upload in their online application the following documents:

1. Creative Writing Sample (2-10 pages) which can include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, screenplays, songs, cross-genre or experimental work. This may include multiple pieces and/or genres (no academic essays). Don't be afraid of spelling mistakes or in-process drafts, we're looking for your unique voice!

2. Personal Statement (no more than 600 words) – Answer the question: If you were chosen as a writing fellow, what do you think you'll gain from this experience and what do you think you can offer this writing community?
   
   We encourage you to consider aspects of this fellowship you find helpful and compelling. How would you learn from and contribute to a diverse community of fellow writers? We welcome you to write about aspects of your background, experiences, or interests you might bring to your cohort.

3. The online application will also ask for the following information:

   1. Your name, contact information, and high school name.

   2. Your parent/guardian name, contact information

   3. A teacher/mentor name, contact information

   4. Your demographic information (optional)

Please email yawp@grubstreet.org with any questions.

REMINDER: In order to be considered for this fellowship, you must be a Boston or Greater Boston resident (Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, or Plymouth counties).

grubstreet.org/write/teen-fellowship

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the dag prize for literature

DAG Foundation

DEADLINE: March 18, 2026

INFO: The $20,000 DAG Prize for Literature is awarded annually to an emerging prose writer whose work expands the possibilities for American writing.

The goal of the DAG Prize is to contribute meaningfully to the evolution of American prose literature. To that end, we aim to support writing that offers significant innovation—for example, at the level of form, content, or genre. What more can prose literature be? What more can it do? The recipient will be a writer who has already published one book of prose for adult readers demonstrating commitment to such investigations but whose work has not yet received prominent literary recognition. The DAG Prize is meant to support a second prose project already substantially underway.

Prize funds can be used for research, writing, editing, workshops, residencies, or other activities that facilitate the creation of a significant project in prose literature.​​

ELIGIBILITY:

• You have published, as of the application deadline, one book of prose for an adult readership with a nationally distributed U.S. press. Online publication and self-publication do not meet this criterion, nor do books first published in another country or in a language other than English.

• You aim to publish a second book of prose in the U.S., written in English.

• This second project must be substantially underway.

• You reside in the United States as of the application deadline.

• A “book of prose” may contain elements of poetry, visual art, or other forms but should be primarily recognized/categorized as prose.

• If you have won, or been a finalist or shortlisted for, the Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, a National Book Critics Circle Award, an award from the American Academy for Arts and Letters, a PEN America Literary Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, or the Booker Prize, you are not eligible for the DAG Prize.

• If you have published a second book of prose, or have a second book of prose under contract, by the application deadline, you are not eligible for the DAG Prize.

• We do not invite or accept nominations from agents, editors, mentors, or peers.

• All submitted applications for the DAG Prize are final and cannot be changed.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

On the application page, you will be asked for:

• Your author bio (250 words maximum)

• Information about your first book. Copies will be requested from finalists in April.

• Your CV or résumé (3 pages maximum)

• A description of your new project that gives an overview of its subject matter and artistic innovations, an approximate timeline for completion, and a description of how the DAG Prize would further your literary ambitions (500 words maximum)

• An excerpt from your new project (25 pages maximum)

• Applicants may submit only one application for consideration. Multiple applications from the same applicant will be disqualified.

• We neither require nor accept letters of support. Please do not ask anyone to contact DAG on your behalf.​

• Questions? Email us at literature@dagfoundation.org

dagfoundation.org/the-dag-prize

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Translation Lab 2026 Open Call

Art Omi: Writers

DEADLINE: March 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: Art Omi: Writers is now seeking proposals for Translation Lab 2026, a 12-day special, intensive residency for five collaborating writer-translator teams in the fall of 2026. 

Art Omi will host five translators of any language INTO English, along with the writers whose work is being translated, in New York's Hudson Valley for 12 days. All text-based projects—fiction, creative nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible. 

This focused residency will provide an integral stage of refinement, allowing translators to dialogue with the writers about text-specific questions. It will also serve as an essential community-builder for English-language translators who are working to increase the amount of international literature available to English-language readers. 

The dates for Translation Lab 2026 are September 9-21, 2026. Art Omi provides airfare, local car transportation, and a small honorarium. Residents accepted into Translation Lab are responsible for their own train transportation from New York City to the Art Omi campus. Please note: accepted applicants must be available for the duration of the Translation Lab. Late arrivals and early departures are NOT possible. Please do not submit a proposal unless both parties involved (translator and writer) are available for all dates. Please also ensure both parties are eligible to travel to the United States at the time of the application.

Translators, writers, editors, and agents can submit an application.

Each application must include a Project Proposal and a Work Sample.

1. The Project Proposal should be no more than three pages and provide the following information:

• Names of the translator and writer applying, as well as contact information (physical address, email, and phone number) and the original language of the text. These details should be provided at the very top of the proposal.  

• Brief biographical sketches for the translator and writer.

• A description of the proposed project, including details about how you envision structuring your working time together.

• Publishing status of the proposed project. (Projects that do not yet have a publisher are eligible.)

2. The Work Sample must be 10-15 pages (12 pt font, double-spaced) of an English translation by the translator applying. It is preferred that the sample be from the proposed project; however, if this is not possible, please provide another translation work sample.

Candidates will be notified in May 2026.

artomi.org/residencies/writers/

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: indigenous Climate Justice Zine

Tommey Jodie

DEADLINE: March 21, 2026 at 11:59pm PST

INFO: This community-based zine invites Native/Indigenous poets, writers, and artists to respond to climate justice through radical truth-telling, imagination, and care. We are seeking poetry, prose, and visual art that reflects on land, environment, survival, grief, joy, futurity, and the worlds we are building together.

Submissions may be personal, experimental, political, or visionary - we encourage your work to exemplify any or all of these :) This project centers Indigenous voices speaking from lived experience and creative autonomy.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• This call is open to ALL Indigenous writers and artists (emerging and established)

• You may submit: 1-2 poems (4 pages max) and/or 1-2 microprose pieces (4 pages max)

• Written (poems/prose) submissions must be uploaded as a single PDF to preserve formatting

• Include a cover page with your full name, email, phone number, and social media handles (if applicable)

To help us review and organize submissions efficiently, written work and visual art must be submitted separately.

1. If you are submitting poetry and/or prose, you may include all written pieces in one single PDF within one submission.

2. If you are submitting both writing and visual art, you will need to complete two submissions (one for writing (poetry and/or prose), one for visual art).

VISUAL ART SUBMISSIONS: Visual artwork must be sized for A5 (5.8 × 8.3 inches). Artwork should be submitted as a high-quality PDF, .jpeg, or image file formatted to A5 dimensions. Note: if you want to include a brief description of your artwork(s), please do so on another page.

ZINE PAGE DESIGN: Designing your own zine page(s) is an important part of this project and a way to express your connection to the world around you. Page design will happen after acceptance, you do not need to submit a completed page at this stage. If selected, contributors will be invited to design their own page(s). Support with formatting and layout will be available, and a free community zine page design workshop in collaboration with NDN Girls Book Club will be held in April for additional guidance and support.

Note: this zine will be similar to Beauty All Around Us, where contributors designed pages digitally (e.g., Canva) or by hand and scanned them.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• By submitting, you agree to communicate in a timely manner if your work is selected.

• Not all submissions will be accepted. Contributors will be notified by early April through email of their acceptance.

Questions? Contact tommeyjodie@gmail.com

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7bkMlB2P4PqjQUbKhY_-ZCbhDbAtFAD2sXo7XqEmXHBnB5w/viewform?pli=1

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BIPOC ARTIST RESIDENCY (Fall 2026-Spring 2027)

Portland in Color / Sitka Center for Art + Ecology

DEADLINE: March 25, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Sitka is now accepting applications for residents for our Fall 2026 (October-December) and Spring 2026 (January-May) seasons. This residency is designed to offer BIPOC artists in Oregon a supportive space to rest, dream, and create—without the pressure of production. Two artists will be selected for this partnership.⁣⁣

The Sitka Center welcomes art and ecology informed applications from a broad range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary practices. Residencies at Sitka are a gift of time and space. There is no obligation to create work or participate in any programs while here, though Sitka offers optional opportunities such as artist talks, citizen science projects with Coast Watch and connection with our local native arts community through our partnership with the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center.

We offer residencies ranging in duration from two weeks to three months. Please indicate on your application your preferred length of stay and housing or studio needs. If you are applying as a collaborative duo or band, please submit one application together and note if you will need separate sleeping spaces. The Sitka Center is rural and within the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area, a protected biosphere with no public transportation and limited access to ride shares. While we often accommodate residents without vehicles, please take this limitation of movement seriously into consideration if applying to attend without a personal vehicle for a long length of time. You will need to transfer between two buses to reach the Oregon Coast from the Portland International Airport and follow procedures for weekly grocery orders.

Consider also that you will be in the headlands of the rugged Oregon coast - expect there will be wet, blustery days and occasional inclement weather events such as atmospheric rivers or high winds off the ocean that could lead to power outages.

Sitka is committed to equity and welcomes people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and experiences, and acknowledges that stepping away from day to day life to spend extended time in nature may be a more complex undertaking for some. From climate change and environmental justice to systemic racism and economic constraints, diverse perspectives help spark new ideas and collaborative approaches to address today's challenges in creative ways. Bringing together people from different backgrounds and fields of expertise is core to Sitka's art and ecology mission, and we strive to overcome barriers to create a safe and secure setting for our practitioners to experience our unique ecosystem and setting.

FEE WAIVERS: Fee waivers are available upon request, no proof of need is required. Please complete your application and once you are ready to submit, contact info@sitkacenter.org for the fee to be waived.

RESIDENCY DATES:

• Fall/ Winter/ Spring Residencies: Dates between October – April

• 2 week to 3 month durations based on applicant’s preferences

RESIDENCY ACCEPTANCE:

• Residency applicants will be notified by May 5, 2025.

• Finalists will participate in interviews in early May with final notifications in early June.

In addition to the primary residency program, the Sitka Center offers specialized residencies with stipends:

• Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency — $500 per week stipend, plus up to $500 for travel expenses

• Blue Sky Residency (for photographers represented by Blue Sky Gallery) — $250 stipend

• Ford Family Foundation Golden Spot  Residency (for Oregon-based visual artists) — $500 per week stipend

• Recorder Residency (for recorder musicians, composers and educators) — $500 per week stipend

MATERIALS NEEDED TO APPLY:

• References – Name and contact information (your references will be sent a form to complete).

• Application – Complete responses to all application questions.

• Resume – Submit as a .doc, .docx or .pdf file.

• Work Samples – Provide examples of your current work in formats that best showcase your practice.

  • Visual artists, designers and architects: 8-10 high quality images of your most current work.

  • Creative writers, journalists, playwrights and poets: 2 writing samples of up to 10 pages. For shorter works (poetry, short prose, etc.), submit 4 samples of up to 5 pages each. Excerpts are accepted for all writing forms. (.doc, .docx or .pdf)

  • Scientists: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files (if applicable) and up to 2 writing samples (up to 10 pages each) (.doc, .docx or .pdf).

  • Musicians, composers, performers and Film Makers: 2-4 audio or video files (mp3, video files or links) of your most recent work. Excerpts are encouraged for longer works. 

  • ‍Curators, educators and social practice artists: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files and up to 2 writing samples of a maximum of 10 pages each.  

  • ‍Interdisciplinary practitioners: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files and up to 2 writing samples of a maximum of 10 pages each.

sitkacenter.org/apply/

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call for submissions

Mangrove Magazine

DEADLINE: March 29, 2026

INFO: At Mangrove Magazine, we value and practice transparency as much as possible. Here, you can find the kind of work we’re looking for and what we would be able to offer for your contributions.

GUIDELINES / COMPENSATION:

• Poetry: 1 page max, $50 per piece

• Prose: 2 pages max, $50 per piece

• Organization Interview: 3 pages max; $150 per interview

WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Politically aligned artists or organizations who identify as abolitionists.

  • Click here to reference what we mean by “abolition”.

• Artists or writers who can submit an original, unpublished creative piece for this issue.

• Artists or writers who are willing to accept light feedback and edits from our editors.

• Artists who can provide us with their name or an artist alias, a short 2-3 sentence bio about their work, descriptions of visual submissions, and any websites or social media handles that you'd want us to include.

• Organizers or organizations who are aligned with our political values and are interested in participating in a short to medium length interview.

If you decide you'd like to work with us, we only require one piece of artwork from you. That being said, if you feel inspired and would like to provide additional pieces/elements, we will potentially be able to include them in the magazine. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide additional payment for extra pieces/elements at this time.

At Mangrove Magazine, we value and practice transparency as much as possible. Here, you can find the kind of work we’re looking for and what we would be able to offer for your contributions.

Please fill out the submission form by clicking the button below, and email your work to mangrovemagazine@proton.me (in PDF, JPEG, or PNG format).

mangrovemagazine.com/faqs

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Emerging Writers’ Contest

Plougshares

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026 at 12pm EST

ENTRY FEE:

• Subscribers: $0

• Nonsubscribers: $30 (includes a 1-year print and digital subscription to Ploughshares and free submissions to the upcoming regular reading period (June 1-November 15).

INFO: Since 1971, Ploughshares has been committed to promoting the work of up-and-coming writers. In the spirit of the journal’s founding mission, the Ploughshares Emerging Writers’ Contest recognizes work by an emerging writer in each of three genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We consider authors “emerging” if they haven’t published or self-published a book in any of the contest genres.

PRIZE: One winner in each genre per year will receive $2,000 and publication in the Winter 2026-27 issue of Ploughshares. The winners will also receive a conversation with our partnering literary agency, Aevitas Creative Management, regarding their work and writing careers. 

JUDGES: The 2026 contest judges are Crystal Hana Kim in fiction, T Bambrick in poetry, and Melissa Febos in nonfiction. 

ELIGIBILITY:

You are eligible if you:

• Have not published a book or chapbook (note: writers with chapbooks are eligible if the chapbook had a print run of less than 300 copies).

• Have no book or chapbook forthcoming before January 31, 2027.

• Are not currently affiliated with Emerson College or with Ploughshares as a volunteer screener, intern, student, staff member, or faculty member.

• Will not have a relationship with Emerson College or with Ploughshares before January 31, 2027 (example: if there is a chance you will attend the Emerson MFA program in the coming year or if your work has been accepted for publication for an upcoming issue).

SUBMITTING:

Writers can submit to the Emerging Writers’ Contest from February 1-March 31 at 12:00pm EST.

We accept fiction and nonfiction up to 6,500 words and 3-5 pages of poetry. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained. Please remove all identifying information from your manuscript as it will be read anonymously.

• Submit one entry per year via our online submission manager. 

• No entries via email or mail will be considered for the contest.

• Submitted work must be original and previously unpublished in any form. We do not accept AI-generated manuscripts.

• For poetry, we will be reading both for the strongest individual poem and the general level of work, and may choose to publish one, some, or all of the winner’s submitted poems.

• If submitting work with images, please acquire permission beforehand and, if possible, ensure any images are high resolution (300 dpi).

• We strongly encourage typed, double-spaced (poetry may be single-spaced), and numbered pages.

• We cannot accommodate revisions after a manuscript has been submitted. If your work is accepted, you will have the opportunity to provide a revision before it is published.

SIMULTANEOUS VS. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS:

We only consider one submission per author for the duration of the contest, regardless of genre. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are fine as long as we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere via email (pshares@pshares.org) or our online contact form. 

pshares.org/submit/emerging-writers-contest/

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call for submissions

No Wings Without Water

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026

INFO: No Wings Without Water is an online publication dedicated to amplifying the stories of the heroine’s journey written by BIPOC women. They are interested in narratives that explore sacred transformation and personal evolution.

GUIDELINES:

Submissions should highlight themes of:

• surrender

• the unknown/dark feminine

• cultural identity

• lived/ancestral wisdom

We highly encourage stories that include movement and transition be it through travel, migration, or leaving one life behind to start another.  Your piece should leave the reader with a sense of rebirth.

We welcome submissions written in English, Spanish, Spanglish, French, Creole, and Patois.

http://bit.ly/4bszlXt

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ANN PETRY AWARD

Red Hen Press

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026

INFO: Founded in 2020 in partnership with Red Hen Press and the Peauxdunque Writers Alliance, the Ann Petry Award seeks to publish prose literature by Black authors.

The Ann Petry Award is for a work of previously unpublished prose (including self-published works), either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages, by a Black writer.

The awarded manuscript is selected through an annual submission process.

JUDGE: The 2026 award is judged by Lisa Teasley.

PRIZE: The Ann Petry Award will consist of $3000 and publication of the awarded manuscript by Red Hen Press.

FORMATTING: Please use double-spaced, 12-pt. Times New Roman font. Title only on the cover sheet, with no other identifying information on the manuscript itself. The entry should be a minimum of 150 pages. 

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES:

The Ann Petry Award is open to all Black writers, with the following exceptions:

A) Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press;

B) Current employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press;

C) Relatives of employees or members of the Red Hen Press executive board of directors

PROCEDURES + ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material. Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.

Please remove all names, bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material from the submitted manuscript, and include only your name, contact information, and a short biographical statement in the cover letter field of Submittable.  

The Ann Petry Award of Red Hen Press is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

redhen.org/awards/ann-petry-award

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Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award

Sisters in Crime

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026

INFO: The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is an annual grant of $2,000 for an emerging writer of color. It is intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. 

The grantee may choose to use the grant for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work. Submissions must be an unpublished work of crime fiction. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words.

ABOUT THE AWARD: The Eleanor Taylor Bland grant is administered by Sisters in Crime, a 4000+ member international organization of mystery authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians. Sisters in Crime was founded by Sara Paretsky and a group of women at the 1986 Bouchercon in Baltimore. In 2014 the group declared its mission to members to “promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers.

After contacting the grant recipient, Sisters in Crime will make an official announcement of the winner this summer.

A report about how the award was spent must be submitted to the Sisters in Crime president one year after receipt of the award. The  recipient of the award also will be expected to serve the following year as a member of the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award selection committee.

Here’s a checklist to help you prepare to submit:

• Have you published more than two novels OR ten or more short pieces of fiction? We're sorry, that means you aren't eligible to apply. Short pieces of fiction include short stories, children's books, or chapter books.

• You do not have to be a member of Sisters in Crime to apply for this grant.

• Do you want to use a different name for your submission?

• Are there any trigger warnings about potentially distressing material in your work? If so, please list them on the form. Some examples include rape, torture, pedophilia, child abuse, assault, suicide, drug abuse. Please note work dealing with these subjects will not impact whether you're selected. It's just to let our judges know before they read. If no, please write N/A.

• AI-generated works are not eligible.

• You may upload PDFs or Word docs. Please make sure that you name the documents including your name. For example, JONES_BIO.doc, JONES_WORK.doc, JONES_STATEMENT.doc. Please make sure your materials are named appropriately.

Here are the three components of your submission:

• An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers, from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words.

• A resume or biographical statement.

• A cover letter that gives a sense of the applicant as an emerging writer in the genre and briefly states how the award money would be used. (How the money might be used is not a deciding factor in the judges’ decision.)

sistersincrime.org/page/ETBAward

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The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize

Texas Review Press

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: Established in 2001, The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize highlights one book a year that excels in the novella format. Since 2024, the Prize comes with a $1,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 10 copies of the published book.

Recent judges include Fatimah Asghar, Steven Dunn, Michael Martone, Renee Gladman, Leslie Jill Patterson, and Hannah Pittard.

PRIZE: $1,000 + Publication

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• Submissions are anonymous.

• Open to anyone writing in English. Translations are not eligible.

• Excerpts may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.

• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please notify TRP immediately by withdrawing the manuscript via Submittable if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

• Submissions are accepted through Submittable only.

• Winner will receive a $1,000 advance, publication with TRP, and 10 copies of the published book.

• The winner will be announced via Submittable and on the TRP website in the fall.

MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES:

• Novella manuscripts should have a total word count of between 15,000 and 40,000 words.

• Please include a table of contents (if applicable), title page, and page numbers.

• Please double-space and use a 12pt. font.

• Do not include an acknowledgments page.

• Submissions are judged on an anonymous basis. Please remove any personally identifying information from the manuscript. (Name, contact information, etc.)

• Submit as a .pdf, .docx, or .doc file format.

• No revisions will be accepted once the manuscript is uploaded.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Open to anyone writing in English.

• Submitters must be 18+ years of age.

• Translations are not eligible.

• Manuscripts may make use of other languages, as long as English remains the primary language throughout the work.

• Previously published manuscripts—including self-published or out-of-print works—are not eligible.

• Individual pieces may have appeared in magazines or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.

2026 JUDGE: K-Ming Chang is a Lambda Literary Award winner, a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, a Kundiman Fellow, and an O. Henry Prize Winner. She is the author of the novel Bestiary (One World/Random House, 2020), which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, and the Otherwise Award. Her story collection Gods of Want (One World/Random House) won a Lambda Literary Award, and her books have been translated into Spanish, Chinese, Korean, German, Turkish, and other languages. Her most recent books are Organ Meats (One World, 2023) and a novella titled Cecilia (Coffee House Press, 2024). In 2026, she will be making her YA debut with Straight to the Source, a rom-com forthcoming from Holiday House, and her second YA project, a novel-in-verse titled Girl Gods, will be forthcoming from Kokila (Penguin Random House) in 2027. Her next novel for adults, Needlemouth, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster on October 20, 2026.

texasreviewpress.org/submissions/clay-reynolds-novella-prize

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VSC Residency (JANUARY TO JUNE 2027)

Vermont Studio Center (VSC)

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: VSC’s residency program welcomes artists and writers working across all mediums and genres for two, three, and four week sessions.

Residents enjoy well-lit, private studios within a short walk to residency housing, dining hall, and local amenities. Studio spaces range from 170 - 300 square feet. Accommodations include a private room and shared common areas. The campus features include a print shop, digital lab, and metal, wood, ceramic facility. Studios are open 24 hours a day.

A VSC residency provides artists and writers the time and space to focus on their creative practice in an inclusive, international community within a small Vermont village. Residents can explore swimming holes, hiking and biking trails, as well as the rural charm of neighboring towns, while expanding their creative potential and building a solid network of friends and mentors.

PROGRAMMING: During each session, Visiting Artists and Visiting Writers are invited to join us for presentations, craft talks, one-on-one manuscript consultations, and individual studio visits. Residents can also enjoy open studio nights, resident presentations, and exhibition openings. All scheduled activities are optional. Residents are encouraged to unplug, completely immerse themselves in their work, and work at their own pace.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION: VSC is committed to creating a strong sense of community both locally and on campus. Once on campus, residents have the opportunity to participate in our Community Contribution Program by assisting in one of these areas: Kitchen, Campus Projects or Skill Sharing. No prior experience is necessary.

vermontstudiocenter.org/residency-program

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Research and Production Program

Wave Farm

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: From April–December 2026, Wave Farm's Research and Production Program features public presentations by visiting artists, activation of our new spatial sound studio, residencies in transmission arts and spatial sound, new radio art commissions, and a broadcast radio art research fellowship. In April, Daniel Neumann inaugurates our spatial sound studio with an onsite public program. Camille Wong and Jenni(f)fer Tamayo are in residence in June and July, respectively, each working towards a new work to be broadcast on WGXC 90.7-FM.

Wave Farm welcomes proposals from artists, researchers, and tinkerers for three open call research and production opportunities. The transmission art residency and fellowship opportunities support projects that specifically engage the field of transmission art. The spatial sound residency opportunity supports the development of an audio work for a spatial sound environment. Residents and fellows will have the opportunity to engage with Wave Farm’s FM station WGXC.

Review this page for program specifics, eligibility guidelines, information about the review process, and the application form. This page additionally contains a video tour of our Study Center workspace and accommodations for visiting artists and researchers. Questions? Email info@wavefarm.org.

• Residency: Transmission Art - During a 10-day residency at Wave Farm, the artist-in-residence will develop a new transmission artwork, informed by access to a research library, equipment, unique workspace resources, and on-site staff support. Projects at any stage are eligible. A stipend of $1,000 will be provided to the artist.

What is transmission art? Transmission art encompasses works in which the act of transmitting or receiving is not only significant, but the fulcrum for the artist’s intention. The genre involves a multiplicity of practices that often engage aural and visual broadcast media. In some instances, works for traditional broadcast are created, and at other times artists harness preexisting broadcast signals as source material manipulated in live performance, installation, and public interactive networks and tools.

• Residency: Spatial Sound - During a 10-day residency at Wave Farm, the artist-in-residence will develop a new spatial sound project. The resident will have access to a dedicated 8-channel spatial sound studio, as well as a research library, equipment, unique workspace resources, on-site staff support, and engineering support. For full technical specifications on the studio, click here. While projects at any stage are eligible, this opportunity is best suited for artists who have prior technical experience with creating work for a spatial sound environment. A stipend of $1,000 will be provided to the artist.

• Fellowship: Radio Art Research - During a 2-month engagement, the fellow will research and select radio artworks by historical and contemporary artists to add to Wave Farm’s Broadcast Radio Art Archive. The Archive is a research tool that comprises historical and contemporary international radio artworks created specifically for terrestrial AM/FM/Shortwave broadcast, whether it be via commercial, public, community, or pirate transmission. The Fellow will additionally produce a 2- or 3-episode special series featuring these archival selections to be broadcast on Wave Farm’s WGXC 90.7-FM.

The fellowship will commence with a 10-day visit to Wave Farm, where the Fellow will have full access to Wave Farm’s research libraries and resources. The rest of the fellowship will take place remotely. Fellowship Mentors will be available for consultation, leads, and feedback. A stipend of $2,000 will be provided to the fellow.

What is radio art? Radio artists explore broadcast radio space through a richly polyphonous mix of practices, including poetic resuscitations of conventional radio drama, documentary, interview and news formats; found and field sound compositions reframed by broadcast; performative inhabitations/embodiments of radio’s inherent qualities; and much, much more. Wave Farm continues to expand its working definition of radio art through the Wave Farm Radio Art Fellowship program.

ELIGIBILITY: Wave Farm's Research and Production Program application is an international open call. Applicants should make a compelling argument in support of their proposed project, and either possess a significant body of past transmission-related work or demonstrate the aptitude and capacity to complete the proposed project. Full-time students are ineligible; however, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for career artists and writers who may have returned to school for post-graduate work. DJ sets are not eligible projects. Past Wave Farm residents and fellows are eligible to apply.

REVIEW + NOTOFICATION PROCESS: Applications will be evaluated in a peer review panel composed of transmission artists, engineers, past residents and fellows, program mentors, and Wave Farm staff. For the residency and fellowship opportunities, the panel will prioritize proposals that deeply consider the medium of radio, including the act of transmission and reception, and proposals that are both conceptually and technically feasible. Applications are due by March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Finalists will be contacted for Zoom interviews and final notifications will be made in late May.

APPLICATION: A single application is used for all of the 2026 Research and Production opportunities. Applicants may submit to as many of the opportunities in the application as desired. Successful applicants will receive an offer for a single opportunity. Women, gender non-conforming people, and people of color are encouraged to apply.

WAVE FARM ENVIRONMENT:

• Grounds: The Wave Farm Study Center is situated on 2 acres in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountain Park. The property features meadows and two small ponds with large walking paths.

• Accommodations: Residents and Fellows are housed in the Wave Farm Study Center, which hosts one artist-in-residence or fellow at a time, or on occasion, more than one individual working as a collaborative duo or collective. Accommodations in the Study Center include two bedrooms (one full-sized bed each), studio workspace, kitchenette, lavatories up and downstairs, a shower, as well as the Study Center research library, WGXC 90.7-FM Acra broadcast studio, and Wave Farm offices. Please note: day visitors are welcome. Overnight guests (including family members) and pets are not permitted.

• Transportation + Meals: Residents and Fellows must pay for their own travel expenses, as well as expenses related to meals during their stay. Transportation is available from the Hudson Amtrak station, the Kingston bus station, or the Albany airport, as well as local transport for groceries and supplies. On a case-by-case basis, an advance portion of the artist fee or fellowship stipend will be made available to help offset travel expenses.

• Social Atmosphere: Residents and Fellows should expect plenty of focused work time. Staff is available for questions during business hours, but often working remotely. Residents and Fellows should anticipate a rural setting in upstate New York, which is home to a growing number of artists and other creative economy workers. Note: While visitors to the area might see signs and symbols of pride and inclusivity, be aware that contrasting imagery supporting Trump, Blue Lives Matter, and the Confederacy are present in the local area.

RETURNING RESIDENTS INVITATION: Once an artist participates in the Wave Farm Residency or Fellowship Program, schedules permitting, they are invited to return to Wave Farm for short-term overnight visits that include a broadcast on Standing Wave Radio and Wave Farm’s WGXC 90.7-FM. There is no cash artist fee available for these visits; however, overnight accommodation in the Study Center is provided. With advance permission, artists are welcome to bring a guest with them. This opportunity is available on a case-by-case basis, and artists are encouraged to make a request as far in advance as possible. To request a visit please email info@wavefarm.org.

wavefarm.org/ta/residency-program/info-apply

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call for submissions: Issue 15 - “Precarity, Fragility, Vulnerability”

PREE

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026

INFO: PREE is now accepting submissions for PREE 15!

The prompt for our fifteenth issue is the precarity, fragility and vulnerability felt by the microstates of the Caribbean and others in the face of the global philosophical, environmental, and ideological conflicts rapidly reshaping our world.

Translate this into poetry, song, story, essay, image-based work, video, any format that can be accommodated on our platform and submit your work by March 31.

Please note that submissions are open only to  authors with some connection to the Caribbean and to the seed awardees of our sponsor, the Prince Claus Fund. 

AWARDS: Exceptionally, PREE will be awarding the three most outstanding submissions with awards in the sum of USD1000 for first place, USD750 for second place and USD500 for third place. 

preelitmag.submittable.com/submit

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The Hudson Prize

Black Lawrence Press

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026

ENTRY FEE: $30

INFO: Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or prose (short stories or essays). Novels are not eligible for this prize. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes awarded on publication.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Entries are read blind by senior Black Lawrence Press editors and a rotating panel of former Hudson Prize winners. Recent members of the judging panel include:

• Jacob Appel, author of Mysteries and Conundrums of the Secondary Planets

• Gillian Cummings, author of My Dim Aviary

• Dana Diehl, author of The Earth Room

• Jeremy Griffin, author of Scream Queen

• JoeAnn Hart, author of Highwire Act & Other Tales of Survival

• Bettina Judd, author of Patient.

• Beth Mayer,  author of We Will Tell You Otherwise

• Greg Nicholl, author of Ghost in the Graveyard

Manuscripts should include a title page (listing only the title of the work), table of contents, and when appropriate, an acknowledgments page. Manuscripts should be paginated and formatted in an easy-to-read font such as Garamond or Times New Roman. Manuscripts should be 45-95 pages in length (poetry) or 120-280 pages in length (prose), not including front and back matter (table of contents, title page, etc.). Identifying information for the author should not be included anywhere on the manuscript itself. You are welcome to include a brief bio or something about yourself in your cover note on Submittable, which will only be made accessible to the editorial panel after the group of Semi-Finalist and Finalist manuscripts has been chosen.

Manuscripts containing individual stories, essays, or poems that have been previously published online or in print are absolutely eligible–please simply note previously published work on an acknowledgments page. On the other hand, if your manuscript has been previously published as a collection (including publication with a press, self-publication, online/digital publication, and publication in a small, limited-edition print run), then the manuscript is not eligible.

• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable and encouraged, but please notify us by withdrawing your manuscript on Submittable immediately if it is accepted for publication elsewhere.

• Multiple submissions (the submission of more than one manuscript to the contest) are permitted.

• Collaborative collections are welcome.

• Hybrid/multi-genre submissions are also welcome; please enter under the submission category that best fits your work.

• Novels and memoirs are not eligible. Prose refers to collected short fiction or essays.

blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR Web Edition Submissions: ‘REACTION’

Ninth Letter

DEADLINE: April 1, 2026 (For this issue, submissions are capped at 350 submissions per genre)

INFO: Ninth Letter accepts submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for our web issues to be published at ninthletter.com.

We find ourselves in a moment of American Reaction. But what sparks that reaction, and what is born out of it?  Send us your stories, poems and essays that react without or before forethought, or deal with its spurious repercussions. Render reactivity in digital and material and spiritual spaces in all its spectacle and earnestness. Show us poignant moments of unexpected emotion, or sudden bodily reflexes or the mind's recoil. We want characters caught in unforeseeable moments and narrators that drop their guard, or poems that embody one action’s equal and opposed reaction. We welcome writing that spans the spectrum of reactions – chemical, physical, biological, psychological and political – and pieces that capture reaction in all its possibility and detriment.

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 

You may submit up to three poems or one piece of short prose (fiction or nonfiction) of up to 3500 words; please also include a cover letter that briefly explains how you see your work connecting to the theme. Note: work submitted without this information may be withdrawn. Acceptable file formats are .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .pdf. 

We only accept submissions for web editions via ninthletter.submittable.com. Submissions sent via snail mail will not be considered for web editions. Email submissions are not accepted and will not be read. 

Unless otherwise requested, please submit only once per reading period. We do not accept submissions of previously published work (including work published on personal blogs or social media sites). Please do not send multiple submissions within the same genre. 

Simultaneous submissions are encouraged, but please withdraw any work accepted by another publication. 

Formatting Note: 

Or website does not allowed justified text, so works with fully justified text blocks will not be considered for publication. 

Publication Terms and Payment: 

Authors who work is selected for the web issue will be offered payment of $25 per poem or $75 per piece of prose, plus an exclusive discount for a one-year print subscription. 

ninthletteronline.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FICTION

Foglifter

DEADLINE: April 1, 2026

INFO: This issue's guest fiction editor is Apollo Chastain (he/they/she) who is either crying in the club or crying in the archive. Their work has been supported by the McCormack Writing Center (Tin House) and the Smithsonian Institution and appears or is forthcoming in journals includingPoets.org, theAmerican Poetry Review,Prairie Schooner,Ninth Letter, andShenandoah, among others. They are the recipient of an Academy of American Poets College Prize, nominee for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, and an MFA candidate in poetry at Washington University in St. Louis. Visit them atapollopoet.wordpress.com, or on Instagram @apollo.chastain

• Please send a single Word document with up to 7500 words of fiction (up to three flash fiction pieces). Make sure it is in standard double-spaced formatting and a readable font.

• No AI submissions — if a submission is suspected or found to be AI generated, it will be declined and we will not consider your work in the future. 

• For grant purposes, we cannot consider submissions that do not include a completed demographic survey with their submission.

• Because of the high volume of submissions that we receive in this genre, we are capping our fiction submissions at 250, so please submit sooner rather than later!

Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.

foglifter.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: nONFICTION

Foglifter

DEADLINE: April 1, 2026

INFO: This issue's guest nonfiction editor is Fargo Nissim Tbakhi, a Palestinian performance artist, and the author of TERROR COUNTER (Deep Vellum, 2025) and ANTIGONE. VELOCITY. SALT. (Deep Vellum, 2027). 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Please send a single Word document with up to 7500 words of nonfiction (up to three flash nonfiction pieces). 

• Please make sure it is in standard double-spaced formatting and a readable font.

• No AI submissions — if a submission is suspected or found to be AI generated, it will be declined and we will not consider your work in the future. 

• For grant purposes, we cannot consider submissions that do not include a completed demographic survey with their submission.

Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.

foglifter.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: HYBRID + DRAMA

Foglifter

DEADLINE: April 1, 2026

INFO: This issue's guest hybrid editor is Fargo Nissim Tbakhi, a Palestinian performance artist, and the author of TERROR COUNTER (Deep Vellum, 2025) and ANTIGONE. VELOCITY. SALT. (Deep Vellum, 2027). 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Send up to 20 pages of cross-genre work, text-image hybrids, or drama. 

• PDFs are accepted in this category.

• No AI submissions — if a submission is suspected or found to be AI generated, it will be declined and we will not consider your work in the future. 

• For grant purposes, we cannot consider submissions that do not include a completed demographic survey with their submission.

Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.

foglifter.submittable.com/submit

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Storyboard RESIDENCY

St. Mary’s College of Califonia

DEADLINE: April 1, 2026

INFO: Founded by writers working at the intersection of art, research and reporting, Storyboard emerges from the belief that ambitious projects rooted in fact—be they memoirs, historical novels, reportage, biographies, documentary poems, or anything in between—are vital to the public good and the literary landscape. And we know that writers cannot undertake these important projects in isolation. 

Join a small cohort of likeminded writers for a six-day residency at Saint Mary’s College of California. Our goal is to provide a supportive week of mentorship, inspiration and co-conspiracy for writers working on fact-based creative projects in any genre—an experience that will fuel their projects long after the residency has ended. 

WHAT IS STORYBOARD?

The Storyboard Residency is an immersive week of generative workshops, craft seminars and literary events organized to give writers new ideas, proven research methods and fresh ways of approaching their fact-based creative projects. Whether you’re an experienced writer or someone just conceptualizing their first project, Storyboard provides

This residential intensive promises deeper connections with fellow writers working at the intersection of research, reporting and imagination—and editors who help those projects find an audience. Your days and nights at the residency will include: 

• Three, two-hour generative workshops geared toward revision and generating new work

• Daily craft talks and presentations that shed light on new ways of approaching research, reporting, storytelling, ethics and language

• A manuscript consultation (up to 3,000 words) with a faculty member

• Panels with writers and editors to demystify the publication and editorial processes, understand how to plan and fund our research, and build stamina for a long-haul creative endeavor

• Conversations with writers, filmmakers and visual artists on their work, how it was made, and its reverberations in the world

• Ample time for writing, reading, reflecting and connecting with faculty and your fellow participants 

WHY STORYBOARD?

Writing a creative work rooted in facts is a long-term project that requires a blend of inspiration and discipline, spontaneity and process, isolation and co-conspiracy. 

The goal is for this six-day period to catalyze the next steps in your research, writing and creation.  

THIS RESIDENCY IS FOR:

• Experienced journalists looking to expand their work into an artful, book-length project

• Creative writers (fiction writers, memoirists, poets, etc) looking to infuse their art with reporting or research methods

• Academics looking to broader their writing to a more general audience

• Writers knee-deep in an ambitious, long-form writing project looking for community, guidance and inspiration

• Writers at the early stages of a  project who need support figuring out how to chart a path forward

• Writers who didn’t attend an MFA or journalism program and who are looking for structure and support for their project

• Anyone working in isolation on an ambitious, fact-based writing project who is seeking community and connection 

WHERE + WHEN:

Storyboard is a six-day residential experience on the campus of Saint Mary’s College of California in the San Francisco Bay Area from Monday, June 8th through Sunday, June 14th, 2026.

COSTS:

Storyboard tuition is $3,000. The experience includes on-campus accommodations and meals, participation in a three-day workshop, access to all panels, craft seminars and events, a manuscript consultation with one of our faculty, seminar leaders or expert panelists, and social gatherings throughout the week.  

ACCOMODATIONS:

Participants will stay on campus in ADA accessible dormitories with single bedrooms and shared bathroom and kitchen spaces. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus will be included—and the campus café, pub and bookstore will be open for informal gatherings throughout the week.  

stmarys-ca.edu/graduate-professional-studies/mfa-creative-writing/storyboard-residency

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - Bond of a Nation: Ekphrasis & the Promise of America

Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora

DEADLINE: AprIl 1, 2026 by 11:59pm CT

INFO: Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora is calling for submissions for themed issue 52.2 “Bond of a Nation: Ekphrasis & the Promise of America.” This project highlights collective participation in the making of contemporary America through the creative, accessible, long-valued, and multidisciplinary arts practice that is ekphrasis. To highlight the ideals, values, and promise of American democracy, Obsidian will foreground this popular form of expression, involving making new art through reflection on/engagement with existing art.

We seek meditations on works of public art, employing a broadened interpretation, including mural, sculpture, installation, etc., as well as national monuments, national parks, historic land­marks, and other sculpted spaces. We welcome poetry, fiction, nonfiction, criticism, drama, visual art, and audio/visual media in conversation with public art throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, and inhabited territories such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. We’re interested in a wide range of creative works—traditional, speculative, hybrid, multidisciplinary, and experimental artmaking. 

We encourage makers to reflect upon the fundamental and oft-cited “unalienable rights” among the concepts buttressing the premises of the American Declaration of Independence—“Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” We encourage an exploration of four key aspects of the “Bond of a Nation” symbolized by the American flag: Valor; Innocence and Integrity; Perseverance and Justice; and Collective Flourishing. 

Published in Fall 2026/Winter 2027, this special issue will feature an intergenerational variety of emerging and established artists and writers, alongside featured contributors, as we witness and respond to America’s rich 250-year legacy. At this pivotal anniversary, through ekphrasis centered on public art, we aim to honor the past making of America, shape the bounty of its present, and harness the evolving potential of its future.

For more on public art and the national park system, visit these comprehensive, searchable data­bases:

• Public Art Archive at https://www.publicartarchive.org 

• National Park System at https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/national-park-system.htm 

• National Monuments at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/monuments/visit.htm 

Editors for the Bond of a Nation: Ekphrasis & the Promise of America themed issue: Duriel E. Harris & Guest Editor D. Lenaé Littlefield

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Simultaneous submissions to other journals are welcome as long as they are identified as such and we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES: 

• Include a short cover letter noting the title(s) of the work(s) submitted as well as any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor.    

• Upload your text submission as a Word (DOCX), portable document format/PDF (PDF) or rich-text format (RTF) file. No Pages, TXT, or Open Office Documents.    

  • Typed, double-spaced (poetry may be single-spaced) pages.    

  • Numbered pages.    

  • Submissions should follow the Chicago Manual of Style for grammar and MLA format for citations and works cited, when applicable.    

  • Margins should be set at no less than 1” and no greater than 1.5”.    

• Poetry: submit up to five (5) poems totaling no more than eight (8) pages.   

• Fiction, Hybrid genre, and critical essay: 12-point font. No more than twenty (20) pages or 5000 words (whichever is achieved first). Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained.    

• Drama/Performance: submit one act or a collection of short scenes no longer than twenty (20) pages following Samuel French or the Dramatists Guild suggested formatting. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained.

IMAGE SUBMISSION GUIDELINESmage Submission Guidelines    

• Include a short cover letter noting the title(s) of the work(s) submitted as well as any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor.    

• Submit up to five (5) images totaling no more than 15 MB.    

• Upload your submission(s) as JPG, GIF, PNG, or TIF file(s) (TIF preferred) in 300 ppi at the size(s) intended to be used (Obsidian journal is 6" x 9").      

• Specify the orientation of the image(s) as portrait or landscape.

AUDIO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES udio Submission Guidelines    

• Include a short cover letter noting the title(s) of the work(s) submitted as well as any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor.    

• Submit up to five (5) sound files totaling no more than 30 MB.    

• Upload your submission(s) as MP3 or WAV file(s).

Video & Media Arts Submission Guidelines   

• Include a short cover letter noting the title(s) of the work(s) submitted as well as any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor.    

• Submit up to five (5) video and/or gaming files totaling no more than 800 MB.    

• Upload your submission(s) as M4V, MP4, MPG, MP3 or MOV files. 

RESTRICTIONS: We do not reprint previously published work.

Please note you can submit a total of seven (7) files but please follow the guidelines for the max requirements for each genre. This allows you to submit in more than one genre. Also, the total duration of audio and/or video files submitted is ten (10) minutes max for all files combined. 

Direct inquiries to bond@obsidianlit.org  

obsidian.submittable.com/submit/348652/bond-of-a-nation-ekphrasis-the-promise-of-america

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Call for Papers: Queering Our Silos: Gestures of Euphoria — Creative Arts Workshop Models for Appalachian LGBTQIA2S+ Community Building Conference

Southeastern College Art Conference (SECAC)

DEADLINE: April 1, 2026

INFO: Queering Our Silos: Gestures of Euphoria (2025–2026) is an ongoing creative research and community-engaged arts initiative designed to help arts communities across the Appalachian region move beyond isolation and build stronger, more intentional networks of collaboration. This proposed SECAC 2026 session invites artists, scholars, educators, and cultural workers whose practices intersect with queer worldmaking, community care, and embodied mark making to share and explore workshop models, pedagogical strategies, and creative interventions that disrupt disciplinary and regional silos.

Rooted in queer theory, decolonial studio pedagogy, and community-centered arts practices, this session aligns with the conference theme Interwoven: Threads, Patterns & Disruptions by centering the connective, relational, and improvisational gestures that shape queer creative life in Appalachia. The project spans LGBTQIA2S+ communities and allies across Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia—regions historically marked by resource disparities, geographic distance, and cultural fragmentation.

By framing queerness as a methodology of interlacing—of weaving together bodies, stories, materials, and practices—this session foregrounds gestures of euphoria as acts of repair, resilience, and collective imagination. Participants will consider:

• How can arts-based workshops serve as connective tissue across queer and allied communities in Appalachia?

• What kinds of mark making, performance, or storytelling practices foster joy, mutuality, and interregional exchange?

• How might creative collaboration disrupt entrenched silos in academic, community, and nonprofit arts contexts?

• In what ways can euphoria operate as a strategy of liberation, pedagogy, and cultural memory?

SESSION FORMAT: This 105-minute participatory session will include short presentations, roundtable dialogue, and hands-on micro-activities adapted from Gestures of Euphoria workshops. Presenters may share in-progress or realized workshop models, community-engaged projects, creative research, or pedagogical frameworks that uplift queer and trans voices across the Appalachian region.

CONTRIBUTIONS MAY INCLUDE:

• Community-engaged arts workshops

• Queer/trans-centered drawing, performance, or placemaking practices

• Interdisciplinary collaborations across the arts

• Creative research grounded in Appalachian identities, geographies, or histories

• Case studies from LGBTQIA2S+ arts organizations, collectives, or mutual-aid networks

• Pedagogies that foreground embodiment, euphoria, and care

• Digital and analog workshop tools designed for rural or under-resourced contexts

SESSION INFO:

• Dates: October 21–24, 2026 | Winston-Salem, NC

• Format: 105-minute in-person participatory session

• Session Chair: Dr. Maurice Moore, University of Tennessee–Knoxville

• Theme: Interwoven: Threads, Patterns & Disruptions

secac.secure-platform.com/a/

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2027 OPEN CALL

Creative Capital

DEADLINE: April 2, 2026 at 3:00pm ET

INFO: In celebration of 25 years of national artist support, the 2027 Open Call invites project proposals from individual artists for the Creative Capital Award and the new State of the Art Prize. All grants will be awarded via a national, open call, external review process.

The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of innovative, original, and imaginative new artistic works. The Award provides unrestricted project grants from $15,000 up to $50,000, plus professional development support, industry connections, and community-building opportunities.

The State of the Art Prize aims to recognize and support one artist from every U.S. state and inhabited territory, with an unrestricted artist grant of $10,000. Through the 2027 Open Call for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients for the new State of the Art Prize.

OVERVIEW:

Celebrating 25 years of national artist support, Creative Capital invites individual artists to apply for grants to create new works in the visual arts, performing arts (dance, theater, music/jazz), film, literature, technology, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms across all 50 states and territories. The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call will be the second year Creative Capital continues its goal to grant artists residing in all 50 states. See the complete list of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and 2026 Inaugural State of the Art Prize Artists in all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. in the press release.

Founded in 1999, our mission as a national nonprofit organization is to champion artistic freedom by providing grants and services to individual artists creating new work. The new State of the Art Prize is designed to help support more regional and rural artists, to invest in grassroots creative economies, and to foster a vibrant cultural landscape across the U.S. Both the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize support artists of all backgrounds at all career stages working across a range of disciplines, themes, and ideas.

Creative Capital Award

For the 2027 grant cycle, Creative Capital invites professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts (Dance, Theater, Music/Jazz), Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Creative Capital seeks new project proposals for formally and/or conceptually innovative works in all disciplines.

Creative Capital welcomes a full range of artistic approaches and thematic inquiries, including boundary-pushing formal explorations, as well as projects that engage urgent social issues of our time. Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that Creative Capital has not previously funded.

The Creative Capital Award aims to support approximately 50 new artistic works in the following areas:

• Visual Arts: architecture & design, craft, drawing, ecological art, illustration, installation, painting, printmaking, performance art, photography, public art, sculpture, social practice, sound art, video art, technology, and socially-engaged visual art

• Performing Arts: dance, jazz, multimedia performance, music, music theater, opera, theater, playwriting, technology, and socially-engaged performing arts 

• Film: animation, documentary film, experimental film, and narrative film 

• Literature: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays (playwrights please submit under Performing Arts/Theater)

Creative Capital’s transformative giving approach is built on the principle that artists need funding as well as networks and advisory services in order to realize ambitious projects and build thriving careers. Recipients of the Creative Capital Award will receive grant funding, professional development services, and community-building opportunities. Awardees will also have access to the Creative Capital Artist Lab—suite of online professional development courses.

The State of the Art Prize – NEW!

Through the 2027 Open Call process for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients of the State of the Art Prize. Now in its second year, this new national initiative aims to recognize one artist residing in each U.S. state and inhabited territory with a $10,000 unrestricted grant per artist. All applicants to the 2027 Open Call will be automatically considered for the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize. Both grants follow the same application, external review process, and evaluation criteria; there is no separate application process. State of the Art Prize recipients will also have access to the Creative Capital Artist Lab—a suite of online professional development courses.

State of the Art Prize recipients may apply again to future open calls for the Creative Capital Award. However, artists who have already received the Creative Capital Award may not apply for the State of the Art Prize. Both the State of the Art Prize and the Creative Capital Award are one-time awards.

ELIGIBILITY:

• US citizen, permanent resident, Tribal ID holder, or O-1 visa holder at time of application

• At least 25 years old at time of application

• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline

• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program at time of application

• May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year

• May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award

• May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year

• State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2027. Prize recipients must verify their state or territory of residence in order to receive the grant.

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional

• Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization 

• Curation or documentation of existing work

• Journalism projects and podcasts

• Educational projects intended for a student audience

• Children’s and young adult literature, and graphic novels

• Projects that will premiere or be completed before July 1, 2027

creative-capital.org/creative-capital-award/award-application

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Emerging Writer Fellowship

GrubStreet

DEADLINE: April 7, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship aims to develop new, exciting voices by providing three writers per year tuition-free access to GrubStreet’s classes and several key publishing/industry events. Over the course of one year, each Emerging Writer Fellow will attend a combination of seminars and multi-week courses of their choosing, along with a wide selection of other topical programming, in order to enhance their understanding of craft and the publishing industry.

We hope that this year's fellows will be able to join us in-person for classes and events. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston.

OVERVIEW: The Emerging Writer Fellowship will be awarded to three writers who demonstrate a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their writing abilities, and financial need. Any person 18 and older who demonstrates ability and passion for writing is eligible.

The Emerging Writer Fellowship will provide access to each of the following:

• 5 multi-week courses

• 5 three-hour seminars

• Access to key annual industry events and other craft-related programs.

• Access to GrubStreet's Director of Faculty & Fellowships and/or other program staff members for quarterly (or as-needed) office hours for personalized mentorship. (Optional)

• At the end of the program, fellows will also receive a complimentary one-year GrubStreet membership so they can continue enjoying extra community perks even after their program year ends.

IMPOTANT DATES:

• Notifications sent: end of May 2026

• Fellowship duration: June 2026 to June 2027

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

This fellowship is open to anyone 18 and older with a passion for writing. The fellowship specifically aims to assist writers in need of financial assistance in reaching their writing goals. We particularly encourage writers of color, ethnic minorities, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by the literary community to apply.

In the program's first year, we were able to offer one fellowship to one student. As of the 2018-2019 cycle, we were able to begin offering a second fellowship in memory of novelist Anita Shreve, longtime board member and dear friend of GrubStreet. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we now offer three fellowships each year.

HOW TO APPLY:

The Emerging Writer Fellowship Application Form will require the following:

A sample of your writing that demonstrates your artistic style and voice. 5-10 pages for prose, screenwriting, or playwriting. 3-7 pages for poetry.

A personal statement—no more than 500 words please!—which should include the following:

• How you envision using the fellowship.

• A description of your relationship to writing. By this we mean: what excites you about it? What does it mean to you personally?

• How the fellowship will help you in your growth and success as a writer.

• Your writing and workshop history (Note: Prior workshop experience at GrubStreet is not required).

QUESTIONS? If you have specific questions about the Emerging Writer Fellowship, email programs@grubstreet.org or call the office anytime at 617.695.0075.

grubstreet.org/write/emerging-writer-fellowship

ROLLING SUBMISSIONS

call for horror writers

Harriet’s House

DEADLINE: Rolling

INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2026/2027 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.

During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.

GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

Writers can send their stories to harrietshousemag@gmail.com

harrietshousemag.com

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call for submissions: “Notes, Commentary and Reflections”

Small Axe Journal

DEADLINE: Rolling

INFO: The Small Axe Journal is getting a new section. Named “Notes, Commentary and Reflections,” this section will feature pieces that address urgent contemporary issues in the Caribbean.

GUIDELINES: Submissions should have a maximum of 2,500 and should be uploaded to our submissions portal, which can be found on our website.

smallaxe.net/sx/submissions

FICTION / NONFICTION — FEBRUARY 2026

CALL FOR SHORT FICTION + ESSAYS: ACQUIRED TASTES ANTHOLOGY
(FROM YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 15-21)

Roxane Gay Books

DEADLINE: February 2, 2026 by 11:59pm PST

INFO: In 2014, I published an essay, “Not Here to Make Friends” where I wrote about the importance and delight of unlikeable female protagonists. Likeability, I said, was a very elaborate lie, a performance, a code of conduct dictating the proper way to be, a trap, constraining women to very narrow ideas about how they should be. In fiction, characters who don't follow this code are labeled as unlikable, as problems, as less worthy of taking up space on the page. I wrote the essay because of my own conflicted experiences with likability but also because I have spent a lot of time over the years thinking about unlikeable characters and how unfairly they are maligned. 

As I also noted in my essay, unlikable are characters I’m frequently drawn to. I want interesting characters to do bad things and get away with their misdeeds. I want characters to think ugly thoughts and make messy decisions. I want characters to make mistakes and put themselves first without apologizing for it. I want authenticity and to read stories about real people who aren’t always picture perfect. 

Because I remain fascinated by unlikable characters, I’m putting together Acquired Tastes, an anthology celebrating unlikeable characters: how we create them, how we understand them, how we love them and how they enrage us, and why they are so necessary to our stories. 

This call is for young adult writers, whose work I’d like to include in this anthology alongside some more familiar names. 

I’m looking for short fiction or essays, from young adults, ages 15-21. Submission guidelines are below. Please share widely with the younger writers you know who might be a good fit for this. Contributors will receive a payment of $1,000 upon publication in 2027 and a copy of the anthology.

GUIDELINES:

• Please submit via Submittable using the Acquired Tastes submissions option.  

• Only fiction and nonfiction will be considered. 

• An individual may only submit one submission, only as a Microsoft Word file.

• Submissions should not exceed 5,000 words. 

• Please include a brief (50-100 word) bio in your cover letter. If you don’t have a bio, that’s okay, too. Your writing will speak for you. 

gay.submittable.com/submit?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

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call for applications: Fall 2026 / Winter 2027 residencies

MacDowell

DEADLINE: February 10, 2026

INFO: MacDowell offers residencies at no cost to artists and provides need-based stipends to help cover expenses incurred during the residency, including rent, utilities, childcare, and lost income. Travel reimbursements are also available.
 
We welcome applications from artists of all backgrounds and nationalities in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

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Publication Intensive

Triple Canopy

DEADLINE: February 13, 2026 at 5 pm EST

INFO: The Publication Intensive is a free two-week program dedicated to the history and contemporary practice of publication. Each year we invite applications from those who are in the early stages of their careers (or enrolled in graduate programs) and have backgrounds in areas such as writing, art, literature, art history, technology, and design. During the Publication Intensive, participants develop research-based projects that hinge on new technologies and mine the history of print culture and artistic practice. Triple Canopy editors and collaborators lead discussions and workshops, which are augmented by a robust selection of readings.

The Publication Intensive addresses such questions as: How have artists, writers, and technologists used publications as vehicles for material experimentation, political expression, and the cultivation of audiences? What defines a publication today, and how is that definition complicated by shifts in labor conditions, technologies, and readerships? How can publication drive efforts to organize people and test out new ideas?

The program includes conversations led by artists, writers, and designers as well as visits to studios, archives, and cultural institutions. In previous sessions, we’ve been joined by Ben Davis, Mónica de la Torre, Malik Gaines, Yusuf Hassan, Ebony L. Haynes, David Horvitz, Steffani Jemison, Lotus L. Kang, John Keene, Nzinga Kendall, Prem Krishnamurthy, Stephen Kwok, Gerardo Ismael Madera, MSCHF, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Shanzhai Lyric, Simone White, and Ryan Clarke and S*an D. Henry-Smith from Dweller Electronics.

With support from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Triple Canopy is pleased to offer food and commuting stipends as well as a limited number of travel grants in 2026.

UPCOMING SESSION: June 1–12, 2026 in New York City.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

• What: The Publication Intensive is a two-week program dedicated to the history and contemporary practice of publication. This year’s session will also draw on the research and conversations being conducted by the editors as part of the magazine’s thirty-first issue.

• Where: The program will take place in person at Triple Canopy’s venue in Manhattan, and will include visits to publishers, archives, cultural institutions, and the studios of artists and designers.

• When: June 1–12, 2026. Sessions are held Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (with some variation).

• Who: The Publication Intensive is intended for recent college graduates, graduate students, and early-career practitioners. The program is multidisciplinary in scope; prospective participants might have backgrounds in writing, art, literature, art history, technology, and design, among other fields.

• Cost: Tuition is free, though participants must arrange and pay for their travel and accommodation. All reading and viewing materials will be provided free of cost.

• Stipend: Each participant will receive a $200 stipend to help defray the cost of transportation and food during the Intensive.

• Travel Grant: A limited number of travel grants are available to participants who are traveling from outside of the New York City area for the program. The application will ask whether you need financial assistance to help with travel costs. This information will not be used in the admissions process for the Publication Intensive. Grants will be between $250 and $750.

• Contact: Please contact us with any questions at edu@canopycanopycanopy.com.

canopycanopycanopy.com/initiatives

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call for submissions: Callaloo 44.4: Southern Voices 

Callaloo

DEADLINE: February 14, 2026

INFO: Callaloo seeks submissions for a special issue to commemorate the journal’s 50th anniversary. In 1976, Callaloo was founded to create a space for writers from the US South whose voices had been overlooked or excluded from mainstream American literature.

The issue, guest edited by our co-editor for Poetry Tyree Daye, will feature pieces by Southern writers or those living in, working in, or observing the South from another regional vantage point. We seek poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, scholarly articles, book reviews, interviews, and artwork for a survey of the contemporary arts and letters landscape in the South. 

GUIDELINES: All manuscripts must be double spaced (except poetry) and submitted only as a Word document (.doc or .docx). We suggest that prose manuscripts not exceed 6,000 words (excluding the abstract and references in the case of scholarly articles), although we will consider submissions of up to 10,000 words if the piece truly merits the length. All manuscripts should follow the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd edition) and include a works cited and endnotes, not footnotes. Callaloo's Style Guidelines can be downloaded here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All submissions made to the journal are considered final drafts. In order to honor our publisher's production schedule, manuscripts accepted for publication in Callaloo must be forwarded to our Production Editor immediately, allowing contributors no time to make revisions. Before submitting your work, please be sure that the manuscript being uploaded is the version you wish to ultimately see in print.

• Poetry submissions are limited to no more than six poems at a time (all in a single document) with a maximum of twelve poems by an author per calendar year. Additional poems (unless requested by an editor) will automatically be declined. 

• Prose submissions are limited to one manuscript per submission with a maximum of three submissions by an author each calendar year. Additional prose submissions (unless requested by an editor) will automatically be declined.

• Artwork must include the following information: title of piece, year created, media, dimensions (in inches), location of the piece.

We do not accept any unsolicited material that has been previously published. 

Please do not send revisions during the time your manuscript is being reviewed; those revisions will not be considered during the review process.

callaloo.submittable.com/submit/77ca8d3a-1a26-466b-8a36-e3ba59187a4c/44-4-southern-voices-callaloo-50th-anniversary

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The Mary McCarthy Prize in Short FictioN

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $34

INFO: The Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of literary fiction: short stories, flash fiction, or novellas in any combination. The prize includes $2,000, publication of the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge.

2026 JUDGE: Kaveh Akbar

ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open to any short fiction writer of English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. Individual pieces from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. To avoid conflicts of interest, close friends of a judge or current students in a degree-granting program with a judge are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Manuscript must be anonymous

• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. 

• Manuscript must be between approximately 150 and 250 pages 

• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents 

• Cover letter or manuscript should include acknowledgements list (a list of publications in which stories in the manuscript have appeared)

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication. 

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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The Sarabande Prize in the Essay

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $34

INFO: The Sarabande Prize in the Essay is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of literary nonfiction: an essay collection or book-length essay. The prize includes $2,000, publication of the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge.

2026 JUDGE: Aimee Nezhukumatathil

ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open to any nonfiction writing in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Individual essays from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. To avoid conflict of interest, close friends of a judge or current students in a degree-granting program with a judge are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Manuscript must be anonymous

• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. 

• Manuscript must be between 150 and 250 pages 

• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents 

• Cover letter or manuscript should include acknowledgements list (a list of publications in which essays in the manuscript have appeared)

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication. 

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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call for submissions: ‘Awakening’

Prarie Schooner

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026 (or until submission caps are met)

INFO: The Spring 2027 issue will mark the 100th anniversary of the first issue of Prairie Schooner, so we are seeking work on the theme of Awakening. Awakening, awareness, revival, rebirth. Our centenary coincides with overwhelming challenges to our freedoms, our cultures, our progress, our expression, and the next 100 years will be informed by the wisdom and invention of writers and thinkers, by strong voices, creative vision. We seek inspiring work that will carry us forward, or reflect on the past, work that will pose questions, or suggest answers. We want work that will invigorate with new understanding or break our hearts with it—all with insight and perspective, whether lyric or bold, quiet or insistent.

GUIDELINES:

• Fiction - Send one story at a time. Stories should be double-spaced and formatted using a standard font.

• Poetry - Send a single document containing up to 7 poems.

• Essay - Send one essay at a time. Essays should be double-spaced and formatted using a standard font.

  We're interested in reading imaginative essays of general interest. Scholarly articles requiring footnote references should be submitted to journals of literary scholarship. 

prairieschooner.submittable.com/submit

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Hub City Shorts

Hub City Writers Project

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Hub City Shorts is a series of publications edited by Gabriel Bump, Mesha Maren, and M. Randal O’Wain, coming in 2027 from Hub City Press. This design-forward, collectible series of small-format books celebrates short forms from new, established, and rediscovered Southern writers. Hub City Shorts will feature roughly six stories from six writers, collated by state. Our first two editions will feature South Carolina and Mississippi writers. Both editions will be published together in 2027.

With a distinctive design and collectible format, Hub City Shorts offers readers an elegant, portable way to experience the South’s most compelling stories—both new and rediscovered. The books will be slim and elegant–ideal for travel, gifting, or dipping into between longer reads. Beyond this initial states project, Hub City Shorts will enable Hub City Press to accommodate hybrid forms, novellas, book-length essays, and other works outside of the standard format.

Our first two editions will feature South Carolina and Mississippi. Both editions will be published together in 2027.

SUBMISSIONS: For our initial launch of Hub City Shorts, we'll be looking only for stories for our state editions. The editors will host an open a call for submissions for fiction from emerging writers for each state edition. The editors are looking for stellar short stories from early career writers who have been living in their home state for a total of 10+ years. The editors will solicit work for this series as well.

ELIGIBILITY:

Eligible writers must meet the following criteria:

1. Have not published a book or appeared in major national publications.

2. Were raised in South Carolina or Mississippi, or have lived in either state for at least 10 years.

GUIDELINES:

1. Submission must be a piece of short fiction that does not exceed 10,000 words.

2. Writers may submit up to two pieces of short fiction per entry.

3. Work previously published in regional or small circulation journals will be considered. Stories published in journals with major national reach are not acceptable for this call.

4. Please title your file with your last name, home state (SC or MS), and the title of your piece.

5. Submissions will be accepted in .doc, .docx, and .pdf formats and should be double spaced, paginated, and in Times New Roman or comparable font. Incorrect formatting will not result in automatic rejection, but be respectful of requirements for ease of reading for our editors.

6. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if the piece is accepted elsewhere. We prefer that unpublished pieces not be out with major national journals.

7. If the piece is accepted elsewhere, we may ask you to withdraw from consideration. Submissions must be sent via Submittable only. Mailed submissions will not be read.

hubcity.org/shorts

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FORGE FELLOWSHIP

Forge Project

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026, by 11:59pm ET

INFO: Forge Project is pleased to announce its open call for applications for its 2026 funded fellowship program for Indigenous cultural workers, organizers, scholars, artists, researchers, and educators!

Forge Project is seeking a 2026 cohort of six Indigenous individuals that represent a broad diversity of cultural practices, participatory research, organizing models, and geographical contexts that honor Indigenous pasts as well as build Native futures. Two of the six fellowships are awarded to enrolled tribal members, First- and Second-Line Descendants of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians in recognition of the peoples on whose homelands Forge Project is situated and to encourage site-specific and relational projects.

BENEFITS: Each Forge Project Fellow receives a total of $25,000 toward their practice and will have access to the Forge Project site, libraries, and lending collection of living Indigenous artists during a residency stay of up to three weeks.

Fellows have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Director of Indigenous Programs and Relationality Sarah Biscara Dilley (yaktitʸutitʸu yaktiłhini [Northern Chumash]) and Public and Relational Programs Coordinator Monica Sekaquaptewa (Diné & Hopi) to develop public programming, to make connections and build contacts, and for support or mentorship during their stay.

Applicants must be an enrolled member, citizen, or descendant with verification from the enrollment office of a state or federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native corporation, or of Native Hawaiian ancestry, a Canadian First Nations (status or non-status), Métis or Inuit to apply for the 2026 Forge Project Fellowship.

forgeproject.com/fellowship/how-to-apply

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call for submissions: spring 2026 Issue

Raat Ki Rani

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Raat Ki Rani publishes poetry, short stories, personal essays, screenplays, photography, and experimental work. We aim to uplift South Asian voices, queer voices, female voices, and voices from other marginalized communities, while remaining open to all writers and artists.

SPRING 2026 THEME: Pressed Petals (open to interpretation)

SUBMISSION:

We accept original, unpublished work. If your piece has appeared on a personal blog or a social page, that is completely fine. We simply ask that it has not been formally published elsewhere.

You are welcome to submit to multiple categories, but please only submit once per category.

• Poetry: 1–2 poems, max 5 pages total

• Screenplay: Short film or mini-series pilot, max 15 pages

• Short Story: 500–2,500 words

• Personal Essay: 500–1,500 words + 3–5 images

• Photography: 4–10 images + 200–500 word summary and/or 1-2 sentence captions

Other: We're open to new categories! Do you have a comic you've been working on? A completed short film you'd like to share? Do you have a scrapbook the world needs to see? You're welcome to submit!

RIGHTS: Once we publish your work, all rights remain with you. You are free to share or republish it anywhere else at any time.

PAYMENT: We are a reader-funded magazine offering $10 per accepted submission. As we grow, we hope to increase our rates. If your piece is selected for publication, we will contact you to arrange payment via your preferred method.

DONATE: Raat Ki Rani is fueled by community support. If you'd like to help us keep the magazine blooming, you can make an optional donation below. Thank you for supporting independent art!

EXPECTED RESPONSE TIME: 4-6 weeks

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9PrDym5qWhx9CS65FEszeE2u2VK1ORlc5PBHIubYSjEJZQQ/viewform

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CLBS Indigenous Writer in Residence program

Cranberry Lake Biological Station

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The CLBS Indigenous Writer in Residence program began in 2022. Its creation was spurred by the work of Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer who has and continues to draw inspiration from and write at Cranberry Lake Biological Station. The residency seeks to provide Indigenous writers with the space, time, and place to explore their creative endeavors.

THE RESIDENCY:

Cranberry Lake Biological Station is located in the heart of the Adirondack Park, on the ancestral lands of the Mohawk Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and has been in use as a living classroom for 105 years. CLBS provides seclusion for research, teaching, contemplation, and creative endeavors.

The residency consists of three, three-week residency slots are: May 24– June 12, June 14 – July 3, July 19- August 7. Housing, a private room with shared living space, three meals a day are provided at the station dining hall, and a workspace will be provided. The resident will also have access to all facilities including canoes, classroom spaces, microscopes, and the ability to join classes if desired. Additional needs and requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

ELIGIBILITY: The residency is open to Indigenous writers over 21 years of age who write poetry, plays/screenplays, fiction/short stories, and/or nonfiction.

FUNDING: The residency is fully subsidized and provides housing, food, and workspace space at no cost. In addition, the selected artist will receive a stipend/travel allowance of $1,000.

EXPECTATIONS: It is expected that each resident will offer two evening readings/discussion during the residency, one for students at the station and one for local residents, these programs will be planned in conjunction with CLBS staff. In the fall writers are asked to participate either virtually or in person in an event on the SUNY ESF main campus in Syracuse, NY alongside the other residents. Past residents are also asked to serve on the selection committee for the next year.

SUPPORT: The residency is funded jointly by the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment and Cranberry Lake Biological Station

esf.edu/clbs/iwr.php

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2026 Spring Artist in Residence Application

Creekside Arts (Freshwater, CA)

DEADLINE: February 15, 2026

INFO: At Creekside Arts, our mission is to create a dynamic and collaborative space where artists push the boundaries of their creative pursuits and engage deeply with one another and their audiences through residencies, workshops, and performances. We are seeking residency artists with an artistic project that focuses on land, place, nature, community and with a political/social consciousness. 

We are committed to fostering an environment of mutual inspiration, where artists pursue bold experimentation and learn from and inspire their peers. Committed to, and actively working towards equity, we welcome diverse voices and perspectives, inviting artists from all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences to enrich our community.  We welcome artists from a wide range of creative disciplines. 

Creekside Arts residencies offers an inspiring rural, natural setting among Northern California's coastal redwoods, providing a unique opportunity to reflect, create, and explore away from the hectic demands of daily life, and an ideal environment for individual and collaborative artistic work and expression. Through this collective creative energy, we aim to make a lasting impact on both the artistic landscape and the broader Humboldt community.

Please visit creeksidearts.org for more information about Creekside Arts and our residency programs.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Artists Arrive: 5/22/26 - 5/23/26

• Residency Begins: 5/24/26

• Residency Ends: 6/14/26

• Artists Depart: 6/15/26 - 6/16/25

MEDIUMS / DISCIPLINES:

• Visual

• Literary

• Researcher

• Performer

creeksidearts.org/residency

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: POETRY, FICTION, CREATIVE NONFICTION

steel wool magazine

DEADLINE: February 16, 2026

INFO: steel wool magazine is an independent, artist-run literary publication for the drifters and musers – for those suspended in space and stillness, who invite friction and interrogate what’s given. steel wool reaches wildly for the ether while digging its heels deep into Earth’s molten core. we seek to platform voices and stories that might not otherwise be heard, with particular attention to writers of color, women and others navigating the margins of literary culture. we solicit familiar obscurity and abstract mundanity. based in Los Angeles’ South Bay and founded by a young Black woman, steel wool mag is a new press seeking innovation.

GUIDELINES: writers may submit one piece per category (poetry, fiction, or nonfiction) during the submission period. we also welcome pieces that push the bounds of genre. please do not submit multiple pieces in the same category for this issue.

• short fiction (up to 3,500 words)

• poetry (up to 3 poems with a soft cap of ~6 pages total)

• creative nonfiction (up to 3,500 words)

we ask that all submissions be previously unpublished.

simultaneous submissions are welcome. if your work is accepted elsewhere, please notify us promptly so we can withdraw it from consideration.

RESPONSE TIME: we aim to respond to all submissions within 6-8 weeks of the submission deadline.

COMPENSATION: steel wool mag is an independent, artist-run publication in its first issue. contributors whose work is selected for issue 00 will receive a $25 honorarium, along with two complimentary copies of the print zine. we value transparency and care deeply about the labor of writers, and we hope to grow toward increased compensation in future issues.

form.typeform.com/to/stsecRUU

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special prizes

Lambda Literary

DEADLINE: February 20, 2026

INFO: Lambda Literary hosts a number of special prizes recognizing the outstanding contributions made by individuals to LGBTQ+ literature, culture, and community. These cash prizes are made possible by the generosity of our donors and announced around the Lammys.

1.The Karla Jay Prize for Emerging Writers in Gender and Sexuality Studies - The prize recognizes an individual with an emerging career in Gender and Sexuality Studies research, writing, and publication. The winner will receive a cash prize of $1,500.

Eligibility and Application Instructions:

• “Emerging” is here defined as having authored and published fewer than two (2) substantial works of greater than 40,000 words on the topic or earning less than 20% of annual income from publication, promotions, or speaking engagements on gender studies.

• Applicants will be asked to supply a 1-page personal statement, bio of up to 300 words, and a writing sample.

2. The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence - The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is named in honor of Michael Denneny, who founded the first ever LGBTQ+ imprint at a major publishing house, was essential in the publishing of literature dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and so generously shared his talents with writers right up until the end of his life. The award will go to an editor whose commitment to the publication of LGBTQ+ writers and literature contributes significantly to the advancement of the LGBTQ+ community. The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is the only editorial award that not only recognizes the support provided by editors to the literary community, but also the importance of editors in the advancement of a social movement. The winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500.

Eligibility and Application Instructions:

• The award will go to an editor whose commitment to the publication of LGBTQ+  writers and literature contributes significantly to the advancement of the LGBTQ+  community. Candidates can work in any genre, be at any publication, and be at any stage of their career.

• Nominations for the Denneny Prize may be made by anyone. Submission materials will require that the applicant provide samples of the nominee’s work as well as a personal statement on how the nominee has impacted their work/life and why they should be awarded this prize.

3. The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing - The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing is presented in memory of the celebrated author and long-time SF Chronicle book review editor Patricia Holt and honors LGBTQ Critical Writing on Arts & Literature. The award will go an LGBTQ arts critic or literary reviewer committed to examining queer works of art and culture, as Holt ground-breakingly did for 16 years. This award is made possible by Lesbians for Good, a fund of the Horizons Foundation, and includes a cash prize of $4,000.

Eligibility and Application Instructions:

• The applicant must identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

• Applicants must submit work that is published in a publicly available print or online periodical.

• All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.

4. Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction - Lambda Literary’s Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction, in memory of the beloved activist and author, honors lesbian/queer-identified women and trans/gender non-conforming nonfiction authors. The award will go to a writer committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history. The winner of the prize will have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking and challenging work. The award was introduced in 2018 and includes a cash prize of $2,500.

Eligibility and Application Instructions:

• The award is for a writer, not a book. The application must therefore focus on prior and ongoing writings, showing the author’s commitment to lesbian/queer nonfiction (including, but not limited to: memoir, biography, history, philosophy, and social justice genres and themes).

• Applicants must submit a sample from an already published book of no more than 20 pages, as well as a sample from (or outline of) ongoing work. (Maximum 10 pages.)

• All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.

5. Jim Duggins, PhD Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize - Dedicated to the memory of author and journalist Jim Duggins, this prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation and following, and show promise to continue publishing high quality work for years to come.

This award is made possible by the James Duggins, PhD Fund for Outstanding Mid-Career LGBTQ Novelists, a fund of the Horizons Foundation, and includes a cash prize of $5,000.

Eligibility and Application Instructions:

• Applicants must have published at least three novels, or two novels and a substantial additional literary work (including poems, short stories, and/or essays).

• Awards shall be made to authors of demonstrated ability and with promise for growth in their writing.

• Candidates’ contributions to the LGBT literary field beyond their writings and publications shall also be considered.

• Applicants must submit a sample from an already published book, no more than 20 pages, as well as a sample from (or outline of) ongoing work. (Maximum 10 pages.)

• All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email.

6. The J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50 - The J. Michael Samuel Prize honors emerging LGBTQ writers over the age of 50. This award is made possible by writer and philanthropist Chuck Forester, who created it out of the firmly held belief that “Writers who start late are just as good as other writers, it just took the buggers more time.” The prize will go to an unpublished LGBTQ writer over 50 working in any genre.

The award includes a cash prize of $5,000. 

Eligibility and Application Instructions:

• Requires a 1-page personal statement (up to 500 words) and 10-page writing sample

• Applicants must be unpublished and have no works under contract or forthcoming from a publisher. (Up to 1 self-published book is acceptable). “Unpublished” here is in regard to books. Writers with bylines for short stories, poetry, and essays are still eligible.

• All materials must be received by the deadline and submitted through our Submittable portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Do not submit materials via email. 

lambdaliterary.org/awards/special-awards/

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: TWINDEX: A Twin Studies (Tw)Intervention

Addie Tsai / Marta Croll-Baehre / Emma Croll-Baehre

DEADLINE: February 22, 2026

INFO: For their "Twindex" anthology, editors Addie Tsai, Marta Croll-Baehre, and Emma Croll-Baehre seek individual or joint submissions from twin scholars, writers, and artists reflecting on twinhood, whether critically, historically, artistically, or personally.

Please submit an abstract for scholarly articles or complete creative works, including creative prose or mixed media creative responses that can be included in a print anthology (such as visual and hybrid work).

They accept reprints and simultaneous submissions. 

docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/10Y5HnucgAgs4HoltkeCXx2KPUWk5tMRZO3_jhgCkiO4/mobilebasic

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MACONDO WRITERS WORKSHOP

Macondo Writers Workshop / Trinity University (San Antonio, TX)

DEADLINE: February 22, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $37

INFO: The Macondo Writers Workshop is an association of socially-engaged writers working to advance creativity, foster generosity, and serve the community. Founded in 1995 by poet and writer Sandra Cisneros and named after the town in Gabriel García Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, the workshop gathers writers from all genres who work on geographic, cultural, economic, gender, and spiritual borders. An essential aspect of the Macondo Workshop is a global sense of community; participants recognize their place as writers in our society and the world. We are also experienced writers who demonstrate a professional or master’s level of writing. Qualified applicants must meet both criteria. Excellent writing does not excuse poor community spirit; vice-versa, an impressive record of community involvement does not excuse poor writing. Macondo is a gift we give to one another, with willing hands and open hearts.

Macondo Writers Workshop is a weeklong experience for professional writers that is made up of daily workshops with guest faculty, optional afternoon seminars, and evening public readings. We normally hold the workshop annually the last week of July in San Antonio, Texas.

In your first year as a new member, you must participate in a workshop. However, if you return to the Macondo Writers Workshop in the future, you have the option of coming as either a workshop participant or as a Chuparosa (hummingbird), a designation for Macondistas who choose to come and work independently during the workshop time, but who participate in seminars, readings, and within the wider community activities during our week together. Returning Macondistas do not have to reapply to come back again, but they do need to submit an application for the workshop they would like to join, or sign up as a Chuparosa.

When you apply for the workshop, whether you are new or returning Macondista, you select the workshop that you would like to join. We offer workshops across different genres (fiction, poetry, non-fiction, etc.) and each year we invite different distinguished guest faculty. Some past faculty have included: the Poet Ai, Joy Harjo, Julia Alvarez, Helena María Viramontes, Marjorie Agosín, Ruth Behar, Leslie Marmon Silko, Richard Blanco, Sandra Cisneros, John Phillip Santos, Dorothy Allison, Sherwin Bitusi, Luis Rodríguez, Joy Castro, Manuel Muñoz, and others. Acceptance to workshops is based on availability, with workshops generally limited to ten participants.

LOCATION / DATES: Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas July 20-26, 2026

WHAT DOES THE WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE LOOK LIKE?

The workshops are either generative workshops or reading/response workshops. In reading/response workshops, all the participants and faculty read and comment on the manuscripts (usually 10-20 pages) of all their workshop cohort ahead of Macondo. During the workshop week, participants meet every afternoon for three hours and give feedback to two writers in the workshop each day. These morning sessions are confidential and it is mandatory that all participants attend and participate fully. Generative workshops do not require submission of manuscripts. The writing and sharing of writing happens within the workshop week.

As a participant you agree to abide by the Compassionate Code of Conduct, a charter our members have developed to make this workshop experience different. You can expect critical insight and critique, but this is made within a kind, generous, and generative community. Many lasting friendships, collaborations, and projects have grown out of this space. Our mission, then, is to help each other create community, assist others as activist writers, and to continually grow to be better, more empathic, compassionate individuals.

WHO CAN APPLY?

You! We are a group of experienced writers who demonstrate a professional or master’s level of writing. The workshop gathers writers from all genres who work on geographic, cultural, economic, gender, and spiritual borders. Qualified applicants must meet both high writing standards and dedicated community involvement. It is a highly competitive process and you must be willing and able to offer rigorous, helpful critiques. Excellent writing does not excuse poor community spirit; vice-versa, an impressive record of community involvement does not excuse poor writing. Please review the application for additional details. Each year we accept 3-4 new Macondistas in each workshop. It is a highly competitive process, and writers who do not get accepted are welcome to reapply again in the future. We add a small cohort each year to make sure that we have the resources and space to accommodate their participation and experience. Once you have been accepted you can apply to return to future workshops. At this time we do not have formal requirements for members. We strongly encourage active engagement. Stay in touch with Macondo, share accomplishments and publications, give back regularly, and volunteer to help!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

We aim to keep workshop costs as low as possible to maximize participation. Workshop costs will be posted at the same time as the applications open.

Costs in 2026:

• $855 for Workshop classes

• $350 for Chuparosas (Chuparosa participation is open to returning Macondistas only.)

• $688 for room and board, includes: Single lodging (shared bathroom), breakfast and lunch, linens and facilities. Early Sunday arrival can be added for an additional $35.

• $279 Commuter pass is required for all participants staying off campus.

Participants are responsible for covering the cost of their own transportation, dinners, and incidentals.

ARE THERE SCHOLARSHIPS OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE?

There are no waivers to cover the $37 workshop application and processing fee. A limited amount of partial and full scholarships will be available to accepted participants to attend the workshop, with preference for first-time Macondistas. This amount varies based on the amount of donations that come in and distributed in a way that allows for maximum participation.

macondowriters.com

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Open Call for early career artists

The Shed (New York, NY)

DEADLINE: February 24, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: Born out of The Shed’s commitment to act as a platform for NYC-based, early-career artists working in a range of artistic disciplines, Open Call selects, fosters, and presents new work. The program showcases a wide, multiborough range of voices, lived experiences, and perspectives, demonstrating the multitude of ways in which artists are working today.

It embraces proposals for new works in disciplines including the visual arts, theater, dance, music, performance, spoken word, literary arts, film, fashion, art and technology, new media, social practice, and public art and architecture, as well as across multiple and new disciplines. As with all Shed civic programs, we center Black, POC, people with disabilities, and other communities that have been historically excluded and most impacted by structural racism and other forms of oppression.  

Participants for Open Call's fifth edition will be selected in fall 2026. Projects will be reviewed in spring/summer 2026 by more than 60 independent leaders across artistic fields, including artists, cultural programmers, curators, producers, academics, and members of The Shed’s program team. The Shed will support selected projects with a commissioning fee of up to $15,000 of producing stewardship per artist or collective as well as in-kind financial, artistic, and production support managed by The Shed.  

ELIGIBILITY:

Open Call accepts applications from artists who are:

• Early-career artists and art collectives

• 18+ years old

• Currently living or working in New York City

• Able to provide a W9 for payment

• With or without a traditional arts degree and/or training

• Working in a range of artistic disciplines, including the visual arts, theater, dance, music, performance, spoken word, literary arts, film, fashion, art and technology, new media, social practice, and public art and architecture, as well as across multiple and new disciplines

FAQs

Who is considered an “early-career” artist?

For The Shed, an early-career artist is one who has not yet received major support to create new work. We define major support as a range of opportunities, from the receipt of substantial institutional funding to presenting and/or producing opportunities at large-scale cultural organizations. There is no age limitation.

Do I have to live in New York City to apply? What if I work in New York City but live somewhere else?

If you do not live in one of the five boroughs of New York City, but you work predominantly in New York City, your application will be considered. You will be asked to provide a New York City working address in your application.

If work has been shown elsewhere, can it be considered a new commission?

Some projects may have been shown in the past, for example in school, a work-in-progress showing, or included in a public program like a reading or workshop. In the Submittable application, you will be prompted to explain how your project would transform in The Shed’s presentation and how your proposed work or any its components have been shared in the past in any form.

We are looking for new work but understand that each artist has different development processes, with moments of public showing and feedback as part of them.

theshed.org/program/485-open-call-applications

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CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2026 Next Generation Short Story Awards

Short Story Awards

DEADLINE: February 26, 2026

INFO: The Next Generation Short Story Awards, currently in its third year, is a not-for-profit international awards program for authors of short stories. The Short Story Awards is brought to you by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, an international book awards program for independent and self-published authors.

The Short Story Awards is now accepting entries, i.e. short stories and poems in English (5000 words or less) for the 2026 awards program in 30+ categories. The entry fee is $25 for the first category and $20 for every additional category entered for the same story. The entry deadline for the 2026 year is Thursday, February 26, 2026.

Winners and Finalists will be announced in mid-May. Winners in each of the 30+ categories are given cash prizes, gold medals, complimentary digital promotional stickers, social media coverage, literary exposure with their stories published in an Anthology of Winners, and a complimentary copy of the Anthology of Winners. Three Grand Prize Winners will be selected from all entries received and will be awarded cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 based on their order of win. All Grand Prize Winners are invited to attend the Indie Book Awards gala ceremony.

shortstoryawards.com

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Call for proposalS: The Dominican Writers Conference 2026

Dominican Writers Association (New York, NY)

DEADLINE: February 27, 2026

INFO: The Dominican Writers Association is now accepting proposals for the Dominican Writers Conference 2026: Reclaiming Our Palabras, taking place May 1–3, 2026 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.

We invite writers, educators, artists, and cultural workers to submit proposals for panels, writing workshops, and interactive sessions that provide clear educational, craft-based, or professional development value to writers across genres and career stages.

Grounded in the theme Reclaiming Our Palabras, the conference centers Dominican stories, language, and lived experience, while creating space for meaningful conversations about craft, publishing, identity, and creative sustainability. Programming reflects the Dominican Writers Association’s long-standing focus on fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and children’s literature within the U.S. publishing landscape.

The Dominican Writers Conference exists to support emerging and established writers through intentional programming that builds skill, knowledge, and community.

For more information, email Dwconference@dominicanwriters.org 

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPeEwztIx3_9saiCnubk7MEs2ibknMWhi-EbAfnHBoDIuR5A/viewform

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open call - ‘Mosaic #45’

Mosaic

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026 11:59pm EST

INFO: Mosaic seeks work by writers and visual artists of African descent that engages the idea of Haiti, Spirals, and Spiralism. Work that resists containment and convention. Work that moves through memory, relation, repetition, rupture, and return. Let your work spiral outward, inward, backward, forward.

tasha dougé , a Bronx-based visual artist and cultural vigilante, was recently invited to curate a series of public programs celebrating the cultural resilience of Haiti. As a culminating project, dougé will serve as guest editor of Mosaic #45. Submissions should center on but not be limited to Haiti, Spirals, and Spiralism, the revolutionary Haitian literary and philosophical genre that understands life as relational, dynamic, vibrational, and continuously unfolding (in motion). 

Emerging from Haiti in the 1960s through the work of frankétienne, René Philoctète, and Jean-Claude Fignolé, Spiralism reimagines narrative form itself: spiraling outward from multiple centers, embracing fragmentation, polyphony, and the simultaneity of past and present. Spiralism resists linear thinking and does not move in straight lines. It circulates. 

It approaches life through movement, recurrence, and interconnectedness, where meaning is created through relationships between history and memory, sensation and language, the personal and the collective. It is the colors, odors, sounds, signs, and words, along with the fragments and secondary materials gathered to re-create/re-form the living whole. By refusing a single narrative or closed idea, Spiralism reconciles art with life, disrupting the rigidity or hypocrisy of the Word. At its core is the complete genre: a space where novelistic description, poetic breath, theatrical effect, narrative, autobiography, story, fiction, and experimentation coexist in harmony – without hierarchy, without apology, without permission. Spiralism is fluid, layered, AND alive.

Mosaic is a literary print and virtual magazine that showcases the work of writers of African and Latinx descent. Each issue is curated by a respected guest editor, who selects a range of works that represent the diversity of the African diaspora and the themes featured during the Mosaic Literary Conference. The result is a collection of literature that is both captivating and thought-provoking.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSex_HvznCdQnDDSRSvQTwuFvIvZgRj9ZdMW4r4dEFG_DG16hQ/viewform?pli=1

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Editorial Fellowship

A Public Space

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

INFO: The Editorial Fellowship is a program for aspiring editors. It is our hope to support the next generation of editors who will offer a more diverse publishing community—culturally, aesthetically, economically.

This is a 6-month working fellowship, and is designed to provide practical, hands-on experience as well as mentorship and education in editing and independent publishing. A Public Space is an independent, nonprofit publisher, and the Editorial Fellows will be an integral part of the staff and involved with all programs, which include a literary and arts magazine, A Public Space Books, an academy, and APS Together, a series of virtual book clubs.

The Editorial Fellows' responsibilities will include assisting with management of submissions; reading and reporting on incoming manuscripts; research; proofreading; assisting with marketing and publicity; and general office work, including filing, responding to emails, newsletters, website updates, and database maintenance.

Additionally, the Editorial Fellows will participate in editorial meetings; receive training in all aspects of editing, from evaluating submissions through to publication of a piece; meet regularly with the senior editorial staff to discuss the role of the editor and publishing history; and serve as the lead editor for a piece to be published in the magazine.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

Time Period and Compensation: The 2026 Editorial Fellowships period is approximately six months, from June 1, 2026 through November 30, 2026. The Fellows will work on their own schedule, and will have responsibilities of approximately fifteen hours weekly. They must be able to attend up to two weekly meetings (virtual and in person) during regular office hours. The Fellows will receive compensation of $6,000.

ELIGIBILITY: A strong interest in contemporary literature and a career in publishing. The ability to work independently, and to bring curiosity and initiative to their work. Excellent verbal and written English-language communication skills. A commitment to meeting deadlines. Individuals who bring diverse experiences and new perspectives to our work are especially encouraged to apply. Some experience in editorial work is preferred but not required. Preference will be given to aspiring editors who have not worked extensively in literary publishing, and who may have limited access to career opportunities in the industry. Editorial Fellows must be residents of New York City for the duration of the Fellowship. Proof of residency will be required. A Public Space reserves the right to invite candidates to apply. Unfortunately, A Public Space is unable to sponsor work visas.

Timeline: Applications for the 2026 Editorial Fellowships will be accepted via Submittable from January 5, 2026–February 28, 2026. Submissions for the Fellowships close at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on February 15, 2026. Successful applicants will be informed no later than April 10, 2026. The Fellowships will begin June 1, 2026.

PROCEDURE:

Please submit the following:

—A résumé

—As one file:

• A statement describing your interest in editing and independent publishing; the influences and experience that you will bring to your work as an Editorial Fellow; and your goals for the fellowship and beyond. Please also include where you heard about the Editorial Fellowships.

• A short excerpt from a work by an under-recognized writer; and a brief statement (250 words max.) on the writer and why you feel work such as this should be championed by editors.

• A statement (250 words max.) about one author published by A Public Space, either in the magazine or A Public Space Books, and how their work resonates with your editorial interests.

• Each Editorial Fellow serves as the lead editor for a portfolio that will appear in the winter issue of the magazine. This project starts with developing an idea for an Open Call for submissions. Please submit a short paragraph outlining two potential ideas for an Open Call, and your interest in these topics.

Note that only PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx) are accepted. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Questions? Contact us at office@apublicspace.org.

apublicspace.org/about/fellowships/editorial-fellowship 

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the Autumn House Fiction Prize

Autumn House

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

READING FEE: $35 (We will waive the submission fee for those undergoing financial hardship or living with limited means. Before you reach out to request a waived fee, please read our full statement and instructions here. If the guidelines are not followed, we will not be able to offer a waived fee.

INFO: For the 2026 prize, the Autumn House staff as well as select outsider readers, serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is Amber Sparks.

PRIZE: The winner receives publication of their full-length manuscript and $2,500.

GUIDELINES:

• The winner will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book

• All finalists will be considered for publication

• Fiction submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (37,500- 75,000 words)

• All fiction sub-genres (short stories, short-shorts, novellas, or novels) or any combination of sub-genres are eligible. Autumn House does not publish genre fiction; however, this certainly doesn’t mean your book can’t have elements of mystery, fantasy, romance, etc. We also do not publish YA or children’s lit.

• The book must be previously unpublished as a whole. However, individual pieces may have been published in journals, magazines, or anthologies.

• We only accept original manuscripts; AI-generated or AI-supported works are not accepted.

• Do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript

• Do not include a bio or an acknowledgments page in the manuscript

• Feel free to include a table of contents (This does not count as part of your final page count)

• Simultaneous submissions permitted

• Friends, family members, and former students of judges or Autumn House editors may not submit to the prize. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships.

• Former employees of Autumn House, including interns, may not submit to the prize.

Finalists and the winner in June 2026.

autumnhouse.org/submissions/fiction/

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call for authors + illustrators

Latinx KidLit Book Festival

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

INFO: Attention Latinx authors and illustrators with an original book (traditionally published) releasing in 2026: Our 2026 Latinx Kidlit Book Festival participant application is open!!

Please keep in mind that we would love to showcase all Latinx authors and illustrators, but we only have a limited number of slots.

The Latinx KidLit Book Festival Planning Team uses a selection process to invite authors and illustrators to participate in the festival. To be considered, authors and illustrators must complete our online application form and comply with our submission guidelines. 

Our Festival Planning Team will make invitation decisions based on our programming needs. 

To ensure a wide range of inclusivity and representation, we reserve the right to choose participants by direct invitation.

By filling out our form you confirm that:

• You are a traditionally published author or illustrator with national distribution and a book releasing in 2026. Paperbacks MUST be original book releases.

• You are an author or illustrator of children's books.

• You self-identify as a member of the Latinx community. (Latinx is not tied to any specific race, but is rather a classification term referring to people with cultural ties to Latin America.)

NOTE:

• All invitations will be sent before August 1, 2026. If you have not heard back by that date, we encourage you to apply for the following year's festival. Please do not email the festival team asking about the status of your submission. We have limited human resources and cannot respond to every individual request.

• The Festival has a strict, one-event-per-participant policy. This ensures equitable participation and creates room for as many book creators as possible.

• If you’re a creator submitting yourself, please check with your publicists before completing this form to prevent duplicate submissions.

latinxkidlitbookfestival.org/how-to-participate-author-illustrator

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2026 Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

Brink Literary Journal

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

ENTRY FEE: $25 (a limited number of fee waivers are available upon request. Email info@brinkliterary.com for more information)

INFO: The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing is a literary contest that recognizes and awards hybrid and cross-genre writing that is exceptional in nature. Initial screening for the prize is facilitated by Brink Editors. The winner, selected by the contest judge, is announced in early May.

CONTEST RULES:

The contest is open to all writers and artists who identify their work as hybrid or cross-genre in nature.

• Submit up to 15 pages of unpublished work 

• One previously unpublished submission per entrant

• All entries will be read anonymously. Before you submit, please remove your name and any other identifying information from your submission

• Family, colleagues, intimate friends, and contributors previously published in Brink Literary Journal are ineligible

CONTEST PRIZE

• $1,000

• Publication in the fall issue of Brink Literary Journal

• 4 copies of the journal issue in which the winning submission appears

​2026 JUDGE: Diana Khoi Nguyen is the author of Root Fractures and Ghost Of, a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the 2019 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. She is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and her video work has been exhibited at Miller ICA. A Kundiman and MacDowell fellow, and member of the Vietnamese artist collective, She Who Has No Master(s), Nguyen teaches creative writing in the MFA programs at Randolph College and the University of Pittsburgh.

brinkliterary.com/award-for-hybrid-writing

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call for fiction submissions

The Brooklyn Review

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

INFO: The Brooklyn Review looking for urgent, atmospheric narratives; deeply inhabited characters; formal invention; precision of language; self-aware humor; polished, thoughtful stories. 

We generally publish work between 3,000 and 7,000 words.

Please review our submission guidelines carefully and send us only your best work.

bkreview.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR POETRY + PROSE

Ninth Letter

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

READING FEE: $3 reading fee.

INFO: Ninth Letter is published semi-annually in print at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. We are interested in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work. 

We do not accept previously published work, including self-published work on websites, blogs, etc. Simultaneous submissions are welcome! Please send a message withdrawing your poem(s) or flash piece(s) immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Please only send only one submission per genre at a time. We ask that previous contributors wait three years from your publication date before submitting again. 

We accept electronic submissions via Submittable. We do not accept submissions by email attachment. Email submissions will not be read.

To see what we publish, you can purchase our current issue or a subscription via Submittable. All issues (including back issues) can be purchased here. 

PRINT SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES:

• Poetry Guidelines: Please submit 3-5 poems (max. 8 pages) at a time.

• Creative Nonfiction Guidelines: For creative nonfiction, submit one essay up to 8,000 words at a time. For flash, you may submit up to 3 pieces with a total word count totaling no more than 4,000 words.

• Fiction Guidelines: For fiction, submit one story up to 8,000 words at a time. For flash, you may submit up to 3 pieces with a total word count totaling no more than 4,000 words.

If you classify your work as "hybrid," please submit to the genre category you feel your submission most closely applies. You are welcome to leave a note in the cover letter field with any details you think our reading team would find helpful. We will make sure your submission gets to the right team and receives the attention and consideration it deserves. 

PUBLICATION TERMS & PAYMENT:

Ninth Letter pays $25 per poem and $100 for prose upon publication and two complementary copies of the issue in which the work appears. Contributors also receive an exclusive subscription discount offer at the time of acceptance. Ninth Letter acquires First North American Serial Rights (FNASR). We ask that you acknowledge Ninth Letter upon reprint of your work.

RESPONSE TIME:

We strive to respond to your submission within six months. Please wait until that time has elapsed before querying about the status of your submission.

ninthletteronline.submittable.com/submit

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Call for Proposals: Editorial Features

Curationist

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

INFO: We seek proposals for new essays to publish on our platform. Curationist’s editorial features critically investigate and contextualize the Works in our open access archives. Writers are invited to build essays from the histories, narratives, and art of global cultures across time.

This call for feature proposals is open to arts writers, artists, historians, curators, librarians, archivists, and anyone in the GLAM field with an interest in engaging with our readers and our mission. We welcome proposals from writers at any stage of their career. We seek to expand cultural discourse and promote engagement with open access digital collections. Essays may range from more art historical scholarly approaches, to critical engagement with the archive itself and its limitations, to more creative addresses to the objects and/or readers.

Invited guest writers will be welcomed to the Curationist community. They will develop their proposal with editorial support and feedback, get research assistance from digital archivists, and have their essay published online as an Editorial Feature. Guest writers will have the opportunity to learn about image rights, liberatory metadata practices, and the open knowledge movement.

Chosen proposals will demonstrate an interest in the history and contemporary context of cultural objects and materials and align with our mission. Curationist promotes storytelling and curiosity through a social justice lens that is anti-racist, anti-colonial, feminist, queer, and anti-ableist. The Curationist team is committed to diversifying perspectives, decentering colonialist cataloging, and supporting Indigenous data sovereignty.

We aim to support writing addressing subjects that are underrepresented globally and underexplored in mainstream arts writing.

CURATIONIST COMMISSIONED FEATURES, SPECIFICATIONS:

• 3-month timeline from proposal to publishing on site. Deadlines in Spring, Summer, and Fall in 2026, to be selected by writer and editors.

• $1500 flat rate for essay (aiming for ~1500 words), paid upon submission of final draft

• Editorial support and feedback, expect to go through at least 3 drafts with editor’s feedback and revisions

• Research support from our digital archivist

PROPOSAL OVERVIEW:

We seek proposals for new feature essays that address topics that are not already well-covered in our editorial features, delving into new corners of the archive. We ask that you peruse our editorial essays, collections, and the website to gain a better understanding of our ethos and publishing history.

• Some topic suggestions for 2026: film, film contexts, cookbooks, the nonvisual senses, repatriation or reparative moves in the cultural heritage sphere, revisionist archaeology, costumes, natural history, the Eastern Bloc, …

• Proposals must critically engage Works (art and cultural objects) in our archives.

• We are especially interested in topics that engage Works whose metadata will benefit from a closer look, revision, or expansion.

• Applicants do not need to be based in the United States. We accept applications from people all over the globe.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES:

To submit a proposal for a guest editorial feature, please prepare the following and use this form. We will only review proposals submitted via our form:

• An abstract of your essay (max 300 words). Please note, we will publish new writing, developed for our platform. Do not send finished drafts or work that is published elsewhere.

• Link/s to 1–3 Works in the Curationist archive that will be referenced in your essay.

• Links or one PDF of up to three published writing or other writing samples.

• CV / resume

SELECTION TIMELINE:

Proposals will be reviewed in March and we aim to notify applicants of selection by April 15. We will commission up to eight essays. If selected, you will choose Spring, Summer, or Fall for your writing and publication period.

If you have a question not answered above, contact pitch.us at curationist.org

curationist.org/news/call-for-proposals-for-editorial-features-accepting-submissions-january-15-through-february-28-2026

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Call for workshop proposals

Literary Liberation

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

INFO: LitLib is now accepting proposals for 2026– workshops that crack open new worlds, sessions that make space for the voices this world tries to silence, courses that remind them writing is both weapon and salve.

They invite teaching artists to think deeply about future course offerings and having LitLib as your beacon. They are interested in a wide variety of ideas and welcome your pitch.

tally.so/r/31egEM

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call for submissions: here & Now Blog

Caribbean Feminist

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

INFO: In March, we’re launching Here & Now- a series of blog posts written by young Caribbean and diaspora feminists. 

This series aims to document the lived realities of young feminists from the Caribbean and the wider diaspora, including the challenges we’re facing in the modern day. We’re accepting submissions in English, creole, patois, French and Spanish.

If this sounds like something you’d like to share on, submit something!

**For any questions or concerns, email caribbeanfeminist@gmail.com 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9qidbVzIR_4eqjRdXlsnjrRddOPJTDe6xu4E9wb-5N_OaoA/viewform

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James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel

AWP

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

ENTRY FEE:

• AWP Members: $20

• Nonmembers: $30

INFO: Submissions to the James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel are open January 1–February 28 each year. The winner receives $5,500 and publication by the University of Nebraska Press.

You will be required to remit an entry fee—$30 for nonmembers and $20 for AWP members—at the time of submission. All entry fees are nonrefundable. Be sure to verify your membership status before submitting by clicking your name at the top of the page when logged into the AWP website. Next to "Type," you will see your AWP membership status; if the type is NM Individual, you will need to either purchase a membership or submit to the nonmember category. (Please note that the submission categories refer only to pricing, and will not affect the level of consideration given to your manuscript.)

Note for new members: If you purchase a new membership just before submitting, be sure to log out of our submission portal by clicking Log Out on the left-hand sidebar, and then log back in using your AWP credentials, in order to give the system a chance to reset and update your membership status accordingly. Reach out to programs@awpwriter.org with any questions.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Eligibility Requirements

Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. The AWP Award Series defines “book-length” as follows:

• poetry: 48 pages minimum text;

• short story collection or creative nonfiction: 150–300 manuscript pages; and

• novel: at least 60,000 and no more than 110,000 words.

Poems, stories, and essays previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion in submissions, but manuscripts previously published in their entirety, including self-published manuscripts, are not eligible. As the series is judged anonymously, no list of acknowledgments should accompany your manuscript.

The AWP Award Series is open to all authors writing original works primarily in English for adult readers. Mixed-genre manuscripts cannot be accepted. Criticism and scholarly monographs are not acceptable for creative nonfiction, which the AWP Award Series defines as factual and literary writing that has the narrative, dramatic, meditative, and lyrical elements of novels, plays, poetry, and memoir.

To avoid conflicts of interest, friends and former students of a judge (former students who studied with a judge in an academic degree-conferring program or its equivalent) are ineligible to enter the competition in the genre for which their former teacher is serving as judge.

Current staff of AWP and members of the AWP Board of Directors may not enter the AWP Award Series, and previous staff and board members may not enter for a minimum of three years after leaving AWP or rotating off the board, respectively.

AWP makes every effort to vary the judges by region, aesthetic, and institution so that writers, if ineligible one year, will certainly be eligible other years. If contestants win in any genre, they may not enter the competition again in the same genre for the next five consecutive years.

TERMS + CONDITIONS:

• Your submitted manuscript must be an original work of which you are the sole author.

• The decision of the judge is final. The judge may choose no winner if he or she finds no manuscript that, in their estimation, merits publication and the award.

• Your manuscript must be submitted in accordance with the eligibility requirements, format guidelines, and entry requirements, or it will be disqualified.

• No entry fees will be returned.

• This competition is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

MANUSCRIPT FORMAT GUIDELINES:

Manuscripts must be typed and double-spaced. Poetry manuscripts may be single-spaced. Each manuscript must include a title page with the manuscript title only. If the author’s name appears anywhere on the manuscript, the submission will be disqualified. Do not add a page with acknowledgment of previous publications or a biographical note. Please upload your manuscript to our submission system as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

Entry Requirements:

• Please upload your manuscript to our submission system as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

• You will be required to remit an entry fee—$30 for nonmembers and $20 for AWP members—at the time of submission. All entry fees are nonrefundable. Students and faculty who have been registered by their program directors as members of AWP are eligible for the member fee. (Please note that if you are not an AWP member and submit to the member category, your submission will be disqualified).

• You may enter in more than one genre, and you may also enter multiple manuscripts in one genre, provided that each manuscript is uploaded separately as an individual entry.

2026 JUDGE: Justin Torres is the author of Blackouts, which won the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction, as well as the California Book Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Lambda Literary Award. A 2024 Guggenheim fellow, he’s also received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, and the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center. His first novel, We the Animals, was a national bestseller and was adapted into a feature film. He lives in Los Angeles and is an associate professor of English at UCLA.

awpwriter.secure-platform.com/applications/page/AwardSeries/JamesAlanMcPherson

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Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction

AWP

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

ENTRY FEE:

• AWP Members: $20

• Nonmembers: $30

INFO: Submissions to the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction are open January 1–February 28 each year. The winner receives $5,500 and publication by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press.

You will be required to remit an entry fee—$30 for nonmembers and $20 for AWP members—at the time of submission. All entry fees are nonrefundable. Be sure to verify your membership status before submitting by clicking your name at the top of the page when logged into the AWP website. Next to "Type," you will see your AWP membership status; if the type is NM Individual, you will need to either purchase a membership or submit to the nonmember category. (Please note that the submission categories refer only to pricing, and will not affect the level of consideration given to your manuscript.)

Note for new members: If you purchase a new membership just before submitting, be sure to log out of our submission portal by clicking Log Out on the left-hand sidebar, and then log back in using your AWP credentials, in order to give the system a chance to reset and update your membership status accordingly. Reach out to programs@awpwriter.org with any questions.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Eligibility Requirements:

Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. The AWP Award Series defines “book-length” as follows:

• poetry: 48 pages minimum text;

• short story collection or creative nonfiction: 150–300 manuscript pages; and

• novel: at least 60,000 and no more than 110,000 words.

Poems, stories, and essays previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion in submissions, but manuscripts previously published in their entirety, including self-published manuscripts, are not eligible. As the series is judged anonymously, no list of acknowledgments should accompany your manuscript.

The AWP Award Series is open to all authors writing original works primarily in English for adult readers. Mixed-genre manuscripts cannot be accepted. Criticism and scholarly monographs are not acceptable for creative nonfiction, which the AWP Award Series defines as factual and literary writing that has the narrative, dramatic, meditative, and lyrical elements of novels, plays, poetry, and memoir.

To avoid conflicts of interest, friends and former students of a judge (former students who studied with a judge in an academic degree-conferring program or its equivalent) are ineligible to enter the competition in the genre for which their former teacher is serving as judge.

Current staff of AWP and members of the AWP Board of Directors may not enter the AWP Award Series, and previous staff and board members may not enter for a minimum of three years after leaving AWP or rotating off the board, respectively.

AWP makes every effort to vary the judges by region, aesthetic, and institution so that writers, if ineligible one year, will certainly be eligible other years. If contestants win in any genre, they may not enter the competition again in the same genre for the next five consecutive years.

TERMS + CONDITIONS:

• Your submitted manuscript must be an original work of which you are the sole author.

• The decision of the judge is final. The judge may choose no winner if he or she finds no manuscript that, in their estimation, merits publication and the award.

• Your manuscript must be submitted in accordance with the eligibility requirements, format guidelines, and entry requirements, or it will be disqualified.

• No entry fees will be returned.

• This competition is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

MANUSCRIPT FORMAT GUIDELINES:

Manuscripts must be typed and double-spaced. Poetry manuscripts may be single-spaced. Each manuscript must include a title page with the manuscript title only. If the author’s name appears anywhere on the manuscript, the submission will be disqualified. Do not add a page with acknowledgment of previous publications or a biographical note. Please upload your manuscript to our submission system as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

Entry Requirements:

• Please upload your manuscript to our submission system as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

• You will be required to remit an entry fee—$30 for nonmembers and $20 for AWP members—at the time of submission. All entry fees are nonrefundable. Students and faculty who have been registered by their program directors as members of AWP are eligible for the member fee. (Please note that if you are not an AWP member and submit to the member category, your submission will be disqualified).

• You may enter in more than one genre, and you may also enter multiple manuscripts in one genre, provided that each manuscript is uploaded separately as an individual entry.

2026 JUDGE: Weike Wang is the author of Chemistry (Knopf, 2017), Joan Is Okay (Random House, 2022), and Rental House (Riverhead, 2024). She is the recipient of a PEN/Hemingway Award, a Whiting Award, and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, and The Best American Short Stories and has won an O. Henry Prize. She earned her MFA from Boston University and her other degrees from Harvard. She currently lives in New York City and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Barnard College, and Boston University.

awpwriter.secure-platform.com/applications/page/AwardSeries/GracePaley

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Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction

AWP

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

ENTRY FEE:

• AWP Members: $20

• Nonmembers: $30

INFO: Submissions to the Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction are open January 1–February 28 each year. The winner receives $2,500 and publication by the University of Georgia Press.

You will be required to remit an entry fee—$30 for nonmembers and $20 for AWP members—at the time of submission. All entry fees are nonrefundable. Be sure to verify your membership status before submitting by clicking your name at the top of the page when logged into the AWP website. Next to "Type," you will see your AWP membership status; if the type is NM Individual, you will need to either purchase a membership or submit to the nonmember category. (Please note that the submission categories refer only to pricing, and will not affect the level of consideration given to your manuscript.)

Note for new members: If you purchase a new membership just before submitting, be sure to log out of our submission portal by clicking Log Out on the left-hand sidebar, and then log back in using your AWP credentials, in order to give the system a chance to reset and update your membership status accordingly. Reach out to programs@awpwriter.org with any questions.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Eligibility Requirements

Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. The AWP Award Series defines “book-length” as follows:

• poetry: 48 pages minimum text;

• short story collection or creative nonfiction: 150–300 manuscript pages; and

• novel: at least 60,000 and no more than 110,000 words.

Poems, stories, and essays previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion in submissions, but manuscripts previously published in their entirety, including self-published manuscripts, are not eligible. As the series is judged anonymously, no list of acknowledgments should accompany your manuscript.

The AWP Award Series is open to all authors writing original works primarily in English for adult readers. Mixed-genre manuscripts cannot be accepted. Criticism and scholarly monographs are not acceptable for creative nonfiction, which the AWP Award Series defines as factual and literary writing that has the narrative, dramatic, meditative, and lyrical elements of novels, plays, poetry, and memoir.

To avoid conflicts of interest, friends and former students of a judge (former students who studied with a judge in an academic degree-conferring program or its equivalent) are ineligible to enter the competition in the genre for which their former teacher is serving as judge.

Current staff of AWP and members of the AWP Board of Directors may not enter the AWP Award Series, and previous staff and board members may not enter for a minimum of three years after leaving AWP or rotating off the board, respectively.

AWP makes every effort to vary the judges by region, aesthetic, and institution so that writers, if ineligible one year, will certainly be eligible other years. If contestants win in any genre, they may not enter the competition again in the same genre for the next five consecutive years.

TERMS + CONDITIONS:

• Your submitted manuscript must be an original work of which you are the sole author.

• The decision of the judge is final. The judge may choose no winner if he or she finds no manuscript that, in their estimation, merits publication and the award.

• Your manuscript must be submitted in accordance with the eligibility requirements, format guidelines, and entry requirements, or it will be disqualified.

• No entry fees will be returned.

• This competition is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

MANUSCRIPT FORMAT GUIDELINES:

Manuscripts must be typed and double-spaced. Poetry manuscripts may be single-spaced. Each manuscript must include a title page with the manuscript title only. If the author’s name appears anywhere on the manuscript, the submission will be disqualified. Do not add a page with acknowledgment of previous publications or a biographical note. Please upload your manuscript to our submission system as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

Entry Requirements

• Please upload your manuscript to our submission system as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

• You will be required to remit an entry fee—$30 for nonmembers and $20 for AWP members—at the time of submission. All entry fees are nonrefundable. Students and faculty who have been registered by their program directors as members of AWP are eligible for the member fee. (Please note that if you are not an AWP member and submit to the member category, your submission will be disqualified).

• You may enter in more than one genre, and you may also enter multiple manuscripts in one genre, provided that each manuscript is uploaded separately as an individual entry.

2026 JUDGE: Kiese Laymon is a Black Southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. Laymon is the author of Long Division, which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, named a notable book of 2021 by The New York Times critics. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes & Noble Discover Award, 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. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Laymon is the recipient of a 2020–2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. Laymon has also written City Summer, Country Summer and is at work on Good God and a number of other film and television projects. He is the founder of the Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative, a program based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, aimed at aiding young people in Jackson to get more comfortable reading, writing, revising, and sharing on their own terms, in their own communities. He is the cohost of Reckon True Stories with Deesha Philyaw. Kiese Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022.

awpwriter.secure-platform.com/applications/page/AwardSeries/SueWilliamSilverman

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Book Art Research Fellowship

Center for Book Arts

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

INFO: Researchers and scholars in art history, literature, book history, library science, or museum studies, conservation studies, or other relevant fields are invited to submit research proposals that draw upon CBA’s unique collections of materials related to book art.

CBA’s Permanent Collection consists of three parts:

1. Fine Arts Collection of artists’ books, prints, and objects

2. Reference Library focused on the practice, theory, and history of book arts

3. CBA’s Archives containing records of original exhibitions presented at CBA and the history of CBA’s programmatic activities.

Taken as a whole, CBA’s collections serve as a historical record of book art as a creative medium and a framework for critical research into book art practice.

You can browse the collections online or make an appointment to visit in-person by emailing collections@centerforbookarts.org.

BENEFITS: The individual(s) selected for the Fellowship will have access to CBA’s collections, provided institutional support during the research process, and receive a $1,200 stipend.

Fellows are expected to spend a total of 2-3 weeks conducting research on-site at Center for Book Arts. Research periods can take place any time in the calendar year of 2026 outside of holidays and other planned closures. Please note that this fellowship is intended for scholarly research projects rather than the creation of artworks.

At the culmination of the Fellowship, the selected individual(s) will present their research in a public talk. CBA will subsequently have the first right of refusal to publish their research in our Book Art Review journal.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

Applications must include all of the following:

1. A resume or CV

2. A 500 to 1000 word proposal outlining the research project, including:

   1. How holdings from the Center for Book Arts relate to the project

   2. A short bibliography listing individual resources from the collection to be consulted (5 or more works)

   3. A proposed timeline for residency at the Center for Book Arts. Please note that due to the application timeline, research will take place April-December, 2026.

centerforbookarts.org/book-art-research-fellowship

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FICTION + POETRY CONTEST

Hayden’s Ferry Review

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

ENTRY FEE: $23

INFO: HFR will accept contest submissions in poetry and fiction between Feb 1-28, 2026.

PRIZES: There will be two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Hayden’s Ferry Review (online in summer 2026 and in the fall/winter 2026 print issue) for a poem or a group of poems and a work of fiction. A runner-up in each category will receive $250 and publication. All entries are considered for publication.

Judges will pick the winners and runners-up from a list of finalists chosen by HFR editors. All entries are considered for publication in the fall/winter 2026 print issue. We do not read submissions anonymously. 

JUDGES: This year's poetry judge is Sarah Ghazal Ali, author of Theophanies. This year’s fiction judge is Gina Chung, author of Sea Change.

GUIDELINES:

Submit a short story or novel excerpt of up to 20 pages.

The $23 entry fee includes a 1-year print subscription (US addresses). Your 1-year subscription will begin with our spring/summer 2026 issue 78. Current subscribers will receive a 1-year renewal. Writers may submit multiple entries, but each entry must include its own $23 fee.

*For international addresses outside of the US, please submit to the "HFR CONTEST 2025: FICTION ($15 submission)" queue, which comes with a 1-year digital subscription. If you have an international shipping address and are interested in a 1-year print subscription, we are happy to accommodate this with an additional shipping fee. Please get in touch before submitting and no later than February 20th to discuss details at haydensferryreview (at) gmail (dot) com.*

Submitted work must be original work by the writer and unpublished. If your work is accepted elsewhere for publication, please withdraw your submission. If only a part of your poetry submission has been accepted elsewhere, please leave a note in Submittable.

ELIGIBILITY: Close friends, family, or former and current students of the judges should refrain from submitting. We define a "former or current student" as someone who has done a semester-length course with the judge or who the judge has served as a thesis advisor. If you attended a one- or two-week-long workshop or similar with the judge, you are still eligible.

If you were published in one of HFR's print journals or web issues in the past two years, you CAN submit to this contest. (See our "general notes on submission" for specific guidelines for our print and web issues, which may differ from contest guidelines.)

Anyone affiliated with ASU (staff, faculty, and graduate/undergraduate students) is not eligible to submit to this contest and should refrain from submitting to HFR until they have been unaffiliated from ASU for three years.

We do not accept work that was produced wholly or in part by AI.

All individuals are able to submit without regard to sex, race, national origin, religion, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

hfr.submittable.com/submit

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The de Groot Visiting Fellowship

American Library in Paris

DEADLINE: March 1, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: €30 (approx USD$35)

INFO: The de Groot Visiting Fellowship Program at the American Library in Paris supports writers, thinkers, and scholars across disciplines who advance dialogue, creativity, and cross-cultural understanding.

Established in 2013, the Fellowship extends the Library’s long tradition of fostering transatlantic exchange and creative expression. Each year, two Visiting Fellows and three Scholars of Note pursue their projects in Paris while contributing to the Library’s cultural life through public talks and workshops. Over the past decade, Fellows have enriched the Library’s century-old legacy and, in turn, joined the generations of writers who have found a home in Paris.

In addition to working on their own project, Fellows present a public program during their residency that engages our audience and members around the central theme of Letters Home.

For more than a decade, the de Groot family and the American Library in Paris have supported forty-four writers through a residency in the heart of literary Paris. Fellows include journalists, novelists, poets, and librarians whose work and influence have only grown since their time with us. Many describe their residency as a turning point in their creative lives and careers.

THEME: The theme for 2026-2027 is Letters Home.  This theme explores the love language of letters and the many voices who write about home from far away, whether home is a place, a person, or a time. Letters Home encourages Fellows to explore different perspectives—nostalgic, questioning, tender, critical—in the return through ink and imagination to places left behind. Programs could be around topics such as the changing meaning of “home,” literary letters and the creative force of nostalgia, exile and the epistolary voice, or the politics of correspondence.

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS:

• Residency Period: One month, between September and June. Fellowships are not available in July or August due to the Library’s programming hiatus.

• Stipend: $5,000 USD paid prior to the Fellowship period to cover travel and expenses in Paris.

• Accommodation: Whenever possible, the fellowship provides accommodation for the duration of the Fellowship in a one-bedroom apartment located a 10-minute walk from the Library. Otherwise, Fellows may use their stipend to cover alternative accommodation.

• Eligibility: Open to writers, researchers, journalists, poets, screenwriters, playwrights, directors, and documentary filmmakers. International applicants are welcome.

Please note, applicants cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program (including doctoral candidates) during the residency season for which they are applying.

THE FELLOWSHIP INCLUDES:

• An orientation day that includes meeting Library staff, a guided tour of the collections and archives, and lunch.

• A Library membership with full access to the Library’s collections, archives, and e-resources.

• A commitment to spend at least three half-days per week in the Library during the residency working on your personal creative project.

• Dedicated time and space to work independently on a self-guided creative project.

• The opportunity to develop and deliver a one-hour public program tied to the Library’s programming theme. This program could be a talk, workshop, panel, performance, or other creative format.

• Opportunities to attend fundraising dinners, cocktail gatherings, or exclusive events as a representative of the Fellowship.

• Participation in filming promotional material for the Library and your Fellowship experience.

• A final exit interview to share feedback and insights about the Fellowship experience.

• An expectation to acknowledge the Library and Fellowshipin any publications or media resulting from the project.

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications for The de Groot Visiting Fellowship require:

1. A single PDF file (maximum 5 pages) containing:

   • A one-page cover letter addressing your work, your reasons for applying to the de Groot Visiting Fellowship at the American Library in Paris specifically, and why this moment in your career is the right one.

   • A one-page narrative description of your personal creative project, including its timeline, current stage, what you hope to achieve, and how the Fellowship at the Library will contribute to its success.

   • A CV of no more than two pages.

   • Three brief proposals (maximum 50 words each) for a public program tied to Letters Home.

2. Two professional references (names and contact information).

3. A €30 non-refundable application fee.

degrootfoundation.org/de-groot-visiting-fellowship-american-library-in-paris/

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Call for Submissions: Archipelagic Entanglements

SUSPECT

DEADLINE: March 1, 2026

INFO: Along the shoreline, rubber trees—or their remnants—bristle against a tangle of tropical foliage. On the street, a mélange of words and music; a single sentence conveys the rhythm of three or four languages. 

We find ourselves in the Southeast Asian or Caribbean Archipelagos, both regions shaped by indigenous perseverance, histories of migration, the vocabulary of the tropics, ruptures of slavery and colonialism—and the negotiation and reconstitution that came afterwards. The archipelago is not a place where identity is ‘fixed and established’; instead, it is one where ‘creolization… the blend of cultures, was most brilliantly fulfilled’, in the words of Édouard Glissant. From a similar perspective, Gina Apostol, in her preface to Ulirát, a collection of translations arising from the archipelagic condition of the Philippines, invites us to think through the polyphony of languages which, ‘being so prone to borrowing and puns and play, explode the fallacy of… essentialism’.

In May 2026, SUSPECT will publish a portfolio of writing and art putting the Southeast Asian and Caribbean archipelagos in conversation. We are interested in works that explore the histories, presents, and futures of the archipelagos through the nodes of plantation, patois, and possibility. If you are writing from—or about—the Southeast Asian or Caribbean archipelagos, we invite you to submit work that ruminates on these nodes in the form of short fiction, poetry, or essays. We welcome translations into English. Translators must provide documentation of authorisation to translate and publish from the writer whom they are translating.

PORTFOLIO TIMELINE:

• Announcement of decisions: 1 April 2026

• The portfolio will run throughout May 2026

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Short fiction: Please submit either a single short story ranging from 1,500 to 6,500 words or a suite of flash fiction ranging from 2-4 pieces with a minimum word count of 1,500

• Poetry: Please submit a suite of 3-5 poems of not more than 10 pages

• Essays: Please submit either a single essay ranging from 1,500 to 6,500 words or a suite of flash non-fiction ranging from 2-4 pieces with a minimum word count of 1,500

Although we accept simultaneous submissions, we ask that you inform us if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept previously published work. Please include a short cover letter in your submission detailing your connection to either the Southeast Asian or Caribbean archipelagos. Submit your work to EIC Sharmini Aphrodite at suspect@singaporeunbound.org.

PAYMENT: SUSPECT pays USD100 for each accepted work/suite of work.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/archipelagic-entanglements

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call for submissions: “Blackness, Queerness and Nature” anthology

The Lupine Collaborative

DEADLINE: March 1, 2026

INFO: We’re pleased to announce a global call for submissions for a multimedia anthological book of “Blackness, Queerness, and Nature” (working title) co-edited by Erin Sharkey and Grace Anderson. 

With this anthology, Erin and Grace, seek to compile a collection that is a testament and reflection of how Black Queer communities across the diaspora live in relationship to nature. We welcome submissions across mediums that interrogate consider, imagine, reimagine, detail, and illuminate the way our communities commune with the Earth.

“Blackness, Queerness, and Nature” will be a rich and varied collection of personal and lyric essays, fiction, poems, photographs, oral histories, meditations, recipes, songs, stories, and experimental writing about the experiences/vision/love/erotics/connections of Black Queer folks and nature/environment/Earth/earth, water and cosmos. With this project writers will have the opportunity to reflect on the significance of nature in their lived experience and speculation, hopes, pessimism, and imagination. This anthology will ask, what does the light of Queer Black life illuminate? Possibilities ? How does our shine allow for all of these other things to shine? How have we created fertile ground for others to survive?

We are accepting submissions from Black AND Queer people from across the diaspora. 

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Milkweed Editions is a nonprofit independent publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who believes that literature has the potential to change the way we see the world. Milkweed’s books include You are Here by Ada Limón, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, A Darker Wilderness by Erin Sharkey, Startlement by Ada Limón, Aster of Ceremonies by JJJJJJJerome Ellis, Bluest Nude by Ama Codjoe, and World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

QUESTIONS: submissions@thelupinecollaborative.org

thelupinecollaborative.org/callforsubmissions

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KHN RESIDENCY: Writers & Poets

Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts (Nebraska City, NE)

DEADLINE: March 1, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: The mission of the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts is to support established and emerging writers, visual artists, and composers/musicians by providing working and living environments that allow uninterrupted time for work, reflection, and creative growth.

For 2026 Session II residency awards are scheduled from July 6 - December 18, 2026. KHN awards approximately 30-40 residencies PER SESSION. Of these, approximately 10-16 spots are awarded to writers working in a variety of genres.

Residency awards include living and studio space plus a weekly stipend of $175 for the duration of the residency. A private writer’s studio is located within each of the double-occupancy apartments featuring a desk, white board or cork board, 23" monitor, and surge protector. A shared printer is available in the residents' lounge. Wi-fi access is available throughout the grounds.

khncenterforthearts.slideroom.com/#/Login

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Sewanee Writers’ Conference

Sewanee Writers’ Conference (Sewanee, TN)

DEADLINE: March 1, 2026

INFO: For twelve summer days, writers gather on one of the most beautiful campuses in the country for readings and workshops in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and playwriting. Not to mention all of the morning hikes, lake swims, receptions, readings, and late night festivities.

WHILE HERE, YOU'LL FIND:

• A talented community of writers where the friendships and connections we make last much longer than the twelve days we are together

• Feedback from a highly competitive, warm, and inclusive workshop led by two renowned faculty members

• The opportunity to help other promising writers

• An hour-long individual conference with a faculty member

• Two visitor meetings with editors, publishers, or theatre professionals

• Two special topics courses

• Three meals a day and a furnished, individual dorm room

• All the readings, hikes, ghost walks, karaoke, receptions, and dancing you can handle — at your own pace, of course!

2026 CONFERENCE: JULY 14-26

COST: Tuition, room, and board will now be $3,000 for all participants, who will have the same reading time, status, and opportunities. $3,000 is 40% of the actual cost to attend, so every writer will receive 60% support to participate.

2026 FACULTY:

• FICTION - Chris Bachelder • Sarah Shun-lien Bynum • Lydi Conklin • Amitava Kumar • Margot Livesey • Jill McCorkle • Claire Messud • Chinelo Okparanta • Maurice Carlos Ruffin • Stephanie Powell Watts

• POETRY - Marianne Chan • Eduardo C. Corral • Danielle Cadena Deulen • Ananda Lima • Carl Phillips • Caki Wilkinson

• NONFICTION - Jaquira Díaz • Amy Leach • Alex Marzano-Lesnevich • Elena Passarello

• PLAYWRITING - David Adjmi • Nathan Alan Davis • Dan O'Brien • Lauren Yee

All participants are expected to attend the Conference for its entire 12-day duration. 

Applicants must be 21 years of age by the time of the Conference. Past that criteria, age is not a factor in admissions. We welcome a wide range of ages to the Conference. 

Applicants accepted to the Conference will have the opportunity to submit a separate manuscript for workshop as well as their top choices for a faculty reader.

All applicants will be notified of decisions via email April 15.

sewaneewriters.org/apply/

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2026 Virtual Summer Retreat

Abode Press

DEADLINE: March 7, 2026

READING FEE: $10

INFO: Starting June 7th, 2026, Abode Press is returning with our virtual retreat experience! With the success of our first retreat, we are coming back bigger and better than ever! We will also have workshops available in poetry, fiction, novel, and nonfiction, and attendees will also be able to attend 2-3 craft talks and lectures throughout the week (x2 as much than our first retreat).

Most retreat experiences are costly, tending to be upwards to $2000. At Abode, we are working tirelessly to increase accessibility for writers to attend much needed spaces to work on their craft and build connections without compromising their livelihood. This is why the retreat will have an asking price of $325 (sliding scale) with partial scholarships available to writers in need, but because of this low price, applicants will be selected based off the strength of their application and alignment with our press.

Applications will open via Submittable from January 1st to March 7th. It is FREE to apply for the first application (though we do appreciate donations!). Applicants may apply for additional cohorts but must select a reading fee of $10 or more for each additional application for it to be accepted.  Applicants will be notified of acceptance in late-March. All funds will go towards paying our presenters, press operations, and Retreat admins.

VIRTUAL RETREAT:

• Starting June 7th, workshops every Sunday in June 2026 from 11am-2pm CST

• Includes 2-3 weekly craft talks, lectures, and panels

• Cost: $325 asking price, sliding scale. *Scholarships for writers in need.

• Acceptances will be sent in late-March

FACULTY:

• Ariana Brown (Poetry Instructor) - Ariana Brown is a queer Black Mexican American writer and the author of We Are Owed. (Grieveland, 2021) and Sana Sana (Game Over Books, 2020). A national collegiate poetry slam champion, Ariana holds a B.A. in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies, an M.F.A. in Poetry, and M.S. in Library Science. She lives and works in Houston, TX, where she teaches creative writing to teens. She has been writing, performing, and teaching poetry for over a decade.

• Saúl Hernández (Poetry Instructor) - Saúl Hernández is a queer writer, who was raised by former undocumented parents. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Texas at El Paso. Saúl is a 2025 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. His debut poetry collection, How to Kill a Goat & Other Monsters, is a 2025 Lambda Literary Award Winner in Gay Poetry, a Texas League of Writers’ Discovery Award Winner, was longlisted for a PEN Open Book Award, and received the Institute of Letters’ honor-winner for First Book of Poetry. He's the winner of both the 2022 Pleiades Prufer Poetry Prize judged by Joy Priest & the 2021 Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize judged by Victoria Chang. His poems have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize & Best of The Net. Saúl’s work is featured in American Poetry Review, Poetry Daily, The Slowdown, Literary Hub, & elsewhere. 

• Camille U. Adams (Nonfiction Instructor) - CAMILLE U. ADAMS, Ph.D. was born and raised in beautiful Trinidad and Tobago. She is the author of the explosive memoir How To Be Unmothered: a Trinidadian memoir, finalist in the Restless Books Prize in New Immigrant Writing 2023. Camille’s memoir writing is featured in Passages North, Citron Review, XRAY Literary Magazine, Variant Literature, The Forge Literary Magazine, Kweli Magazine, and was awarded Best of the Net 2024 (creative nonfiction). Her other honours include an awarded fellowship as an inaugural Tin House Reading Fellow, an inaugural Granta nature writing workshop fellowship, an inaugural Anaphora Arts Italy Writing Retreat Fellowship, a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, a Community of Writers Fellowship, A VONA scholarship, and a Roots Wounds Words Fellowship.

• Annell López (Short Fiction Instructor) - Annell López is the winner of the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize and the author of the short story collection I’ll Give You a Reason, a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for best debut short story collection. Named a best short story collection of 2024 by Electric Literature, I’ll Give You a Reason has been longlisted for the Maya Angelou Book Award, the Reforma Latinx Book Award, and shortlisted for the Clark Fiction Prize. Most recently, López was recognized as a Gambit’s 40 under 40. Her work has appeared in Guernica, American Short Fiction, The Common, Brooklyn Rail, Refinery29, and TIME. López received her MFA from the University of New Orleans, where she was awarded the Joanna Leake Fiction Prize. She is working on a novel. 

• Benedict Nguyễn (Novel Instructor) - Benedict Nguyễn (she/her) is a #freelanceflailing dancer, writer, and creative producer who's taught workshops for AAWW, Tin House, and at Louis Place. She’s danced in recent projects by Sally Silvers, Kris Seto, Monstah Black, among other choreographers, appeared in the short film “Don’t F*ck with Bà” (2024, dir. Sally Tran), and began developing the dance theater work “DEFENSE” with Sugar Vendil in 2025. Her writing on labor and culture has appeared in The Baffler, BOMBMagazine, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Review of Books, and AAWW’s The Margins. A Publishers Weekly 2025 Writer to Watch, Benedict is the author of the [redacted] freelance labor zine nasty notes (2022). Her debut novel Hot Girls with Balls (Catapult 2025) was an ABA Indie Next Pick, an Aardvark Book Club Pick, and a USA Today National Bestseller. 

abodepress.com/2026-virtual-summer-retreat

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Raz/Shumaker Book Prize in Fiction and poetry

Prairie Schooner

DEADLINE: March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm CST

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: The Prairie Schooner Raz/Shumaker Book Prize Series welcomes manuscripts from all living writers, including non-US citizens, writing in English. Both unpublished and published writers are welcome to submit manuscripts. However, we will not consider manuscripts that have previously been published anywhere in the world, which includes self-publication. Writers may enter both contests. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but we ask that you notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted for publication somewhere else. No past or present paid employee of Prairie Schooner or the University of Nebraska Press or current faculty or student at the University of Nebraska will be eligible for the prizes.

PRIZES: Winners will receive $3000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press.

MANUSCRIPT: We prefer that fiction manuscripts be at least 150 pages long and poetry manuscripts at least 50 pages long. Novels are not considered; we will consider manuscripts comprised either entirely of short stories or one novella along with short stories (please do not send a single novella or a collection of novellas). Manuscripts may contain stories or poems that have been published in journals or in chapbook form; however, if the full-length manuscript includes work from a previously published chapbook, the majority of the manuscript must be additional work not appearing in the chapbook. Prairie Schooner accepts electronic submissions as well as hard copy submissions. Please see below for further formatting guidelines and the link to submit electronically.

• Electronic Submissions - The author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript. Acknowledgments of previous publications should not be included. All entries will be read anonymously. No application forms are necessary. Click here to submit via Submittable.

• Hard Copy Submissions - The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. Acknowledgments of previous publications should not be included. All entries will be read anonymously. Please include two cover pages: one listing only the title of the manuscript, and the other listing the author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address. No application forms are necessary.

For hard copy submissions, photocopies are acceptable. Please do not bind manuscripts with anything other than a binder clip or rubber band. Please include a self-addressed postage-paid postcard for confirmation of manuscript receipt. Please use a standard postcard—small index cards will not be accepted by the U.S. Postal Service. A stamped, self-addressed business size envelope must accompany the submission for notification of results. No manuscripts will be returned. All manuscripts that do not win will be recycled.

NOTIFICATION: Results will be emailed or mailed and winners will be announced on this website on or before August 15 of each year.

prairieschooner.unl.edu/book-prize-guidelines/

FICTION / NONFICTION — JANUARY 2026

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTORS: Spirituality in Black Artistry

BIPOCRYPHA Bulletin

DEADLINE: None

INFO: BIPOCRYPHA Magazine is an online literary and arts publication dedicated to the exploration and celebration of the rich tapestry of spiritual beliefs and practices within the African diaspora.

BIPOCRYPHA is now on Substack as BIPOCRYPHA Bulletin, a newsletter where we invite your contributions alongside our annual themed literary magazine, as we pursue our vision to challenge the Western Canon, enrich the Black Canon, and expand the Biblical Canon by highlighting new perspectives and aesthetics rooted in the experiences of African American religious traditions. The newsletter surrounds the theme of spirituality in Black artistry, which is deeply intertwined with themes of freedom, identity, and resistance.

We are seeking visual artwork, personal essays, and short fiction created by Black artists/writers that engage with the above motifs. Key aspects of spirituality in Black artistry also include:

• Themes of freedom and resistance

• Cultural and religious synthesis

• Focus on community and the self

• Personal and relational faith

• Spirituality’s influence on modern writing

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Please send all solicited and unsolicited submissions to BIPOCRYPHA@gmail.com. Accepted formats include short essays, short fiction, photography, design, paintings, and digital artwork, etc. Newsletter submissions are selected on a rolling basis.

All submissions should include the following information:

In the subject line: BIPOCRYPHA Bulletin Submission- Essay/ Fiction/ or Art

In the email body:

1. Your name.

2. Title of submission(s).

   1. For personal essays, 1 essay, 500-1500 words (6 pages max).

   2. For short fiction, 1 piece, 500-1500 words (6 pages max).

   3. For art, 3 images max.

3. An artist’s statement of up to 150 words, addressing the theme(s) of the submitted pieces.

4. Bio of up to 150 words.

5. If you have any, please include a link to your artist’s web-page or social media handles.

Attached:

For Prose: Submit 1 personal essay OR 1 piece of short fiction inside a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file (up to 6 pages total), using Times New Roman. Prose should be 500-1500 words.

For Art: Please attach 3 representative images of topically, graphically, or thematically related art in one of the following formats: .gif, .jpg, .png, and .tif. If you have one, please include a link to your artist’s webpage or online gallery in your bio.

If you have any questions, email us at BIPOCRYPHA@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram @BIPOCRYPHA. To share with Black faith-based artists you know who are interested in having their work published, please link them to this submission page.

At this time, all newsletter submissions are gratuitous, and we thank you deeply for your voluntary efforts as we endeavor to create a more rewarding framework, recognizing the importance of compensating Black creators.

bipocrypha.substack.com/p/newsletter-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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call for literary horror stories

Harriet’s House

SUBMISSIONS OPEN: January 5, 2026

INFO: Harriet’s House publishes short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. While we are looking for submissions primarily in English, inclusions of other languages and dialects that don’t hinder the overall understanding of the narrative are, of course, welcome. Simultaneous submissions are allowed and writers retain all the rights to their work.

You can reach us at harrietshousemag@gmail.com.

FAQs

What should you send us?

Spellbinding work. Stories that will creep behind us all day long. Stories that will get under our skin. Stories that will make us grasp at our imaginary pearls. Stories that will make us sit quietly blinking at the computer screen. Stories that will haunt us.

What kind of horror are you looking for?

We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

What is your response time?

We expect our response time to be between 3-5 months.

Do you compensate writers?

We are a volunteer run magazine and cannot currently compensate writers but we look forward to having the capacity to do so in the future.

harrietshousemag.com/submit/

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2026 Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ* Voices

Lambda Literary

DEADLINE: January 8, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices is the nation’s premier LGBTQ writing residency. It is the only multi-genre writing residency devoted exclusively to emerging LGBTQ+ writers. The Retreat is an unparalleled opportunity to develop one’s craft and find community.

The 2026 Writers Retreat will take place from August 1-8, 2026. As we did in 2025, we are holding our Writers Retreat online. This format allows for us to continue building our organizational resources while offering the same high-quality programming that remains accessible to folks who may not otherwise be able to attend in-person programs. Not only that, but the Virtual Retreat was a hit in 2025! Fellows and Faculty reported the Lambda Literary Virtual Retreat model was “one of the more accessible and inclusive retreats of its kind available to writers, and is driven forward by leadership who are dedicated to supporting queer artists and their development” (Sam Heyman, 2022/2025 Fellow).

TUITION, SCHOLARSHIPS, + FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

• Tuition for the 2026 Virtual Retreat is set at $1,100.

• Accepted fellows will no longer have to fundraise for their own tuition–Lambda Literary will provide financial support to those who need it. We are working hard to make our spaces as accessible as possible, and those who cannot pay their own way should not have to expend more time and energy just to attend. With this new plan, Lambda Literary will be offering financial support to make sure every accepted writer can attend, regardless of financial status.

• Find all available scholarships, financial support information, and other opportunities in the application form.

RETREAT DATES + LOCATION

The 2026 Writers Retreat will be held virtually from August 1-August 8, 2026.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

You may apply to more than one workshop, however, each application must be submitted separately and requires an additional fee. The fee for each application is $30.00 and is processed through Submittable's online portal. If you wish to pay by cash or check please contact retreat@lambdaliterary.org. 

A limited number of application fee waivers are available for QTBIPOC** members of our community who have never attended the Writers Retreat before. 

To inquire about a fee waiver, email retreat@lambdaliterary.org confirming your eligibility as:

• A member of the QTBIPOC community

• Someone who has never attended the Retreat before.

You do not need to provide any other identifying information. Waivers are given out on a first-come-first serve basis. Secure yours sooner rather than later!

To Apply, Please Prepare

1. An artistic/biographical statement (max 500 words).

2. a writing sample matching the genre of the workshop you’re applying for:

• A writing sample in .DOC, .DOCX, or .PDF format. 

• For prose please double space and use a 12 point font. 

• For Screenwriting please use standardized scriptwriting format.

• The sample you apply with does not have to be the same sample you plan to workshop at the Retreat.

• Page limits per workshop:                                                  

  • For Fiction, Nonfiction, Romantic Fiction, Speculative Fiction, and Young Adult Fiction: 15 pages maximum. This maximum applies to cross-genre samples as well as samples in verse.

  • For Playwriting and Screenwriting: 15 pages maximum from a full-length work, short play/script, or piece of theatre/film. This page limit includes dramatis personae/cast list/setting/description.

  • For Poetry: 8 pages maximum

3. Optional, not required for acceptance:

• Any publications of your work during the past two years, including anthologies, literary journals, magazines, websites, and books.

• Any other writing conferences, retreats, and workshops have you attended.

• Some scholarships, financial support, and additional opportunities require a scholarship statement (max 500 words).

 APPLICATION REVIEW + STATUS NOTIFICATION:

Applications are reviewed in three stages by a panel of retreat alumni and Lambda staff. Reviewers are given comprehensive guidelines and a rubric to evaluate each application for craft, inventiveness, voice, and form. Within that, we strive to serve a variety of writers with varying backgrounds, ages, sexual orientations, genders, religions, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, and localities. 

In the first round of review, the top 50 fellowship candidates in each genre are identified. In the second round, the top 30 fellowship candidates in each genre are identified. In the third round of review, the genre-specific faculty member makes final decisions and chooses 12 fellows and 5 waitlist applicants out of the top 30 pool. Writers Retreat faculty make the final determinations regarding accepted and waitlisted applicants. All applicants will be notified of their application status in April 2026.  

lambdaliterary.org/emerging-writers-retreat/

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CALL FOR PAPERS: A Sea of IslandS - US Territories in Relation

CENTRO

DEADLINE: January 8, 2026

INFO: CENTRO invites contributors to participate in “A Sea of Islands: U.S. Territories in Relation," a two-day symposium exploring shared histories, struggles, and solidarities across the inhabited U.S. territories and their diasporas.

We welcome individual paper submissions on the symposium theme of the US Territories (American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) in Relation, including, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Land and Ecology

• Archives and History 

• Comparative and Relational studies of Colonialism

• Militarism, Peace Activism, Demilitarization

• Federal Representation, Plenary Power

• Issues of Statehood and Nationhood 

• Birthright Citizenship vs. US Nationals

• Data Representation for US Territories

• Queer and Feminist Resistance Strategies 

• Lessons of Solving Territorial Status/sovereignty

• Self-determination, sovereignty, and decolonial struggle(s)

• Black and Indigenous rights and representation 

• Intersections between American Indian Law and the territories

• Decolonial Love, Relationality, and Decolonization Projects

• Labor and Labor Rights

• Migration, Housing, Remittances

• Displacement, Dispossession, Destierro, Gentrification 

• Climate Change, Environmental Futures

• Theories, Practices and Methods of Relation that could be useful across these fields of study

We highly encourage proposals that engage with the other four US Territories, as well as other territorialized states, space, and nations including Hawai’i, the Philippines, Marshall Islands, and Tribal Nations from Turtle Island and Abya Yala, among others in dialogue with Puerto Rican Studies. We also welcome experimental, artistic, or moving image submissions for review.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Participants interested in submitting an individual paper proposal, please include:

• Name, email and affiliation

• a paper title

• 250 word abstract

• audio/visual requirements 

CENTRO’s research team will review and assemble individual papers into panels. Please make clear how the proposed paper connects with the theme of the symposium. We ask that proposals also indicate any measures they will take to make their session accessible (i.e. pre-circulating papers, paper and/or digital copies to be distributed during the session to attendees who wish to read along, transcripts, captions, etc.

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/a-sea-of-islands-us-territories-in-relation/

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Narrative Shifts

Seventh Wave

DEADLINE: January 8, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: We are thrilled to open up applications for our Spring 2026 digital residency, Narrative Shifts. For more information about this program, please visit our site here. We have summarized some of the pertinent information below: 

• The logistics: Narrative Shifts is a genre-agnostic writing program that includes seven sessions over seven weeks, centering specific aspects of craft that any writer, reader, or thinker can wield both on and off the page. In 2026, we will be running two intakes — spring and fall — each with three cohorts of 12-16 residents. Each session is two hours long. 

• Benefits: Throughout these seven sessions, residents will learn concrete tools of craft, tips for submitting and publishing  work, best practices for cover letters, and more. Residents will get access to Seventh Wave's specially curated resources, an optional one-on-one with their facilitator, and the opportunity to practice public speaking by performing their work during the seventh session. There is also an eighth session — the bonus session — which invites an established author into the room. Past authors have included Ocean Vuong, Alexander Chee, Melissa Febos, Kaveh Akbar, Ruth Ozeki, and more. 

• Costs: This program costs $895, which is $125 per session. There will also be two fully-funded seats per cohort, and payment plans are made available to any paying participant.

• Application materials: In addition to general information, the primary application requirement is filling out our statement of interest, which asks three questions about you, your work, and why you want to join the residency.  

theseventhwave.org/programs/digital-residencies/narrative-shifts/

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Teen Writers Fellowship

The Muse Writers Center (Norfolk, VA)

DEADLINE: January 9, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The Muse Teen Writers Fellowship is a unique mentorship program for sophomore and junior high school writers in the Hampton Roads area. Every year, we select eight talented writers who are passionate about expanding the craft of their creative writing. This competitive program provides teens with the opportunity to further their skills through mentorship, craft classes, public readings, and MFA-style workshops at the Muse Writers Center. Selected fellows receive:

• One-on-one mentorship from a professionally published writer

• Advanced craft classes and workshops

• Publishing industry education

• Free 10-minute meeting with professional literary agents or editors to discuss their projects and ask questions about the industry.

• Guidance on submitting their work, including a required submission to Musings, our student-led Teen Zine.

• Free attendance to the 2026 Muse Writers Conference

A limited number of fellow spots (8) are available.

The Teen Writers Fellowship is tuition-free, but is valued at more than $7,500 per student for the instruction, classes, feedback, mentorship, administrative fees, and supplies. It is the first program of its kind in Hampton Roads, and one of the leading teen programs nationwide. It is an opportunity for any 10th or 11th grader to develop their craft, gain professional skills, and experience an engaging literary community.

ELIGIBILITY: The fellowship is open to teens living in Hampton Roads who are high school sophomores and juniors, including students considering a future major in English or Creative Writing, or students interested in future publication.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

All class costs are covered, including lunch at the conference. Transportation assistance is available for in-person only classes and fellowship events at The Muse Writers Center and The Muse Writers Conference. Most classes and events are hybrid, and can be attended online or in-person.

FELLOWSHIP REQUIREMENTS:

Students will be required to:

• Attend Fellowship classes and Saturday Teen Classes (4 absences allowed for total program).

• Read at 2 of 3 readings, one of which must be the Fellowship Class reading. (1 Fellowship reading + 2 Teen Class Readings.)

• Turn in assignments on time, as requested, to their teachers.

• Complete a final Fellowship Project, a professional-level pitch package built around the Fellows' creative work.

• Provide notice of absences to their lead teachers.

• Reply promptly via email with teachers, administrative staff, and mentors.

• Communicate via email only with their mentors, no texting.

• Meet 4 times with mentors via an approved method provided to each mentor.

• Sign a media release for photos, video, or podcast recordings used to promote The Muse.

• Complete all feedback forms and surveys requested from teachers and Muse administrative staff.

• Engage in their writing community through participation, providing feedback to other students, and by making their voice heard in their own way.

• Make up missed classes by volunteering with The Muse for 2.5 hours per class missed.

• Communicate with parents/guardians or funnel parent/guardian concerns to Muse administration for clarification.

• Attend the Muse Writers Conference on September 26, 2026, which includes a pitch session with a literary agent or editor.

• Submit to the Teen Zine Musings.

the-muse.org/teen-writers-fellowship-2/

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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:

1. The reason you want to participate in the Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color.

2. A statement about how you would benefit from this experience.

3. Background information about you as a writer.

4. Brief description of the project you are presently working on (if applicable).

5. A writing sample (up to five pages). This will be a separate upload in the application below.

6. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your writing. This will also be a separate upload in the application below.

7. 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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Sunlit Residency: Summer '26 

Sunlit Residency (Ithaca, NY)

DEADLINE: January 10, 2026

PROCESSING FEE: $25

INFO: A residency for social justice, human rights and the arts in Ithaca, NY. 

This residency honors the legacy of anthropologist Dr. Sue-Je Lee Gage, pioneering scholar of Amerasians in South Korea, change maker, beloved teacher and mentor whose talents and interests spanned the fine arts, the humanities, and the social sciences. Scholars, artists, writers, and activists are invited to apply for short-term residencies in her former home in Ithaca, New York, to pursue projects related to the passions and interests that motivated Dr. Gage's work for social justice, human rights and the arts on a broad scale. 

Residents are responsible for their own transportation to and from Ithaca, New York.

All household amenities, including wi-fi, will be provided.

All questions and queries regarding the residency may be addressed to Sunlitresidency@gmail.com.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Please complete the Application Form.  Also email the following as Microsoft Word or pdf attachments to Sunlitresidency@gmail.com:

1. Project Description: Submit a statement (max. 1500 words) describing your proposed work, how it aligns with the goals of the Sunlit Residency, current stage of the project, goals for completion while at the Residency, and a schedule for how you plan to utilize your time while at the Residency.

2. Work Samples:  Scholars and creative writers are requested to submit two samples of written work.  Artists are asked to submit two fine art samples, or representations thereof.  Activists are requested to submit a brief (about 250-300 word) description of past activities relevant to the proposed project, or other evidence of such activities.

3. Updated Curriculum Vitae

4. A Confidential Letter of Reference: The letter should be emailed directly to Sunlitresidency@gmail.com by a professional colleague and/or supervisor who is familiar with your project and your goals.

5. Processing fee of $25: Payment should be made via our donation page on the website.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage

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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.

twc.submittable.com/SUBMIT

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call for applications: Writing On Race & Immigration - A Memoir Workshop

Lewis Latimer House (Flushing, Queens, NY)

DEADLINE: January 12, 2026

INFO: Queens is known as the most diverse county in the United States. As our country grapples with issues of race and immigration in real time, the stories from our borough have an important role to play. The Lewis Latimer House is pleased to present this fully funded opportunity to the writers of Queens!

Join our six-session memoir writing workshop focusing on themes of race and immigration. We will dive into student work from day one, finding our voices, developing characters, creating context and backdrop, and honing our narratives. Everyone will have the opportunity to have their pieces reviewed in workshop three times, and will leave the course with a refined, voice-driven piece of personal writing.

• Open to writers of all levels of experience with a focus on emerging voices.

• Participants will be notified by January 26, 2026.

• Instructor: Abeer Hoque

• Class Size: 8 writers

• Cost: Free--All participants in the workshop will receive a scholarship from Lewis Latimer House
  

WHEN:

*Participants must commit to all dates listed below.

• Pre-workshop Meet & Greet (in-person): Saturday, February 7, 12:00 p.m. -- 1:00 p.m.

• Six Saturdays (virtual): March 7, March 21, April 4, April 18, May 2, May 16, 2:00 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m.

• Public reading (in-person): Saturday, May 30, 2:00 p.m. -- 4:00 p.m.

WHERE:

• Six workshop sessions via Zoom. Links will be shared with participants.

• In-person meet-up and public reading at Lewis Latimer House.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4rylb1FUvJG3sGFQYUQxtgxQ3zHUTyQ16M8jpG77IVsI0wQ/viewform

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PARENT-WRITERS’ RESIDENCY

Upstart & Crow

DEADLINE: Extended to January 12, 2026 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: 

• Residency will commence in early March 2026.

upstartandcrow.com/programs/parents-writing-residency/

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OPEN CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: OXBELLY RETREAT

Oxbelly

DEADLINE: January 14, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The Oxbelly Retreat is an annual gathering of international storytellers, dedicated to the exchange of ideas, deepening of craft and broadening of artistic horizons through intercultural dialogue. In 2026, the Oxbelly Retreat includes programs for writers working in film and literary fiction – with the Screenwriters program led by Radu Jude and the Fiction Writers program led by Chigozie Obioma. There is no cost to apply and all expenses for fellows are covered.

FICTION WRITERS PROGRAM: The Fiction Writers program is designed to give fellows both a space to experience support for their work-in-progress as well as the opportunity to write in an ambient environment. The first 4 days consist of a series of writing workshops led by acclaimed writers, along with dedicated one-on-one sessions. The second half offers a mini-residence for the fellows to soak in the scenic and peaceful atmosphere of Costa Navarino and produce work. Fellows also engage in a session focused on enhancing their knowledge of the literary industry and how to promote their work.

Evenings consist of interdisciplinary programming for all attendees – a curated series of sessions exploring the craft of writing, readings, screenings and panel discussions that cut across multiple mediums. Fellows will also have the opportunity to engage with attendees from other creative sectors including the fellows and advisors from the Screenwriters program, which runs concurrently.

After the Retreat, Oxbelly offers fellows additional support for their writing and career. Avenues of support includes a partnership with Granta, one of the world’s leading literary platforms, where, once a year, fellows may submit unpublished work directly to the editors to be considered for potential publication.

The Fiction Writers program has no cost to apply and all expenses for fellows are covered.

Open Call for Greek and international applicants who are emerging writers of novels or short stories, including unpublished writers and students, 18 years old and over.

Finalists will be interviewed in late spring 2026.

SCREENWRITERS PROGRAM: The first four days consist of one-on-one sessions and workshops with experienced writer-director advisors.

The second half of the program expands to include special guests who range from established directors, actors, cinematographers, composers, editors to producers and industry professionals, as well as creatives from other fields such as theatre, visual arts, and literature.

While the 8-day program focuses solely on the creative writing process, the established creatives and industry who participate in Oxbelly become resources to the fellows' projects and careers post-Retreat.

Evenings consist of interdisciplinary programming for all attendees– a curated series of sessions exploring the craft of writing, readings, screenings and panel discussions that cut across multiple mediums. Fellows will also have the chance to engage with attendees from other creative sectors, including the fellows and advisors from the Fiction Writers program.

The Screenwriters program has no cost to apply and all expenses for fellows are covered.

Open Call for Greek and international applicants, 18 years old and over.

Finalists will be interviewed in late spring 2026.

The Screenwriters program is open to writer-directors applying with their second fiction feature film.

The application materials consist of a project synopsis, a writer’s statement, a treatment, a full script, a sample of their debut fiction feature film and a mood board (optional). Each applicant must be the author of the material they submit.

CONTACT: For any information, please email contact@oxbelly.com

oxbelly.com

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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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call for submissions on loss, grief, and healing

Womanly Magazine

DEADLINE: January 15, 2026

INFO: Womanly Magazine is an independent print and digital publication featuring accessible, accurate health information, visual and literary art, and stories that center the lived experiences of women and non binary individuals. We believe art is a vital tool for sharing preventive health information and creating space for collective empathy across health, generations, and cultural experiences.

We are officially accepting submissions and pitches for our ninth issue on the topics of loss, grief, and healing. This issue will explore the complex landscape of loss and grief through illustrations, poetry, essays, articles, and photography. We encourage works that include traditional concepts of grief such as death and dying, as well as works that broaden our understanding to include transgender experiences, climate loss, political upheaval, societal transformation, and more. Through this issue we aim to offer resources, support, and pathways that help people live with, manage, and navigate grief and discover routes to healing.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Please read the following guidelines before submitting.

Accepted content:

• Visual Art (Photography, Illustration, Paintings, Collage, Sculpture, Video)

• Essays and Articles (Please Note: Womanly Magazine is not an academic journal. We strive to make our magazine accessible to audiences of all reading levels. Please consider accessibility when submitting.)

• Interviews (Your pitch to Womanly must be agreed to by the interviewer or interviewee.)

Format Guidelines:

• Any written attachments must be in .pdf format.

• Suggested word length for all pieces: 1500 words or less. (Some exceptions may be made)

Please note: Womanly is run by a small team. By day, we are health professionals, educators, artists, and more. We cannot respond to every pitch and will reach out if we are interested in moving forward.

QUESTIONS? Email submissions@womanlymag.com

womanlymag.typeform.com/issue9submit

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KUNDIMAN RETREAT

Kundiman

DEADLINE: January 15, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: In order to mentor and build community among Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) writers, Kundiman sponsors an annual creative writing Retreat. During each Retreat, six nationally renowned poets and fiction writers conduct craft classes and mentorship meetings. Readings, writing circles, and informal social gatherings are also scheduled. Through this Retreat, Kundiman hopes to provide a safe and instructive environment that identifies and addresses the unique challenges faced by emerging AAPI writers. 

CRAFT CLASSES & MENTORSHIP MEETINGS: The Kundiman Retreat is generative in nature, so craft classes are focused on new work that is written at the Retreat. An acclaimed writer facilitates each craft class, which is small (not exceeding six students) and includes a craft talk, readings, and writing exercises. Retreat attendees, known as Kundiman Fellows, take three craft classes during the Retreat — one with each Faculty member in their genre. 

Each Fellow also attends a 25-minute mentorship meeting where they can speak with a Faculty member about craft, career questions, and the writing life. Our hope is that these craft classes and mentorship meetings inspire Kundiman Fellows to forge deeper relationships to their artistic processes and encounter their work with renewed focus and energy.  

LOCATION & DATES:

The 2026 Kundiman Retreat will be held at Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus in Brooklyn, New York from Monday, June 15th to Saturday, June 20th. 

If you have any questions about accessibility or if you need any accommodations, please email info@kundiman.org.

ELIGIBILITY:

Anyone who self-identifies as AAPI and is at least 18 years old can apply to the Retreat. 

LOGISTICS:

It is expected that Fellows and Faculty are in residence for the duration of the Retreat. We will ask that you not invite in outside visitors, or make plans to meet with visitors during the Retreat. If you know that you will not be able to be in residence for the entirety of the Retreat, it is recommended that you select another year to attend.

Everyone in attendance will commit to co-creating an inclusive, respectful, and courageous space that honors both self care and community care. Community care includes taking reasonable steps to protect one another from contagious illnesses such as COVID. Further guidance on COVID protocol will be provided to admitted Fellows at a later date.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Between December 15th and January 15th, apply to the Kundiman Retreat by clicking on one of the below buttons. Submit a cover letter and brief writing sample (5–7 pages of poetry or 5 pages (1250 words max) of prose).

Notification on application status is expected to be given by mid March.

kundiman.org/retreat

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2026 ANTHONY VEASNA SO SCHOLARS IN FICTION

Adroit Journal

DEADLINE: Extended to January 15, 2026

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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2026 open-call residency program for BIPOC artists

Ma’s House (Shinnecock Indian Reservation, a sovereign self-governing nation in Southampton, NY)

DEADLINE: January 15, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Ma’s House’s Artist-In-Residency program is open to US-based creatives of color working in any genre of visual art, creative writing, and performance arts.

We encourage resident artists to pursue work that relates to or is inspired by Shinnecock’s history, the local landscape, community-based work, and critical engagement in issues of diversity, race, and identity.

There is no work expectation for the Ma’s House residency aside from leading one public program, including, but not limited to, a hands-on workshop, a public performance, a reading, open studios, and more.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Ma’s House Artist Residency is open to US-based BIPOC artists 21+ years of age. A variety of disciplines are accepted including, but not limited to: visual arts, media/new genre, performance, architecture, film/video, literature, interdisciplinary arts, and music composition. Solo artists are a eligible to apply. 

Applicants will be chosen based on project proposals, artistic merit, feasibility/logistics of the residency, and how the artist will benefit from working at Ma’s House and Shinnecock.

RESIDENCY LENGTH:

Residencies will be scheduled by mutual agreement between accepted resident artists and Ma’s House year-round.

Residencies can be a minimum of a weekend and a maximum of two weeks. Artists from federally recognized tribes may apply for up to six months.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS:

Residents will be required to participate in a minimum of one public program during their stay (open rehearsals, workshops, studio visits, lectures, or artist talks).

Engaging with or researching Shinnecock artists, east-end artists, and local art institutions  is strongly recommended before arrival.

RESIDENCY COSTS

There is no fee to apply or fee to attend. Residents will be responsible for their own groceries and meals.

Thanks to the Creatives Rebuild New York grant, we are grateful to offer $ 250.00 per week honorariums for visiting artists. (Or about $35.70 per day if staying more or less than a week)

mashouse.studio/residency/

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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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Cai Emmons Fiction Award

Red Hen Press

DEADLINE: January 15, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $25

INFO: To honor the life and enduring legacy of beloved novelist Cai Emmons, who published three novels through Red Hen Press (Weather Woman, Sinking Islands, and Livid) and who passed away with dignity on January 2, 2023, after a hard-fought battle with ALS, Red Hen Press is proud to announce the Cai Emmons Fiction Award.

We are so grateful to Cai and her family for choosing to endow this award to keep Cai’s spirit and love of life-changing fiction alive.

We are looking for a fresh and original story of fiction with a minimum of 150 pages. The awarded fiction manuscript is selected through an annual submission process which is open to all authors.

AWARD DETAILS:

• $5000

• Book publication by Red Hen Press

• Judge: TBD

• Name on cover sheet only, with a 25,000-word minimum (approximately 150 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font). Entries will be accepted via Submittable only.

GUIDELINES:

The award is open to all writers with the following exceptions:

Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press;

• Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press;

• Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors;

• Relatives or individuals having a personal or professional relationship with any of the final judges where they have taken any part whatsoever in shaping the manuscript, or where, for whatever reason, selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety.

PROCEDURES + ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material.

Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.

Red Hen Press is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

In order to qualify, authors must agree not only to on-time delivery of manuscript, clear and timely responses to communication, and attention to detail, but also to full participation in the promotion of their book—in short, publicity. A robust and personalized book promotion campaign requires a committed partnership between the author and RHP. To this end, authors will be expected to engage in the following:

1.  Appearing as podcast guest

2. Running social media

3. Building and maintaining an author website

4. Curating a broad contact list for personal outreach

5. Building and maintaining a Substack

6. Doing long-read pitches

7. Potential events with friends

For questions or to withdraw a submitted entry, please contact editorial@redhen.org.

redhenpress.submittable.com/submit

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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.

blackwritersforpeace.org/literary-journal 

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Monson Arts RESIDENCY

Monson Arts

DEADLINE: January 15, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Monson Arts’ residency program supports emerging and established artists and writers by providing them time and space to devote to their creative practices. During each of our 2-week and 4-week programs throughout the year, a cohort of 5 artists and 5 writers are invited to immerse themselves in small town life at the edge of Maine’s North Woods and focus intensely on their work within a creative and inspiring environment. They receive a private studio, private bedroom in shared housing, all meals, and $500 stipend ($250 for 2-week programs). The Abbott Watts Residency for Photography offers access to the photography studio and darkroom of Todd Watts in nearby Blanchard, adjacent to the former home of Berenice Abbott. Click here to read more about this unique opportunity specifically for photographers.

Applications for a residency at Monson Arts are open to anyone at any stage of their career, working in visual arts, writing, and related fields (i.e. audio, video, photography, woodworking, movement, screen and playwrights). Open calls for residency applications currently take place 3 times throughout the year with deadlines on January 15, May 15, and September 15. Each application period corresponds to specific residency offerings 3-6 months out.

Residents’ studios are located in newly renovated Main Street buildings that have been designed specifically for visual artists and writers. All of our studio spaces are outfitted to be as flexible as possible so that we can accommodate a variety of creative practices. Our visual arts studios are spacious and light-filled with large work tables and sinks. Shelving and portable storage carts are available as needed. Access is available to woodshop and metal shop facilities in nearby buildings for any fabrication needs. Our writing studios are comfortably furnished with work tables, office chairs, bookshelves, and reading chairs. For those working in time and sound based media: apply to the Writing category if quiet contemplation would be best for your project or the Visual Arts category if you need room and the opportunity to make and play sounds out loud.

Residents live in newly renovated historic homes throughout town, within walking distance to studios and everything that downtown Monson has to offer. These are mostly 3 bedroom structures that are fully furnished and comfortable all four seasons of the year. Houses all have shared kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas with laundry machines, telephone, and other amenities as well. Wifi is available in all of our buildings through high speed fiberoptic service.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE:

• Up to 5 images / 5 minutes of media OR 5 pages of writing examples

• A letter of intent for your time at the residency

• C.V. or Resume (limited to 6000 characters)

• Two reference names

2026 SPRING RESIDENCY SCHEDULE:

• 3/30 – 4/23 – Residency – (With Abbott Watts Resident)

• 4/27 – 5/21 – Residency

• *5/26 – 6/5 – Residency – (With Abbott Watts Resident) 2 week residency (Tuesday start for memorial day)

monsonarts.slideroom.com/#/login/program/87435

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UCROSS FELLOWSHIP FOR NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS

UCROSS Foundation

DEADLINE: January 15, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Our dedicated fellowship supports the work of contemporary Native American visual artists, writers, and performers. Selected fellows are offered a four-week residency, which includes uninterrupted time, private studio space living accommodations, meals prepared by our professional chef, a stipend, and the experience of the majestic High Plains. The  Ucross Fellowship for Native American Artists also includes an award of $2,000 and the opportunity to present work publicly, such as a featured exhibition in the Ucross Art Gallery, a reading, or a performance. 

The fellowship began in 2018 by supporting Native American visual artists, thanks in large part to a grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Following the success of the first two years, in 2020, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) granted Ucross funds to continue the program for visual artists and expand its reach to include Native American writers. In 2024, the NEA granted Ucross additional funds to include Native American performers. 

ELIGIBILITY: Residencies are open to Native American writers who meet the criteria below. They must:

• Be a practicing contemporary writer who is currently producing works in one or more of the following genres, including but not limited to FICTION, NONFICTION, POETRY, DRAMA, SCREENWRITING, PLAYWRITING, and HYBRID FORMS;

• Be an enrolled member of a state-recognized or federally-recognized Tribe, Pueblo, Nation, Native Community, Political Entity, or Alaskan Native Village.

FICTION WORK SAMPLE: Your writing sample should represent the genre in which you plan to work while in residence. Writing samples should be double-spaced and include your full name. * Appropriate sample: 20 pages of fiction, which could be a novel excerpt, a story, several stories, or a combination.

NONFICTION WORK SAMPLE: Your sample should represent the genre in which you plan to work while in residence. Writing samples should be double-spaced and include your full name. * Appropriate sample: 20 pages of nonfiction.

POETRY WORK SAMPLE: Your sample should represent the genre in which you plan to work while in residence. Poetry submissions may be single-spaced and should include your full name. * Appropriate samples: 10 pages of poetry.

PLAYWRITING WORK SAMPLE: Your sample should represent the genre in which you plan to work while in residence. Writing samples should be double-spaced and include your full name. * Appropriate samples: One complete play (documentation of production may be included, if relevant), noting the 20 pages that you would like the reviewers to read.

SCREENWRITING WORK SAMPLE: Your sample should represent the genre in which you plan to work while in residence. Writing samples should be double-spaced and include your full name. * Appropriate samples: One complete screenplay (documentation of production may be included, if relevant), noting the 20 pages that you would like the reviewers to read

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Ucross Foundation acknowledges with respect that it is situated on the aboriginal land of several Indigenous communities, including the Cheyenne, Crow, and Lakota nations. Indigenous people continue to live in this area and practice their teachings and lifeways. Today, this region remains an important place for many Indigenous peoples. As a Wyoming institution, we recognize and respect this historical context and are working to build reciprocal relationships with the Native nations on whose lands we are situated. In partial fulfillment of that commitment, Ucross established Fellowships for Native American Visual Artists in 2017, Writers in 2020, and Performers in 2024.

ucrossfoundation.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: CUT FRUIT - ISSUE 2

The Paper Lantern Project (Minnesota)

DEADLINE: January 17, 2026

INFO: The Paper Lantern Project: A Gender & Reproductive Justice Fund and Arts Movement is a queer SEA-led organization with years of experience in Reproductive Justice organizing. Our movement’s goals are twofold: to expand narratives around Gender & Reproductive Justice to reduce barriers, stigmas and increase the kind of care we have access to AND to support our community through direct action with an AAPI Gender & Reproductive Justice Fund.

This time, to honor the 50th year anniversary of Southeast Asians making Minnesota home, we are creating a Southeast Asian zine!

We’re looking for your help as we seek community members to expand the vision of who is impacted by access to both reproductive care and gender affirming care to help reduce stigmas within our own community. Your pieces will be joining works created by our cohort, which met throughout this fall, who attended our cohort series to learn more about gender and reproductive justice while discovering our cultural and personal stories related to these topics. 

This zine will be distributed to community and to providers to help expand stories and visions of what care is. All sales from the zine will go to raise money for our AAPI Gender and Reproductive Justice Mutual Aid Fund which is open to all Minnesotans with a new related to Gender and Reproductive Justice. 

Please fill out this form to submit your piece as well as a description of your piece, biographical information we can include, your mailing address so we can send you a copy of our publication. Submissions are due by January  17th. Contributors will be notified about a week after submissions close. Previously published work is permitted (just share how we need to attribute the piece). 

All accepted works will receive a small honorarium. While we this call is open to all--we will give preference to those who either live in Minnesota or have ties to Minnesota.

Please note, to keep true to our gender and reproductive justice values--we do not accept work generated or assisted by generative AI at this time. 

We can't wait to see your work and we hope to see you at our zine launch and fundraiser tentatively scheduled on February 21 at Arbeiter Brewing. 

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMcFPgnDL1SV5Beb0BTb0Cki262foRYqAH5Cx6yMOPgPS77A/viewform

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Emerging Boston Art Writing Fellowship

Praise Shadows Art Gallery / Boston Art Review

DEADLINE: January 21, 2026 at 11:59pm

INFO: Presented in partnership with Praise Shadows Art Gallery, the program supports three individuals based in Boston aged eighteen through twenty-one who are interested in expanding their knowledge of the city’s contemporary art community through hands-on experience writing reviews, artist interviews, and exhibition texts while deepening their understanding of the operations behind a commercial gallery. This fellowship is not a traditional internship, but rather a curriculum-based program with learning at the center.

This program will run across two semesters (spring and fall 2026), with a break over the summer.  The first half of the program (February–May) will be led by Boston Art Review, where fellows will partake in weekly workshops, field trips, and studio visits to cultivate their writing practices and relationships within Boston’s art community. Fellows will be expected to pitch, develop, and complete written pieces that will be published with Boston Art Review. 

For the second half of the program (September–November), fellows will participate in a two-month paid, part-time internship at Praise Shadows Art Gallery. Here, they will learn the inner workings of a contemporary art gallery, including installation, marketing, writing, and engaging with the general public about the work on view. In addition to workshops with local writers and arts leaders, past fellows have participated in sessions with editors from Triple Canopyand Book Art Review (part of Center for Book Arts) and met with an executive at Higher Ground (the Obamas’ media company). They also heard from Dr. Jovonna Jones, Devin Gordon, Nakia Hill, Julian Sorapuru, and visited exhibitions at the ICA (with Tessa Bachi Haas), the MFA (with Kendall DeBoer, Boston Center for the Arts (with Julia Szejnblum), and numerous local university art galleries.

TIMELIME:

• Interviews will be held virtually February 2–5, 2026.

• Fellows will be notified on February 6.

• The program will begin the week of February 9, 2026.

If you have questions about the fellowship program please contact programs and partnerships manager, Camila Bohan Insaurralde, at camila@bostonartreview.com. 

bostonartreview.com/writing-fellowship

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NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)

DEADLINE: January 27, 2026 at 5:00pm ET

INFO: The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is an $8,000 unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located therein.

This grant is awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period (five categories a year) and the application is free to complete. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is not a project grant, but is intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, at all levels of their artistic development.

ELIGIBLE DISCIPLINES:

2026 Award Cycle

• Craft/Sculpture

• Digital/Electronic Arts

• Nonfiction Literature

• Poetry

• Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts

WHO CAN APPLY:

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• 25 years or older by the application deadline date

• Current residents of New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located in New York State

• Must have maintained New York State residency, and/or residency in one of the Tribal Nations located therein, for at least the last two consecutive years (2024 & 2025)

• Not enrolled in a degree-seeking program of any kind

• Are the originators of the work, i.e. choreographers or playwrights, not interpretive artists such as dancers or actors

• Did not receive a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in any discipline in the past five consecutive years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

• Cannot submit any work samples that have been previously awarded a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship

• While collaborating artists are eligible to apply, the total number of artists cannot exceed three individuals (this includes the submitter). Each artist applying  must all meet the eligibility criteria for this award. Artists applying as a collaboration cannot apply separately as an individual in the same year

• Applicants can apply in a maximum of 2 categories each cycle

• Are not a current NYFA employee or have been in the last 12 months, a member of the NYFA Board of Trustees or Artists’ Advisory Committee, 2026 panelist, or an immediate family member of any of the above. 

• Artists that have been awarded five NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships receive Emeritus status and are no longer eligible for the award

nyfa.org/awards-grants/nysca-nyfa-artist-fellowship

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2026 Emerging Voices Fellowship

PEN America

DEADLINE: January 31, 2026 at 8:59pm PT / 11:59pm ET

INFO: PEN America’s Emerging Voices Fellowship will select 10 emerging writers for a five-month mentorship program. The Emerging Voices Fellowship provides a virtual five-month immersive mentorship program for early-career writers from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing world. The program is committed to cultivating the careers of Black writers, and serves writers who identify as Indigenous, persons of color, LGBTQ+, immigrants, writers with disabilities, and those living outside of urban centers. Through curated one-on-one mentorship and introductions to editors, agents, and publishers, in addition to workshops on editing, marketing, and creating a platform, the five-month fellowship nurtures creative community, provides a professional skill-set, and demystifies the path to publication—with the ultimate goal of diversifying the publishing and media industries. Ten fellows will be chosen in 2026. Each will be awarded an honorarium of $1,500.

GUIDELINES: Please read the following closely, as our application requirements may have changed and aspects of our program adjusted for 2026. Learn more information on the benefits and components of the program: https://pen.org/emerging-voices-fellowship/.   

FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE: The five months of the fellowship are designed for fellows to connect with mentors and their cohort, and refine their writing project while learning new skills and building relationships with publishing industry professionals, PEN America staff, and the literary community.           

•  January 1-31, 2026: 2026 Emerging Voices Fellowship Application period        

•  May 2026:  All applicants will be notified by May 15        

•  July-November 2026: 2026 Emerging Voices Fellowship period   

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must be 21 years of age or older at time of application.

• Applicants do not need to be a U.S. permanent resident and/or citizen but must be residing in the United States at the time of applying for, and during the duration of, the fellowship.

• Applicants must be available to participate actively in all dimensions of fellowship programming, including mandatory virtual workshops, virtual gatherings and virtual public programs.

• Applicants cannot be enrolled in a degree-granting program at the time of the fellowship's start date (July 2026). Doctoral candidates who have completed all coursework are considered eligible.

• Applicants cannot be a recipient of an advanced degree in fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.

• Applicants cannot have one or more books published through major or independent publishers, university presses, or established presses, nor have a book under contract to a publisher at the time of application. Chapbooks or work published in literary journals are acceptable.

• Former Emerging Voices Fellows are not eligible to reapply.

SELECTION CRITERIA + PROCESS: Given the highly competitive nature of the selection process for this fellowship, we advise using care in your project application. Though the application will be assessed as a whole, fellows will be selected primarily based on the strength of the writing sample by a committee of established writers and publishing professionals, former fellows, and PEN America staff. We encourage you to submit writing that best showcases your work.  

Closely review all required materials listed below. Please be mindful of the specific application requests. Failure to follow instructions carefully will result in disqualification. Late applications will not be accepted, without exception. We suggest you submit early to avoid technical issues. Applicants may only submit in one genre to the 2026 fellowship.  

The selection decisions of PEN America will be final and not subject to review. We regret that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to provide any individualized feedback at any point during or after the application process. General questions about the application process sent to ev@pen.org will be answered at the discretion of PEN America.        

All applicants will be notified of decisions by May 15. 

pen.org/emerging-voices-fellowship/

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SHORT FICTION CONTEST

The Kenyon Review

DEADLINE: January 31, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $24

INFO: The Kenyon Review’s Fiction Contest is open until the end of the month! We're so excited to have Jamil Jan Kochai as this year's judge. Send us your best fiction under 4,000 words.

The Kenyon Review publishes the winning story in print, and the author is awarded a full scholarship to attend the Kenyon Review Writers Workshops.

GUIDELINES:

• Submit via our Submittable portal. We cannot accept paper submissions. 

• Writers must not have published a book of fiction at the time of submission. (We define a “published book of fiction” as a novel, novella, short story collection, or other fiction collection written by you and published by someone other than you in print, on the web, or in ebook format.)

• Submissions must be no more than 4,000 words in length.

• Please submit no more than once per year. 

• Please do not simultaneously submit your contest entry to another magazine or contest. 

• Please do not submit work that has been previously published.

• Before you submit, please remove your name and any other identifying information from your manuscript.

• The entry fee for the Short Fiction Contest is just $24, collected at the time of submission. All entrants are invited to claim a complimentary half-year Print plus Digital subscription to The Kenyon Review (for domestic addresses) or a half-year Digital-only subscription (for international addresses) through February 15, 2026. Your new half-year subscription toThe Kenyon Review will include the Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 issues. Current subscribers will receive a two-issue extension on their current subscription. As always, we will open in the fall for regular submissions, which we read at no cost to writers.

Winners will be announced in the late spring. You will receive an email notifying you of any decisions regarding your work.

2025 FICTION CONTEST JUDGE: Jamil Jan Kochai is the author of The Haunting of Hajji  Hotak and Other Stories, a finalist for the 2022 National Book Award  and a winner of the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize. His debut novel 99  Nights in Logar won John C. Zacharis First Book Award. Kochai was born  in an Afghan refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, but his family  originally hails from Logar, Afghanistan. His short stories have  appeared in The New Yorker, Ploughshares, The O. Henry Prize Stories,  and The Best American Short Stories. Kochai was a Hodder Fellow at  Princeton University, a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and a  Truman Capote Fellow at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He teaches creative  writing at California State University, Sacramento.

thekenyonreview.submittable.com/submit

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FLASH FICTION CONTEST: THE BLUE FROG

Flash Frog

DEADLINE: January 31, 2026

ENTRY FEE: $5 per story

INFO: The Blue Frog is Flash Frog’s annual flash fiction contest. Taking place each January, the contest features a new theme based on what type of stories we wish we had seen more of in the queue. Each year also features a new Guest Judge and Guest Artist. The Blue Frog awards a total of $700 in prize money as well as signed books and original art!

2026 THEME: “Family”

There are so many versions of family: given, chosen, absent. Families can be who we depend on for love and support. Families can also be our source of pain and trauma. And there’s a whole spectrum in between. In fact, people write whole novels centered around the complexities of family. But of course, we’d like you to do it in fewer than 1,000 words. Explore this term in all its meaning.

2026 GUEST JUDGE: Camille U. Adams

Dr. Camille U. Adams is a writer from Trinidad and Tobago. Camille is the author of the memoir, How To Be Unmothered: a Trinidadian memoir, released August 2025 with Restless Books. Camille also narrated the audiobook for the memoir, whereby the distinct poetic prose can be aurally enjoyed.  How To Be Unmothered has since been recognised by Electric Literature’s Best of 2025 Nonfiction List and Camille has been invited to several national book fairs and panels to discuss the ground-breaking concept of unmothering. Her manuscript was recognised as a finalist in the Restless Books Prize in New Immigrant Writing 2023. 

Camille earned her MFA in Poetry from City College, CUNY and a Ph.D. in Creative Nonfiction from FSU. She has been awarded Best of The Net – nonfiction 2024, has received five Pushcart Prize nominations and three Best of the Net nominations for her published CNF work in literary magazines. Her writing has also received recognition as a notable essay in Best American Essays 2022. Among Camille’s awarded fellowships is an inaugural Tin House Reading Fellowship, an inaugural Granta nature writing workshop fellowship, an inaugural Anaphora Arts Italy Writing Retreat Fellowship, a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, a Community of Writers Fellowship, and a Roots Wounds Words Fellowship. Camille is also a Tin House alum and has received support from Kenyon Writers Workshop, VONA, and others. 

She has led a generative writing workshop for a Tin House workshop and served as a juried reader for Tin House for two consecutive years. Camille has also happily contributed to the literary community as a CNF editor at Variant Lit, and as an assistant editor at Split Lip Magazine and at The Account. Camille’s memoir writing is featured in Passages North, Citron Review, XRAY Literary Magazine, Variant Literature, The Forge Literary Magazine, Kweli Magazine, and elsewhere. She currently lives in NYC where she teaches and is hard at work on book two.

2026 GUEST ARTIST: Ali McLafferty

Ali McLafferty is an Austin-based artist and writer moonlighting as a high school history teacher. Her fiction has been published in The Forge, and Flash Frog has featured both her flash fiction and several of her art pieces. She loves working in acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite pencil, and believes every surface–paper, wood, walls, stone, or skin–is better with a little paint on it. When not writing or creating artwork, she spends her time gardening, mountain-biking, and dabbling in green witchcraft. Her biggest fans are all the neighborhood children who demand painted tattoos on every limb. 

PRIZES:

• 1st Place: $500 / Publication / Signed book by Guest Judge / Original artwork that accompanies your story

• 2nd Place: $150 / Publication / Signed book by Guest Judge / Original artwork that accompanies your story

• 3rd Place: $50 / Publication / Signed book by Guest Judge / Original artwork that accompanies your story

TIMELINE:

• Contest Runs: January 1 — 31st

• Finalists Announced: Early February

• Winners Announced: Late February

• Winners Published: Mid/Late March

HOW TO ENTER:

*Please read all contest rules before submitting*

Simple Two-Step Process:

1. Email your story as an attachment (.doc; .docx; .rtf) to flashfroglitmag@gmail.com or paste into the body of the email

2. Send the $5 contest submission fee using the Donate button below

   • You do not need to worry about removing identifying information from your submission. For all stories that become finalists, we will remove this info before sending to the Guest Judge.

   • If the name on your payment method is drastically different from the name on your email submission, please note that in your email.

   • You will receive a confirmation email (typically within 24 hours) once we have received both your submission and your contest fee.

RULES:

• Fiction only

• 1,000 words max (this is a hard limit)

• All submissions should be the author’s original work and not previously published elsewhere, this includes blogs, social media, etc. (And obviously no AI involvement. We hate we have to even say that now.)

• Multiple submissions are are okay, but each must be submitted as a separate entry (and there is no limit)

• Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please withdraw your story if it is accepted elsewhere for publication. There are no refunds in this case. Please keep in mind our quick turnaround time (especially for a contest!) when considering simultaneously submitting to other journals.

• Publication Rights: If published, we ask for the right to display the work for the duration of the journal. Copyright remains with the writer in all cases. If your work is subsequently reprinted elsewhere, please acknowledge Flash Frog as the site of first publication.

• All previous Flash Frog contributors are eligible to enter, regardless of when their story was published.

Other Things to Know:

• All submissions will receive a response before the finalists and winners are announced.

• All submissions are also eligible for standard Flash Frog publication.

• The Guest Judge will read all finalists’ submissions blindly. Flash Frog will remove all identifying information before sending the finalists’ stories to the Guest Judge.

• Winners are paid via PayPal on the day of their publication.

• All entry fee money goes to writers and artists. Here is a breakdown of where the entry fees go:

  • $700 goes to the prize money

  • Guest Judge and Guest Artist receive a small honorarium for their time and effort

  • Any remaining funds go towards Flash Frog authors and artists throughout the year to help ensure we are a paying market while keeping general submissions free for everyone

flash-frog.com/contest/

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Call for Submissions: Voices on Gender, Queerness & Becoming

IHRAM Press Literary Magazine

DEADLINE: February 1, 2026

INFO: This edition will celebrate the uniqueness of every individual, whether gender queer, non-binary, agender, gender-fluid, transgender, or anyone within the LGBTQ+ community, including those who choose not to label themselves or are still embracing their journey. Each person decides their own path and identity.

We welcome work that reflects on:

• Experiences of feeling “othered” by societal rules and norms.

• Trans joy, resilience, and creativity as forms of resistance.

• Cultural perspectives on gender and identity, and how different societies approach openness.

• Reflections on restrictive laws or policies that deny freedom of expression, and the importance of resisting them through art-activism.

This magazine is not about “unconventionality”, but it is about uniqueness, freedom, and growing communities and care. Through stories, poems, essays, and art, we want to honor the joy, struggles, and resistance of queer and trans lives worldwide. We welcome submissions from all over the world, regardless of gender or identity.

humanrightsartmovement.org/ihram-submissions

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Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing 2026–27

Stadler Center for Poetry & Literary Arts at Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA)

DEADLINE: February 1, 2026

INFO: Named for Bucknell's renowned literary alumnus ('54) and initiated in fall 1993, the Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing offers up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book.

In the current application season, The Roth Residence is open to writers in any creative genre in the literary arts, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, hybrid work, graphic novel, etc.

The residency provides an apartment in Bucknell's Writers' Cottage and a stipend of $5,000.

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY: An applicant must be at least 21 years of age, reside in the United States, and not be enrolled as a student in an academic program or hold competing professional, academic, or fellowship obligations during the period of the residency. Some record of publication is desirable. Publication (or acceptance for publication) of a second book is disqualifying.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN APPLICATION:

• Letter of Application - We suggest commenting on your background as a writer, the project you intend to work on during the Residence, and your reason for seeking this particular residency program.

• Curriculum Vitae

• Writing Sample (20 pp. maximum) - The writing sample may consist of a complete work, an excerpt from a longer work, or multiple shorter works.

REFERENCES: Recommendation letters should be from teachers of writing or other writing/literary professionals who are familiar with your literary work. Ensuring that recommendation letters are submitted on time is the responsibility of the applicant. We recommend that you discuss the recommendation process with your recommender before completing your application. Please be aware that you may need to begin your application well in advance of the deadline in order to provide your recommenders with the time they need to prepare and submit their letters. We encourage you to check with your recommenders to make sure they receive our prompt.

stadlercenter.slideroom.com/#/login/program/86719

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Open Call: THE WRITING SABBATICALS

Mophradat

DEADLINE: February 1, 2026

INFO: We are launching a new open call for published literary authors from the Arab world working in contemporary fiction who are at the final stages of a new manuscript. The program supports writers to take time out of their day jobs and daily preoccupations to focus on editing and preparing their book for publication. The program participants will receive a stipend to allow them time to complete their project, and they will additionally be offered the support of a peer to help them edit and finalize their manuscript. Once completed, Mophradat will accompany the writer in finding a publisher to print and distribute it within an agreed timeframe.

The participants will receive a monthly stipend amount that is determined by Mophradat based on the local living costs in the writer’s country of residence, while the length of the sabbatical will be determined based on the author’s needs, ranging from three to six months. The program is limited to two to three participants.

SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

• Applicants must be in the last stages of writing. A 40-page/10,000-word sample of the manuscript will be requested upon applying.

• Applicants must be from or living in the Arab world. Priority is given to those writing in Arabic and based in the Arab world.

• Applicants must be authors of creative writing. This edition, only fiction will be considered. These sabbaticals are not for academic writing, film, or journalism.

• Applicants must be published writers with at least two prior instances of publication (books, articles, essays etc.). Self-published writing is not eligible.

• Applicants must provide a letter of reference from a publisher or platform they have previously published with.

• Applicants must commit to taking a leave from their day jobs for at least three months of the sabbatical period. (For those who are selected: if employed, a letter from their place of employment must be provided, confirming the agreed time out).

PROCESS:

• All applicants, whether selected or not, will receive a response to their applications by April 30, 2026.

• Upon selection, a grant agreement will be signed between the recipient and Mophradat.

• Funds will be released in a three-stage process: 35 percent when the agreement is signed, 35 percent halfway through, upon submission of a brief progress update and the revised manuscript, and the remaining 30 percent at the end of the sabbatical period upon submission of the completed manuscript and a short narrative summary of what was achieved.

• Upon completion, a publishing contract will be signed between the recipient and the publisher.

• While the program aims for publishing the selected project, Mophradat maintains the right to decide at its own discretion whether the work is ready to be published or not.

• The grantee engages to visibly credit Mophradat for any publication of their work, and send copies of printed material to its offices.

*Please note that, due to the high volume of applications and the confidentiality of the selection process, Mophradat cannot provide individual feedback explaining the reason an application was not selected.

**By applying to this program, you agree that, if selected, you will endeavor to realize your proposal. If the proposal is not realized within the timeline agreed upon, you may be asked to partially or fully reimburse Mophradat.

*** We want to get to know you through this application process, so please be aware that we don’t want to read AI-generated answers.

In order to prepare your application, you may already check out the questions here.

The Writing Sabbaticals is implemented with the support of Mophradat’s institutional partners.

mophradat.org/en/program/writing-sabbaticals/

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call for short fiction + essays: Acquired Tastes anthology
(FROM young adults, ages 15-21)

Roxane Gay Books

DEADLINE: February 2, 2026 by 11:59pm PST

INFO: In 2014, I published an essay, “Not Here to Make Friends” where I wrote about the importance and delight of unlikeable female protagonists. Likeability, I said, was a very elaborate lie, a performance, a code of conduct dictating the proper way to be, a trap, constraining women to very narrow ideas about how they should be. In fiction, characters who don't follow this code are labeled as unlikable, as problems, as less worthy of taking up space on the page. I wrote the essay because of my own conflicted experiences with likability but also because I have spent a lot of time over the years thinking about unlikeable characters and how unfairly they are maligned. 

As I also noted in my essay, unlikable are characters I’m frequently drawn to. I want interesting characters to do bad things and get away with their misdeeds. I want characters to think ugly thoughts and make messy decisions. I want characters to make mistakes and put themselves first without apologizing for it. I want authenticity and to read stories about real people who aren’t always picture perfect. 

Because I remain fascinated by unlikable characters, I’m putting together Acquired Tastes, an anthology celebrating unlikeable characters: how we create them, how we understand them, how we love them and how they enrage us, and why they are so necessary to our stories. 

This call is for young adult writers, whose work I’d like to include in this anthology alongside some more familiar names. 

I’m looking for short fiction or essays, from young adults, ages 15-21. Submission guidelines are below. Please share widely with the younger writers you know who might be a good fit for this. Contributors will receive a payment of $1,000 upon publication in 2027 and a copy of the anthology.

GUIDELINES:

• Please submit via Submittable using the Acquired Tastes submissions option.  

• Only fiction and nonfiction will be considered. 

• An individual may only submit one submission, only as a Microsoft Word file.

• Submissions should not exceed 5,000 words. 

• Please include a brief (50-100 word) bio in your cover letter. If you don’t have a bio, that’s okay, too. Your writing will speak for you. 

gay.submittable.com/submit?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

FICTION / NONFICTION — DECEMBER 2025

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:

1. a bio of 2-6 sentences,

2. a 250-500 word statement (addressing the four questions below), and

3. your submission as a Word Document or PDF.

4. 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.

outposttheresidency.org

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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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The Eunice Williams Nonfiction Prize

HerStry

DEADLINE: January 1, 2026

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

INFO: HerStry has long been a place for women identifying and nonbinary folks to tell their stories. Now, we’d like to amplify your stories even more with our contest and prize.

There is no theme to adhere to for this contest, simply nonfiction written by you, about you. Give us your best work, the stuff of your heart. Our stories are what make us, tell yours.

THE IMPORTANT STUFF:

• All essays must be true, about you, and previously unpublished.

• Essays must stay under 5,000 words.

• Essays must be submitted in a word document (please no PDFs). Must be in 12pt Times New Roman or Calibri font, double spaced.

• All essays are judged blind, please do not put any identifying information on your document. Essays with identifying information will be discarded without being read.

• Writers are asked to submit a third person bio. Cover letters are fine but, honestly, we don’t care. It’s the quality of the writing we are looking for, not the amount of times you’ve been published. Plus, we judge blind, so we won’t read your cover letter.

• Do not submit more than one piece.

• While your work is under consideration we ask that you DO NOT submit it elsewhere. Winners will be announced no later than April 13, 2026

HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. We’re looking for work from bigender/polygender persons, cisgender women, intergender persons/intersex persons, non-binary persons/gender non-conforming persons, transgender women/transfeminine persons, two-spirit. In other words, if you are a cis man, please refrain from submitting.

PRIZES:

• First Place - $400  

• Second Place - $250  

• Third Place - $100  

2026 JUDGE: Mia Mercado is a humor writer based in Kansas City. She’s the author of two essay collections, Weird but Normal and She's Nice Though, which was named an NPR Book of the Day and a Publishers Weekly staff pick. She’s a contributor to New York Magazine and previously wrote a weekly column for the Cut called I Can’t Shut Up About. Mia has hosted workshops with organizations like Girls Write Now and served as a judge for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Her work has also been featured in The New Yorker, New York Times, Cosmopolitan, McSweeney’s, and a bottle she threw in the river when she was 9.

herstry.submittable.com/submit/338382/the-2026-eunice-williams-nonfiction-prize

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117°residency

Black Mountain Institute (The University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

DEADLINE: January 1, 2026

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The 117° residency is for emerging and distinguished writers working in English who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press. This fellowship is for writers working on a project in nonfiction or poetry (or a hybrid work that includes one or both of those genres).

The fellowship includes:

• A salary of $10,000 paid over a two-month period

• a two-month letter-of-appointment

• eligibility for optional health coverage

• office space at BMI on the campus of UNLV

• housing (fellows cover some utilities) in a unique and vibrant arts complex in the bustling district of downtown Las Vegas—home to The Writer’s Block, our city’s beloved independent bookstore

• recognition as a “BMI Fellow”

While there are no formal teaching requirements, this is a “working fellowship” located in Las Vegas. BMI’s visiting fellows will maintain office hours (1 day a week), and will offer regular service to the community. In addition to the primary goal of furthering one’s own writing during their term in Las Vegas, visiting fellows are expected to engage in a substantial way with BMI’s community in ways that connect to their interests and skills. Upon acceptance into the program, each fellow will craft a plan for community-engagement in partnership with BMI. This component is equally weighted along with the writing sample and proposed literary project in the application. Here are some examples of activities a visiting fellow might pursue:

• Offer readings, craft talks, and other public presentations to the readers and writers of UNLV and Southern Nevada.

• Offer workshops or seminars.

• Curate events or programs, live and virtual.

• Please feel free to move beyond these examples in your application – BMI wants to find new ways to serve the Las Vegas community.

ELIGIBILITY: While this fellowship is for emerging and early-career writers, candidates must have published at least one book by a trade or literary press to be eligible. Authors with only self-published books are not eligible for consideration.

FELLOWSHIP DATES: The term will run from June 1 to July 31.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

You will need to submit:

1. A one-page personal statement,* which includes 1) your interest participating in the Las Vegas literary community, 2) a description of how you envision fulfilling your service hours and engaging the Las Vegas community, and 3) the writing project(s) you will work on while in residency.

2. A writing sample (10 pages maximum,* double-spaced, 12 pt. font).

3. A résumé or CV.

4. *Please respect the committee’s time by observing these guidelines and page limits.

Candidates are selected by a committee of staff and community members at BMI.

blackmountaininstitute.org/fellowships/117/

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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:

1. The reason you want to participate in the Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color.

2. A statement about how you would benefit from this experience.

3. Background information about you as a writer.

4. Brief description of the project you are presently working on (if applicable).

5. A writing sample (up to five pages). This will be a separate upload in the application below.

6. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your writing. This will also be a separate upload in the application below.

7. 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.

twc.submittable.com/SUBMIT

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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.

blackwritersforpeace.org/literary-journal 

FICTION / NONFICTION — NOVEMBER 2025

OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature

Bocas Lit

DEADLINE: November 7, 2025

INFO: The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature is an annual award for literary books by Caribbean writers, first presented in 2011. Books are judged in three categories: poetry; fiction — both novels and collections of short stories; and literary nonfiction — including books of essays, biography and autobiography, history, current affairs, travel, and other genres, which demonstrate literary qualities and use literary techniques, regardless of subject matter.

There is a panel of three judges for each genre category, who determine category shortlists and winners. 

The three category winners are then judged by a panel of four judges — consisting of the chairs of the category panels and the prize chair — who determine the overall winner. 

The author of the book judged the overall winner will receive an award of US$10,000. The other category winners will receive US$3,000

bocaslitfest.com/awards/ocm/

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WINTER RESIDENCY 2026

Velvetpark Media (Brooklyn, NY)

DEADLINE: November 9, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Velvetpark Residency is a project based live-work studio, awarded through a selection process by open application. It is open to LGBTQ+ writers and visual artists to complete a proposed project. Applicants from across the United States are welcome to apply, however, must have a primary residence.

The studio will be awarded bi-yearly, and will alternate between writers Winter/Spring, and visual artists Summer/Fall respectively. This schedule will continue to alternate into the ensuing years.

Velvetpark‘s Residency award is open for for an artists, writers, creators age eighteen and above, who are not enrolled in an academic program. The residency is for a 6 month term, as indicated in application form.

The VP Residency is housed within Crown Studios, an artist building on a floor of eleven working arts professionals in the Crown and Prospect Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York.

For almost two decades Velvetpark has recognized queer people in the arts, academia and activism, by featuring stories on, by, or about these individuals in the pages of the print magazine and online. It is in the same spirit that our residency program has been launched and expanded to include imaginative and enterprising LGBT+ creators, who need space to support and cultivate their work.

RESIDENCY DATES:

Please note that we will be awarding TWO 3 month terms for our writer residency this year!

• Term 1: January 5th – March 30th 2026*

• Term 2: April 3rd – June 28th 2026*

• *Dates are subject to change.

CHECKLIST:

100 – 250 word, project proposal
– additional .pdf, docx, .doc, .jpg files and supporting materials accepted (limited to 10 mb in size)

Project Outline:

– Provide a detailed outline of what you expect to complete within your 3 month term.

Writers — Work Samples
– Poets, submit up to 15 – 20 pages of poetry
– Prose, 25 – 30 pages of prose
– screenplay/play script, provide 1 – 2 completed works
– additional works accepted via url, to online portfolio or published works

CV/Resume
– should reflect your artistic/creative accomplishments

2 references
– 1 professional reference, who can speak about your work and
– 1 personal reference, who can speak about you personally, your work ethic, values, and any other pertinent information about you.
– provide names and contact; phone/email of these individuals (letters not required).
– finalists’ references will be contacted by selection committee to speak about you.

velvetparkmedia.com/residency/

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call for submissions

Literary Lit

DEADLINE: November 10, 2025

READING FEE: $2

INFO: We are looking for high-quality fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and essays that will leave a lasting impression on our intelligent readers. We look for work that touches upon the topics of femininity, womanhood, identity, empowerment, and/or pop culture.

These topics are nuanced, and we want to showcase their complexity. Whether your writing is funny, thought-provoking, or serious, please make sure it's the very best you can make it. ​

We do not accept any submissions generated by artificial intelligence. By submitting, you certify that your work is entirely your own. 

​HOW TO SUBMIT: You can submit through Duosuma during our regular reading periods. We charge a reading fee of $2.00 for each submission. Please include a bio and/or cover letter. 

​COMPENSATION: If you’re selected, we pay $25.00 for each fiction and nonfiction piece and $10.00 for each poem. As our magazine grows, our payments will, too.

literallylitmag.com/submissions

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call for pitches + submissions: land

The Land, Food, and Freedom Journal

DEADLINE: November 14, 2025

INFO: Freedom begins with land. Our ability to grow food, build shelter, raise children, gather, grieve, and organize, all of it starts with land. Without access to and a sustainable relationship with land, our visions for liberation remain incomplete.

For generations, Black communities have been pushed off land, denied land, or forced to treat it like a commodity to survive. But that’s never been our full story. Across the diaspora, we’ve also preserved traditions of rematriation, care, and collective stewardship. We’ve fought for land not to own it but to live on it, to live with it, and to protect it for future generations.

The next issue is rooted in the belief that land is not property. It’s relationship. It’s memory. It’s responsibility. The land remembers us. It holds the stories of our people, those who tilled it, defended it, escaped across it, and returned home to it.

Topics that could be explored:

• Land rematriation efforts and ancestral returns

• Black and Indigenous solidarity efforts around land

• Modes of shared or collective land stewardship

• Land as a site of political education and resistance

• Ritual, memory, and the spiritual dimensions of land

• Climate resilience, land defense, and disaster recovery led by Black communities

• Cultural and family histories tied to land loss and land return

• Alternatives to private ownership

• Creative expressions about displacement, place, and homecoming

• Land-based organizing as a strategy for Black sovereignty

• What land and safety means under the rise of fascist authoritarianism

• Debates of land frameworks, ideologies, or language, such as “land as wealth.”

landfoodfreedom.com/contribute

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Call for Submissions: Festive Anthology Vol. IV

Brittle Paper

DEADLINE: November 14, 2025

INFO: Brittle Paper is excited to announce the 2025 submission call for our annual festive anthology!

This year, we are celebrating the stories of those who spend the holidays away from ‘home.’ Whether you’re in a new home, studying abroad, going on vacation, or a diasporic building a new life, any festive season brings up a range of emotions. Sometimes it’s longing and grief, sometimes it’s joy and awe, and sometimes it’s a combination of it all. With this festive anthology, we wish to capture as many of those experiences as possible through poetry, short stories, and essays.

Brittle Paper is a space for Africa’s stories, whether it be on the continent or in the diasporic communities all over the world. This year, we want to celebrate and highlight our diasporic community, as well as those who have experienced the holidays away from home. Whether it’s a religious holiday, a traditional and cultural moment, a wedding, a birthday, or an important milestone, these are all moments that feel different when away from our home, country, family, and continent. And these are the experiences we would love to share with our readers!

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Submissions that do not adhere to the guidelines may not be reviewed

• Email your submission to submissions@brittlepaper.com.

• Email subject heading: “Festive Anthology Submission”

• Include an author picture and biography.

• Each submission needs to consist of only one piece of original and unpublished work, but simultaneous submissions are allowed.

• Submissions need to be in Word format.

• Poetry submission word limit: 500 words

• Non/Fiction and Essay submission word limit: 3500 words

• Selection process will take place after the deadline.

brittlepaper.com/2025/10/brittle-paper-call-for-submissions-festive-anthology-vol-iv-deadline-nov-14/

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IN-A-YEAR BOOK PROGRAMS

Storystudio Chicago

DEADLINE: November 14, 2025

INFO: Becoming an advanced writer takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and our “In A Year” programs are designed to help you cross the finish line… and get published.

Rebecca Makkai, StoryStudio Chicago’s Artistic Director, created Novel In A Year in 2012. The goal was to found a yearlong writing program to build community, teach the craft and business of writing, and help writers get their books into the world. Now, more than a decade later, StoryStudio also offers the program for Memoirs, Essay Collections, and Short Story Collections.

Our In A Year (IAY) programs rotate yearly. Check each individual program page for start dates, application windows, and more details.

ADDITIONAL INFO: We didn’t design this program for you to write a full book in just one year. Rather, it’s a chance for you to dedicate a whole year to your book. Whether you have the first 50 pages, a full draft, or just an idea, we welcome you to apply to one of the below programs.

Please click on each instructor’s name below to read more about the specific IAY program you’re interested in.

PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS:

• Novel in a Year: Revise and Launch with Abby Geni (online)

• Novel in a Year: First Draft with Juan Martinez (online)

• Novel in a Year: First Draft with Sheree L. Greer (online)

• Short Story Collection in a Year with Cyn Vargas (online)

• Novel in a Year: Young Adult & Middle Grade with James Klise (online)

All of our In a Year programs offer the unique opportunity to join a writing cohort, study craft, workshop key scenes, measure your progress, meet deadlines, and give and get support for the long slog from plotting to composition and beyond. Writers come to us with and without advanced degrees or a background in creative writing; we welcome writers of all levels to apply.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Students will meet in the Studio, or virtually, monthly for three-hour sessions to discuss craft, solve drafting challenges, workshop scenes, and share some snacks and beverages. In between class sessions you’ll have plenty of time to write and generate new work while still staying in touch via StoryStudio’s private online class forum.

We’ve structured this program to provide maximum benefit without demanding too much time away from focusing on your own work. In addition to workshopping short scenes in class, participants will meet individually with your instructor for 100-page manuscript reviews. (Revise & Launch is a full-manuscript review).

With the complimentary passes to our Master Classes, writers are encouraged to attend these “booster shot” craft lessons with their classmates as supplemental learning from acclaimed authors.

Finally, with the private online forum, additional work can be exchanged and workshopped outside of the scheduled class meetings. Many writers use the space to arrange coffee meet-ups, plan literary outings at local bookstores, and discuss articles and books.

The In a Year program has been going strong for over 10 years, and you will have the opportunity to benefit socially and professionally from a strong network of alumni, many of whom are experiencing publishing success.

storystudiochicago.org/advanced-writing-programs-at-storystudio-chicago/in-a-year-book-programs-at-storystudio-chicago/

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Call for pitches: 2026 Food Issue

Oxford American

DEADLINE: November 15, 2025

INFO: The Oxford American is now accepting pitches for our Spring 2026 Food Issue. With this issue, we hope to survey the ways in which food holds a legacy, crosses a border, or creates a connection.

We’re looking for original, narrative-driven stories that explore the Southern food landscape in all its complexity—whether through cultural criticism, reported features, or profiles.

More specifically, we’re looking for:

• Reported features on food systems, sustainability, or labor

• Profiles of food innovators, activists, or unsung culinary heroes

• Deep dives into the history or politics of a dish, ingredient, or culinary tradition

• Personal essays that use food as a lens to explore identity, culture, family, or place

• Thoughtful critiques or trend pieces

Pitches can be sent to submissions@oxfordamerican.org and should include:

• A clear and concise explanation of the story

• A plan to make your story a great read (is there an interesting figure at the center? A narrative arc to the story?)

• A very short argument for why this story is interesting, unique, and needs to exist

• A note on why you should be the person to write it

• A plan to make it happen

oxfordamerican.org/submissions

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Community Uplift Scholarships

Unicorn Authors Club

DEADLINE: November 15, 2025

INFO: Are you ready to join a BIPOC-centered community of authors and coaches and devote 2026 to writing your book? If so, we’re happy to share that we have three full scholarships available to support four months of membership in the Unicorn Authors Club.

Our three Community Uplift Scholarships are intended to support writers who are in one or more of the following communities:

• Those directly affected by recent and ongoing fires and climate change;

• Writers impacted by recent government cuts to funding;

• Trans writers;

• Gazan writers and writers whose work responds directly to events in Gaza.

These scholarships are for writers working on any kind of project that they are dedicated to (from romance, to memoir, to poetry collection, and beyond), as long as it is aligned with Unicorn values.

Unicorn Authors Club is a BIPOC-centered space, and we always prioritise BIPOC writers in these spaces and scholarships.

Scholarships are applicable only for a four-month term beginning in March 2026.

BENEFITS:

As a scholarship recipient, you will have access to all of our Unicorn Authors Club benefits at no cost, including:

• Individual coaching from our experienced team on your manuscript and building a writing practice that works for you.

• Magical co-writing spaces with like-minded authors.

• Craft talks and tools to stimulate your storytelling.

• Group coaching to hash out problems.

• Custom writing prompts.

• A supportive, welcoming space with fellow authors and accomplished mentors.

Our application is not used to judge your writing—it is simply to ensure that our program aligns with your writing needs at this stage. Don’t overthink it! We are excited to hear from you.

Questions? We will be holding a Zoom info session on November 6 at 5 pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern.

unicornauthors.club/scholarships/

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“Miss Sarah” Fellowship for Black Women Writers

Trillium Arts

DEADLINE: November 19, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The “Miss Sarah” Fellowship for Black Women Writers aims to provide Black women writers a restful environment conducive to reflection and writing. It also offers uninterrupted, independent time to plant the seed of an idea for a new writing project or to develop or complete a project underway.

For 2026 the Fellowship will focus on the genre of Fiction.

The selected writer will receive a ten-day solo residency in July 2026 and can choose whether to stay at Trillium Arts’ rural "Firefly Creek" apartment in Mars Hills, NC or at E. Patrick Johnson and Stephen Lewis’ “Montford Manor” residence near downtown Asheville, NC.

Participants will receive a $1,000 stipend and transportation to and from Asheville, NC. Additional benefits will be custom tailored to the needs of the awardee.

DATES: The preferred dates for a “Miss Sarah” Fellowship in 2026 are July 10-20. However, the panel will consider other dates.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Black women writers at any stage of their careers are invited to apply. For applicants outside of the United States, please note that travel expenses will only be covered within the United States. International airfare and visa will be at the expense of the applicant.

TIMELINE: Applications will be reviewed by a panel and applicants will be notified by April 1, 2026.

ABOUT “MISS SARAH”: Sarah M. Johnson was born on July 10, 1931 in Cleveland County, NC. In 1948, she moved to and settled in Hickory, NC, where she believed there would be greater job opportunities. Like many southern Black women of her generation, Sarah made a living as a domestic and factory worker, cleaning the homes of two prominent white families while simultaneously working as an employee of Hickory Springs Manufacturing.

A single mother of seven, including Trillium Arts Board member E. Patrick Johnson, whom she raised in a one-bedroom apartment in the Ridgeview community, where the majority of Black folks lived in Hickory, Sarah worked tirelessly to provide for each of her children. People throughout Hickory affectionately called her “Miss Sarah” due to her generous spirit and gifts as an extraordinary baker, and her desserts graced the tables of people far and wide. She rarely met a stranger. She was also well-known for her community activism as a lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)-Hickory Branch. Sarah was honored as the Hickory Branch of the NAACP “Mother of the Year” in 1986 and was also crowned North Carolina state “Mother of the Year” in the same year.

What better way to honor "Miss Sarah" than to offer a fellowship that embodies her creativity and commitment to social justice? She passed away on July 17, 2019 at the age of 88.

trilliumartsnc.org/writing-fellowships-guidelines

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Accent Sisters Work-Study Fellowship Program

Accent Sister (NYC)

DEADLINE: November 26, 2025

INFO: Accent Sisters is excited to offer a fellowship program for individuals passionate about literature, visual arts, and community engagement. The fellowship provides hands-on experience in a bookstore and a hybrid event space, where exhibitions, book launches, film screenings, educational programs, and other forms of public programming take place.

This work-study fellowship is ideal for someone looking to build a career in cultural institutions, independent bookstores, or art galleries. Fellows will work closely with both the bookstore and gallery teams, gaining skills in book curation, exhibit planning, marketing, and community outreach, while developing a personal project that merges these disciplines.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to upcoming senior, upcoming second year graduate students, and recent graduates of undergraduate/graduate programs.

WHAT YOU WILL GET:

• Opportunities to work closely with some of the best writers, artists, and creators;

• A chance to pitch projects, events, and develop programs for a thriving and diverse community;

• Be part of the most exciting happenings in New York’s art and cultural scene;

• Free passes to attend all in-person events and classes held at Accent Sisters;

• Fellow discounts to purchase products at Accent Sisters;

• Towards the end of the fellowship, we will work with you to develop a special showcase of your personal project and/or your work at Accent Sisters.

• One-on-one mentorship with Accent team;

• A stipend of $600 dollars.

FELLOWSHIP:

• Hybrid; Part-time; 3 days/week; on-site work required 

• Stipend: $600 (paid in two installments)

• Location: 89 5th Ave Suite 702, New York, NY 10003 

• Duration: December 10, 2025 - April 20, 2026

accentaccent.com/FellowshipSpring2026

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Tiny Grant 2026

Tiny Grant

DEADLINE: November 28, 2025

INFO: The Tiny Grant offers a minimum of $2,000 and up to $3,000 to emerging artists based in NYC. The program kicks off at the start of 2026 and runs through the end of June.

WHO WE ARE:

Lily and Lucy have been close friends since the first week of college. Both of us are immigrants with a deep love for art. Here’s a bit more about us: 

Lily

I’m a visual artist specializing in drawing and painting. I enjoy exploring museums and galleries, and have painted several murals. Professionally I am a UX Program Manager at a tech company, focused on strategy and operations for designers and researchers.

Lucy

I have a lifelong passion for the performing arts. I am a classically trained pianist and ballerina, having started my journey at the age of three. In recent years, I have expanded into various other dance styles and am now also exploring stand-up comedy. Professionally, I am a general partner at a venture fund, focusing on early stage investments in advanced technical and scientific innovations.

WHY WE ARE DOING THIS:

Our shared love for art drives us to support emerging artists. As immigrants, we understand the challenges of navigating a new environment with limited resources and support. That’s why we are passionate about helping up-and-coming artists, providing the support they need to grow in their careers.

We ran the first ever pilot of Tiny Grant from January to June 2025, selecting six artists and learning with them along the way. It was an incredibly inspiring experience for us. We are excited to continue building this program and offer the program again this year. Check out the Tiny Grant Salon we hosted with our inaugural cohort in May 2025 here.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

We aim to award grants to 6-8 artists based in New York City who are in the greatest need of support and whose artistic visions resonate with us. We welcome applications from artists in any creative field, including visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, design, and others. The specific grant amount will be determined based on the number of artists selected to receive the grant this year.

This opportunity is especially suited for artists looking to pursue a full-time career. We encourage you to apply if you believe this grant could make a meaningful impact on your artistic journey.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

The 2026 program will run for six months (January to June). Grantees will receive the full grant amount at the start of the program, with two check-ins with us every two months. The program will culminate in a gathering and celebration with all grantees and a small group of friends.

APPROXIMATE TIMELINE:

• Submission Deadline: November 28, 2025 11:59pm EST

• Selection & Review: November 29 – December 7, 2025

• Interviews: December 8 – December 14, 2025

• Notification of Decisions: December 17, 2025

• Acceptance of Grant by Artist: December 21, 2025

• Disbursement: January 1, 2026

• First Check-in: March 2026

• Second Check-in: May 2026

• Program Ends: June 30, 2026

• Tiny Grant Salon: TBD (May - June 2026)

QUESTIONS: info@tinygrant.org

https://airtable.com/appkkWIw2qxjatkOg/pagitZTO25xcX88Vb/form?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGntJqIE46njDclbLk9HvZ2sO39rZ-EvC73KWkG2syPH4sgyontBaHM72ymt58_aem_CnHQOVFvZJ_kVhH1FbgfGQ

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2026 KWELI FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Kweli Journal

DEADLINE: November 30, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Building on Kweli's successful history of mentoring emerging authors since 2009, we will provide three or more early-stage writers with 10-month writing fellowships.

ELIGIBILITY:

Eligible candidates are early career vocational writers living in New York City, who are NOT enrolled in degree-granting programs and self-identify as Black, Indigenous, Arab, AAPI, and/or Latine.

Writers who have NOT yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply.

Three (or more) fellowships will be awarded, which will include:

• ten months of editorial support from Kweli Journal editors to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine;

• a small stipend;

• admission-free enrollment in three professionally led writing workshops on literary fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry.

• participation in four public readings by workshop participants;

• admission-free participation in our International Literary Festival, inclusive of pitch sessions with literary agents and editors;

• optionally, admission-free participation in our Color of Children Literature Conference;

• publication in Kweli Journal;

• VIRTUAL writing retreat.

Only new writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work are eligible. Only one submission per person is allowed. Please do not submit a piece you have previously submitted to Kweli Journal, either through the Fellowship category or the General Submissions category. Kweli Journal reserves the right to invite submissions.

TIMELINE::

• Submissions for the Fellowships close at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on November 30, 2025.

• Successful applicants will be informed by early January 2026.

• The fellowship period will be February 9, 2026 – November 9, 2026.

PROCEDURE: Applications must be submitted through the Fellowship category in Submittable. Please submit the following:

• A cover letter containing a one-paragraph biographical statement; one paragraph that is a favorite of yours from a book you've read recently; and a brief statement telling us why this particular passage is meaningful to you. Please also note in your cover letter which one of New York City's five boroughs you reside in.

• A CV or résumé

• a brief statement of your career goals and what you expect to accomplish as a Kweli Fellow.

• A 10 page writing sample. There is no word-count requirement. Eligible genres are fiction, poetry, literary nonfiction, and cross-genre writing, whether written for adults, young adults, or children.

Selection will be based on (i) quality, promise, and subject matter of the writing sample; (ii) educational or experiential preparation; and (iii) seriousness of purpose and willingness to push beyond one's comfort zone.

Note that we only accept PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx). The cover letter and manuscript should be submitted as separate files. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

kwelijournal.submittable.com/submit

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Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction

MQR

DEADLINE:  November 30, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: The Jesmyn Ward Prize will be awarded annually by the Michigan Quarterly Review to one short story submitted for consideration. The Michigan Quarterly Review has established this prize in honor of Helen Zell Writers’ Program Alumna Jesmyn Ward and her significant contributions to the literary arts.

Please submit one unpublished short story of 1,500-7,000 words. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please withdraw your submission as soon as it is accepted elsewhere.  

We ask entrants not to include their names or contact information within the document they upload to Submittable, its title, or its file name.

First readers for the prize will be the Helen Zell Writers’ Program students who currently review submissions on behalf of the journal. 

Submissions will go through two rounds of consideration by graduate students before 10 finalists are passed on to the judge.

Current faculty and students and recent graduates (in the past 3 years) of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program are barred from submitting. Close friends, relatives, and current and former students (in the past 3 years) of the Judge are barred from submitting. MQR’s staff and editorial board, as well as their immediate family members, are also excluded from the contest.

The 2025 Judge is Kevin Wilson. The winning story will be published in the Summer 2026 issue of MQR.

The prize will be in the amount of $2,000 and publication. All submissions will be considered for publication in MQR.

mqr.submittable.com/submit

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Quill (Queer) Prose Award

Red Hen Press

DEADLINE: November 30, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $10

INFO: Founded in 2015 by Tobi Harper Petrie of Red Hen Press, Quill seeks to publish quality literature by queer writers. The Quill Prose Award is for a work of previously unpublished (including self-published works) prose with a minimum of 150 pages by a queer (LGBTQIA+) writer.

The awarded manuscript is selected through an annual submission process, which is open to all authors.

JUDGE: The final judge for 2025 is Andrew Lam.

AWARD: $1000 and publication of the awarded manuscript by Red Hen Press.

Title on cover sheet only, with a 150-page minimum.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES: 

The award is open to all writers with the following exceptions:

• Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press;

• Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press;

• Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors;

• Relatives or individuals having a personal or professional relationship with any of the final judges where they have taken any part whatsoever in shaping the manuscript, or where, for whatever reason, selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety.

PROCEDURES + ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material. Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.

Please remove all names, bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material from the submitted manuscript, and include only your name, contact information, and a short biographical statement in the cover letter field of Submittable.  

Quill of Red Hen Press is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

redhenpress.submittable.com/submit/59201/quill-queer-prose-award

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2026 McKnight Fellowships for Writers (Poetry, Spoken Word, Picture Books)

Loft Literary Center

DEADLINE: November 30, 2025 by 11:59pm CT

INFO: The Loft Literary Center is pleased to announce the 2026 McKnight Fellowships for Writers, made possible by the generous support of the McKnight Foundation. 

The McKnight Artist and Culture Bearer Fellowship disciplines include: Printmaking (Highpoint Center), Book Arts (MCBA), Fiber Arts (Textile Center), Choreographers and Dancers (Cowles Center), Media Artists (FilmNorth), Visual Artists (MCAD), Ceramics (Northern Clay Center), Composers (American Composers Forum), Musicians (MacPhail Center), Writers (Loft Literary Center), Playwrights (Playwrights’ Center), Theater Artists (Playwrights’ Center), Culture Bearers (Indigenous Roots), and Community-Engaged Artists (Pillsbury House).

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM: The intent of the McKnight Artist and Culture Bearers Fellowships program is to recognize and support artists and culture bearers who are beyond emerging and have sustained experience in their area of practice. Fellows demonstrate achievement, commitment, and high level proficiency in artistic and/or culture bearer practice that contributes to their field and impacts and benefits people in Minnesota.

The McKnight Fellowships for Writers provide Minnesota writers who are beyond emerging with an opportunity to work on their craft for a concentrated period of time.

One $25,000 fellowship is awarded each year in children’s literature, including poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. This year’s award is offered to a writer for children under 8 years of age. 

Four $25,000 fellowships are offered in alternating years to writers of creative prose and poetry/spoken word. The 2024 year cycle is in poetry/spoken word.

There will be four awards for poetry/spoken word.

In addition to the award money, fellows are offered a variety of professional development opportunities, including an opportunity to participate in a fully-funded artist residency through a partnership with the Artist Communities Alliance. 

These fellowships do not support the work of playwriting, journalism, or nonfiction that is written primarily for educational or technical use. 

JUDGING FOR THE MCKNIGHT FELLOWSHIPS FOR WRITERS: Prominent writers and editors living outside of Minnesota serve as the judges. There are no screening judges. All manuscripts are judged anonymously.

Due to the number of entries received, it is not possible for the judges to make individual comments on the manuscripts.

ELIGIBILITY:

General Requirements

Applicants must have been legal residents of Minnesota for the 12 months prior to the application deadline (since November 30, 2025) and must reside in Minnesota for the duration of the fellowship.

Applicants may not be enrolled full-time in any academic program.

Applicants may apply for only one McKnight Artist and Culture Bearer Fellowship per year. You may not apply for the Award in Poetry/Spoken Word and also apply for any other McKnight Artist and Culture Bearer Fellowships, including the Award in Children’s Literature.

Recipients of 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025 McKnight Artist and Culture Bearer Fellowships in any discipline are not eligible to apply. Honorable mentions are eligible. 

Loft and McKnight Foundation staff and board members are not eligible. Immediate family members of staff or board members of the Loft or McKnight Foundation are also not eligible.

If you have questions about your eligibility for the McKnight Fellowships for Writers, please email Cristeta Boarini, program manager of awards, at awards@loft.org before November 21, 2025. Please allow 3-5 days for a response as the volume of inquiries is high and the application deadline occurs over a federal holiday weekend.

Additional Requirements for the Awards in Poetry/Spoken Word

In addition to the general eligibility requirements, applicants must have either:

Published at least 12 original poems in no fewer than three literary journals or magazines that regularly feature poetry as part of their format. (Work published in an online journal that has an editorial process is eligible.) The same piece printed in a journal and in an anthology may only be counted once; applicants may not use multiple publications of the same work to meet the required number of pieces. 

or

Published at least one full-length collection of poetry (page ranges for full-length poetry collections depend on the preferences of the publisher but generally are between 40 and 80 pages of poems).

or

Produced a full-length spoken word audiobook.

or

Produced a one person show with a presenting organization—the show must have been written by the applicant.

or

Written and performed spoken word/performance work, in contracted arrangements, for a minimum of three years, and with a minimum of eight performances with a minimum time slot of 15 minutes per performance. The three years do not have to be consecutive. 

Work that is scheduled for publication/production between the contest deadline and April 1, 2026 may be included. In those cases, a letter from the press, editor, producer, community organizer, or curator stating the date of publication, release, or performance is required.

Additional Requirements for the Award in Children’s Literature: Writing for Children Under the Age of Eight

In addition to the general eligibility requirements, applicants must have:

Published a book for children under the age of eight, in any genre other than educational textbook material. 

or

Published at least three pieces of original work in one or more publications that regularly feature creative work for children under the age of eight as part of their format. Work published in an online journal that has an editorial process is eligible. Work published in an anthology is eligible. The same piece printed in a journal and in an anthology may only be counted once; applicants may not use multiple publications of the same work to meet the three required pieces. 

Work that is pending publication and will be published before April 1, 2026 is eligible. Please provide a letter from the editor or publisher with proof of publication.

Ineligible work in both awards:

• Student-only publications and self-published books.

• Work published on personal home pages or online sites that do not have an editorial process.

• Work in a genre outside the category in which you are applying. (e.g., creative prose may not be used to meet the publication requirements for the Award in Poetry/Spoken Word and children's literature for children eight years of age and older may not be used to meet the publication requirements for the Award in Children's Literature: Writing for Children Under the Age of Eight).

• A feature performance at a venue where the lineup is curated by the applicant.

• Work that has previously won a McKnight Fellowship for Writers. If you are a previous winner, you must submit a manuscript different from the one for which you received the earlier award.

• Translations.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Please prepare your writing/performance sample. Work samples may be published writing. All work samples must be anonymous. If your name appears as part of the manuscript text, omit it, use a pseudonym, or black it out so it is illegible. Do not include your name as part of the writing sample file name. Identifying information should only be included in the Submittable application form, which is concealed to the judge. Identifying information anywhere in the submitted files of your work sample will disqualify your submission.

You must apply through Submittable, and you will need to create a Submittable account if you do not already have one. If you have technical submission questions, please contact Submittable technical support at http://help.submittable.com/.

loft.submittable.com/submit/320948/2026-mcknight-fellowships-for-writers-poetry-spoken-word-picture-books

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Four Palaces Publishing Writing Residency

Four Palaces Publishing (Dallas, TX)

DEADLINE: November 30, 2025 by 11:59pm CST

INFO: The Four Palaces Publishing Writing Residency offers one week of uninterrupted time and space for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ writers working in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry to focus on their craft in Dallas, Texas.

The residency includes a private hotel suite for one writer for seven days and six nights, a $100 per day meal credit for lunch and dinner (covered by Four Palaces Publishing), daily breakfast and two complimentary beer or wine vouchers provided by the hotel partner Dallas Marriott Suites Medical/Market Center, and a $1,000 honorarium inclusive of travel and per diem. Residents may also choose to participate in an optional paid public engagement such as a reading, artist talk, or mini workshop.

This residency is open to emerging and mid-career writers who are at least 18 years old and currently based in the United States. Applicants should identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+. Writers from all genres within fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are encouraged to apply, and we particularly welcome those who have not yet had the opportunity to attend a formal residency.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of writers and editors affiliated with Four Palaces Publishing. Selection will be based on artistic merit and strength of the writing sample, clarity and thoughtfulness of the project proposal, alignment with Four Palaces Publishing’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices, and the potential impact of the residency on the applicant’s creative growth.

Each application must include a short bio (150 words max), a project description (300 words max), a statement on how the applicant’s work aligns with Four Palaces Publishing’s mission (150 words max), and a writing sample of up to ten pages total in PDF or DOCX format. Poetry submissions may include up to five poems (ten pages maximum), and fiction or nonfiction submissions may include one piece or excerpt (ten pages maximum). Applicants should also complete all required form questions.

Selected writers will be notified by January 16, and the residency will take place in Spring 2026 (specific weeks to be confirmed). Four Palaces Publishing is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible residency experience. Applicants are encouraged to note any accessibility or accommodation needs in their submission.

Questions may be directed to frederick@fourpalaces.org. Updates and announcements will also be shared on Instagram at @fourpalaces

fourpalacespublishing.submittable.com/submit/329906/four-palaces-literary-2026-residency

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OPEN READING PERIOD: SHORT STORIES, FLASH FICTION, AND POETRY

Digging Press Journal

DEADLINE: November 30, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Digging Press Journal is a literary and arts journal with a strong commitment to fostering experimentation and cultural inclusion.

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

• Short Story (751 – 2,500 words)

• Poetry (three poems max.)

• Flash Fiction (one piece – up to 750 words)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Submitting to The Digging Press Journal is free. The age requirement is currently 18 and older.

• Please submit to the Digging Press Journal only once per submission reading period (regardless of genre).

• We only accept submissions through our submission form.

• All pieces should be original, and previously unpublished in any format in English.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted; please be sure to withdraw your piece promptly if it’s accepted elsewhere by emailing editor@diggingpress.com.

• Please don’t send more than one submission per genre; wait until your work is accepted or declined before submitting again.

• We’ll do our best to respond by February 28, 2026 or sooner.

diggingpress.com/submissions

MQR MIXTAPE: SWANA INSOMNIA

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $3

INFO: In the words of the Sufi mystic and poet Hayyuna, an individual with “a state of closeness [with the Beloved] cannot sleep, and experiences moments of profound sorrow.”

Hayunna lived in the port town of al-Ubulla, in present-day Iraq. There, she taught and influenced the famous Rabia of Basra, who learned to situate sleeplessness on a well-defined spiritual path to divine Love – a far cry from insomnia’s clinicalization in the West. Sleeplessness is deeply rooted in various SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) cultures and cosmogonies: as a sign of spiritual fortitude; in figures like Abdel Halim Hafez’s sawwah, or night wanderer; in late nights spent gossiping over coffee and cigarettes; and in diasporic transcendence of local time to stay in tune with family and beloveds experiencing war and occupation time zones away.

For this issue of MQR Mixtape, I am seeking poems, essays, short fiction, visual, and sound pieces from artists of the SWANA region and its diasporas engaging with insomnia as a site of “holiness, estrangement, and resistance,” as Egyptian choreographer and visual artist Doa Aly puts it. Map the topographies of your sleepless state, its cultural, political, psychological, and somatic dimensions. Send your stories of endurance and exhaustion, your waking dreams, your late-hour longings, griefs, and epiphanies. I am just as interested in works where sleeplessness is an ambient occurrence as those featuring it as the main event.

EDITOR: Noor Al-Samarrai

GUIDELINES:

For this particular issue, please submit:

• Poetry (up to three poems) 

• Prose (up to 4,000 words) Short fiction, Non-fiction essays, Hybrid works 

• Visual art/photography (up to five works; if sculpture please provide multiple angles) 

• Video (up to 20 minutes)

• Sound/audio works (up to 15 minutes)

• Hybrid works (up to three pages) Comics, collages, collaborations, choreographic and performance scores, archival materials, letters, etc. 

Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted by another publication. Please send only one submission per window; subsequent submissions will be rejected automatically.

mqr.submittable.com/submit

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THE PHILLY FICTIONISTS

Julian Shendelman + Collective Lit

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025

INFO: This Leeway grant-funded retreat aims to foster lasting connections between 10-12 Philly-area trans fiction writers. Participants will each receive $100 honoraria, as well as free meals and snacks during the retreat.

The retreat will take place in-person on January 10, 2026, from 9:00am to 7:30pm in West Philadelphia. The venue is wheelchair-accessible and transit-accessible. For safety reasons, the exact location will only be shared with those selected to participate. Participants' names will not be announced publicly or published without explicit consent.

After the retreat, all participants will be invited to contribute to a zine-style fiction anthology, which will be distributed freely online and submitted to local archives. Participants will also be invited to stay in touch with the cohort via Discord.

The application will be open 11/17 through 12/1. It will ask some basic eligibility and demographic questions, as well as questions about your interest in the opportunity and your writing practice. It will also require a 1-5 page fiction writing sample.

COST: There is no cost to apply or participate. All meals will be paid for by the grant. Participants will be paid $100 at the end of the event. Reimbursement for public transit (roundtrip) is available.

YOUR HOST: Julian Shendelman is a transsexual novelist and organizer based in Delaware County, PA. When he’s not co-directing Blue Stoop, or hosting Sit & Write, he’s working on a novel about haunted houses, capitalism, and queer community. Learn more at www.shendelman.com

TIMELINE:

• 12/1/25: Applications close

• 12/17/25: Selected participants contacted no later than this date.

• 1/10/26: Retreat day!

ITINERARY:

We’ll spend most of the day writing. This itinerary is subject to change:

• 9-10am: Breakfast, meet & greet

• 10am-12:30pm: Writing/reflection time

• 12:30-1:30pm: Optional discussion

• 1:30-2:30pm: Lunch

• 2:30-5:30pm: Writing/reflection time

• 5:30-6:30pm: Optional sharing circle

• 6:30-7:30pm: Dinner, goodbyes

QUESTIONS? Email collectivelitgroup@gmail.com

shendelman.com/fictionists

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Scholars-in-Residence Program Fellowship 2026-27

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (Harlem)

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025

INFO: The Scholars-in-Residence Program at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture offers both long-term and short-term fellowships designed to support and encourage top-quality research and writing on the history, politics, literature, and culture of the peoples of Africa and the African diaspora, as well as to promote and facilitate interdisciplinary exchange among scholars and writers in residence at the Schomburg Center. 

LONG-TERM FELLOSHIPS:

Long-term fellowships provide a $35,000 stipend to support postdoctoral scholars and independent researchers who work in residence at the Center for a continuous period of six months. The Scholars-in-Residence Program provides funding for six fellows each year. Selected fellows can choose to begin their term either in September or in January. Fellows are provided with individual office space and a computer, research assistance, and full access to the unparalleled resources of the Schomburg Center. In addition to pursuing their own research projects, fellows also engage in an ongoing interdisciplinary exchange of ideas, sharing their research with one another in a weekly work-in-progress seminar. While in residence, they are also exposed to the vibrant intellectual life of the Schomburg through its public exhibitions, panels, screenings, and events.

SHORT-TERM FELLOWSHIPS:

Short-term fellowships are open to postdoctoral scholars, independent researchers, and creative writers (novelists, playwrights, poets) who work in residence at the Center for a continuous period of one to three months. Short-term fellows receive a stipend of $3000 per month. 

Both long-term and short-term fellowships are awarded for continuous periods in residence at the Schomburg Center. Fellows are expected to devote their full time to their research and writing. They are expected to work regularly at the Schomburg Center and to participate in the intellectual life of the Scholars-in-Residence Program. Fellows may not be employed during the period in residence, except on sabbaticals from their home institutions. Those selected as Scholars-in-Residence are encouraged to supplement their stipends with funding support from their home institutions or other non-residential fellowships or grants if the requisite approval is received from the Schomburg Center.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Scholars-in-Residence Program is intended for scholars and writers requiring extensive, on-site research with collections at the Schomburg Center, the pre-eminent repository for documentation on the history and cultures of peoples of African descent around the globe. Fellows are expected to be in full-time residency at the Center during the award period and to participate in scheduled seminars and colloquia. The Program is intended to support research in African diasporic studies undertaken from a humanistic perspective; projects in the social sciences, science and technology, psychology, education, and religion are eligible if they utilize a humanistic approach and contribute to humanistic knowledge.

Candidates who need to work primarily in the New York Public Library's other research libraries – the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, and the Science, Industry and Business Library – are not eligible for this fellowship, nor are people seeking funding for research leading directly to a degree. (Applications are accepted from current doctoral students, as long as they will defend their dissertation and graduate before starting the fellowship tenure.) 

The long-term fellowship is only open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and foreign nationals who have been resident in the United States for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Foreign nationals may apply for the short-term fellowship, but the New York Public Library is unable to sponsor visa applications. 

Application Instructions

A complete application must include:

• The Schomburg Center Scholars-in-Residence Application.

• A 1500-word description of the proposed study.

• Curriculum vitae (limit to 3 pages).

• Names of references (long-term fellows must submit three recommendation letters; short-term fellows must submit a minimum of two letters). References will receive an e-mail instructing them how to upload their recommendations.

DESCRIPTION OF STUDY:

In no more than 1500 words the applicant should provide a detailed description of the proposed study, including but by no means restricted to the following elements:

• A statement of the topic under consideration with specific reference to the major questions, problems, and theses being investigated.

• An outline of the plan for carrying out the study or project.

• Discussion of the sources in the Schomburg Center and other research units of The New York Public Library that the applicant plans to use for the study and plans for examining them.

• Description of research methods.

• Applicant's competence in the use of any foreign languages needed to complete the study.

• The place of the study in the applicant's overall research and writing program.

• The significance of the study for the applicant's field and for the humanities in general.

• The final objective and expected outcomes of the project. Plans for publications, lectures, exhibitions, teaching, and other vehicles of dissemination should be detailed. Fellows will be expected to share and discuss their research and writing with other scholars-in-residence in the weekly work-in-progress seminar during their residency.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Applications for the Scholars-in-Residence Program will be reviewed by a Selection Committee consisting of five external reviewers, a rotating panel of accomplished scholars and writers with expertise across the fields of study covered by the fellowship. The Selection Committee is convened and chaired by the Director of the Scholars-in-Residence Program.

Fellows will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• Relationship of the project to the resources of the Schomburg Center.

• Qualifications of the applicant.

• Quality and feasibility of the project plan.

• Importance of the proposed project to the applicant's field and to the humanities.

• Relationship of the project to the humanities.

• Likelihood that the project will be completed successfully.

• The provisions for making the results of the project available to scholars and to the public at large.

Applicants selected for the Program will be notified by the end of March 2026.

nypl.org/about/fellowships-institutes/schomburg-center-scholars-in-residency/application

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The Margins Fellowship 2026

AAWW

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Asian American Writers’ Workshop is now accepting applications for the 2026 Margins Fellowship. Four emerging Asian American, Muslim, and Arab writers of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction based in New York City will receive $5,000, residency time at Millay Arts, mentorship, access to the AAWW writing space, and publication opportunities in our online magazine, The Margins.

We see this as a chance to support Asian diasporic writers, including South and Southeast Asian diasporic writers, Arab and West Asian writers, and Muslim writers of color more broadly. If you are a writer of color who identifies with these communities, please discuss this in your application.

The Margins is an award-winning online magazine of arts and ideas featuring new fiction and poetry, literary and cultural criticism, and interviews with writers and artists. We are the recipient of a Whiting Literary Magazine award and our stories have been linked to by the Wall Street Journal, The New Inquiry, Literary Hub, and the New York Times.

We strongly encourage all applicants to read our FAQ before applying to determine whether or not they are eligible. The Margins fellowship is open to emerging Asian American, Muslim, and Arab creative writers who reside in New York City. Fellowship applicants may not be enrolled in any academic, conservatory, college, or degree granting training program during the fellowship term. To be considered you must apply through this Submittable form. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at msaleh@aaww.org.

Emerging writers of ALL AGES are eligible for the Margins Fellowship.

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM:

The Margins Fellowship is a year-long program. The 2024 fellowship year will run from January to December.

STIPEND: $5,000 honoraria, distributed in three parts over the fellowship year. Fellowship payment will require the completion of an IRS W-9 or W-8BEN form;

RESIDENCY: Fellows are awarded residency time at Millay Arts—an innovative seven-acre artists retreat space at the former house and gardens of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay in Austerlitz, NY;

WRITING SPACE: 24/7 access to AAWW’s space. Given that time and space to write are rare in New York, the Margins Fellows will be given keys to the AAWW Reading Room and workspace;

PUBLICATION: Fellows are invited to publish work on our online magazine, The Margins;

MENTORSHIP: In the second half of the fellowship term, fellows are paired with an established writer who will meet with fellows either in-person or virtually at minimum four times during and after the fellowship year. Previous mentors have included Monica Youn, Rick Barot, Alexander Chee, Susan Choi, Carmen Maria Machado, and many more.

CAREER BUILDING: Fellows are offered access to private career meet-ups and meetings with editors, agents, and fellow writers;

GUIDANCE: AAWW Programs Manager and Coordinator will meet with Fellows’ monthly throughout the fellowship year to discuss career goals and how AAWW can help meet them;

FINAL READING: Fellows will take to the stage with their mentors for a final celebratory reading at the culmination of the fellowship year;

aaww.submittable.com/submit/339937/the-margins-fellowship-2026

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2026 Arts Writing Incubator

Black Embodiments Studio

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025 by 11:59pm PST

INFO: How does a publishing practice enacted within the fascist state manifest itself? What conditions are needed for the circulation of (cultural) knowledges that disrupt and/or interrupt dominant bureaucratic narratives? What new tools do we need to cultivate as writers, editors or publishers responding to art as we witness cultural sectors dismantled globally? These questions act as points of departure for this year's iteration of the BES Arts Writing Incubator.

With an awareness of current and intersecting geopolitical catastrophes, the Incubator aims to imagine and enact the futures of arts writing. The Incubator intends to grapple with how (if at all) we tether our relationships to art/culture to other organizing modalities in public and private ways. Workshops are thus varied in form and content, from investigating archival research methods and practicing radical publishing techniques rooted in paper ephemera to examining digital methodologies.

By thinking critically about methods, this program will think about how to articulate the political stakes of our work such that we are able to further constitute the publics we wish to engage with our work.

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

Unlike previous iterations of the Incubator, the 2026 run is not intended for people to cultivate their own writing practices per se. Applications are instead open to writers, publishers, and cultural workers who are currently or will soon be stewarding projects that incubate the work of others. We mean “projects” in an expansive sense, to incorporate print publications, platforms, organizations, newsletters, outlets, social media accounts, etc. that produce and circulate arts critical thinking.

We are interested in receiving applications from throughout the U.S. — particularly in regions like the southwest, south, and midwest — and those living and working elsewhere throughout North America or beyond these borders. Six applicants will be selected for participation. The incubator will meet about once a month, virtually, between January 2026 and May 2026. There will be a weekend-long, in-person convening in Seattle in April.

Selected participants will receive a $1,000 honorarium and expenses for in-person convening in Seattle will be covered.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

To apply, please submit a two-page letter of interest describing yourself and your critical practice and introducing your project, and detailing why this Incubator will be useful to you now. If your project is up and running, please embed links or include additional pages to document your work. If project is in the idea stage, please include clear and concrete description of scope and plans for the next year(s). If your project is somewhere in between, show us what you can.

Application materials should be compiled in PDF format and submitted using this hyperlinked Google Form by 11:59 pm PST, December 1.

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the Incubator by December 22, 2025. Our organizational capacity unfortunately makes it impossible to respond with individual feedback on applications.

Contact BES Editor-in-Residence Jessica Lynne at jessica@blackembodiments.org for any questions. 

blackembodiments.org/apply

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call for full-length nonfiction manuscripts

Split/Lip Press

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025

READING FEE: $15

INFO: We are currently looking for previously unpublished essay collections, memoirs, and nonfiction/hybrid full-length book manuscripts. Individually published pieces within the manuscript are absolutely fine (and expected!) but the book should not have been published as a book before. We won't define "full-length" (our only hard limit is the lower end: minimum of 125pg), but 150-250 pages tends to be the sweet spot.

We love manuscripts that question boundaries (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional—you get the gist). Dazzle us with your version(s) of truth! When it comes to genre-based boundary bending for this reading call, we'd love to see imaginative essays, lyric essaying, formal and layout-based experimentation, etc. Please note, however, that this reading team is looking for nonfiction (and mostly-nonfiction) manuscripts. If your project is more genre-inclusive in its hybridity, it may not be the best fit for this submission call and may be a better fit for our Multigenre + Open Prose Chapbook reading period (April to June), which is also where we'd direct any nonfiction book manuscripts under 125pg.

Historically under-represented perspectives are WELCOME and ENCOURAGED and HIGHLY SOUGHT—we want to help bring your voice to the world!

To get an idea of what we love, please check out our current full-length nonfiction books. We'd love it if you'd add a copy of any (/all) of our books to your submission, and we'll happily throw in free shipping as a thanks (US only, apologies to our international community)! 

• Aubrey Hirsch's graphic collection Graphic Rage

• jade vine's essay collection Hold Me

• Sean Enfield's essay collection Holy American Burnout!

• Sarah Fawn Montgomery's essay collection Halfway from Home

• Esteban Rodriguez's essay collection Before the Earth Devours Us

• Jeannine Ouellette's memoir-in-essays The Part That Burns

• Athena Dixon's essay collection The Incredible Shrinking Woman

• Melissa Matthewson's memoir-in-essays Tracing the Desire Line

• Melissa Wiley's essay collection Antlers in Space and Other Common Phenomena. 

OUR PRESS MISSION:

We publish boundary-breaking fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid books, lifting the transition boards that prevent fluidity and smashing those we cannot pry up. We love work that questions the concept of truth, and work that reinterprets what we think we know. We prize experimentation (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional); we welcome the unanswerable. We want to see the dark and the light side of the moon—or we want to see it obliterated. If your book is a wedge in a crack, Split/Lip Press is the hammer helping you split the wall apart.

However, Split/Lip Press does not tolerate manuscripts celebrating racist, homophobic, or misogynistic perspectives, and we will discard such manuscripts unread. We believe in breaking boundaries at Split/Lip, but we will not assist agendas of hate.

Submissions reading fee info

The submission reading fee helps cover our costs as a press, and our nonfiction reading team will be splitting 25% of the submission fees collected during this reading period as compensation for their hard work. But we don't want a fee to keep us from finding the best work out there. If you can't afford the reading fee, please send an email to splitlipthepress@gmail.com before submitting to receive a manuscript fee waiver, no questions asked.

We hope to find the next nonfiction addition to our press catalog during this reading period! That said, our press mission is paramount, and if we are unable to acquire a book from this period that fits, the remainder of the proceeds from this period's reading fees (after paying the readers) will be applied toward submission fee waivers for the next nonfiction reading period.  

Basic formatting details

Times New Roman 12 (or similar), double-spaced (unless you are specifically using special formatting—which we'd love to see), and PLEASE remove your name from the manuscript and file name—our readers want to review your manuscripts without names attached. There is a box on the submission form where, if you choose, you may indicate any information about positionality which may be helpful for the readers to know.

Please note that while we love and welcome work which includes images/diagrams/etc, all images may need to appear in black-and-white within a 6" x 9" printed book, so please keep that in mind when submitting.

HUGS + THANKS:

We work closely with our authors on all elements of their book, from design to promotion. We are engaged in the literary community, and as writers ourselves, we know how important it is to have a book that you love that is supported by a press that loves you. We'd love for you to be part of the Split/Lip Press family.

Simultaneous submissions are obviously welcome. Our reading process is a process and we move quickly and efficiently, but we also don't interrupt it prematurely. So if another publisher snags you first, we just ask that you withdraw your submission (and congrats to you!).

We intend to reply to all submissions by March 15, 2026, so please do not query about the status of your manuscript before that date. If you haven't seen anything from us by 3/15/26, check your status in Submittable and double-check your email spam filter because Submittable's messages sometimes get stuck there—we will definitely respond!

Thank you for considering Split/Lip Press as the home for your book!

splitlippress.submittable.com/submit

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Call For Submissions: Mizna 27.1

Mizna

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025 by 11:59pm CT

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: We open this call as the genocide in Gaza has passed its two year mark and enters another tenuous ceasefire, as hate and deception are nakedly systemized here in the US, as worldwide we see the escalated depravities of colonialism and capitalism result in a normalization of crimes against humanity and planetary abuse. In this moment, Mizna continues to value creative work as a generative and liberatory space in which our communities can come together in grief, rage, hope, and imagination as we redefine and work toward upending the current world order. We are excited to meet you and your work here.

UPCOMING ISSUE: The upcoming issue is not responding to a theme and we will accept writing on any subject. Nonetheless, we also recognize a need to center work that is modulated to the realities of our current moment. 

We seek writing which explores the realities  and identities related to the SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) sphere both in the region and in diaspora. We especially welcome writing in relationship to SWANA people and places which are currently targeted by empire and tyranny, from Armenia, to Palestine, to Sudan, and beyond. 

CONTRIBUTORS: Contributors do not need to be SWANA- or Arab-identified and can be based anywhere in the world, but work submitted should be considerate of Mizna’s ethos and the social realities of our audiences, as well as aim to contribute to ongoing conversations in and beyond our communities. While we welcome submissions from former contributors seeking a space for their work in this urgent moment, we also especially encourage submissions from writers who have never been published by us before. We encourage submitters to become familiar with work that has been published in Mizna before submitting work.

FORMS OF WRITING: Mizna has long been a home for literature with innovative, experimental forms and is published with high quality print production practices. We welcome visual poetry submissions or hybrid works that cross the arbitrary boundaries of genre. In general, literary works of poetry, visual poetry, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, comics, collage, invented forms, and any forms of mixed print or hybrid work will be accepted, with consideration to the physical parameters of our print journal, technical staff, and budget. We do not consider visual art submissions.

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

• Selected contributors will receive a $200 honorarium, a one-year subscription to Mizna, and five copies of the issue.

• Please include a short cover letter (max. 200 words) with the following:

  • Titles of all submitted pieces 

  • Indication of any simultaneous submissions

  • For prose over two pages, a 1–2 sentence overview of the piece 

  • Author bio (max. 50 words) 

  • Any additional information you would like the editorial team to know (max. 1 paragraph)

• File types must be .doc or .docx or PDF for pieces with more complex layouts. We do not accept other file types (e.g. Pages, Notepad, JPEG).

• Prose submissions should be double spaced and limited to 3000 words.

• Pitches for essays will not be accepted, please submit only complete and finalized drafts.

• Poetry submissions should be limited to four poems of any length (verses exceeding our page width will be treated with a runover indent).

• Please only submit once per submission period. 

• Please do not send visual art submissions.

• Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines are subject to being discarded unread. Submissions outside the open call window will likely not be considered or receive response.

• Pieces are chosen by Mizna editorial staff and a regularly changing selection committee. Accepted pieces will be contracted to be published in print after an editorial process involving authors. Mizna will hold rights to publish online or in future publications, but authors will hold copyright. Emails will be sent out for rejected pieces but regrettably we do not have capacity to provide feedback or editorial support.

ABOUT MIZNA: For over 25 years, Mizna has promoted experimental approaches to art, literature, and film; work that questions and expands the forms and conceptual frameworks of Arab and SWANA culture. We publish a biannual print literary and art journal, Mizna, and Mizna Online, a digital platform for literary and multidisciplinary work reflecting critically on the current realities of the SWANA region and beyond. We produce the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, the largest and longest-running SWANA-centered film festival in the Midwest. Mizna also offers readings, film series, performances, public art commissions, and community events that have featured 1000+ local and transnational writers, filmmakers, and artists.

mizna.org/mizna-news/call-for-submissions-27-1/

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call for submissions: Nonfiction essays

How I Learned

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025

INFO: HOW I LEARNED stories are personal narratives with an evocative spin on existential ideas.

Sharp, personal narratives with an evocative spin on existential-leaning themes. Stories about the horror and the hilarity of being in the world. The profound and the absurd; the texture, the nuance; a particular way of seeing. How we change, or don’t change; how the world changes, or fails to. How people try. Moments of discovery conflict with the old narrative and challenge a long-held belief. Little things are big. Not everything aligns. Nothing resolves neatly. Make meaning out of chaos, but leave us wondering what happens after it ends.

HOW TO SEND IT:

• Nonfiction essay: ~1500 words

• Nonfiction micro essay: 500 - 800 words

• Send a Word or Google Docs attachment.

• Include the word count.

• Keep in mind, titles do not need to include “How I Learned…”.

• In your email, add (1) a brief summary — just 1 to 3 sentences; and (2) a third-person bio.

• Indicate if this is a simultaneous submission and follow up immediately if it gets accepted somewhere else.

• If you want to add how you learned about HOW I LEARNED, please do.

• Email subject line: “Submission - How I Learned.”

• Send to: howilearned@gmail.com

• Note: The decision to change names, places, or other identifying characteristics (or not) is the responsibility of the author upon submittal.

RESPONSE TIME:

You’ll usually get a response in 2 to 4 weeks. Please wait at least 4 weeks before following up. Resend the original email and add “Follow Up” to the subject line.

PAYMENT:

The publication is new and it’s 100% supported by readers. As a writer myself, I loathe saying that there’s no pay at this time. The long-term goal is to change that.

howilearnedseries.com/p/submissions

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘Quarter 4, Echoes from the Street: Homelessness and the Unhoused’

IHRAM Press

DEADLINE: December 1, 2025

INFO: Centering on homelessness and the unhoused, this issue explores the human stories behind stereotypes, societal failures, and the fight for basic rights like shelter and healthcare. Reflections on homelessness during COVID-19 and personal journeys to stability provide a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for dignity and safety. 

We are committed to publishing personal experiences of those who have been unhoused, factual retellings of stories about homelessness in the author’s life, reflections of the author’s personal experiences, and feelings of optimism and faith. We encourage submissions from all over the world, regardless of gender or identity.

MAGAZINE THEMES: Homelessness, societal inequality, human rights, personal and creative reflections in order to break stereotypes, and post-pandemic challenges.

humanrightsartmovement.org/ihraf-publishes

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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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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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call for general submissions

Joyland Magazine

DEADLINE: Rolling

SUBMISSION FEE: $5

INFO: Joyland Magazine accepts unsolicited submissions of fiction year round. All submissions must be in English. We welcome works in translation. Simultaneous submissions are allowed. We consider fiction submissions (short stories and stand-alone novel excerpts) of up to 12,000 words. Our average response time is 12-16 weeks. We ask that you please submit one story at a time. All writers are compensated $200 for stories published with Joyland Magazine.

Any writer who wishes to submit for free may email us at joylandmagazine@joylandmagazine.com with the subject line "Submittable Fee Waiver" to receive a link to our free submission portal.

joylandmagazine.submittable.com/submit

FICTION / NONFICTION — OCTOBER 2025

The Xochitl Gonzalez Scholarship

Northern California Writers’ Retreat

DEADLINE: October 3, 2025

INFO: Northern California Writers’ Retreat brings writers together to create a community of individuals who love to write, read, and support each other. Join us in Northern California among oak trees and poppies to workshop with fellow writers led by our Editor or one of our Guest Literary Agents. Take part in daily conversations about publishing from the perspective of professionals who will give insights into the industry. Enjoy free time and space to write. Participate in a daily yoga practice and/or write to live piano music.

SCHOLARSHIP: Thanks to the generosity of our 2025 Author-in-Residence, Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Anita de Monte Laughs Last, and the award-winning Olga Dies Dreaming, we are proud to offer The Xochitl Gonzalez Scholarship for Diasporican Voices to one Diasporican fiction writer of any gender to one session of our 2026 retreats.

All retreat fees will be covered ($2,897) plus $500 in travel expenses, for a total of $3,397 in aid.

ELIGIBILITY: This scholarship is for one Diasporican writer of any gender. Diasporican refers to people of Puerto Rican descent who live outside of Puerto Rico and identify with the Puerto Rican diaspora. You must be over twenty-one by the retreat’s beginning to apply.

GOAL OF THE SCHOLARSHIP: To support and foster the creative life of one Diasporican writer who would be unable to attend the retreat without aid. We believe writers who want to learn more about the publishing industry, connect with other writers, and improve their craft, should have the ability to do so, despite their financial situation. This scholarship will make attendance possible to one writer, and offers a $500 stipend to offset travel expenses.

norcalwritersretreat.com/scholarship/

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WINTER ONLINE WORKSHOP

Tin House

DEADLINE: October 6, 2025

INFO: Tin House's Winter Online Workshop consists of curated workshops, industry panels, craft lectures, agent meetings, affinity groups, social hours, and, of course, online karaoke. 

Additionally, every enrolled participant will have the opportunity to meet with one guest agent for ten minutes either Julia Kardon (HG Literary), Kent Wolf (Neon Literary), Mina Hamedi (Janklow & Nesbit), Reiko Davis (DeFiore & Company), Shabnam Banerjee-McFarland (Odom Media Management) or  Sonali Chanchani (Folio Literary). 

APPLICATION:

• We ask for one unpublished writing sample. For short fiction/novel/nonfiction, 4,000 words or less. For poetry, four poems, totaling no more than eight pages.

• If you have previously been accepted/attended, please do not apply with the same sample. A different excerpt from the same project is acceptable. Once admitted, you will have the opportunity to workshop a different manuscript.

• In addition to the writing sample, the application includes several questions about your project.

• Applicants must be 18 years of age to apply.

• International writers may apply.

• There is no cap on the number of Tin House Workshops you may attend.

Applications are read by a board composed of Tin House Workshop staff and Tin House Reading Fellows. Acceptance is based on the strength and promise of the writing sample and how much the board feels an applicant might benefit from the Workshop and contribute to the community. All applications are evaluated through the lens of our Core Values.

Scholarships are available for BIPOC Writers, authors identifying as Native American and/or Indigenous in North America, parent writers who have at least one child under the age of eighteen, writers who are trans, and writers who were born or reside outside of the United States. To apply, they ask for one unpublished writing sample. For short fiction/novel/nonfiction, 4,000 words or less. For poetry, four poems, totaling no more than eight pages. 

tinhouse.com/workshop/winter-workshop/#scholarships-&-financial-assistance 

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THE ADINA TALVE-GOODMAN FELLOWSHIP

One Story

DEADLINE: October 8, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship will offer one writer a year-long mentorship on the craft of fiction writing with One Story magazine. The aim is to give the writer a significant boost in their career. The Fellow will receive access to One Story online classes; admission to One Story’s Writing Circle; a $2k stipend and free admission to One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference; and a full manuscript review and consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words). 

REQUIREMENTS: This fellowship calls for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program (such as an MA or MFA) in Creative Writing, English, or Literature, and has no plans to attend one in the 2026 calendar year. We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that centers, celebrates, or reclaims being marginalized through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment. All applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of January 1st, 2026.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST: 
To apply to this fellowship you will need:

• A fiction writing sample (3,000 – 5,000 words) that best represents your writing and speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference (as defined above). Multiple short stories are permitted if they are under 5,000 words combined and submitted as a single file.

• A personal statement (600 – 1,100 words)

• Two professional or personal references who can speak to your commitment to writing (no recommendation letters required but please provide: name, email, phone)

• A current resume detailing any work or educational experience. Please also list any writing classes you have taken, along with writing-related awards, fellowships, publications, and residencies (if any).

one-story.com/learn/fellowship/

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LYDIA GARCÍA AUTHOR FUND

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

DEADLINE: October 10, 2025

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) announces the Lydia García Author Fund, an initiative that seeks to support authors actively writing or in the process of promoting their recent written work. We recognize that authors often face unexpected and unreimbursed costs associated with their creative work or the promotion of their work, which we hope may be defrayed by these funds. Instances such as travel to book readings or presentations, preparations for such readings or presentations, childcare arrangements, or to finance or subsidize event(s) in venues that do not have budget for such activities but in which authors may nevertheless present their work are acceptable expenses.

AWARD: Thanks to a generous donation by Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, in honor of her mother Lydia Garcia, CENTRO will award five authors $1,000.

GUIDELINES:

To apply to the Lydia García Author Fund, prospective recipients will submit an application which will include:

• A cover letter (maximum 3 pages) describing the type of written work they engage in, how the work they produce reflects the Puerto Rican experience, the obstacles they face in their creative process and how they anticipate using the granted funds.

• A résumé or CV that includes a list of previous publications

• A sample of previously published work. We will accept work that has been published in books, journals, magazines, and websites. We will also accept work that has been performed publicly, such as poetry or plays.

ABOUT LYDIA GARCIA:

Lydia Estell Pitsirilos was born Lydia Estell García in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1950. Following the path of thousands of other Puerto Ricans, she and her family moved to New York’s Upper West Side, where she resided for the rest of her life. A fateful encounter with a guidance counselor derailed her aspirations to become a writer by stating “Puerto Ricans can’t be writers.” She instead pursued a career as a registered nurse. While not a writer herself, Lydia García became the inspiration for other writers, most notably her daughter, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, who has endowed an Author Fund in her memory, honoring the little girl who had wanted to become a writer.

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/lydia-garcia-author-fund/

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2025 JOHN LEWIS WRITING GRANTS

Georgia Writers Association

DEADLINE: October 10, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: The Georgia Writers Association's John Lewis Writing Grants are inspired by the late civil rights icon and his more than three decades of service as Georgia’s 5th District representative. The John Lewis Writing Grants will be awarded annually in the categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and screen/playwriting.

The purpose of the John Lewis Writing Grants is to elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of promising Black writers in Georgia. Applicants must be emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win the John Lewis Grant one time.

GRANT: The winning recipients will receive $500, and an invitation to read from their work at the next Red Clay Writers Conference.

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Applicants are ineligible if they have published more than one traditionally published book. Promising writers without publication will be considered. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win a grant once. There is no submission fee to enter. Applicants are ineligible if they are of relations to any of the Georgia Writers staff or board of directors.

GUIDELINES:

Writers may apply in only one genre and must submit the following:

• A completed grant application

• An artist statement of 500 words (max.) as a concise description of your work and goals as a writer. Tell us what inspires your writing career, and how your work engages (directly or indirectly) with the legacy of John Lewis.

• A writing sample of 10 pages (max.) of a published or unpublished piece in the genre in which you are applying: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or screen/playwriting. If submitting poetry, one poem per page please. 

*Do not include your name or any identifying information in the writing sample.

georgiawritersassociation.submittable.com/submit/333082/2025-john-lewis-writing-grants

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2026 Black Writers Fellowship Program

Hand Papermaking

DEADLINE: October 10, 2025 at 5:00pm ET

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher is an opportunity for a Black writer to research and write a long-form article to be published in Hand Papermaking magazine. Hand Papermaking initiated the Black Writers Fellowship Program in 2020 as one of several corrective steps to better fulfill our goal to truly reflect the full breadth of work in our field.

PAST RECIPIENTS: Keren Alfred (2020–21 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher) who shared her investigations of breadfruit as a papermaking fiber in the Summer 2022 issue; Payton Harris-Woodard (2021–22 Black Writers Fellow), whose interview with Howardena Pindell appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of the magazine; Gimbiya Kettering (2022–23 Black Writers Fellowship: Reporter) who profiled the artist Cheryl E. Edwards in the Summer 2023 issue; and sadé powell (2022–2024 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher) who interviewed established and emerging Black papermaking artists for her article that appeared in the Summer 2024 issue. The 2025 fellow Talia Kimberly Wright is researching the material history of cotton and will travel with an African American papermaker to connect with Black cotton farmers in North Carolina.

This RFP outlines the 2026 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher opportunity and application guidelines.

The Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher is offered annually to a Black writer who proposes a research topic relevant to hand papermaking and indicates an ongoing investment in research and inquiry in the field. The article will be long-form and eligible for publication in Hand Papermaking magazine, Summer 2027 issue.

STIPEND: The Researcher will receive a $1,000 award and a fellowship stipend of up to $1,000 for expenses incurred, including but not limited to research travel, resources, transcription or translation services, site visits, workshop or conference attendance, and other professional development opportunities. In addition, the Researcher will be supported by regular meetings with a fellowship coordinator and a collaborative working relationship with Hand Papermaking magazine editor Mina Takahashi. There is no fee to apply for this fellowship.

Hand Papermaking will host a virtual FAQ session on Wednesday, September 17, 7pm ET to answer questions from prospective applicants. To sign up for the session (or to let us know that you cannot make that date and time), email: bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org by September 10.

For reference and inspiration, please review Hand Papermaking’s guiding principles and peruse the table of contents of recent magazine issues. To see two published Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher articles, these two are available during the application period: Payton Harris-Woodard’s interview with Howardena Pindell and sadé powell’s article on young Black emerging paper artists . You can search for topics published in the magazine’s history on the website. Applicants can receive up to two article PDFs if requested by October 3: bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility is limited to self-identified Black writers.

Hand Papermaking Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher 2https:/ /www.handpapermaking.org | PO BOX 50336 Baltimore, MD 20211 | info@handpapermaking.org

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must submit:

• A cover letter

• Curriculum vitae

• A research proposal and an outline for carrying out the study or project; 600-word maximum. Include a description of proposed research methods.

Optional: a draft budget for the fellowship stipend.

• Two relevant writing samples (can be but not limited to essays, research papers, excerpts from dissertation); not to exceed 3,000 words in total.

Prepare all materials in one PDF and email to: bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org.

Submissions will be acknowledged by email.

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION PROCESS: Selection will be based on the demonstration of the applicant’s capacity to successfully address the criteria noted above. A final pool of candidates will be interviewed, and the 2026 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher will be announced by mid-December 2025. Jurors’ names will be made public following the announcement of the selected Researcher.

FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE:

After the Researcher is announced, they will work with the magazine editor and fellowship coordinator to establish a work plan, budget, and detailed timeline. The following is a rough outline of the deadlines.

• October 10, 2025 Application deadline

• December 19, 2025 Announce fellow

• November 1, 2026 First draft deadline

• December 10, 2026 Final draft deadline

• June 15, 2027 Magazine distribution

• July 1, 2027 Fellowship debrief

Researcher will receive:

• A $1,000 award

• Fellowship stipend of up to $1,000

• Opportunity for a published article in Hand Papermaking magazine, Summer 2027 issue

• Exposure of your research and writing to a global community of hand papermakers, artists, scholars, and professionals through our print and online publications

• Opportunities for career advancement through connections with Hand Papermaking’s network as well as professional development experiences

• Increased knowledge and skills in the editorial process and scholarly publication field through a collaborative working relationship with Hand Papermaking magazine editor Mina Takahashi.

https://ugc.production.linktr.ee/54b24f25-df42-47a4-b134-02f7051b5978_Black-Writers-Fellowship-2026-RFP-Updated.pdf

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Art Critic Fellowship

AICA-USA

DEADLINE: October 13, 2025 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: AICA-USA is excited to announce the Art Critics Fellowship Program for 2026, reflecting our ongoing commitment to supporting critical writing within a vibrant arts ecosystem. As the oldest professional organization for art critics and writers in the United States, we believe that thoughtful criticism is essential—not only for the arts community but also for enriching the experiences of individual viewers, writers, and artists alike.

While writing programs continue to shrink and many publications are reducing or eliminating their cultural coverage entirely, the central tenet of our charter — the support of art criticism as a discipline – has never felt more pressing. From January to April, fellows will engage in a pitching workshop and two lectures led by award-winning editors and writers to discuss the joys and concerns of writing and editing art criticism today, and will meet one-on-one with their assigned mentors to develop a piece of criticism for publication on the AICA-USA website. We embrace an expansive definition of art, which includes performance, dance, video art, and other transmedia practices. Each of our mentors comes with a distinct voice, area of focus, scholarly positions, sets of concerns, editorial background and mediums. From radio to small press to newspapers to academic forums, each mentor brings a rich diversity that speaks to the different avenues that artists and critics take on the way to publication in this 21st century landscape.

We particularly encourage applicants from non-traditional backgrounds to apply. To enhance accessibility, the program is hybrid, allowing for in-person meetings when fellows and mentors are in the same location, with lectures streamed online. When applying, please indicate any accessibility measures that would support your participation in the program.

TIMELINE + STRUCTURE:

The program opens on January 12, 2026 and ends on April 3, 2026. Fellows are required to meet with their assigned mentor at least four times over the course of the program, and to attend every workshop and lecture. There is no cost to attend, and Fellows will be awarded a stipend of $750 to cover potential lost wages while participating in the Fellowship and will be compensated according to W.A.G.E. standards for their work upon publication in the amount of $250.

Timeline

• Late November 2025: Finalist Notifications

• January 12 - April 3, 2026: Program Dates

• January 12, 2026, 7PM ET (Virtual): Orientation & Theme Discussion

• January 23, 2026: Pitch Deadline

• January 31, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Workshop on Making a Pitch & Review with Sky Goodden

• February 21, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Lecture #1 with Niela Orr (Public Lecture)

• March 7, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Lecture #2 with Jameson Johnson (Public Lecture)

• March 21, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Lecture #3 with Ciarán Finlayson (Public Lecture)

• March 23, 2026, 7PM ET (Virtual): Peer Review Meeting of Drafts

• April 3, 2026: Final Draft & Program Evaluations Due

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must be 24 years or older and reside in the United States or Puerto Rico.

• You must be able to attend all program dates.

• You must be legally eligible to complete and submit a W-9 form.

• Students are welcome to apply.

• Although it's not required, applicants are encouraged to have an interest in visual arts, writing, criticism, art history, and contemporary visual culture.

aicausa.org/art-critic-fellowship2026

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call for submissions: 1.1 Foglifter Online Exclusive: Body Politics

Foglifter

DEADLINE: October 15, 2026

INFO: As Foglifter revitalizes our website and digital production, we are interested in creating and holding space for works that may not fit within the constraints of our print edition. We are now accepting submissions for our new Online Exclusive Issue dedicated to showcasing queer voices across a wide spectrum of creative forms.

As always, we are seeking art that aligns with our mission of promoting queer, transgressive, and original work. The themes will change from issue to issue. For 1.1, our theme is Body Politics. Bodies are sites of power, protest, pleasure, oppression, transformation, and resistance. They are legislated, labeled, liberated, and loved. In a world where bodies are constantly scrutinized, marginalized, and controlled—especially queer, trans, fat, disabled, racialized, and reproductive bodies—we want to create a space for work that responds, reclaims, and reimagines.

Please submit work that engages with themes that may include gender expression and transition, reproductive justice, disability and chronic illness, surveillance and censorship, body modification culture, fat liberation and anti-ableism, queer desire and sexuality, the racialized body, and performance and protest. We invite works that grapple with the political, personal, and cultural dimensions of the queer body.

Pieces must be original, unpublished work in genres including, but not limited to: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, comics, visual art, scripts, and multimedia (video, audio, music, interactive pieces, experimental work, etc.) that align with the current issue’s theme.

This online exclusive issue will be published as a winter issue on our website. We’re especially interested in pieces that experiment with form, push boundaries, and reflect the complexity, joy, rage, beauty, and multiplicity of the queer experience.

WHY ONLINE EXCLUSIVE?

Our print publication has limits—page counts, dimensions, ink. This digital issue is a space without borders. We want to uplift work that can’t—or won’t—fit in print: multimedia projects, audio pieces, visual art, and performance pieces that demand to be seen and heard in digital space.

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• We accept only first rights to publication.

• We do accept simultaneous submissions, however please withdraw pieces that have been accepted elsewhere.

• Please include a short bio, description of your work, any past publications, and applicable trigger warnings in your cover letter.

• Visual and [multi]media work must be web-viewable—please include links or uploads through Submittable and include content warnings if applicable

GENRE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES:

• Please submit up to 5 pieces

• For video and audio submissions, please limit to 5 minutes

• We accept art created via all mediums (except AI -- no AI art submissions). This includes, but is not limited to, photography, painting, digital, ink, pencil, collage, etc.

• Acceptable file types: .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .png, .svg, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .odt, .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .3gp, .wmv

• All applicable artworks submitted will be considered for cover art for the online exclusive issue

• We love experimental work, feel free to submit hybrid forms that blend genres

• For grant purposes, we cannot consider submissions that do not include a completed demographic survey with their submission

Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.

foglifter.submittable.com/submit

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Art Omi: Writers Residency

Art Omi

DEADLINE: October 15, 2025

INFO: Art Omi: Writers hosts authors and translators from around the world for residencies throughout the spring and fall. The program’s strong international emphasis provides exposure for global literary voices and reflects the spirit of cultural exchange that is essential to Art Omi’s mission.

Guests select a residency of approximately one month in either the spring or autumn, with ten writers at a time gathering to live and work in a rural setting overlooking the Catskill Mountains. Daytime is reserved for writing and quiet activities, while evenings are more communal. A program of weekly visits brings guests from the New York publishing community. Noted editors, agents, and book scouts are invited to share dinner and conversation on both creative and practical subjects, offering insight into the workings of the publishing industry, and introductions to some of its key professionals. Readings throughout the year invite the public to experience finished and in-process work by writers and translators in residence.

Art Omi: Writers welcomes published writers and translators of every type of literature. All text-based projects—fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible. International, cultural, and creative exchange is a foundation of our mission, and a wide distribution of national background is an important part of our selection process.

All residencies are fully funded with accommodations, food, local transport, and public programming provided. However, please note that Art Omi: Writers does not provide travel funds. We have some limited travel funds available for those who find it a barrier to participating in the program, reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Emma Ramadan, Art Omi: Writers Residency Program Director, at eramadan@artomi.org for more details.

Notable alumni include:

• Joseph O'Neill author of Netherland, which won the Pen/Faulkner Award

• Aleksander Hemon, author of The Question of Bruno, recipient of a "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation

• Gary Shteyngart, bestselling author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook, Absurdistan, and Super Sad True Love Story

• Susan Choi, bestselling author of American Woman and inaugural recipient of the PEN/W.G. Sebald Award.

• Goce Smilevski, author of Freud's Sister, which won the European Union Prize for Literature

• Jan Brandt, bestselling author of Gegen Die Welt (Against the World)

• Buket Uzuner, international bestselling author of Istanbulians

• James Hannaham, author of Delicious Foods, which won the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Hurston-Wright Award.

• Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin which won the National Book Award

• Kiran Desai, bestselling author of Inheritance of Loss, which won the Man Booker Prize

• Shehan Karunatilaka, author of Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Matthew, which won the Commonwealth Prize

• Mikhail Shishkin, bestselling author of The Taking of Izmail, which won the Russian Booker Prize

TRANSLATION LAB:

In September Art Omi: Writers hosts an annual Translation Lab, in which English language translators are invited to work alongside the writers whose work they translate. The focused residency provides an integral stage of refinement, allowing translators to dialogue with the writers about text-specific questions.

Following in the tradition of the Art Omi: Writers residency as started by Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt, the Translation Lab emphasizes translation as a means towards cultural exchange. It serves as an essential community builder for English language translators who are working to increase the amount of international literature available to American readers, as it is currently estimated that less than three percent of all books published in the United States are translated works.

The residency is a rare and unique opportunity for writers and their translators to work together, considering that most writers never meet their translators in person. All text-based projects—fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible.

ACCOMODATIONS + FACILITIES:

Art Omi is located two and a half hours north of New York City in the historic Hudson River Valley. Named for the hamlet of Omi, which is within the town of Ghent, New York, Art Omi is also near to Albany and Hudson, which offer train connections thirty or fifteen minutes' drive from campus, respectively.

The facilities, situated on three hundred acres of open land, include a large two-story barn with indoor studios; contemporary residence buildings designed with a vernacular reference to local barns, surrounded by abundant perennial beds, expansive lawns dotted with fruit trees, adjacent to The Sculpture and Architecture Park. Residents receive private bedroom accommodations with shared bathrooms and common areas.

A Federal Period farm house serves as a gathering center, providing a full kitchen and library; while the front porch overlooks rolling hills and the majestic outline of the Catskill Range. A swimming pool, bicycles, WiFi access and a computer with printing capability is available on the premises.

Columbia County, and the nearby Berkshire Mountains, are popular destinations because of their historical, natural and cultural riches. From bird sanctuaries to modern dance, presidential mansions to farmer’s markets, the environs offer a singular blend of rural quiet and cultural stimulation. Staff and friends in the neighborhood are often available for excursions of interest to residents. The local library has a modest collection, but is a member of the Mid-Hudson group, calling on the resources of libraries within much of eastern New York.

TIMELINE:

• Decision Notification: January 2026

RESIDENCY DATES:

Art Omi: Writers 2026 takes place over four sessions, two in the Spring and two in the Autumn.

SPRING 2026

• Spring Session One: Wednesday, April 1–Monday, April 27

• Spring Session Two: Thursday, April 30–Tuesday, May 26

AUTUMN 2026

• Session One: Thursday, September 24–Thursday, October 15

• Session Two: Wednesday, October 21–Wednesday, November 18

Art Omi: Translation Lab 2026 takes place from Wednesday, September 9–Monday, September 21. Please note, a separate open call only for Translation Lab will run in early 2026.

artomi.org/residencies/writers/

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Open Call: Artist Publishing Cohort

at Louie Place

DEADLINE: October 24, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: at Louis Place (aLP) is a community for artists and writers. Through an accessible, collaborative online platform, at Louis Place is an ecosystem for artistic practice that values liberation, experimentation, cooperation, and shared leadership. Through daily co-writing, weekly writing groups, and monthly guest workshops, participants find opportunities for personal and creative growth, as well as connections to peers from across the continent and the world.

With support from the Wagner Foundation, the second edition of the Artist Publishing Cohort will continue offering personalized support for artists with publishing projects in progress.

TIMELINE:

• Applicants notified: mid-December, 2025

• Program dates: January - May, 2026

ELIGIBILITY:

The Artist Publishing Cohort is created to support:

1. Visual artists, choreographers and performing artists, and other interdisciplinary artists over the age of 18 whose primary training and professional profile is outside of the field of creative writing

2. Artists preparing a publishing project featuring their own creative work, such as a novel, memoir, monograph, or book of poems

3. Artists looking for regular practical and creative support on their publishing project, who are self-directed, proactive, and able to take initiative to participate in the community's full range of program offerings

4. Artists who are willing and able to participate in a small group cohort for peer support and workshop, who are looking to build their work in fellowship with other artists and writers

5. Artists preparing work for digital publication, self-publication, or traditional publication

6. Artists with projects actively and urgently in progress and ready for support

We love all writers, but the program is not suited for:

1. Academically-trained writers preparing academic manuscripts in any field

2. Playwrights and other trained writers preparing projects for performance rather than publication

3. Published authors with access to extensive writing networks

4. Artists preparing print editions that won’t require an editorial process

5. Artists preparing projects that will be distributed in editions less than 50

6. Artists ineligible to work in the US.

Current and past aLP writers are eligible for this opportunity, along with those who are new to our community.

BENEFITS:
Participating artists receive:

• Financial support: A stipend of $1,000 to support their creative work—use it to offset childcare, research, rent, groceries, supplies, or anything else connected to life as an artist.

• Workshop: Participate in a bi-weekly workshop to share pages for feedback and accountability and identify opportunities and connections, facilitated by aLP staff.

• Practicums: In spring 2026, aLP will offer a second comprehensive Artist Publishing Practicum designed to demystify the pathway to publication for visual artists featuring a network of special guests.

• Resources: Benefit from monthly writing workshops by guest lecturers, our archive of past events, our prompt and resource libraries, our extended network of writers of all kinds, and all other aLP offerings.

Artist Publishing Cohort artists should be prepared to participate fully in program offerings, including biweekly workshop. Cohort artists are not required to attend every event, but should be able to make a meaningful commitment to regular participation. 

at Louis Place was created by and for writers marginalized by conventional writing communities, including Black, Indigenous, immigrant, disabled, over-50, and writers outside urban centers; it is open to everyone who shares our values. at Louis Place is led by Steffani Jemison, Naima Lowe, Janavi Janakiraman, and Quincy Flowers.

atlouisplace.com/cohort

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Call for Zine Submissions - Act Your Age: Fandom at 35+ and Beyond

Wild Ramp Publishing

DEADLINE: October 24, 2025

INFO: For Act Your Age Volume 3, we’re diving into the theme of "Generations". We're looking for stories, art, and creative work that explore how fandom connects across age, time, and family lines.

• Are you a second- or third-generation fan in your family?

• Maybe your love of a band, show, book, or game was inherited from a parent or grandparent—or maybe you’re the one who passed it on to your child, your sibling, your nibling, or even your neighbor.

•  Do you participate in fan activities that bring together people of different ages? 

• Have you found meaning in how fandom acts as a bridge between generations, cultures, or communities?

• We’re accepting essays, stories, visual art, comics, poetry, and other creative work that fits the theme. Both personal reflections and imaginative takes are welcome. 

Microsoft Word, Google Drive links and png artwork is accepted. If your work is selected for publication, you’ll receive two copies of the zine as a thank-you.

Got questions? wildramppublishing@gmail.com

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-hSyi_U9xkZnloU0peFW_BSuIZNs5ZPhUqJc2cKg7J8/viewform?edit_requested=true

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SHENANDOAH FELLOWSHIP FOR EMERGING EDITOR

Shenandoah

DEADLINE: October 31, 2025

INFO: The Shenandoah Fellowship for Emerging Editors will be open on will be open on October 1, 2025 for applications from fellows in all genres (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, comics).  We will consider and accepts fellows on a rolling basis.

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP: In order for substantive change to happen in the predominantly homogeneous publishing industry, innovation must happen at all levels, from the big five book corporations in New York City to literary magazines like Shenandoah. We recognize that if we want writers from diverse backgrounds, varied perspectives, and underrepresented groups to feel at home in Shenandoah, and for the literature we publish to be full of varied and passionate perspectives that enliven, empower, and engage all of us, we need to have representation at our core.

Through this editorial fellowship, we’re committed to expanding the roster of people we work with and to discovering new voices to amplify and empower. Selected fellows will receive a $1000 honorarium and will curate a selection of published work in a specific genre, working with the Shenandoah staff to guide the work to publication. This opportunity will give fellows the chance to learn about all aspects of a small literary publisher and create connections with peers and potential future employers in the industry and in academia.

REQUIREMENTS + ELIGIBILITY: We welcome writers and editors of all experience levels. No previous editorial experience is necessary, but we are looking for applicants who are passionate and informed about the literary community. We are committed to the development of an inclusive environment and strive to advance diverse perspectives and approaches.

We welcome applications from all writers, including underrepresented minority candidates and members of other communities that are traditionally underrepresented in academia and publishing. Washington and Lee University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other protected class status under the law in its educational programs and activities, admissions, and with regard to employment.

THE APPLICATION:

Please upload a single document that responds to these three prompts separately:

1. In 500 words or fewer, describe why this fellowship would be valuable to you, addressing what you think is the role and value of a literary magazine in the publishing ecosystem.

2. In 500 words or fewer, tell us about a favorite piece of writing you recently read in a literary magazine in your desired genre. Describe how you found it, who wrote it, its aesthetic attributes, and what you loved about it.

3. In 500 words or fewer, describe the unique perspective or experience you would bring to Shenandoah. Make sure to include your writing and editing experience and the genre you would be most excited to work in (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics).

shenandoah.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Walter Grants

We Need Diverse Books

DEADLINE: October 31, 2025

INFO: The Walter Dean Myers Grant provides a financial boost to promising writers and illustrators who are currently unpublished. Each grantee receives $2000 to hone their craft and support their career development.

Marginalized writers and illustrators often face financial and systemic barriers in telling their stories and getting published. That’s why we established this grant, which recognizes the talent of diverse creators and gives them monetary assistance as they pursue publication.

The Walter Grant can be used in a variety of ways, from attending conferences to purchasing new writing devices to covering childcare. Since 2015 we have awarded over 70 Walter Grants, and we’re incredibly proud of our recipients who have now published nearly 60 books and have won major literary awards.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must identify as diverse, as per WNDB’s definition of diversity. 

• Applicants must be unpublished as illustrators and/or authors. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing. (NOTE: publication in zines or publication of poetry chap books are permissible.) If the applicant has a book deal for an as yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this grant. Applicants may have published shorter pieces, such as essays, short stories, and articles.

• Applicants who have books on submission to publishing houses are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Books on submission to procure an agent, however, will be considered.

• Applicant must be working toward a career as a children’s author and/or illustrator. This includes but is not limited to: Picture Books, Early Reader Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade Books, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Non-Fiction, Poetry.

• Applicant cannot apply for funding to self-publish their project.

• Applicant must be a U.S. resident or a refugee living in the States. (Note for refugee applicants: receiving a grant might affect your income limitations and any government assistance you may receive. You may want to reach out to appropriate officials, like an immigration attorney, for advice.)

• Applicant must be at least 18 years in age.

• Please note: Under Executive Order 13224, all 501(c)(3) organizations must confirm that grant recipients are not affiliated with federally identified terrorist groups. To comply, we must compile any of your former legal names that have been registered with the United States government. We are aware that we are asking for potentially sensitive information and we apologize for this intrusion. WNDB will keep this information in the utmost confidence and will never use any former name(s) in our correspondence with you.

FAQs:

Can I submit multiple samples in different genres? Please choose one category to submit to — whichever you feel is a better fit for consideration.

Can I submit multiple projects for consideration? Please choose one creative project to submit, whichever you feel is the best fit for consideration. We do not accept multiple simultaneous applications from one creator, and you will be disqualified if you submit more than one application for a Walter Grant.

Will the application close after a certain amount of entries? No, there is no limit to the number of entries accepted. Applications are accepted through our application form online.

Can I apply if I am not a U.S. Citizen? You are eligible to apply if you have legal residence in the United States regardless of citizenship.

When will winning applicants hear back? We aim to notify winners before January 15, 2026.

Can I mail in my illustration submissions? Unfortunately, we cannot have original works or copies mailed in. Any illustration must be submitted electronically.

Is there an application fee? There is no application fee to apply for the Walter Grant.

Are self-published authors eligible? No, authors who have self published are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Publication in zines or publication of poetry chap books are permissible.

Am I eligible if I've published a non-children's book? No. Authors who have published outside of children’s literature are also not eligible for the Walter Grant.

Do I need a certain degree or previous publishing credits? There are no degree or publication credits required to apply for the grant.

Who can I contact with further questions? Please direct any questions to info@diversebooks.org.

What does it mean to have "books on submission"? Applicants who have books on submission to publishing houses are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Applicants who are querying literary agents, however, are eligible.

Submitting to other grants, contests, and similar writing opportunities does not disqualify for a Walter Grant. If you do receive a book deal from one of these submissions, you are required to notify us info@diversebooks.org.

diversebooks.org/programs/waltergrants

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19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

DEADLINE: October 31, 2025

INFO: To enter a published book or galley for review, send the completed registration form and eight (8) copies to:

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
c/o Baton Rouge Area Foundation
100 North St., Suite 900
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802

Non-winning entries will be donated to an area nonprofit. Ineligible entries will not be returned.

The Literary Award, initiated by donors of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to honor Mr. Gaines, is designed to inspire and recognize rising African-American writers of excellence as they work to achieve the literary heights for which Ernest J. Gaines is known. 

CRITERIA:

Criteria for the 19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence:

• A work of fiction (novel or collection of short stories) that is published between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Galleys for a 2025 publication are also accepted.

• The nominee must be a rising author, not yet widely recognized for their work.

• Author must be an African-American U.S. citizen.

• Self-published books will not be accepted. Self-published defined as publishing one's work independently and at one's own expense.

• Emailed entries will not be accepted. 

• The winning author must be willing to attend the award ceremony in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2026 and participate in media and educational outreach activities during that week.

TIMELINE:

• May 1, 2025 – October 31, 2025  Eligible entries for the 19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence will be accepted. See eligibility criteria and submission instructions above. All entries for the book award will receive written notification of receipt.

• Spring 2026 – The winner will be selected by a national panel of judges. The judges reserve the right not to issue the award if they feel the selection pool lacks an acceptable candidate. Once the winner is selected, written notification will be sent to all eligible entries.

• 2026 – The 19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence Ceremony will take place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

https://ernestjgainesaward.org/criteria

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2026 Fresh Voices Fellowship

Epiphany

DEADLINE: November 1, 2025

INFO: The Fresh Voices Fellowship supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, or other writer of color who does not have an advanced writing degree and is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting creative writing program. Our fellows have gone on to sign with agents, publish books, win prizes, and develop their careers in writing and publishing.

One writer, in poetry or prose, will receive:

• A $2000 stipend

• A year-long editorial fellowship at Epiphany, which entails the opportunity to participate in the editorial and publication process of a small non-profit literary magazine, and to build close relationships with the editorial team

• Publication in a print issue of Epiphany

Because this opportunity is designed to support writers currently working outside traditional literary and academic systems, applicants must not have an advanced degree (MA, MFA, PhD) in creative writing or English and must not be enrolled at the time of application in any degree-granting program. A BA in Creative Writing or English is acceptable, as is a Masters or PhD in an unrelated field. Applicants must also not have published or be contracted to publish a full-length book (excluding self-publication). Applicants must also be based in or be living in the United States during the twelve-month fellowship.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Work Sample: Please include a 5-page, double-spaced sample of work you feel most represents you, your interests, and your literary style. (If you’re sending a novel excerpt, please include a short synopsis of the novel and an explanation of where, in the story, the excerpt falls.) This sample need not be unpublished.

2. Cover Letter: Please tell us a bit about yourself as an artist, your relationship to the mainstream literary/publishing world, and what you are hoping to gain by working in a literary magazine environment for a year.

epiphanyzine.com/features/2025/9/13/applications-are-open-for-the-2026-fresh-voices-fellowship

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: A Special Folio on Soccer

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: November 1, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $3

INFO: Michigan Quarterly Review invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to exploring the rich and complex world of soccer, a global phenomenon that transcends sport to influence culture, politics, identity, and society. We seek scholarly articles, personal and reflective essays, memoirs, biographies, short stories, poetry, and translated works that illuminate soccer’s multifaceted dimensions across regions and disciplines.

We encourage contributions addressing a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: soccer and national identity in diverse contexts such as multiracial societies in Europe, multiculturalism in the United States, and postcolonial narratives in Latin America, Africa, and Asia; labor issues, human trafficking, and the globalization of the football industry; the impact of soccer on youth and marginalized communities; racism, right-wing radicalism, and social justice movements within and beyond the sport; intersections of soccer with religion and politics; and the influence of global capital on the governance and commercialization of soccer.

We particularly welcome works that engage with historical and contemporary developments in regions including the Gulf, South Asia, China, Europe, the United States, and Latin America, reflecting the sport’s global reach and cultural significance.

Submissions in genres ranging from academic analysis to personal memoirs and creative writing are encouraged. Translations of significant works from non-English languages that offer international perspectives will enrich this issue.

Please submit original, unpublished works between 2,000 and 8,000 words. The folio will be published as part of our Summer 2026 issue.

Join us in examining soccer not merely as a game but as a profound lens into identity, power, culture, and society worldwide.

mqr.submittable.com/submit

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2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Commonwealth Foundation

DEADLINE: November 1, 2025

INFO: The 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize is open for entries.

The prize is free to enter and open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country aged 18 and over. It is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words).

Submissions should be made via the online entry form, which is available via the link above. The eligibility requirements and entry rules can be found here.

Writers have until 11.59pm GMT on 1 November 2025 to enter their story. Click here to find out what time the prize closes in your timezone.

An international judging panel will select a shortlist of around twenty-five stories, from which five regional winners are chosen. One of the regional winners is then selected as the overall winner, who receives £5,000. The regional winners will receive £2,500. All five regional winning stories will be published on Granta.

For any inquiries regarding the prize, please email: creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com

commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/

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Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize

North American Review

DEADLINE: November 1, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $23 (include copy of the Summer Issue)

INFO: The Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition sponsored by North American Review. This award is intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut.

We love Vonnegut’s dark humor, but please avoid mere imitation. We are enthusiastic about all work painted with speculative fiction’s broad brush: fairytale, magical realism, fabulism, the fantastic, horror, Afro-futurism, science fiction hard and soft, and everything in between. The winning entry will appear in the North American Review's annual summer fiction issue, and all finalists will be considered for publication.

Results will be announced in 2026.

AWARD: $1,000

WORD COUNT: 500 - 10,000 words

JUDGE: Rachel Yoder

northamericanreview.submittable.com/submit

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MQR Mixtape: SWANA Insomnia

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: November 5, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $3

INFO: In the words of the Sufi mystic and poet Hayyuna, an individual with “a state of closeness [with the Beloved] cannot sleep, and experiences moments of profound sorrow.”

Hayunna lived in the port town of al-Ubulla, in present-day Iraq. There, she taught and influenced the famous Rabia of Basra, who learned to situate sleeplessness on a well-defined spiritual path to divine Love – a far cry from insomnia’s clinicalization in the West. Sleeplessness is deeply rooted in various SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) cultures and cosmogonies: as a sign of spiritual fortitude; in figures like Abdel Halim Hafez’s sawwah, or night wanderer; in late nights spent gossiping over coffee and cigarettes; and in diasporic transcendence of local time to stay in tune with family and beloveds experiencing war and occupation time zones away.

For this issue of MQR Mixtape, I am seeking poems, essays, short fiction, visual, and sound pieces from artists of the SWANA region and its diasporas engaging with insomnia as a site of “holiness, estrangement, and resistance,” as Egyptian choreographer and visual artist Doa Aly puts it. Map the topographies of your sleepless state, its cultural, political, psychological, and somatic dimensions. Send your stories of endurance and exhaustion, your waking dreams, your late-hour longings, griefs, and epiphanies. I am just as interested in works where sleeplessness is an ambient occurrence as those featuring it as the main event.

EDITOR: Noor Al-Samarrai

GUIDELINES:

For this particular issue, please submit:

• Poetry (up to three poems) 

• Prose (up to 4,000 words) Short fiction, Non-fiction essays, Hybrid works 

• Visual art/photography (up to five works; if sculpture please provide multiple angles) 

• Video (up to 20 minutes)

• Sound/audio works (up to 15 minutes)

• Hybrid works (up to three pages) Comics, collages, collaborations, choreographic and performance scores, archival materials, letters, etc. 

Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted by another publication. Please send only one submission per window; subsequent submissions will be rejected automatically.

mqr.submittable.com/submit

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WINTER Residency 2026

Velvetpark Media (Brooklyn, NY)

DEADLINE: November 9, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Velvetpark Residency is a project based live-work studio, awarded through a selection process by open application. It is open to LGBTQ+ writers and visual artists to complete a proposed project. Applicants from across the United States are welcome to apply, however, must have a primary residence.

The studio will be awarded bi-yearly, and will alternate between writers Winter/Spring, and visual artists Summer/Fall respectively. This schedule will continue to alternate into the ensuing years.

Velvetpark‘s Residency award is open for for an artists, writers, creators age eighteen and above, who are not enrolled in an academic program. The residency is for a 6 month term, as indicated in application form.

The VP Residency is housed within Crown Studios, an artist building on a floor of eleven working arts professionals in the Crown and Prospect Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York.

For almost two decades Velvetpark has recognized queer people in the arts, academia and activism, by featuring stories on, by, or about these individuals in the pages of the print magazine and online. It is in the same spirit that our residency program has been launched and expanded to include imaginative and enterprising LGBT+ creators, who need space to support and cultivate their work.

RESIDENCY DATES:

Please note that we will be awarding TWO 3 month terms for our writer residency this year!

• Term 1: January 5th – March 30th 2026*

• Term 2: April 3rd – June 28th 2026*

• *Dates are subject to change.

CHECKLIST:

100 – 250 word, project proposal
– additional .pdf, docx, .doc, .jpg files and supporting materials accepted (limited to 10 mb in size)

Project Outline:

– Provide a detailed outline of what you expect to complete within your 3 month term.

Writers — Work Samples
– Poets, submit up to 15 – 20 pages of poetry
– Prose, 25 – 30 pages of prose
– screenplay/play script, provide 1 – 2 completed works
– additional works accepted via url, to online portfolio or published works

CV/Resume
– should reflect your artistic/creative accomplishments

2 references
– 1 professional reference, who can speak about your work and
– 1 personal reference, who can speak about you personally, your work ethic, values, and any other pertinent information about you.
– provide names and contact; phone/email of these individuals (letters not required).
– finalists’ references will be contacted by selection committee to speak about you.

velvetparkmedia.com/residency/

FICTION / NONFICTION — SEPTEMBER 2025

call for submissions: NMM Blog + Podcast

No More Margins

DEADLINE: September 4, 2025

INFO: From horror and science fiction to romance, poetry, memoir, and beyond—Black women write in every literary genre. The NMM blog is seeking submissions from Black women creative writers who want to share the inspiration behind their work. We welcome pieces that showcase the diversity, depth, and brilliance of Black women’s storytelling.

BLOG POST: We want to showcase Black women creative writers on the NMM blog. Specifically, we want our readers to be informed about the diversity of genres in which Black women write and their inspiration. We also want to know about your publication journey (if applicable). Interested in being a guest contributor?

PODCAST: Are you a creative writer with work you would like to share with others? The purpose of the NMM podcast is to allow listeners to hear your words with the emphasis and tone only you, as the writer, can provide. If you would like to read your work on the NMM podcast,

No More Margins is a community dedicated to nurturing the voices of Black women through creative writing.

nomoremargins.com/submissions

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Fall '25 GUEST RESIDENCY

Woodward Residency

DEADLINE: September 8, 2025

INFO: Applications are now open for our Winter/Spring '25 Guest Residency in Ridgewood, Queens, NY.

ELIGIBILITY: Established/emerging artists and creative professionals in the fields of literary arts, design, music, and multi-disciplinary arts are encouraged to apply.

Please note that art forms that generate fumes (such as oil painting) cannot be accommodated. Also, with the exception of our piano residents who can use headphones, our space is best suited to less cacophonous artistic pursuits.

AWARD BENEFITS:

• Access to the building from 9AM-5 PM, Monday through Friday for the duration of your Guest Residency.

• Guest Residents will work in the communal Great Room, with library etiquette.

• Open invite to weekly tea and cake gatherings, and occasional work shares and evening parties.

• A supportive and engaged community of working creatives.

WORK SAMPLES + PERSONAL STATEMENT: Recent work samples and your personal statement should reflect your commitment to your work and clarify how the residency would benefit your work at this time. Please see our application for specific guidelines.

REFERENCES: Please provide the contact info of at least one professional and one personal reference (excluding family members or significant others).

If you are new to your field of interest and don’t have a professional reference to speak to your current creative pursuits, you are welcome to provide a reference from someone in another field who has worked directly with you.

RESIDENCY SESSION: September 30, 2025 — Jan 30, 2026

EVALUATION PROCESS: A rotating panel of arts professionals will review all applications with the intent of supporting both established and emerging artists. Panelists include novelists, filmmakers, performance artists, literary agents, film/theater producers.

Selection criteria includes originality, commitment to your proposed field of work, interest in community, and demonstrated need for a work space.

We have limited space for Guest Residents and encourage all applicants to reapply if they don’t get a spot in the upcoming session.

NOTIFICATION: All applicants will be notified at least two weeks in advance of the start of their requested residency session.

woodwardresidency.co/guestresidency

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Opening for queries: picture book creators

Heirloom Literary

SUBMISSION PERIOD: September 8 - 12, 2025

INFO: For the first time since opening our doors in October of 2024, Heirloom Literary is opening to queries, for one week only.

From September 8-12, we will be considering submissions for adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as submissions from picture book creators, both authors and illustrators.

We're looking for books that break the mold. That take a convention and turn it on its head, but without sacrificing story.

We're looking for exceptional writing and storytelling.

We're looking for stories and art that make us laugh, make us cry, that challenge us.

Beginning at 9am on Monday, September 8th, please send your query and all related materials to QueryHeirloom@heirloomliterary.com. For more information on what we’re looking for and what information to include in your submission, follow us on Instagram and keep an eye on that space.

heirloomliterary.com/share-your-work

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The Hodder Fellowship

Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University

DEADLINE: September 9, 2025 at 11:59 pm EDT

INFO: The Hodder Fellowship will be given to artists and writers of exceptional promise to pursue independent projects at Princeton University during the academic year. Potential Hodder Fellows are composers, choreographers, performance artists, visual artists, writers, translators, or other kinds of artists or humanists who have “much more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts”; they are selected more “for promise than for performance.” Given the strength of the applicant pool, most successful Fellows have published a first book or have similar achievements in their own fields; the Hodder is designed to provide Fellows with the “studious leisure” to undertake significant new work.

Hodder Fellows spend an academic year with Princeton, but no formal teaching is involved. A $93,000 stipend is provided for this 10-month appointment as a Visiting Fellow. Fellowships are not intended to fund work leading to an advanced degree. One need not be a U.S. citizen to apply. Previous recipients of the Princeton Arts Fellowship are not eligible to apply.

To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae, a 500-word project proposal, and samples of your work (i.e., writing sample, images of your work, video links to performances, etc.).

GUIDELINES:

To apply, please submit:

1. A curriculum vitae

2. 500-word project proposal in which you describe your artistic project and what you plan to do during the fellowship's 10-month appointment

3. Work samples accompanied by a 150-word statement on how they relate to your proposal. Samples can be submitted as links in a PDF.

• Creative Writing: Prose is limited to 3,000 words. Poetry is limited to 20 pages. If both a prose writer and poet, submit up to 2,000 words (prose) and up to 10 pages (poetry)

• Dance (choreography): 1-3 links to at least 15 minutes total of rehearsals, research, or performances. Must be continuous footage with cue points. Do not send trailers, photographs or promotional materials.

• Music: 1-2 scores and/or links to examples of performance (10 minutes total). Video is optional.

• Theater: Up to 15 pages writing sample and/or up to 10 design images (photos or renderings) and/or video/audio reel with cue points.

• Visual Arts: Up to 20 still images OR up to 10 minutes of video OR up to 10 still images and 5 minutes of video. Video can represent one work or excerpts; provide cue points if including a link to a longer work.

arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/hodder-fellowship

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Princeton Arts FellowshipS

Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University

DEADLINE: September 9, 2025 at 11:59 pm EDT

INFO: Princeton Arts Fellowships will be awarded to artists whose achievements have been recognized as demonstrating extraordinary promise in any area of artistic practice and teaching. Applicants should be early career visual artists, filmmakers, poets, novelists, playwrights, designers, directors and performance artists—this list is not meant to be exhaustive—who would find it beneficial to spend two years teaching and working in an artistically vibrant university community.

Princeton Arts Fellows spend two consecutive academic years (September 1-July 1) at Princeton University and formal teaching is expected. The normal work assignment will be to teach one course each semester subject to approval by the Dean of the Faculty, but fellows may be asked to take on an artistic assignment in lieu of a class, such as directing a play or creating a dance with students. Although the teaching load is light, our expectation is that Fellows will be full and active members of our community, committed to frequent and engaged interactions with students during the academic year.

STIPEND: A $93,000 a year stipend is provided. Fellowships are not intended to fund work leading to an advanced degree. One need not be a U.S. citizen to apply. Holders of Ph.D. degrees from Princeton are not eligible to apply.

Past recipients of the Hodder Fellowship and individuals who have had a sustained and continuous relationship with Princeton University are not eligible to apply. Those who have had an occasional and sporadic relationship with Princeton may apply.

GUIDELINES: To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae, contact information for three references (should the search committee choose to contact references, please do not request letters or have letters sent in advance of a request from the search committee), and work samples (i.e., a writing sample, images of your work, video links to performances, etc.). Please also submit a 750-word proposal that includes how you propose to use the fellowship to develop your work, what you might teach or pursue with undergraduates, and how you have approached community building in your artistic practice, teaching, and/or research.

arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/princeton-arts-fellowship/

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Call for application: 2026 Spring Summer Residency

MacDowell

DEADLINE: September 10, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: MacDowell provides time, space, and an inspiring residential environment to artists of exceptional talent. A MacDowell Fellowship, or residency, consists of exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for up to eight weeks. There are no residency fees, and MacDowell offers financial assistance to reimburse the costs of direct travel to and from the residency, as well as expenses that artists expect to incur while in residence, including rent, lost income, and childcare.

ELIGIBILITY: MacDowell accepts applications from artists working in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. The sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence, which MacDowell defines in a pluralistic and inclusive way. MacDowell encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, engaging in the broadest spectrum of artistic practice, and investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns. To that end, MacDowell welcomes artists working in various stages of their artistic practice to apply. Applicants cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program during the residency season for which they are applying. Doctoral candidates who have completed all coursework may apply.

MacDowell is committed to diversity and inclusion, and a more equitable arts and cultural sector. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. MacDowell offers barrier-free access in its main buildings and some studios.

While there are no medical facilities or medical personnel on site at MacDowell, the Monadnock Community Hospital is located 3 miles away in Peterborough, NH. Additionally, there are several medical facilities (hospitals and urgent care centers) within a 30-60 minute driving radius. MacDowell welcomes artists of all abilities to apply; artists with questions or concerns about potential medical needs are encouraged to contact us prior to residency to discuss access needs.

WORK SAMPLES: Work samples supporting the proposed project and completed within the past four years are requested, unless otherwise noted. All work samples are uploaded and submitted through the online application. Applicants unable to submit new work for the panel to review should include a note of explanation. Those applicants whose proposed project does not fall clearly within an artistic discipline should contact the Admissions office to discuss which discipline would best fit the proposed work. For detailed work sample requirements for each artistic discipline, click here.

REFERENCES: The MacDowell admissions department has temporarily suspended the reference letter requirement as part of the application process as a result of direct feedback from artists who have said reference letters pose a barrier to applying. Not all artists have access to referrers, and this lack of access disproportionately effects women and BIPOC artists. While reference letters can serve a purpose in application reviews, it is not an equitable or fair assessment tool. This experiment is part of MacDowell’s effort to improve equity and access in its culture.

macdowell.org/apply/application-guidelines

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Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing

Gulf Coast

DEADLINE: September 14, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: Gulf Coast is now accepting entries for the 2025 Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. 

Established in 2017, the Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing provides a platform for the thoughtful exchange of ideas in visual arts scholarship, criticism, and research. Named in honor of Toni Beauchamp—board president of Art Lies from 2002 to 2004 and a lifelong supporter of the arts in Houston and across Texas—the prize celebrates her legacy by supporting emerging and mid-career writers who demonstrate a distinctive voice, combine scholarship with journalistic insight, and exemplify literary excellence.

PRIZE: The prize invites submissions of expository writing, scholarly essays, and exhibition reviews written or published within the past year. The 2025 Toni Beauchamp Prize awards $3,000 to the first-place recipient and $1,000 each to two runners-up. The winning essay will be published in Gulf Coast’s print journal. 

JUDGE: Natalie Hegert is an award-winning writer, curator, and arts editor at Southwest Contemporary. Based between Lubbock, Texas and Colorado Springs, Colorado, she is also co-founder and director of the artist-run space CO-OPt Research + Projects in Lubbock. Her writing appears in Southwest Contemporary, Glasstire, Elephant Magazine, Artsy, ArtSlant, THE SEEN, Huffington Post, and ArtCritical, among others. She has also contributed essays, reviews, and op-eds to Papersafe Magazine, Dazed, Brooklyn Rail, Rhizomes, Photography and Culture, and various exhibition catalogues and artist books.

GUIDELINES:

• Submit one piece of critical art writing, of no more than 1,500 words, in a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

• Submissions may include previously unpublished work or work published within the past year.

• The contest will be judged blindly, so do not include your name or contact information in the uploaded document.

• If selected, writers are responsible for securing image permissions and, if applicable, reprint rights for previously published work. 

• There is no entry fee.

gulfcoastajournalofliteratureandfinearts.submittable.com/submit/330426/2025-beauchamp-prize-in-critical-art-writing

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call for submissions: the commuter

Electric Lit

SUBMISSION PERIOD: September 15 - 21, 2025 (or when they receive 375 submissions per category)

INFO: The Commuter is Electric Literature’s home for poetry, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives. It publishes weekly on Wednesday morning, and has showcased the likes of Caroline Hadilaksono, Aleksandar Hemon, Jonathan Lethem, Lindsay Hunter, Tahirah Alexander Green, and Julia Wertz.

GUIDELINES:

Please keep the following guidelines in mind:   

• For Prose, submit one or more pieces, either standalone or connected, in a single document. The total word count should not exceed 1500 words. We encourage writers to push boundaries.

• For Poetry, submit 4–6 poems in a single document, and please limit the page count to 8. Keep in mind that due to our digital platform, not all poems may render exactly as they appear in a PDF.

• For Graphic Narrative, we are interested in both traditional and non-traditional forms of visual storytelling. Submit up to 3 pieces of narrative illustration, comics, mixed media narrative, or genre-negative oddments. For comics, each piece should contain a minimum of 3 panels. The total page count of your submission should not exceed 20 pages.

• Please submit all genres in .doc, .docx, or PDF. 

• Please submit only once per category.

• Work previously published in any form cannot be considered.

• Please include your email address.

• If your work is selected, we offer a total payment of $100.

• Writers with a submission pending with Recommended Reading may still submit to The Commuter.

All submissions will be accepted through our Submittable page. For a sense of the kind of work we publish, check out recent issues of The Commuter, our 280-character contest winners, and Recommended Reading’s 300th issue.

For candid advice from our editors on how to make your poems, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives stand out, watch our video "How to Get Published in The Commuter." 

electricliterature.submittable.com/submit

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2026 Mood Ring Open Call

Burnaway

DEADLINE: September 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: Burnaway welcomes submissions from Southern/Caribbean-based art-makers, designers, and researchers to our artist column, Mood Ring, for the 2026 cycle. Anyone from the American South/Caribbean is welcome to apply, but those based in Alabama, Arkansas, the Caribbean, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia are strongly encouraged to apply.

The format of Mood Ring is meant to be free-flowing, adaptable to a variety of artist projects, and specific to the digital realm. Works can be small studies related to a larger developing project, new works that can be adapted for online publication, or pieces of long-form writing about an area of research interest.

Selected artists will work closely with Burnaway’s editorial team to develop their Mood Ring project over the course of 2025/2026. The final projects will be published on Burnaway’s website and promoted on our social media platforms. Selected artists will receive a W.A.G.E. compliant stipend for their work ($750 at time of publication). 

CRITERIA:

• Artists must be currently based in Burnaway’s coverage region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, or the Caribbean.

• Collaborative groups are welcome to apply. Groups will receive one stipend payment. 

• Artists must not be active, degree-seeking art students. Recent graduates are welcome to apply. 

• We ask that Mood Ring proposals complement the existing design and structure of Burnaway’s digital publication. See past Mood Rings.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

• A short proposal (250 words or less) or artist statement

• Three images of representative work (or links to videos). Individual files should be formatted as .jpg files and must not exceed 1MB.

• An artist biography and CV

• Relevant WordPress plug-ins that could be used to best convey the project

• Applicants may upload a .pdf file of the proposed layout for the artist project

Accepted artists will be notified no later than October 3, 2025. 

Submissions will be reviewed by Burnaway’s editorial team. Decisions will be made solely based on strength of proposal and regardless of the artists’ race, gender identity, religion, age, ability, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the United States. We will not be able to provide individual feedback for unaccepted submissions. 

If you have any questions, please email isabella@burnaway.org.

burnaway.org/daily/2026-mood-ring-open-call/

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2025 Literary Awards

Santa Fe Writers Project

DEADLINE: September 15, 2025 by 11:59pm

READING FEE: $30

INFO: We are looking for fiction and creative nonfiction of any genre. Past winners have included upmarket novels, collections of short stories, flash fiction, memoir, essays, magical realism, and many other genres.  SFWP is a traditional publisher with global distribution. We aggressively pursue subrights and have successfully sold translation, audio, and movie/TV deals for many titles in our catalog. 

All entries will be considered by our publishing wing. If selected, we offer competitive contracts with full marketing support. SFWP has extensive relationships with trade publications, sales reps, subrights agents, and bookbuyers worldwide.

You do not need to be from or associated with New Mexico or Santa Fe. We publish a wide range of books from authors who live all around the world.

ELIGIBILITY: All unpublished work is eligible. Previously published material is also eligible as long as it has not been published by a major press. So you can submit if you have published in zines, lit journals, and with micro presses. Self-published books are eligible, as are books published via Amazon and Ingram. If you have published with a small press and have not received any marketing support, then your book is eligible. We will accept excerpts and Works-In-Progress. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact us.  

JUDGE: The judge is Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.

GUIDELINES:

• We publish in English, but the contest is open to writers from anywhere in the world.

• The grand prize will be $1500. Two runner ups will be selected, each receiving $500. A competitive publishing contract will be offered, but winners are not required to accept. The prize amount will be paid out regardless.

• All submissions will be reviewed for possible publication. You need not make the winner’s circle or even be a finalist to be considered.

• We are seeking fiction and creative nonfiction of every genre. We have global distribution and publish authors from all around the world.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Unpublished work, self-published work, and work from small or micro-presses that has not received marketing support will be eligible.

• We are asking that all entries be submitted electronically. If you are unable to use Submittable, then please contact us for assistance.

• If your manuscript is accepted for publication during the contest, it is still eligible. We are unable to refund the reading fee if you withdraw your entry.

• Full guidelines are available on our Submittable Page

• We are offering an optional “pay it forward” program on the entry form. 100% of these funds will be used for authors who demonstrate that they cannot afford the entry fee.

sfwp.com/literary-awards

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People of Color in Publishing Mentorship Program

People of Color in Publishing

DEADLINE: September 15, 2025

INFO: The People of Color in Publishing Mentorship Program is a volunteer-based initiative that aims to create mentorship relationships between entry-level and experienced-level POC industry professionals. The initiative’s goal is to provide entry-level POC professionals a personal resource for support, guidance, and encouragement, as they begin to navigate a career in publishing. 

The mentorship program lasts for 6 months, beginning January, with each mentor/mentee pair determining the scheduling, pace, structure, and circumstances of their mentorship. Mentors are asked to spend at least an hour per month one-on-one (whether by phone, Skype, gchat, or in person) with their mentee in order to provide the kind of attention and information they can put to good use in their careers. This amounts to a total commitment of 6 hours between the mentor and mentee across the 6 month mentorship period.

Each pair is assigned one member of the subcommittee as their point person, who will be there to give guidance, advice, and to take feedback and address concerns. We welcome any and all comments that may help us improve and refine this program so that it truly works to combat the disproportionate lack of POCs in the publishing industry.

pocinpublishing.com/mentorship

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VCCA RESIDENCIES AT MT. SAN ANGELO

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA)

DEADLINE: September 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: Residencies can be transformative to an artist’s process and the effect on an artist’s career profound. A residency at VCCA gives artists the time and space to explore and go deeper into their work. Away from the constraints of “the real world” and in an accepting environment of talented peers, one can dream and create with the feeling that anything is possible.

VCCA’s Mt. San Angelo location in Amherst, Virginia, typically hosts 360 artists each year in residencies of varying lengths (no minimum; up to six weeks) with flexible scheduling. A residency at Mt. San Angelo includes a private bedroom with private en-suite bath, a private individual studio, three prepared meals a day, and access to a community of more than 20 other artists in residence.

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, VCCA is surrounded by natural wonders and hiking trails. Many local sites and additional inspiration can be found in short drives to Lynchburg (20 minutes), Charlottesville (1 hour), Roanoke (1.5 hours), or Richmond (2 hours).

FULLY FUNDED FELLOWSHIPS:

CHRISTINA CHIU AAPI WRITERS FELLOWSHIP
Who: Writers, with preference given to those who self-identify as part of the AAPI community
What: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Summer 2026 (May 1 – August 31)

GREATER OPPORTUNITY FELLOWSHIPS
Who: Artists in any discipline who have not previously been in residence at VCCA, with preference given to those who self-identify as people of color
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Summer 2026 (May 1 – August 31)

RICHARD S. AND JULIA LOUISE REYNOLDS POETRY FELLOWSHIP
Who: Poets
What: Three-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Summer 2026 (May 1 – August 31)

vcca.com

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2026 winter Residency

Monson Arts

DEADLINE: September 15, 2025

INFO: Monson Arts’ residency program supports emerging and established artists and writers by providing them time and space to devote to their creative practices. During each of our 2-week and 4-week programs throughout the year, a cohort of 5 artists and 5 writers are invited to immerse themselves in small town life at the edge of Maine’s North Woods and focus intensely on their work within a creative and inspiring environment. They receive a private studio, private bedroom in shared housing, all meals, and $500 stipend ($250 for 2-week programs). The Abbott Watts Residency for Photography offers access to the photography studio and darkroom of Todd Watts in nearby Blanchard, adjacent to the former home of Berenice Abbott. Click here to read more about this unique opportunity specifically for photographers.

Applications for a residency at Monson Arts are open to anyone at any stage of their career, working in visual arts, writing, and related fields (i.e. audio, video, photography, woodworking, movement, screen and playwrights). Open calls for residency applications currently take place 3 times throughout the year with deadlines on January 15, May 15, and September 15. Each application period corresponds to specific residency offerings 3-6 months out.

Residents’ studios are located in newly renovated Main Street buildings that have been designed specifically for visual artists and writers. All of our studio spaces are outfitted to be as flexible as possible so that we can accommodate a variety of creative practices. Our visual arts studios are spacious and light-filled with large work tables and sinks. Shelving and portable storage carts are available as needed. Access is available to woodshop and metal shop facilities in nearby buildings for any fabrication needs. Our writing studios are comfortably furnished with work tables, office chairs, bookshelves, and reading chairs. For those working in time and sound based media: apply to the Writing category if quiet contemplation would be best for your project or the Visual Arts category if you need room and the opportunity to make and play sounds out loud.

Residents live in newly renovated historic homes throughout town, within walking distance to studios and everything that downtown Monson has to offer. These are mostly 3 bedroom structures that are fully furnished and comfortable all four seasons of the year. Houses all have shared kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas with laundry machines, telephone, and other amenities as well. Wifi is available in all of our buildings through high speed fiberoptic service.

Application Requirements include:

• Up to 5 images / 5 minutes of media OR 5 pages of writing examples

• A letter of intent for your time at the residency

• C.V. or Resume (limited to 6000 characters)

• Two reference names

2026 WINTER RESIDENCY SCHEDULE:

• 1/12 – 1/22 – 2 Week Residency

• 1/26 – 2/19 – Residency (With Abbott Watts Resident)

• 2/23 – 3/19 – Residency

monsonarts.org/residencies/overview/

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Guggenheim Fellowship

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

DEADLINE: September 16, 2025 by 11:59pm EDT

INFO: The Guggenheim Fellowship is an annual competition celebrating exceptional achievements in the arts, sciences, and humanities. It offers support to exceptional individuals in pursuit of scholarship in any field of knowledge and creation in any art form, under the freest possible conditions.

For a century, Guggenheim Fellowships have helped artists, writers, scholars, and scientists at the highest levels of achievement pursue the work they were meant to do. Since our founding, we have supported over 19,000 Fellows.

Our mandate is uniquely broad. We support Fellows in over 50 different fields, spanning the full range of creative arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, including several interdisciplinary areas.  

The Guggenheim Fellowship supports individuals who have achieved notable success in their careers across the creative arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. It is designed for mid-career professionals whose work is well-established. Potential Fellows have already made significant contributions to their field and are eager for time and resources that will allow them to further their meaningful work.

While many applicants are affiliated with an academic institution or university, independent scholars, writers, and artists are eligible to apply.

A Guggenheim Fellowship term may last from six months to one year, although the proposed project does not need to be completed within that period

We do not require academics to be on sabbatical leave or free from administrative or teaching duties during the Fellowship period, but it’s fine if they are. Also, we do not commit to replacing full salaries or guaranteeing specific costs. The award funds can generally be used for any purpose related to the pursuit of the Fellow’s project – living expenses, materials, travel, equipment, etc.

FELLOWSHIPS IN THE CREATIVE ARTS:

Guggenheim Fellowships in the creative arts have fueled projects in writing, the visual arts, dance, and music.

Our first Fellowship class included 24-year-old Aaron Copland, the “dean of American composers.” Every year since then, we have celebrated the work and vision of numerous artists. We supported Zora Neale Hurston as she wrote “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and Robert Frank as he photographed what would become “The Americans.” We have contributed to the careers of poet laureates, National Book Award honorees, and Pulitzer Prize winners; artists exhibited in The Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and renowned galleries; filmmakers who have won Oscars and revolutionized documentaries; dancers who have established entirely new ways of moving; and composers who have written their own rules for new music.

We are proud to support creativity in all forms, without constraint.

APPLICANT CRITERIA:

• All applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada at the time of application.

• Individuals who have already received a Guggenheim Fellowship are not eligible to reapply.

• Guggenheim Fellowships are not open to students (undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate).

• Our awards are intended for individuals only; they are not available to organizations, institutions, or groups.

PROJECT CRITERIA:

The Foundation accepts applications from individuals proposing scholarly or creative projects in the creative arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, and a range of interdisciplinary fields.

Please note the following exceptions:

• Guggenheim Fellowships are not available for the creation of residencies, curriculum development, or any type of educational program, nor are they available to support the development of websites or blogs.

• Anthology, oral history, e-book, or textbook projects are not supported by our awards.

• We regret that our awards are not available to support the writing of literature for children or young readers, or support any other type of work (e.g., films, plays, etc.) intended for young audiences.

• Published writing not regarded as appropriate for our competition includes self-published works, publications for which the author has paid, and publications by publishers who do not engage in a process of critical review of submitted work. In addition, genre work (e.g., mysteries, romance, fantasy, etc.) is not within our scope.

We also accept applications for collaborative projects from two individuals who are working together on the same project, i.e., joint applications. If you would like more information about applying jointly, please contact us at competition@gf.org.

gf.org/program/how-to-apply

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2026 PERIPLUS FELLOWSHIP

Periplus Collective

DEADLINE: September 20, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET

INFO: Applications for the 2026 Periplus Fellowship are open!

Periplus is a community of writers who provide mentorship and guidance to early-career BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) writers in the United States so they can achieve their own professional and artistic goals.

During the year-long fellowship, mentors and fellows meet monthly to discuss various topics, which might include, for example, building writing into a daily routine, making money as a writer, considering craft concerns like structuring a book or magazine article, and approaching career-related problems like finding an agent, pitching magazines, or applying to graduate school.

There are also opportunities for Fellows to engage with the broader Periplus community such as planning panels, talks, meet-ups, readings or other events; attending those events; sharing support and resources; and doing whatever else they think would be useful and interesting.

bit.ly/periplusfaq

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Printed Matter Publisher Work Grant

Printed Matter

DEADLINE: September 21, 2025 by 1:59pm EST

INFO: Now in its second year, the Printed Matter Publisher Work Grant offers funding to independent presses with a history of artists’ book publishing, acknowledging awardees’ accomplishments in past work and providing the capacity-building funds to enable future book projects and publisher sustainability.

In 2025, three independent artists’ book publishers will each receive:

• An unrestricted grant of $10,000 USD

• A featured exhibitor presence at a forthcoming Printed Matter NY or LA Art Book Fair

Applications will be reviewed by Printed Matter and a guest jury, taking into account past work and contributions of the imprint, the strength of upcoming projects outlined, and the potential impact of the award. Among these considerations, we are interested in presses that engage with social and political themes in thoughtful ways, give voice to marginalized identities and perspectives, and have a record of investing in community, collaboration and equity in their focus and methodology.

printedmatter.org/workgrant

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Artivist Writer's Residency 2025

Social Art & Culture

DEADLINE: September 22, 2025

INFO: The Artivist Writer’s Residency is designed to nurture storytellers who weave history, culture, artivism, and social justice into their literary practice. This program is not just about finishing a manuscript — it’s about strengthening your voice as a writer committed to transformation and truth.

One writer from DC, MD, or VA will be selected to complete a work-in-progress during the residency. Whether it’s a novella, a collection of poems or short stories, a TV pilot, film script, or stage play, the goal is clear: to bring your vision to completion and prepare it for publication or self-publication.

Over the course of the residency, you’ll receive eight one-on-one sessions with Tina Scott Lassiter — a teaching artist and coach dedicated to supporting both your craft and your clarity. Together, you’ll shape a personalized timeline and strategy for completing your work, while staying rooted in your creative purpose.

STRUCTURE + COMMITMENTS:

• Sessions are held live every Wednesday from October 1 – November 19, 2025

• Each session lasts one hour (the time will be confirmed by the Teaching Artist and Resident collaboratively).

• Residents may miss only one session with prior notice to Ms. Lassiter

AWARD: The selected writer will be awarded a $750 stipend and $750 towards an editor, after completion of the final work. Social Art and Culture can provide an editor or the writer may use one of their choice.

Questions, please email JaMia Lawrence, Program Coordinator at programs@socialartandculture.com

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLxBV_abKJlxWdVMVPEzCcNxGLNXt8Ct79cU3cXnCWX3btyw/viewform

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call for submissions: ‘MUNDANITY’ ISSUE

Poda-Poda Stories

DEADLINE: September 25, 2025

INFO: Making coffee in the morning, cooking dinner, folding laundry, taking an evening stroll, quiet everyday moments. What does the mundane mean to you? We invite you to explore your interpretation of the mundane in a creative way, through photography, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, for our new issue in December.

GENRES ACCEPTED:

• Poetry – up to 3 poems as a single document

• Fiction (short story) – 1,000–2,500 words

• Non-fiction (essays, life-writing) – 900–2,500 words (no book or film reviews)

• Photography + Digital Art – up to 3 images

MEET THE EDITORS:

• Poetry: Jeremy Teddy Karn was born in Monrovia, Liberia. He earned his MFA in English-Creative Writing (Poetry) from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he received fellowships to support his work. He is also the recipient of the John C. Shupe Award in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Houston. 

• His chapbook, Miryam Magdalit, was selected by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani for inclusion in the New-Generation African Poets' Chapbook Boxset (APBF) in 2021. He received the Stanley Awards International Fellowship (2024) at the University of Iowa and is a finalist for the Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize in 2024 and also the 2025 Evaristo Prize for African Poetry. He is the co-founder of Pepper Coast Mag. He can be reached out to through his website: www.jeremyteddykarn.com

• Fiction: Charmaine Denison-George is an English Language and Literature educator from Freetown, Sierra Leone. She holds an M.F.A degree in Creative Writing from Texas State University. Her work can be found in Isele Magazine; Brittle Paper, Kinsman Avenue Publishing’s ‘Black Diaspora’ anthology (2024), and Afritondo’s ‘Travelling Men Don’t Die’ (2024).

• Nonfiction: Ngozi Cole is a Sierra Leonean writer and journalist. She has been commissioned by Reveal (Center for Investigative Reporting) and The New Humanitarian, among others. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and a 2022 Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting fellow. Her fiction and poetry have been published in Brittle Paper and Afreada.

• Photography + Digital art: Yasmin Metz-Johnson is the creative director and founder of the lifestyle blog turned community and West Africa travel concierge, yasmintells.com. TELLS is an acronym for: Travel, Explore, Live, and Learn. Yasmin has spent the last decade showcasing living and working in Sierra Leone and Senegal through stories and visual content, whilst encouraging her audience to be courageous and step out of their comfort zone. In 2022, Yasmin launched the group travel company, TELLS TRIPS, curating experiences of a lifetime for the diaspora and visitors interested in exploring the African continent.

WHO CAN SUBMIT?

We welcome submissions from:

• Those residing on the African continent

• Members of the African diaspora

• Individuals with African citizenship

• Those living in the Caribbean 

• Individuals of Caribbean descent/ its diaspora 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1. Separate Submission Forms: Only one submission per genre is allowed.

2. Theme: Consider the meaning of mundanity and creatively explore it through characterization, plot, structure, subject, language, or theme.

3. Originality: Work must be entirely your own. AI-generated or plagiarized content will be immediately disqualified

4. Formatting:

• Numbered pages

• Double-spaced

• Times New Roman, 12pt font

• Submit poetry/prose as a Word document (.docx or .doc). Images may be in JPG, PNG, or PDF format.

5. Anonymity: Do not include your name in your submitted work.

• File naming format: Genre_FirstLastInitials_TitleOfWork

• Example: Poetry_MA_AndStillIRise

OTHER DETAILS:

• There is no submission fee for this issue (a submission cap may apply if entries exceed judge capacity).

• Accepted submissions will be published in December 2025

• Questions? Email editor@poda-poda.com or DM us on socials.

poda-poda.com/submit

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The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writer

New York Public Library

DEADLINE: September 26, 2025

INFO: The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers is an international fellowship program open to people whose work will benefit directly from access to the collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building—including academics, independent scholars, and creative writers (novelists, playwrights, poets). Visual artists at work on a book project are also welcome to apply. The Center appoints 15 Fellows a year for a nine-month term at the Library, from September through May. In addition to working on their own projects, the Fellows engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas within the Center and in public forums throughout the Library.

A Cullman Center Fellow receives the use of an office with a computer, full access to the Library’s physical and electronic resources, and a stipend of $90,000.

The Center awards fifteen fellowships each year to applicants whose work requires a period of sustained, intense immersion in the collections of one of the world’s greatest research libraries. It provides Fellows with a stipend, a private office for study and writing, and the opportunity to engage and collaborate with other Fellows through weekly lunches and other occasions to share their work. Fellows are chosen from a large field of applicants from across the United States and abroad to work at the Center from September through May.

nypl.org/about/fellowships-institutes/cullman-center-scholars-writers

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The Upstart BIPOC Writers’ Residency

Upstart & Crow

DEADLINE: September 29, 2025 at 11:00pm PST

INFO: The Upstart & Crow BIPOC Writers’ Residency (located in Vancouver, BC, Canada) champions the imagination, insight and creative force of writers who self-identify as Black, Indigenous and/or a Person of Colour or People of the Global Majority.

In partnership with Catalyst Agents, this residency includes dedicated time in our Granville Island studio and a $4,000 honorarium. 

FAQs:

What are the goals of this residency?

In a time marked by overlapping global crises and a growing urgency to imagine more equitable futures, we recognize that BIPOC/PGM writers are often called upon to shoulder the additional labour of advocacy, cultural translation and education — a task that is often unacknowledged or uncompensated.

Amidst these pressures, we aim to offer material support and a space where underheard voices are resourced, uplifted, and given room to flourish. We seek to support the creation of a work of fiction or non-fiction that pushes boundaries in form or content, but is rooted first in the writer’s own voice and creative terms. 

What will the resident receive? 

• The resident will receive a $4,000 honorarium to be delivered half upon commencement, half upon completion.

• One month personal access to our writing studio during opening hours—a work-only, semi-private space in our upstairs loft on Granville Island.

• Community engagement through two workshops or events in partnership with Upstart & Crow. 

Who is eligible?

We recognize that systemic barriers can impact the pathways through which writers gain recognition or build traditional literary credentials. We remain committed to maintaining a low barrier to access for candidates who may not yet have accumulated extensive accolades but whose work shows exceptional talent and originality. While past publications, awards, or professional experience can strengthen an application, they are not mandatory prerequisites.

We welcome applications from the following:

• Emerging writers are those in the early stages of their literary careers who have not yet been published but who demonstrate exceptional talent, originality, and promise. While they may not have accolades, candidates must be actively working toward publication and must be committed to developing an active literary presence through ongoing writing, community engagement, or other professional activities.

• 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 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.

Additional eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must self-identify as Black, Indigenous and/or a Person of Colour or People of the Global Majority.

• 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 pushes boundaries in form or content, displays a strong voice, and a clear creative vision. 

How will applications be evaluated?

Applications will be assessed by the jury: Billy-Ray Belcourt, Chelene Knight, and Eddy Boudel Tan.

Each juror will receive a portion of the submissions to review independently in two rounds, with the final recipient selected together as a group. The review process will take roughly one month. 

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.

• Literary and societal conversation: the extent to which their work offers new, different or deeper reflections and contributions to the literary conversation. 

OTHER DETAILS: The residency is a month long and will commence in Fall 2025 or late November (exact date to be determined by the recipient)

upstartandcrow.com/programs/the-upstart-crow-bipoc-residency/

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Call for submissions: Wit TEa

The Offing

DEADLINE: September 30, 2025

INFO: The Offing’s humor department, Wit Tea, is open for submissions.

Send your comedic work in any genre. We love strong character voices, absurdity, momentum, vulnerability, and surprise. We want the pieces only you – yes you, weirdo – could write. We want to think, we want to cry, and we want to laugh our butts off. We’ve been attached to our butts for far too long.

theoffingmag.submittable.com/submit

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2026-27 Shearing Fellowships

Black Mountain Institute (Las Vegas, NV)

DEADLINE: September 30, 2025

INFO: The Shearing Fellowships are for emerging and distinguished writers who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press, this fellowship includes:

• compensation of $46,500 paid over a nine-month period;

• a nine-month-long letter of appointment (the fellowship was previously only one semester in length);

• eligibility for optional health coverage;

• office space in the BMI offices on the campus of UNLV;

• housing (fellows cover some utilities) in a unique and vibrant arts complex in the bustling district of downtown Las Vegas—home to The Writer’s Block, our city’s beloved independent bookstore; and

• recognition at BMI as a “Shearing Fellow.”

While there are no formal teaching requirements, this is a “working fellowship” located in Las Vegas. BMI’s visiting fellows will maintain office hours (10 per week), and will offer regular service to the community. In addition to the primary goal of furthering one’s own writing during their term in Las Vegas, visiting fellows are expected to engage in a substantial way with BMI’s community, in ways that connect to their interests and skills. Upon acceptance into the program, each fellow will craft a plan in partnership with BMI. This is equally weighted against the writing sample and proposed literary project for the residency. Here are some examples of activities a visiting fellow might pursue:

Offer readings, craft talks, and other public presentations to the readers and writers of UNLV and Southern Nevada.

• Offer workshops or seminars.

• Curate events or programs.

• Provide support to one of BMI’s publications (e.g. judge contests or consult on editorial processes).

Please feel free to move beyond these examples in your application – BMI wants to find new ways to serve the Las Vegas community, especially beyond the UNLV campus.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

Please submit:

• A one- to three-page personal statement,* which includes 1) your interest in being part of the Las Vegas literary community, 2) a practical description of how you envision fulfilling your service hours and engaging the Las Vegas community, and 3) the writing project(s) you will work on while in residency.

• A writing sample (10 pages maximum,* double-spaced, 12 pt. font).

• A résumé or CV.

*Please respect the committee’s time by observing these guidelines and page limits.

Finalists will be asked to send copies of their books. (Applicants must have at least one book published by a trade or literary press.) Candidates are selected by a committee of staff and community members at BMI.

NOTE: Successful applicants will be asked to meet virtually with BMI staff to develop programming for the following season of events, before their fellowship term officially starts.

blackmountaininstitute.submittable.com/submit

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2nd SUSPECT Flash Fiction Contest

SUSPECT

DEADLINE: September 30, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: In conjunction with Gaudy Boy’s November 2025 publication of Sharmini Aphrodite’s THE UNREPENTANT, SUSPECT is holding its 2nd flash fiction contest with a call for submissions inspired by the title of this bold story collection. We are looking for flash fiction of 100-150 words on the theme of unrepentance interpreted in any imaginative way. When should we repent and why don’t we? When should we not repent? What do we hope to obtain by not repenting? Integrity? Praise? Or just plain sustenance?

In 14 thrilling stories about desire, faith, and ideology, THE UNREPENTANT (Gaudy Boy, November 1, 2025) captures the revolutionary fervor of Malaya at a formative time for Southeast Asia. Braiding together the diverse perspectives of Chinese and Malay communists, Tamil estate laborers, Soviet movie-makers, and leftist Christian movements, THE UNREPENTANT pulls the reader into a recent past that still echoes into the present. 

AWARDS: Awards of USD$300, $200, and $100 will go to the top three winners. In addition, winners residing in the United States will also be awarded a copy of Sharmini Aphrodite’s THE UNREPENTANT. The winning pieces will be published in SUSPECT; non-winning pieces will be considered for publication as well. The contest is open to everyone. The use of AI is prohibited.

Our judge is Philip Holden. Philip Holden’s life has spanned three continents, with its center of gravity in Singapore, where he taught and researched Singapore and Southeast Asian writing at university in a career spanning three decades. He now works at the intersection of storytelling and mental health. An updated edition of his short story collection Heaven Has Eyes will be published by Gaudy Boy in 2026.

Please submit a maximum of three pieces of flash fiction. Make sure that each piece is between 100-150 words. Only unpublished works will be considered. No simultaneous submissions, please. Please email your submission to Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org. The flash fiction must be pasted into the body of the email, together with a short cover letter giving your name, mailing address, and a brief biographical note.

Results will be announced in November, and the winning pieces published in December. We ask for exclusive first rights only. After publication, all rights return to the author. 

Judging will be based solely on literary merit. We reserve the right not to make any or all awards, should the quality of entries not merit them.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/flash-fiction2

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2026 RESIDENCIES

Vermont Studio Center

DEADLINE: September 30, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Vermont Studio Center invites applications for 2026. Nestled in the Green Mountains, VSC hosts an inclusive, global community of artists and writers. Enjoy private studios and lodging, fresh - local meals, and a vibrant Visiting Artists & Writers Program.

VSC’s residency program welcomes artists and writers working across all mediums and genres for two, three, and four week sessions.

Residents enjoy well-lit, private studios within a short walk to residency housing, dining hall, and local amenities. Studio spaces range from 170 - 300 square feet. Accommodations include a private room and shared common areas. The campus features include a print shop, digital lab, and metal, wood, ceramic facility. Studios are open 24 hours a day.

A VSC residency provides artists and writers the time and space to focus on their creative practice in an inclusive, international community within a small Vermont village. Residents can explore swimming holes, hiking and biking trails, as well as the rural charm of neighboring towns, while expanding their creative potential and building a solid network of friends and mentors.

PROGRAMMING

During each session, Visiting Artists and Visiting Writers are invited to join us for presentations, craft talks, one-on-one manuscript consultations, and individual studio visits. Residents can also enjoy open studio nights, resident presentations, and exhibition openings. All scheduled activities are optional. Residents are encouraged to unplug, completely immerse themselves in their work, and work at their own pace.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION

VSC is committed to community building both locally and on campus. Every resident has the opportunity to participate in our Community Contribution Program for 3 hours per week, by assisting in one of these areas: Kitchen, School Arts Program, Visual Arts, and the Writing Program. No prior experience is necessary.

vermontstudiocenter.org/apply

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call for submissions: freedom ways essay series

Literary Liberation (Raising Mothers) / Memoir Land

DEADLINE: October 1, 2025

INFO: This essay series is an ongoing collaboration between Literary Liberation and Memoir Land. There are a few guidelines that need to be followed carefully for consideration, mentioned below. To get a clear idea of what we publish, read through the entire series so far. We pay for every published essay through paid subscriptions. Upgrade/manage your membership at any time to keep this series and others like it alive and healthy. Or, give the gift of LIT LIB to someone you know (or even someone you don’t!) who needs it.

We invite you to submit first person narrative essays that explore writing as a transformative and liberatory practice. We seek to illuminate the ways in which writing can be a powerful tool for personal and collective liberation, challenging oppressive structures and creating new possibilities for understanding, resistance, and healing.

We are interested in submissions that explore writing as:

• A form of resistance and testimony

• A method of personal and collective healing

• A means of challenging dominant narratives

• A space for reimagining social realities

• An act of self-determination and empowerment

Submissions might address, but are not limited to:

• Decolonial writing practices

• Trauma recovery through writing

• Community storytelling and oral histories

• Writing as political activism

• Intersectional approaches to narrative

• Healing justice and writing

• Transformative justice narratives

• Indigenous storytelling and resistance

• Disability narrative and representation

• Queer and feminist writing methodologies

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Before submitting, please check that your work is addressing at least one of the above mentioned intersections or is tangential to them and is written in first person narrative. Not following all guidelines will result in automatic disqualification. Only submissions by writers of the Global majority will be considered for publication. If you are not a member of this specific group, great ways to support our efforts is to share this call, become a paid member or gift LIT LIB to someone you know would benefit from this community.

Quoted from Wikipedia: "Global majority" is a collective term for people of African, Asian, indigenous, Latin American, or mixed-heritage backgrounds, who constitute approximately 85 percent of the global population. It has been used as an alternative to terms which are seen as racialized like "ethnic minority" and "person of color" (POC), or more regional terms like "visible minority" in Canada and "Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic" (BAME) in the United Kingdom.

Submissions must be complete, in English, and under 2000 words to be considered. No pitches, please!

• Only 1 submission per submission period permitted.

• Original, previously unpublished work only. This includes all forms of in print or online mediums.

• Creative nonfiction, personal narratives, and hybrid forms welcome.

• Attach your document in the following file forms: .doc, .docx, or pdf.

• 2,000 words maximum

• Double-spaced, 12-point font

• Include a 100-word author bio and brief abstract

• Submissions in English (small portions of another language being used is acceptable so long as it translates similarly in English or you provide translation)

SUBMISSION WINDOW: We are accepting work until October 1, 2025. Submissions will reopen January 15, 2026.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSION: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please contact us as soon as possible if your piece is accepted elsewhere. [literaryliberation@substack.com]

COMPENSATION: Select work will be compensated up to $150. Becoming a paid member helps to directly pay for accepted work.

EXCLUSIVITY: We request exclusive first publication rights for accepted pieces for a period of three months (90 days). After this period, all rights revert back to the author, to reuse and republish as you wish with first publication being credited to Literary Liberation (accompanied by a link).

RESPONSE TIME: We aim to respond to all submissions within 3 months. Thank you for your patience.

A NOTE ON AI WRITTEN OR ASSISTED WORK: This is a human-run space. We champion the lived experience and take a hard stance on the use of AI in work published at Literary Liberation. Under no circumstance will we consider work that feels like it is written with AI. Each published essay goes through rigorous editing rounds by both myself and Sari. The idea here is to bring forth the best possible published work. Thank you for your understanding and mutual trust.

literaryliberation.substack.com/p/submissions-freedom-ways-essay-series

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2025 GSR Flash Fiction Contest for Midwest writers

Gordon Square Review

DEADLINE: October 1, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $10

INFO: Gordon Square Review is holding a 2025 Flash Fiction Contest for Midwest writers. Submit a single flash piece up to 1,000 words with a $10 entry fee. The winner will receive $500 and publication in Issue 16 of Gordon Square Review. Additionally, the runner-up will receive $250 and publication in Issue 16 of Gordon Square Review.

FINAL JUDGE: Amber Sparks is the author of three collections of short fiction, including And I Do Not Forgive You and The Unfinished World. Her essays, film and book criticism have appeared widely, in Bright Wall/Dark Room, The Paris Review, Slate, Tin House, Granta, and The Cut, among others. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, daughter, and two cats.

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• To be eligible, writers must currently reside in the Midwest. For the purposes of this contest, GSR arbitrarily defines the Midwest as Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Please (briefly) detail your Midwest residency information here. If you're not in this area you are welcome to argue fiercely for your inclusion in the contest.

• All writer information (name, bio, etc.) will be withheld from contest judges. Please do not include your name or any identifying information anywhere on the document or in the document file name.

• Contest entries must be previously unpublished in either print or online venues, including personal blogs. 

• Entries must consist of a single flash piece up to 1,000 words within a single document. Writers may submit more than one entry, but a separate fee is required for each entry. 

• Submissions should be double-spaced, paginated, and in a 12 point legible font.

• Writers are welcome to make a separate general submission in addition to a contest entry. There is no need to submit the same writing to both the contest and the general submission pool, however: all contest entries will be considered for publication. The editors will individually notify any contest entrants selected for general publication. 

• Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but we ask that you withdraw your work through Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere. Entry fees will not be refunded in the event of a withdrawal.  

• All entries must be submitted via Submittable. Print or emailed entries will not be accepted (please contact us if this presents accessibility issues). Entry fees are nonrefundable.  

• The winner will receive $500 and publication in Issue 16 of Gordon Square Review. 

• One runner-up will receive $250 and publication in Issue 16 of Gordon Square Review. 

• Gordon Square Review editors will read submissions and select finalists to send to the judge, Amber Sparks, who will decide the contest winner and runner-up. 

Results will be announced in November 2025. All writers will be notified prior to the contest results being announced. 

gordonsquarereview.submittable.com/submit/332166/2025-gsr-flash-contest-for-midwest-writers

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Getty Library Research Grants

Getty

DEADLINE: October 1, 2025

INFO: Getty Library Research Grants support a wide range of research pursuits through an open call for applications. They provide partial, short-term support for researchers requiring the use of specific collections housed in the Getty Library.

ELIGIBILITY:

Library Research Grants are intended for researchers of all nationalities and at any level—unless otherwise specified in the grant description—who demonstrate a compelling need to use materials housed in the Getty Library and whose place of residence is more than 80 miles from the Getty Center.

Projects must relate to specific items in the library’s collections (consult the Getty Library Catalog). Projects focused solely on materials in the Getty Museum collections are not eligible.

Projects that rely heavily on materials that are digitized require a compelling reason for viewing the original items, which can be explained in the application project proposal. See Frequently Asked Questions for how to check if an object is digitized.

Researchers who have been awarded a Getty Library Research Grant within the past 4 years are not eligible to apply.

TERMS:

Library Research Grants are intended to provide partial support for travel, lodging, and living expenses. Housing is not provided. In general, grants are awarded as follows depending upon the distance traveled:

• Within California (must reside more than 80 miles away from the Getty Center): $1,500

• North America, including Canada and Mexico: $3,000

• International (outside of North America): $4,500

The research period can occur any time be between February 2, 2026 to December 18, 2026, and may range from 5 days to a maximum of 8 weeks.

See the overview of the Getty Library Research Grant Program for important information about the terms of these grants and potential tax liabilities.

HOW TO APPLY:

Applicants need to complete and submit the online application form by the deadline, which requires the following attachments:

• Project Proposal (not to exceed 2 pages, typed and double-spaced): This statement should include a description of your proposed research project, an explanation of your project's current state of development, and a description of what you expect to accomplish at the Getty Library.

• Curriculum Vitae: Either a brief or full version is acceptable.

• Selected Bibliography Cite the collections and resources housed in the Getty Library that are most critical to consult during your visit by copying and pasting the citation and permalink from the Getty Library CatalogSee Frequently Asked Questions for what to include in the bibliography.

• Two Letters of Recommendation: The online application form will prompt you to request two confidential letters of recommendation through the system. After providing the names and emails of your references, a link will be sent to them automatically that will allow them to upload their confidential recommendations. Recommenders should attach a scanned original letter to the email.

  Two letters of recommendation are required for an application to be considered complete. Once you request the letters, you are responsible for monitoring your application account to confirm that the letters have been submitted. See Frequently Asked Questions for how to check if your letters have been submitted. Applications without two letters of recommendation will not be considered for a grant.

DECISION NOTIFICATION:

• Applicants will be notified of their application outcome approximately 12 weeks after the deadline.

• Applicants who do not receive grant awards are still welcome to use the Getty Library in accordance with its access policy.

CONTACT:

Email: researchgrants@getty.edu

Attn: Library Research Grants

getty.edu/projects/library-research-grants/

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Winter Online Workshop

Tin House

DEADLINE: October 6, 2025

INFO: Tin House's Winter Online Workshop consists of curated workshops, industry panels, craft lectures, agent meetings, affinity groups, social hours, and, of course, online karaoke. 

Additionally, every enrolled participant will have the opportunity to meet with one guest agent for ten minutes either Julia Kardon (HG Literary), Kent Wolf (Neon Literary), Mina Hamedi (Janklow & Nesbit), Reiko Davis (DeFiore & Company), Shabnam Banerjee-McFarland (Odom Media Management) or  Sonali Chanchani (Folio Literary). 

APPLICATION:

• We ask for one unpublished writing sample. For short fiction/novel/nonfiction, 4,000 words or less. For poetry, four poems, totaling no more than eight pages.

• If you have previously been accepted/attended, please do not apply with the same sample. A different excerpt from the same project is acceptable. Once admitted, you will have the opportunity to workshop a different manuscript.

• In addition to the writing sample, the application includes several questions about your project.

• Applicants must be 18 years of age to apply.

• International writers may apply.

• There is no cap on the number of Tin House Workshops you may attend.

Applications are read by a board composed of Tin House Workshop staff and Tin House Reading Fellows. Acceptance is based on the strength and promise of the writing sample and how much the board feels an applicant might benefit from the Workshop and contribute to the community. All applications are evaluated through the lens of our Core Values.

Scholarships are available for BIPOC Writers, authors identifying as Native American and/or Indigenous in North America, parent writers who have at least one child under the age of eighteen, writers who are trans, and writers who were born or reside outside of the United States. To apply, they ask for one unpublished writing sample. For short fiction/novel/nonfiction, 4,000 words or less. For poetry, four poems, totaling no more than eight pages. 

tinhouse.com/workshop/winter-workshop/#scholarships-&-financial-assistance 

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The Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship

One Story

DEADLINE: October 8, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship will offer one writer a year-long mentorship on the craft of fiction writing with One Story magazine. The aim is to give the writer a significant boost in their career. The Fellow will receive access to One Story online classes; admission to One Story’s Writing Circle; a $2k stipend and free admission to One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference; and a full manuscript review and consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words). 

REQUIREMENTS: This fellowship calls for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program (such as an MA or MFA) in Creative Writing, English, or Literature, and has no plans to attend one in the 2026 calendar year. We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that centers, celebrates, or reclaims being marginalized through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment. All applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of January 1st, 2026.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST: 
To apply to this fellowship you will need:

• A fiction writing sample (3,000 – 5,000 words) that best represents your writing and speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference (as defined above). Multiple short stories are permitted if they are under 5,000 words combined and submitted as a single file.

• A personal statement (600 – 1,100 words)

• Two professional or personal references who can speak to your commitment to writing (no recommendation letters required but please provide: name, email, phone)

• A current resume detailing any work or educational experience. Please also list any writing classes you have taken, along with writing-related awards, fellowships, publications, and residencies (if any).

one-story.com/learn/fellowship/

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Lydia García Author Fund

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

DEADLINE: October 10, 2025

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) announces the Lydia García Author Fund, an initiative that seeks to support authors actively writing or in the process of promoting their recent written work. We recognize that authors often face unexpected and unreimbursed costs associated with their creative work or the promotion of their work, which we hope may be defrayed by these funds. Instances such as travel to book readings or presentations, preparations for such readings or presentations, childcare arrangements, or to finance or subsidize event(s) in venues that do not have budget for such activities but in which authors may nevertheless present their work are acceptable expenses.

AWARD: Thanks to a generous donation by Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, in honor of her mother Lydia Garcia, CENTRO will award five authors $1,000.

GUIDELINES:

To apply to the Lydia García Author Fund, prospective recipients will submit an application which will include:

• A cover letter (maximum 3 pages) describing the type of written work they engage in, how the work they produce reflects the Puerto Rican experience, the obstacles they face in their creative process and how they anticipate using the granted funds.

• A résumé or CV that includes a list of previous publications

• A sample of previously published work. We will accept work that has been published in books, journals, magazines, and websites. We will also accept work that has been performed publicly, such as poetry or plays.

ABOUT LYDIA GARCIA:

Lydia Estell Pitsirilos was born Lydia Estell García in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1950. Following the path of thousands of other Puerto Ricans, she and her family moved to New York’s Upper West Side, where she resided for the rest of her life. A fateful encounter with a guidance counselor derailed her aspirations to become a writer by stating “Puerto Ricans can’t be writers.” She instead pursued a career as a registered nurse. While not a writer herself, Lydia García became the inspiration for other writers, most notably her daughter, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, who has endowed an Author Fund in her memory, honoring the little girl who had wanted to become a writer.

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/lydia-garcia-author-fund/

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2025 John Lewis Writing Grants

Georgia Writers Association

DEADLINE: October 10, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: The Georgia Writers Association's John Lewis Writing Grants are inspired by the late civil rights icon and his more than three decades of service as Georgia’s 5th District representative. The John Lewis Writing Grants will be awarded annually in the categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and screen/playwriting.

The purpose of the John Lewis Writing Grants is to elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of promising Black writers in Georgia. Applicants must be emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win the John Lewis Grant one time.

GRANT: The winning recipients will receive $500, and an invitation to read from their work at the next Red Clay Writers Conference.

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Applicants are ineligible if they have published more than one traditionally published book. Promising writers without publication will be considered. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win a grant once. There is no submission fee to enter. Applicants are ineligible if they are of relations to any of the Georgia Writers staff or board of directors.

GUIDELINES:

Writers may apply in only one genre and must submit the following:

• A completed grant application

• An artist statement of 500 words (max.) as a concise description of your work and goals as a writer. Tell us what inspires your writing career, and how your work engages (directly or indirectly) with the legacy of John Lewis.

• A writing sample of 10 pages (max.) of a published or unpublished piece in the genre in which you are applying: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or screen/playwriting. If submitting poetry, one poem per page please. 

*Do not include your name or any identifying information in the writing sample.

georgiawritersassociation.submittable.com/submit/333082/2025-john-lewis-writing-grants

FICTION / NONFICTION — AUGUST 2025

BLACK ATLANTIC EDITORIAL FELLOWSHIP

The Republic (Nigeria)

DEADLINE: August 3, 2025 at 5:00 pm Lagos Time

INFO: The Republic is pleased to announce the Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship, a six-month fellowship programme designed towards the commissioning, writing and curation of stories rooted in Blackness and the African experience.

This fellowship will support five early- to mid-career editors, writers, researchers and/or journalists based in the different regions of Africa—West, East, Southern, North and Central. Fellows will receive mentorship, stipend and editorial support to commission original writing, produce original written content and curate local conversations around the most urgent themes shaping the African experience.

Each fellow will propose a theme from one of The Republic’s eight focus areas—including Art x Culture, Science x Technology, and Politics x Security—and will be expected to develop a distinct editorial identity and perspective for their regional division. Over the course of six months, fellows are required to commission two original essays per month, produce one story of their own each month and host one public engagement event in their African city at the end of the fellowship term.

COMPENSATION: Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of $500, as well as editorial guidance, workshop access and structured feedback from The Republic’s editorial team. They will also participate in workshops, skill-building sessions and a final digital symposium to showcase their work and launch a growing pan-African editorial network.

GUIDELINES: This fellowship is open to editors, journalists, curators or other storytelling practitioners who are based in Africa and have at least three years of professional experience. The fellowship is remote, and reliable internet access is required.

Applicants must submit a three-page proposal outlining their editorial focus and plan for the fellowship; a CV; a 500-word statement of interest; two samples of published work; and the contact details for two professional referees.

Selected fellows will be notified by September 2025.

rpublc.com/dispatch/black-atlantic-editorial-fellowship

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call for pitches & submissions: Volume II - Issue III

The Land, Food, and Freedom Journal

DEADLINE: August 4, 2025

INFO: The Land, Food, and Freedom Journal is now accepting pitches and submissions for its third issue, centering Black food sovereignty and liberation. They want to hear from growers, stewards, students, teachers, city folks, country kin, disabled, working-class, formerly incarcerated, trans, cis, and gender-nonconforming storytellers and artists who identify within the Black diaspora.

They welcome essays, poetry, prose, art, visuals, playlists, multimedia pieces, research, case studies, and more.

COMPENSATION: Honorarium rates range from $350 to $750.

PITCH GUIDELINES: First, take note of what the journal has recently published. If your idea is similar, be sure to include how your idea would add to or differentiate from the existing story.

Next, we’ll ask you to complete a form that includes the following:

• ‍Tell us who you are: Convey why you are the best person to tell the story you’re pitching and how your personal or professional point of view will shape the piece. Artist statements and professional bios are also welcome.

• Propose a few sample headlines: You’ll want to think about the “hook” of your work, something that both summarizes the piece and will compel the audience to engage with your work.

• Write a summary of the work: Showcase perspective. What’s your angle? What’s the unique point of view that you’re bringing to this work? Is this an underreported topic that needs more visibility, and if so, why? Is it a fresh take on something we’ve heard about before? Why does it matter now? Be specific! If you have existing work in this area, let us know. If you have relationships to sources or research that will be needed for the piece to be completed, let us know. If the idea was inspired by another organization or work you’re doing elsewhere, share that, too.

• ‍Pitch or Submission: Select whether you are pitching an idea for a piece that doesn’t exist yet or are submitting a completed work.

EDITORIAL GUIDELINES: We consider work to publish within the categories of Land, Food, Freedom, and Culture.

I - LAND:

The foundation of our existence, the portal through which we access liberation, and the connective link between past, present, and future. Land is the source, the center, the portal, and the genesis of all we seek and aim to solve. We give deep gratitude and understand land as a vital organ and an essential member of our beloved community. From regenerative solutions that combat climate disasters to addressing food and stress-related health conditions, cooperative economies, seed saving, and plant medicine, pitches for this section should reflect personal, communal, or ancestral relationships with land, highlighting practices of care, cultivation, and restoration.

Examples of LAND pitches and submissions: 

• Visual art, photography, or installations centered on Black land stewardship, regenerative farming, and placemaking.

• Essays, poetry, and prose that explore ancestral land connections, Indigenous African agricultural traditions, and reparations.

• Film, music, and multimedia pieces that depict land-based spiritual practices, cooperative land ownership, or land dispossession and reclamation.

• Research and case studies highlighting Black land trusts, sustainable farming practices, and agroecology. 

‍II - FOOD:

Sustenance, memory, and resistance. Black food sovereignty asserts our right to define and control our food systems, reclaiming ancestral growing practices, crop selection, and cooking traditions. We seek work that highlights food as a site of cultural preservation, political struggle, and collective healing.

Examples of FOOD pitches and submissions: 

• Recipes with accompanying stories on Black food traditions, family legacies, or culinary resistance.

• Poetry and essays examining food apartheid, the commodification of Black foodways, or radical food distribution models.

• Visual art, photography, and design inspired by Black farming, cooking, and shared meals as acts of joy and defiance.

• Oral histories from Black farmers, chefs, herbalists, and food workers resisting systemic inequities.

• Research and case studies on Black-led food co-ops, community gardens, and self-determined food economies. 

III - FREEDOM:

Self-determination. Movement building is essential for achieving self-determination. This section focuses on organizing, political education, futuring, and world-building—critical elements on the path toward Black liberation. From cooperative economics to abolitionist frameworks to decolonial imagination, freedom explores the strategies, lessons, and visionary thinking required to build systems that truly serve and sustain us. We invite work that challenges oppressive systems, envisions self-determined economies, and uplifts the legacies of Black resistance. 

Examples of FREEDOM pitches and submissions:

• Manifestos and essays exploring abolitionist futures, mutual aid, and cooperative economic models. 

• Poetry and prose rooted in Black radical thought, Afrofuturism, and speculative fiction. 

• Documentary photography and short films on social movements, protest art, and community-led organizing. 

• Music, spoken word, and performance pieces as expressions of resistance and reimagining.

• Research and case studies on Black liberation movements, solidarity economies, and transformative justice.

‍IV - CULTURE:

Land, Food, and Freedom are all mediated through cultural practices and expressions. Culture is the vessel that carries our collective memory, creativity, and ways of being. It shapes how we relate to land, food, and freedom, holding the stories, languages, traditions, and spiritual practices that sustain us. Culture is where resistance, joy, and imagination meet—through music, art, oral traditions, movement, and everyday rituals. It is both a reflection of our past and a blueprint for our future.

Examples of CULTURE pitches and submissions:

• Storytelling, poetry, and prose that celebrate Black cultural traditions, diasporic connections, and intergenerational wisdom.

• Visual art, film, and music exploring themes of ritual, spirituality, and cultural preservation.

• Essays and research on Black language, folklore, and the impact of colonialism on cultural expression.

• Oral histories from elders, cultural workers, and artists committed to maintaining and evolving Black traditions.

• Multimedia projects that document the intersections of culture, resistance, and futurism.

SUBMISSION SPECS:

• For written work, please share via a Google Docs link. Please ensure submissions are no more than 2000 words. 

• For visual art, submit high-res images in jpeg or png format. 

• For multimedia, provide links to video, audio, or interactive pieces.

landfoodfreedom.com/contribute

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call for applications: writer in residence program

Wa Na Wari / Variable West

DEADLINE: August 6, 2025

INFO: Wa Na Wari and Variable West have partnered to create their inaugural writer in residence program in Seattle, WA.

Sited in a fifth-generation, Black-owned home, Wa Na Wari is an immersive community art project that reclaims Black cultural space and makes a statement about the importance of Black land ownership in gentrified communities. Their mission is to create space for ​Black ownership, possibility, and belonging ​through art, historic preservation, and connection. Referred to as a “container for Black joy,” Wa Na Wari incubates and amplifies Black art and belonging while providing a safe space for organizing and movement building. By renting a house from a vulnerable Black homeowner and giving that space back to the Black community, Wa Na Wari is an active model for how Black art and culture can combat gentrification and displacement.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY:

True art criticism goes beyond surface-level description or regurgitating press releases. It puts art in context with the world around it and asks Why? How?

Inspired by T.J. Clark’s 2008 book The Sight of Death: An Experiment in Art Writing, this art writing residency will place two writers in deep engagement with Wa Na Wari over twelve months and produce twelve pieces of critical writing about the organization’s programming.

• WHO: Two writers will be chosen by a panel of local art experts unaffiliated with the Wa Na Wari or Variable West.

• WHAT: During six-month residencies, writers will each produce six 600–800-word pieces about Wa Na Wari’s programming to be published on Variable West. The writers may cover an exhibition, a single object, an event, or a contextual theme. The rate for each piece is $600.

• WHY: The purpose of the residency is to provide an opportunity for deep looking and thinking about Wa Na Wari’s programming, as well as regular, well-paying assignments for local writers. The resulting writing will open conversations between art at Wa Na Wari and the public while harnessing Variable West’s reputation as a top source for superlative writing on West Coast art.

• WHERE: Writers will commit to visiting Wa Na Wari at least twice per month.

• HOW: Washington-based writers are encouraged to apply to our open call by end of day Wednesday, August 6, with three writing samples demonstrating their engagement with arts and culture. Final decisions will be made by the end of August. Writers from the African diaspora are strongly encouraged to apply.

variablewest.com/2025/07/18/inaugural-writer-in-residence-program-with-wa-na-wari-in-seattle/

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THE SARABANDE OPEN: FICTION / NONFICTION

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: Extended to August 10, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

INFO: Each year during the month of July, Sarabande offers writers and translators the opportunity to get their manuscripts in front of our editors without the mediating factors of agents or judges. Providing direct access to writers is a core Sarabande value, rooted in our long-held belief that you, writers, know best what kind of work we're going to love. 

We can’t wait to read your full-length manuscripts of poetry, fiction, hybrid work, literary nonfiction, and literature in translation! 

ELIGIBILITY 

The Sarabande Open is open to manuscripts in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included. 

It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent titles below.This submission period is open to manuscripts in English. We recommended all those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS — FICTION + NONFICTION

• Submission form must include a cover letter with a brief author bio and acknowledgements of past publications.

• Manuscript must be anonymous.

• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt.

• Prose manuscripts should be between 150 and 250 standard, double-spaced pages. 

• Manuscript should be paginated consecutively with a table of contents.

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship

The National Association of Black Storytellers / South Arts

DEADLINE: August 11, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS) is proud to announce the Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship to honor, celebrate, and support Black storytellers representing the Appalachian counties (as designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission) of Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina. This is a partnership between the National Association of Black Storytellers, Mid Atlantic Arts, and South Arts. The Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship is administered by the National Association of Black Storytellers.

The NABS Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship is funded in part by Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions Program and South Arts' In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture initiative.

NABS Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowships will provide six (6) $5,000 awards (with limited restrictions) to support experienced practitioners and culture bearers with opportunities to examine, research, develop, perform, and/or document the Black Appalachian storytelling tradition. One fellowship will be awarded to represent each of the six eligible states.

Mid Atlantic Arts and South Arts Fellows will receive an additional $2000 to apply toward travel and lodging to the “In the Tradition…” 43rd Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park 267 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA, November 19-23 in Atlanta, GA.

Fellows will also receive a membership from September 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, to the National Association of Black Storytellers. Membership is non-transferable.

PROGRAM GOALS:

The 2025-2026 Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowships follow the mission of the National Association of Black Storytellers to promote and perpetuate the art of Black storytelling—an art form which embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans. Black storytellers educate and entertain through the oral tradition, which depicts and documents the African American experience. A nationally organized body with individual, affiliate, and organizational memberships, NABS preserves and passes on the folklore, legends, myths, fables, and mores of Africans and their descendants and ancestors—"In the Tradition..." 

Goals of the initiative are to preserve and advance the understanding of Black Appalachian storytelling that embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans and build bridges through intergenerational opportunities.

In the administration of this Fellowship, NABS will continue and extend the impact of Mid Atlantic Arts' and South Arts’ commitments to folk and traditional arts. Artists/Storytellers will explore the “transmission, understanding, and appreciation of folk and traditional arts currently practiced in Central Appalachia” by African Americans.

GUIDELINES:

Recipients must:

• Be a resident, native or culture keeper of at least one of the counties designated within Mid Atlantic Arts' Central Appalachian Living Traditions (CALT) program and South Arts' In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts and Culture Initiative.  

• Have the commitment and proven ability to sustain the traditions of Black storytelling.

• Identify as an oral tradition culture bearer and reflect the story-sharing traditions of family and/or community. 

• Represent one of the counties designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or North Carolina.

• Be engaged in ongoing work that collects, creates, and preserves Black life and lore in Appalachia.

• May present an educational program/presentation of their choosing in their home community and/or a Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship state. Programs/presentations may be presented to a school, library, scout group, club, after-school program, community center, theater, senior groups, etc. The program should be presented in-person and completed by June 30, 2026.  The program will be documented and archived.

• Be able to attend the 43rd “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference in Atlanta, GA, November 19-23, 2025 at the Embassy Suites at Olympic Park, Atlanta, GA

• Be able to attend the Award Ceremony on Thursday, November 20, 2025 at the “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference.

• Mid Atlantic Awardees for the states of Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, be able to attend the 44th “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference in Providence, RI in November, 2026. Travel stipend provided by Mid Atlantic Arts.

• Must prepare for the possibility of presenting at the 44th  “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference in Providence, RI, 2026. For the NABS presentation, recipients may choose to include in the presentation/performance stories, folklore, legends, songs, and poetry representative of Appalachian Black cultural traditions. They may include community and family artifacts, e.g. family bibles, cookbooks, quilts, scrapbooks, photos, or school yearbooks.

• Be available to be interviewed by NABS staff during the award period. September 8, 2025 - June 30, 2026.

• Be at least 21 years of age.

• Provide a final report on the implementation of the Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship Award in written or video format to the National Association of Black Storytellers by June 30, 2026. This report will be archived as a record of the fellowship's use and impact.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Applications can be completed and submitted either by the applicant (traditional artist) or on their behalf by a nominator (family or community member).

The components of the application are as follows:

1. Application Form

2. Work Samples

3. Support Materials (letters of support, news articles, fliers)

4. Proof of residency, birth or familial connection in eligible county 

5. Professional Photo 

6. Bio

REVIEW PROCESS:

Panelist Review: A panel of experts in the field, consisting of folklorists and traditional Black Appalachian Storytellers will conduct the review, evaluating each application by the following criteria:  

• Proven ability to sustain the Black Appalachian storytelling tradition: 30%

• History of the applicant’s informal training or practice associated with their Appalachian cultural community: 30%

• Impact of the applicant’s Appalachian work on their family/community and artistic tradition: 30%

• Explanation of future practice: 10%

AWARD NOTIFICATION: Applicants will receive notification of their award status by September 8, 2025. Six artist fellowships will be awarded, one in each of the six eligible states. The 2025 awards of $5,000 per recipient are to be used between September 2025 and June 2026.
 
Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship recipients should note award money of $5,000 constitutes taxable income and must be filed as such.
 
TIMELINE:

• Application Deadline: August 11, 2025

• Panel Review: August 25, 2025 

• Official Fellow Notifications: September 8 2025 by Co-Founder Linda Goss

• Public Announcement: September 9, 2025

• Membership to National Association of Black Storytellers: September 2025 to December 31, 2026

• Attend Black Appalachian Storytellers Award Ceremony at 42nd Annual National "In the Tradition..." Black Storytelling Festival and  Conference in Atlanta, November 19-23, 2025

• Fellows Final Report Due: June 30, 2026

• Possibly present at the National Association of Black Storytellers Festival and Conference in Providence, RI in November, 2026     

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVV2VaQvfBjDKlviImsL3_cKkdwz3jhwAg1aS8Ny1An3v5_Q/viewform

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call for submissions: ‘Love Your Mother: Environmental Responsibility and Recovery’

Revolutionary Dreaming

DEADLINE: August 12, 2025

INFO: Revolutionary Dreaming is inviting all self-identified Black girl (ages 11-24) literary artists to submit poems, flash-fiction pieces (NOT to exceed 500 words), nonfictional short essays (NOT to exceed 1,000 words), short screenplays, and plays in alignment with the theme Love Your Mother: Environmental Responsibility and Recovery.

We're encouraging submissions to reflect on what Black girls feel the human responsibility to the Earth is, as they consider Mother Earth as a site of reconciliation, recovery, and purpose -- ultimately led to wherever their imagination transports them

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzZ2dkIxsP8g8Ue6H9iFiZjeHW2-eX0-8x26UbCYifUhR6fQ/viewform

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call for applications: Accent Fellowship Fall 2025

Accent Sisters (NYC)

DEADLINE: August 12, 2025

INFO: Accent Sisters is excited to offer a fellowship program for individuals passionate about literature, visual arts, and community engagement. The fellowship provides hands-on experience in both a bookstore and hybrid event space, where exhibitions, book launches, film screenings, educational programs, and other forms of public programming take place.

This work-study fellowship (3 days per week, for 4 months) is ideal for someone looking to build a career in cultural institutions, independent bookstores, or art galleries. Fellows will work closely with both the bookstore and gallery teams, gaining skills in book curation, exhibit planning, marketing, and community outreach, while developing a personal project that merges these two disciplines.

FALL 2025 FELLOWSHIP POSITIONS:

•   Communications & Publishing

•   Curation & Administration

•   Design & Media Asset Management

•   Digital Marketing & Operations

WHAT YOU WILL GET:

• Opportunities to work closely with some of the best writers, artists, and creators;

• A chance to pitch projects, events, and develop programs for a thriving and diverse community;

• Be part of the most exciting happenings in New York’s art and cultural scene;

• Free passes to attend all in-person events and classes held at Accent Sisters;

• Fellow discounts to purchase products at Accent Sisters;

• Towards the end of the fellowship, we will work with you to develop a special showcase of your personal project and/or your work at Accent Sisters.

• One-on-one mentorship with Accent team;

• A stipend of $600 dollars.

SCHEDULE:

•   In-person and hybrid (varies depending on area of focus) at Accent Sisters, New York

•   3 days/ week; August 25th-December.

accentaccent.com/FellowshipFall2025

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artist Residency

Spruceton Inn (West Kill, NY)

DEADLINE: August 14, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Every August, Spruceton Inn accepts applications online from writers and 2D artists, about twenty of whom are awarded a no-cost, 5-night Artist Residency at the Inn in the fall. We don’t require that you produce anything in particular or show us your work when you're here. That said, one of favorite parts of this Residency is chatting with the Artists and learning more about what you all are up to! 

We've had 121 artists stay with us over 11 seasons. We can’t wait to host more!

HOW TO APPLY:

Artist Residents will receive a no-cost, 5-night stay in one of our Kitchenette rooms in early November. (Stays are Tuesday to Sunday You will be able to request a preferred week once notified of your acceptance.) Plenty of time and space to get into a creative groove on your own, plenty of time and space to connect with other Artists too!

Please email artistresidency@sprucetoninn.com the following information:

• Subject line: Artist Residency 2025

• Your FULL NAME.

• A less than 200 word answer to the question: WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO WORK ON AS AN ARTIST RESIDENT AT THE INN?

• For writers: a less than 500 word WRITING SAMPLE PASTED IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL.

• For writers, please answer: Would you like to be considered for the Tracy Kennard Emerging Writer’s Award as well? Scroll down for more details on this.

• For visual artists, A LINK TO YOUR WEBSITE(S) AND/OR A MAXIMUM OF THREE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THE EMAIL.

Additional requirements/details:

• Writers and 2D visual artists only.

• We do not accept collaborations.

• Must be 21 + yrs old.

• Sorry, no spouses or pets as roommates during the Residency.

• The Inn does NOT provide meals or transportation and we do NOT have a restaurant on site. We highly recommend access to a car! We will put you in touch with your cohort so carpooling can be discussed if desired/feasible. See more about our remote location/transportation here.

• WiFi is not strong at the Inn and can become quite slow depending on how many others are using it, so while you can totally send emails and texts, we don’t recommend having any important Zoom meetings/classes during your time. That said, if you absolutely need to, you can always let the other Artist Residents know (to clear the bandwidth) and give it a go with fingers crossed, or head out to a library/café with a stronger connection.

• Residents are announced online here, via Instagram, and our mailing list mid-September.

WHAT’S THE TRACY KENNARD EMERGING WRITER’S AWARD?

In memory of our dear friend and talented writer Tracy Kennard, one Artist Resident will receive two personalized, one-on-one guidance/coaching sessions from Tracy’s writing teacher Joselin Linder. Feedback can be for a current working draft (submitted ahead of the Residency) or a piece of writing produced during the Residency. Sessions will be held remotely and within a 3 month period surrounding the residency. Please specify in your application if you’d like to be considered for this award.

Joselin Linder is the author of the memoir The Family Gene (Ecco/Harper Collins), and co-author of The Gamification Revolution (McGraw Hill), Game-Based Marketing (Wiley and Sons), and The Good Girl’s Guide to Living in Sin (Adams Media), The Stoned Family Robinson (Adams Media) and The Purity Test (St. Martin’s Press). Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Elle, This American Life, NPR’s Morning Edition, StoryCollider, Life of the Law, and the New York Post. She is a faculty member at Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City.

This award is sponsored by Tracy’s husband Jamie Kennard.

sprucetoninn.com/artist-residency

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: 2025/2026 ISSUE

Harriet's House

DEADLINE: August 15, 2025

INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2025/2026 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.

During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.

GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,250-2,500 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

harrietshousemag.com

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Illustrated Children's Book Fellowship

Associates of the Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: August 15, 2025 at 11:59pm

INFO: The Associates of the Boston Public Library's Illustrated Children's Book Fellowship is intended to:

• Makes a profound impact on the lives of emerging writers. 

• Provide an emerging writer of an illustrated book for children with the financial support and editorial assistance needed to complete one work for children ages 0 to 10.

• Encourage the imagination of young readers, and in so doing draw attention to the importance of authors and the essential role they perform in nurturing developing minds and furthering our culture.

• Promote awareness of the Associates of the Boston Public Library, as well as the Library and its resources, through the creation of an inspiring work for children that will live on after the fellowship ends.

FAQ:

What do fellowship recipients get?

• $25,000 stipend.

• Up to $2,500 of additional funding for coaching / editorial assistance.

• Completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s Special Collections.

• Opportunity to publicly present your manuscript at a fall reading.

What are the requirements?

• A narrative or written work that creatively employs images to uniquely convey an original concept in book form.

• Works that qualify can be any in the following categories:

  • Ages 0–2 (board books)

  • Ages 3–8 (picture books and early readers)

  • Ages 8–10 (chapter books/younger middle grade)

• Eligible projects include fiction, non-fiction, memoir, or poetry. Graphic novels are not eligible.
  Since this program is intended for emerging authors, applicants should not have already published any books for children.

• The fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens or green card holders living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont) at this time.

• There is no requirement to work at the Boston Public Library, though the recipient will have the chance to attend events at the library with other writers.

• Submissions will be judged on the merit of their ability to tell a compelling and original story or concept in which image and text have the potential to form an integrated and singular narrative. Particular attention will be given to works that convey memorable or unique characters, distinctive settings, and an emotionally compelling plot. All should be appropriate to the developmental age of the intended readership, and, ideally, will serve to inspire an illustrator’s creative interpretation.

• As this is conceived as a fellowship for a writer, illustrations are not a requirement; however, emphasis will be given to how word and image interact. Although not required, writers may electronically submit rough sketches or a book dummy that suggests the flow of words, images, and page breaks. No AI may be used in the creation of these illustrations.

associatesbpl.org/events-and-programs/illustrated-childrens-book-fellowship/

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Call for submissions: ‘Earth’ Issue

Oreades Press

DEADLINE: August 15, 2025

INFO: Oreades Press is beginning the first of three linked print publications that offer the reader a doorway connecting scientific thought and community action. Each of the three will focus on a different aspect of the planet. For this first open call we encourage writers to consider themes of earth.

Beyond any other element in this series, we understand that earth is a place of conflict as much as it is a site where we grow our food and medicine and make our home.

Earth encompasses a wide range of themes, from plants to soil profiles, fungal connections, and rock, and we are looking for experienced writers and scientists, farmers, or community leaders working with earth, including indigenous groups. We want to uplift voices from experts in their fields.

Please send us non-fiction essays, thought pieces, submitted articles, and short poems.

oreadespress.com/earth

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poetry & prose contest

Lucky Jefferson

DEADLINE: August 17, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Lucky Jefferson is excited to announce its second Poetry and Prose Summer contest! 

Why are we doing this? We believe writers deserve opportunities like this (and so much more) and one core part of our mission includes being the difference. Many contests charge fees to enter or make writers and artists jump through hoops with no real return. We want to change that.

• You'll have 2 months to submit any original and unpublished poetry and prose you want. 

• 20 finalists will receive publication in Lucky Jefferson's digital 365 Collection. 

• Two finalists from that group (one poetry and one prose) will each receive $100, publication, and a swag box.

JUDGE: Ahmad Almallah is the judge for this contest. Learn more about him and our contest here.

GUIDELINES:

• Send no more than 5 poems or prose pieces in a submission.

• Keep it short and sweet. Share your name, email address, mailing address, and bio (third-person, 50 words max).      

• No work that has been previously published in print or online. Please no ai-generated work.

• *We will not tolerate any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and perspectives including: racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, ableism.

luckyjefferson.com/poetry-prose-contest/

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Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize

Charleston Literary Festival

DEADLINE: August 25, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize supports and nurtures emerging voices. From November 7 - 16, 2025, two selected writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry will have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of books, ideas, and conversation, hearing from over 50 nationally and internationally renowned authors and interlocutors.

Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize winners will receive full access to Charleston Literary Festival’s sessions and receptions, free accommodations in Downtown Charleston, networking and collaborative opportunities beyond the Festival, and a stipendiary of $7,500 to allow them to further their writing career as they see fit.

The Prize offers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with distinguished authors and leaders in their respective fields and learn about both the business of writing and the inner workings of an international literary festival.

Wayland H. Cato Jr. had a lifelong passion for reading and learning. At the age of 100, he continued his daily discipline of devouring books (and newspapers) stacked high by his chair. Even in his last days, Mr. Cato discussed what he was reading: physics, politics, agriculture, history, philosophy, and more. He enriched his and Mrs. Cato’s life with wider views and deeper understanding. The Catos came to believe that the world would be a better place if exceptional young writers were nurtured and encouraged.

Charleston Literary Festival is on a mission to bring diverse, national, and international authors and audiences together to experience the transformative power of great literature, ideas, and creativity. The CLF Cato Fellowship Prize reflects the importance of literature and the urgency to support it and foster the next generation of writers. The Prize exists to nurture and encourage exceptional emerging writers so that they may positively impact and transform the world around them.

PRIZE:

The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize will be awarded to two writers of fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry who demonstrate a commitment to bettering their craft and exhibit a love of writing and reading.

The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize will provide:

• immersive access to all 35+ events and private receptions during Charleston Literary Festival, running November 7 - 16, 2025

• accommodations in Downtown Charleston to stay and write for the 10-day duration of the Festival

• a $7,500 stipendiary

• a dedicated workspace in Dock Street Theatre

• featured bio on the Charleston Literary Festival website and social media

• a featured reading during Charleston Literary Festival

• publication of the final piece in response to Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship experience on the Charleston Literary Festival website

• networking and collaborative opportunities beyond the duration of the Festival

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

The Fellowship Prize is open to any fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry writer who is a current resident of North Carolina or South Carolina. Students enrolled in a college or university program in North Carolina or South Carolina are also eligible to apply. Applicants are required to be a U.S. citizen or resident with an active visa and at least 21 years old on November 7, 2025. 

Applicants should be in the early stages of their writing careers, i.e. have not published more than one book-length work with a major or independent publisher. However, previous publication is not a requirement if they have demonstrated a commitment to developing their writing, whether fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry, by providing evidence of, for example:

• work published in a magazine, online or print

• work published in an anthology

• attendance at a creative writing course

• an early stage of a manuscript

• a draft book proposal

To apply, please visit https://charlestonliteraryfestival.slideroom.com/. The application asks for responses to three short answer questions and a work sample.

charlestonliteraryfestival.com/cato

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call for pitches: The black ordinary

The Black Ordinary

DEADLINE: August 30, 2025 by 11:59pm PT

INFO: The Black Ordinary welcomes pitches from artists, archivists, historians, researchers, and writers of all backgrounds and experience levels to pitch ideas for writing topics relevant to the preservation of Black-American* histories and culture.

*How we define "Black-American": While the histories of the entire African diaspora are closely intertwined, The Black Ordinary's work is centered on the histories and cultures of direct descendants of enslaved peoples forcibly brought to the modern-day United States from the continent of Africa via the transatlantic slave-trade. Please be mindful about whether this experience mirrors your own.

For more information about The Black Ordinary's mission, vision, and pillars, click here.

The Black Ordinary welcomes pitches that fall within the following categories:

• Poems (or a collection of poems)

• Short Stories (750 word limit)

• Archive and collection highlights, curated selection of digitized archive materials, archivists writing about Black-American archives (from organizations or projects that are not connected to large institutions, public libraries, or museums).

• Interviews (transcribed, email exchange, audio, or video)

• Essays and reviews of art exhibitions, performances, talks, screenings, conferences, public art, current ideas, artist books, or catalogs (750 word limit) - artwork discussed should reflect the thematic intentions of the zine (i.e. the artist's work should include or reference archival materials or familial archives and lineage).

• Photo essays that 1) showcase a selection of your photography, 2) documents a specific segment of Black-American communities, or 3) document an event

• We will also publish hybrids and experimental writing in any of the fields above.

All pitches should be by, for, and about Black-American communal history, Black-American cultural experiences, Black-American artists, the Black-American LGBTQIA+ community, and/or Black-Americans with disabilities. We recognize that many identities are intersectional/multi-racial. Please be thoughtful in deciding whether or not your lived experience aligns with the lived experience of the descendants of enslaved peoples forcibly brought to the modern-day United States from the continent of Africa via the transatlantic slave-trade. 

***All contributors must be based in the U.S. and at least 18 years old***

PAYMENT:

The Black Ordinary is a grassroots platform. We are committed to upfront transparency and want to ensure that all contributors are paid fairly for their work. For this reason, only a select (to be determined) number of pitches will be accepted based on a pre-determined budget.

All contributors whose pitches are accepted will be granted a $250 stipend, to be paid at the time of publishing. All published contributions must adhere to a strict 750 word limit in order to stay within W.A.G.E.'s suggested stipend amount ($0.30 per word) for freelance writers.

Pitches are accepted based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to The Black Ordinary's mission, vision and three pillars: art. archives. autonomy. — Does this contribution platform Black American (oral) histories, embodied cultural traditions, and multidisciplinary archival practices within Black-American spaces?

• Creativity — Is the pitch unique in its approach to the topic and subject matter?

• Editorial Theming and Curating — Does this pitch offer a perspective or thematic response to other pitches that may be selected?

At this time, The Black Ordinary is accepting original works only. Please do not submit pitches for contributions that have already been published elsewhere. (Self-publishing on sites like a personal blog or website is okay.)

​To submit your pitch, please complete this form in its entirety.

If you have any additional questions, please email Kaitlyn B. Jones at conduitarts.llc@gmail.com.

theblackordinary.com/opportunities

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ESSENCE + STOREHOUSE VOICES BOOK CONTEST

Storehouse Voices / ESSENCE

DEADLINE: August 30, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Storehouse Voices - the groundbreaking imprint from Crown Publishing Group and Penguin Random House - and ESSENCE invite you to share your story with the world.

THE PRIZE:

One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• A publishing contract up to $100,000

• Support from the Storehouse editorial team

• National visibility through ESSENCE + Storehouse Voices

JUDGING CRITERIA:

Your submission will be reviewed based on:

• Editorial and Brand Fit

• Originality and writing quality

• Platform and audience alignment

• Market potential

• Voice, tone, and narrative structure

Winner Announced By: October 31, 2025

APPLICATION:

To streamline your application process, gather the following items before you begin. The application takes approximately 15 minutes to complete if all materials are ready.

• Contact Information

• Agent Representation (if applicable)

• Social Media Information

• Publishing and Platform Details

• List of Speaking Engagements

• Book Proposal Details

• Information About You

• Target Audience

• Comparable Titles

• Marketing Plan

Manuscript Materials Uploads (Required):

• Chapter Overview (Word or PDF)

• Sample Chapters (25-50 pages, Word or PDF)

• Author Headshot (High-resolution JPEG or PNG)

storehousevoices.com/essence

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2025-2026 WRITER-IN-ResidencE Program

Collections of Transience

DEADLINE: August 31, 2025 at 11:59pm PST

INFO: When western countries have largely demanded that artists and creators of color continually commodify their identity to exist in creative spaces, we ask the question: what does it mean to not lay aside our identity, but to go beyond it, firmly rooted in who we are, to define a new creative space, voice, and art. Collections of Transience is a collective of creatives of color exploring what it means when identity is not seen as a limitation, but the root for a much more expansive vision of creation. 

The COT Writers Residency Program is a year-long, fully online residency offered to writers aged 18-30, starting September 2025 and ending May 2026. As part of Collections of Transience, Writers in Residence are given resources to develop their creative skills and community.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The residency program will be a single, multi-genre cohort. The winter session will be devoted to poetry workshops, and the spring session will be devoted to fiction workshops.

MENTORS: This year's residency mentors are Chris Fong Chew (Poetry) and Grace Zhu (Fiction).

Writers in Residence will be receiving all of the following from COT:

• A 1-year Writers Residency Program 

• A regular publishing platform for writers & artists which to publish to

• Community of artists in which to engage in regular events with

• A team invested in your growth and development

• Access to all writing/creative workshops

Writers in Residence will be responsible for the following in COT:

• Committing to the year-long Writers Residency Program 

• Attending bi-monthly workshops with your Residency Mentor*

• Participate in resident features 

• Lead or participate in community workshops

• Contributing to a program-wide Chapbook Project 

• Lead your own final capstone work to be presented to the whole cohort 

QUALITIES WE LOOK FOR: A passion for creative exploration, an interest in uplifting and connecting to fellow creatives, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

COST: Free! This is the third year of our program, and we still plan to continue to offer it for no cost to our residents. 

NOTIFICATION: You will be notified of application decisions by mid-September.

collectionsoftransience.org/residency-program

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call for submissions: POETRY + nonfiction

Yellow Arrow Publishing

DEADLINE: August 31, 2025

INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. X, No. 2 (fall 2025) are open August 1-31, exploring the aftermath and aftereffects of catalytic moments, forged from either small flash fires or conflagration. And in her introductory blog, guest editor Darah Schillinger (she/her) explained how moments of her life, even those painful, helped to shape the person she is today.

“Over the two and half decades of my life so far, I have become and unbecome, unveiled and recovered, so many parts of my identity that when I look at a picture of myself young (“straight, neurotypical, healthy”) I instead see a child that I haven’t spoken to in 20 years and wish well. As a writer, I have spent much of my adult life considering the aftermath of these catalysts, looking for meaning in them and the varied ways these moments have shaped my present and future. And while finding some kind of meaning, every now and then, I know, and am okay with the fact, that I will continue to discover new things about myself through these events.”

By working through the aftermaths of each moment, each event, Darah was able to discover more about who she is and who she wants to be. Darah is a writer based in Lexington Park, Maryland. Her poems have appeared in AVATAR Literary Magazine, Yellow Arrow Journal, Maryland Bards Poetry Review, Empyrean Magazine, Grub Street Magazine, and The Eunoia Review and on the Spillwords Press website. In October 2024, her poem, An elegy for the Pompeii woman the Internet wants to fuck, was named a finalist for the Montreal International Poetry Prize. Her first poetry chapbook, when the daffodils die, was released in July 2022 by Yellow Arrow Publishing. Her second collection, Still Warm, is a work in progress.

The second issue of volume X will reflect on this idea, our (collective/individual) experiences with the blazes, trials, and/or life events that shape both our present and imagined futures as we search for our path(s) forward. This issue’s theme is KAIROS

: a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action

: an opportune and decisive moment

: in modern Greek, also ‘weather’ or ‘time’

: in ancient Greek, ‘the right or critical moment’

Here are some guiding questions about the topic and theme:

1. Consider the long-term effects of an event, feeling, or experience. How has it shaped you, your speaker, or your writing as a whole?

2. Has this impactful experience uncovered something positive?

3. What is the timeliness of your writing? What is it about now that makes you want to reflect?

4. When you write, what is it you are looking for? If you’re unsure, search for something.

Yellow Arrow Journal is looking for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art submissions by writers/artists who identify as women, on the theme of KAIROS. Submissions can be in any language as long as an English translation accompanies it. For more information regarding journal submission guidelines, please visit yellowarrowpublishing.com/submissions. Please read our guidelines carefully before submitting. To learn more about our editorial views and how important your voice is in your story, read about the journal. This issue will be released in November 2025.

The journal is just one of many ways that Yellow Arrow Publishing works to support and inspire women-identifying creatives through publication and access to the literary arts. Since its founding in 2016, Yellow Arrow has worked tirelessly to make an impact on the local and global community by advocating for writers who identify as women. Yellow Arrow proudly represents the voices of women from around the globe. Creating diversity in the literary world and providing a safe space is deeply important. Every writer has a story to tell, every story is worth telling.

yellowarrowpublishing.com/news/yaj-x-02-submissions-open-kairos

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2025 Yellow Arrow Writers-in-Residence Program

Yellow Arrow Publishing

DEADLINE: August 31, 2025

INFO: Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling. Since 2019, Yellow Arrow Publishing has been proud to offer a residency program that enables us to support, uplift, and amplify the voices of women-identifying writers residing in the Baltimore area.

The residency will take place for three months this fall, giving writers the opportunity to write in local Baltimore creative hubs, a gift card to use, a $200 stipend, and a one-year membership to the Yellow Arrow Collective.

All women-identifying writers in the Baltimore area are welcome to apply.

yellowarrowpublishing.com/writerinresidence-program

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storyknife writers retreat

Storyknife

DEADLINE: August 31, 2025

INFO: Women’s stories are vital and important. Currently, those stories whether expressed in poems, plays, screenplays, novels, essays, or memoirs are not published, reviewed, or promoted as often as the work of men. Storyknife provides female-identified writers with the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Every aspect of a residency at Storyknife is steeped in a profound generosity of spirit so that each writer knows she and her work are valuable. Storyknife residents carry away both this affirmation and a living community of women writers to assist their valuable work wherever they go.

Residencies at Storyknife in Homer, Alaska, are either for two or four weeks based on preference of the applicant. Resident’s food and lodging is covered during the period of their residency, but travel to and from Homer, Alaska, is the responsibility of the resident. There are some travel scholarships available. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.

Residencies are available April through October.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must:

• Be woman-identified

• Be 21 years of age or older

• Apply as an individual artist, not a collaborative group or team

You will provide a work sample and answer four questions (each answer 300 words or fewer).

• How have you sought to educate yourself as a writer? (Formal education not a prerequisite, but evidence of curiosity and learning in your applicable genre is.)

• What is your experience with publishing your work? (Publishing is not a prerequisite but is considered a goal for writers who attend Storyknife.)

• What project will you pursue while in residency? (Please note that you will be free to work on whatever writing you wish during residency. We simply are interested in what you think you’ll be pursuing.)

• Why would a writing residency benefit you at this time especially?

Work Sample Requirements:

• Work samples should reflect work completed within the last two years. All work samples must be uploaded through Submittable.

• Applicants can submit published or unpublished work samples.

• All work samples must be combined into one PDF file.

• A writing sample not to exceed 10 pages (prose: double-spaced 12 point font, poetry: single-spaced 12 point font acceptable). Prose includes screenplays and stage plays which also must conform to the 10 page limit.

• Any writing samples with identifying material will be disqualified. This is an anonymous process. Identifying material is your full name, last name, address, or publication credits. Do no include your last name, address, or publication credits in either the writing sample, the file name, or in headers/footers. This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions.

Diversity

Storyknife is committed to diversity and elevating the voices of historically excluded communities. We value all aspects of diversity and seek to make each resident’s time at Storyknife as productive and pleasant as possible.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

It is prohibited to use any AI tools in any fashion to create/check/modify the answers to your application questions or your writing sample.

storyknifewritersretreat.submittable.com/submit

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FALL 2025 mentorship program: Girls Write Now Collaboratory Journeys

Girls Write Now

DEADLINE: August 31, 2025

INFO: Calling all storytellers! Applications are officially open for Fall 2025 Journeys in the Girls Write Now Collaboratory!

• Are you 14-24 and ready to write your truth with support from a mentor?

• Are you 25+ and passionate about guiding the next generation of creatives?

Join a powerful community where women and gender expansive writers come together to learn, create, and grow.

Each Journey in the Girls Write Now Collaboratory is a package of Writing Course Content, Mentorship, and Community Experiences. Our team of teachers, artists, and content experts has thoughtfully curated each Journey to be a dynamic, multifaceted experience. Journeys can be light touch or intensive, short or long-term, asynchronous or in real time.

JOURNEY CYCLES:

A Cycle is a three-month time period. You can sign up for one, two, or threeCycles to meet your schedule and goals.

• Fall: November 1-January 31

• Spring: March 1-May 31

girlswritenow.org/journeys/

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call for submissions: ‘Life with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses’

IHRAM Press

DEADLINE: September 1, 2025

INFO: Shining a light on life with disabilities and invisible illnesses, this edition raises awareness of the societal attitudes and injustices faced by the disabled community. It explores the impact on identity, memory, and sexuality while advocating for understanding and inclusivity. 

We are eager to publish firsthand experiences by those living with a disability, reflections of the author’s personal experiences with societal justices towards illnesses, and the after-effects of discrimination on an author’s identity and sexuality. We encourage submissions from all over the world, regardless of gender or identity.

MAGAZINE THEMES: Disability awareness, invisible illnesses, societal attitudes, identity, memory, and sexuality, and the intersection of societal attitudes with an author’s lived experiences.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Before submitting, please review the following guidelines, including (1) IHRAM’s accepted media, required supplemental information, and quarterly magazine themes.

We are interested in reviewing and publishing the following for the 2025 quarterly magazine:

• Poetry

• Short stories (2500 words or less)

• Essay (2500 words or less), or 

• Artwork*

  *Accepted Visual Art includes: mixed media, acrylics, oil paintings, drawings, photographs, collages, sculptures, or any forms that fit our magazine themes.

  Submission for artwork is unlimited. Please note, your published artwork might be presented in black-and-white and therefore should be suitable for “print”. We WILL NOT accept any AI-Generated art. Ensure your artwork is submitted as .JPG, .PDFs, or .PNGs.

Please submit your poetry, short story, essay, or artwork to submit@humanrightsartmovement.org along with the following required information:

• Your full name and/or pen name.

• Your country of residence.

• A brief third-person bio (roughly 100 words). If your bio includes references of your past work, feel free to provide links!

• A brief foreword to your piece (between 300-500 words), explaining your inspiration for creating it, background information, explanation of key characters, and any other key insight for the reader.

  *If your piece is accepted, we will request a high-resolution author photograph. However, authors are not required to provide photographs of themselves and are always welcome to decline, should they wish to remain anonymous.

COMPENSATION:

• IHRAM Press pays $50 per accepted written piece.

• IHRAM Press pays $25 per accepted artist.

humanrightsartmovement.org/ihraf-publishes

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Call for Workshop Proposals: ‘QUEERING OUR SILOS: GESTURES OF EUPHORIA PROJECT 2025–2026’

Maurice Moore

DEADLINE: September 1, 2025 by midnight

INFO: LGBTQIA2S+ artist(s) & allies in the Appalachian regions are invited to submit proposals to teach in person or online creative arts workshops for the Queering Our Silos: Gestures of Euphoria Project 2025-2026.

These creative arts workshops will help various arts communities get out of our silos and build stronger, more collaborative relationships between LGBTQIA2S+ communities & allies throughout the Appalachian region: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Each selected facilitator will receive a $1,000 grant to support their work. Workshops can be in any creative medium, and may take place in person or online.

Budget - $1000

Artist Labor or Compensation $500

•Funds will be used to pay an artist a $500.00 honorarium to teach their workshop. If there are multiple artists teaching a workshop the $500.00 honorarium will be divided between the artists. 

Materials $200

•The artist(s) leading a workshop will receive $200.00 for materials.

Location/Space $200

•$200.00 of the funds will be used for the artist(s) to rent a space to teach their workshops.

*Funds will be reallocated to support additional workshops if the location/space is provided at no cost or if the course is delivered online. 

Food $100

•$100.00 of the funds will be used by the artist(s) teaching their workshops to buy healthy food and refreshments for the workshop taught.

*30 days before artist the Artist(s) purposed workshop, the artist(s) will receive funds for materials $200.00, renting Location/Space $200.00, and food $100.00. Total $500.00.

**Upon completion of the workshop, the artist(s) will send the project organizer at QOSGEProject@outlook.com photos and/or video documentation from the workshop, along with receipts/invoices for (materials/food/rented location/space, then the Artist(s) will receive the honorarium. All workshops need to be completed between Oct 1, 2025 - May 15, 2026.

***Artist(s) will have two weeks after the completion of their workshop to send documentation & receipts/invoices to the project organizer at QOSGEProject@outlook.com to receive the honorarium.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Sep 1, 2025: Proposal deadline

• Sep 3, 2025: Proposals Reviewed

• Sep 30, 2025: Artist Notified of Approved Proposals

*Due our small staff only selected artist/artist team's approved proposals will be notified. We thank you for understanding.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrJbTK2yjxNBTRYVNrWLGedF7VbmYX9mmQ5R3p2p3qC8_H1w/viewform

FICTION / NONFICTION — JULY 2025

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: RECOMMENDED READING

Electric Literature

DEADLINE: July 6, 2025 (or when they receive 750 submissions)

INFO: Recommended Reading publishes fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Simultaneous submissions are accepted but please notify us immediately if a piece is accepted elsewhere. Work previously published in any form cannot be considered.

Response time is six to eight months.

COMPENSATION: Upon acceptance, we can offer authors $300 for publishing rights.

GUIDELINES: During the general submissions periods, writers may submit one piece per period. (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 a member or reach out to wynter@electricliterature.com.)

Writers with a submission pending with The Commuter can still submit to Recommended Reading.

Please do not submit a story already previously rejected by Electric Literature, even if the story has been revised (unless you've been invited to do so by an EL editor).

electricliterature.submittable.com/submit

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Ruby Creatives In Residence Program

The Ruby

DEADLINE: July 8, 2025

INFO: The Ruby is a collective of creative women, trans women, femmes, and nonbinary people that values empathy and education. Our Creatives in Residence (CIR) program supports QT BIPOC Bay Area creatives with 10 fully-funded year-long memberships.

Our Creatives in Residence Program is designed to offer creatives the opportunity to immerse themselves in a supportive environment and create new work while interacting with the Ruby community. Our program is open to creatives working in all disciplines, including visual arts, music, literature, performing arts, journalism, and more. In addition, we welcome applications from arts educators, oral historians, cultural workers, food and drink-based artisans, community organizers, and other changemakers.

As a Creative in Residence, you will have access to our community workspace and resources from September 15, 2025 - September 15, 2026. You will also have the opportunity to engage with Ruby community members through workshops, readings, community meals, and other events.

The program is open to both emerging and established creatives.

GENERAL CREATIVES IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM:

We are excited to offer 5 CIR opportunities to LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC individuals who would not otherwise be able to afford a Ruby membership. These are year-long Full Ruby memberships that will span a year, from September 15, 2025 - September 15, 2026.

SPECIALIZED CRATIVES IN RESIDENCE OPPORTUNITIES:

We also have several specialized creatives in residence opportunities available for those with financial need who would benefit from a Ruby membership. These are also year-long Ruby memberships spanning from September 15, 2025 - September 15, 2026.

• The Dorothea Gertrude Flynn CIR Opportunity will be given to a recipient who was the first in their family to enroll in higher education. Dorothea Gertrude Flynn was born in 1917. She had planned to attend Barnard College (Columbia did not accept women at the time) and dreamed of a becoming a writer—specifically, a journalist. After her mother died in childbirth and her father subsequently lost everything in the Depression, she was no longer able to afford college, and never attended. She was always a passionate advocate for education for women, and would have been thrilled by the community of writers and creatives here at the Ruby. This is a full, one-year membership to The Ruby.
  
  The Leonore Peyser Davis CIR Opportunity will be given to a musician or music writer with financial need. Leonore Peyser Davis was a devotee of all the arts, and music, especially opera, which was something she adored. This CIR opportunity celebrates her passion for music and is dedicated to cultivating emerging voices in the field. This is a full, one-year membership to The Ruby.

• The Rachel Khong CIR Opportunity will be given to a LGBTQ+ and/or POC fiction writer with financial need working on their first novel. Rachel Khong is a San Francisco-based writer and the founder of The Ruby. Rachel worked tirelessly to provide a collaborative, safe space for women and non-binary people to pursue their goals and creative work in community with others. This CIR will join the Ruby for a year as a full member and as a welcome contributor to the mutually affirming community that Rachel built.

• The So-Youn Kim CIR Opportunity will be given to an emerging Bay Area LGBTQ+ and/or POC writer tackling topics relating to social justice. So-Youn Kim was a writer and activist, tackled the injustices she saw all around her. She was passionate about advocating for women and girls, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color. She loved deeply and recklessly, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who met her. A San Francisco native, she died at the age of 23 in 2009, while serving with the Peace Corps in Morocco. The So-Youn Kim Creative in Residence opportunity celebrates her life and creativity. In addition to a year-long community membership at the Ruby, the CIR will be able to contribute to a chapbook, housed in the Ruby library, that includes writings from So-Youn and prior So-Youn Kim Creatives in Residence.

• The Tillie Olson CIR Opportunity will be given to a creative over the age of fifty with financial need. Tillie Olson was a Bay Area-based writer and labor organizer who stopped writing for thirty years because of financial issues before publishing her seminal work, Silences, at 66. Her interest in long-neglected women authors inspired the development of academic programs in women’s studies. This is a full, one-year membership to The Ruby.

CREATIVES IN RESIDENCE VALUES:

The Ruby Creatives in Residence program extends and expands on The Ruby’s values for collective support and collaboration for artists and creatives.  In applying to this program, we expect alignment with the below values:

• Collective Support and Care: Creatives in residence, as all Ruby members, are expected to contribute time and care to the Ruby. Each member is expected to contribute approximately 3 hours monthly to the community. This may include organizing opportunities for members to gather, staffing the front desk, supporting an event, or mentoring and supporting other members of the collective.

• Dedication to work: Creatives in residence are expected to use the provided communal space for working and showcasing on their art and creative projects.

• Respect for the community: Creatives in residence are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner towards other community members. They should treat the space and resources with care and be mindful of the impact their work may have on the community.

• Active participation: As the crux of our work is collective support and community empowerment, creatives in residence are expected to participate actively in workshops, exhibitions, events, and, like all members of our community, contribute time in support of community stewardship of our space.

Overall, artists in residence of a creative collective are expected to be collaborative, dedicated, respectful, and active. In exchange, they will have access to a supportive and inspiring environment to create new work, develop their skills, and build connections with other creatives.

APPLICATION SEASON: We are seeking applicants who will regularly use The Ruby as a work space, who might make meaningful progress on their projects during the course of this year, share in our collective values, and who are in financial need. Creatives in residence, as all Ruby members, are expected to contribute time and care to the Ruby. Each member is expected to contribute approximately 3 hours monthly to the community. This may include organizing opportunities for members to gather, staffing the front desk, supporting an event, or mentoring and supporting other members of the collective.

therubysf.com/creativesinresidence

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Spotify x JED Impact Award

The Black List / Spotify / JED

DEADLINE: July 8, 2025

INFO: The Spotify x JED Impact Award is a new initiative to identify five unpublished, novel-length manuscripts that elevate exceptional depictions of mental health in fiction.

AWARD: The selected recipients will receive a grant of $10k each and will maintain the rights to their manuscript. 

ELIGIBILITY: This initiative is open to unpublished manuscripts of all genres, but we particularly encourage submissions that normalize mental health experiences, challenge stereotypes, and showcase help-seeking and help-giving narratives.

As a part of the initiative, Spotify will cover up to 140 fee waivers for one month of free hosting and a free evaluation.

The Black List requires all submissions to have received at least one evaluation–for more information on this requirement, please see our Letter from the Founder. Once a manuscript has received an evaluation, it can be submitted to any number of partnerships at no additional cost.

When the submission period ends, The Black List will provide Spotify with a shortlist of outstanding manuscripts. 

Submissions for the Spotify x JED Impact Award: A Mental Health in Fiction Initiative are open until July 8, 2025.

For guides on mental health storytelling and writer self-care from JED, visit Spotify's resource hub.

REQUIREMENTS:

• You must post an original manuscript on www.blcklst.com, with at least one (1) evaluation and opt-in to the Program during the Submission Period. The Program is open to unpublished, novel-length manuscripts in all genres, but we particularly encourage submissions that normalize mental health experiences, challenge stereotypes, and showcase help-seeking and help-giving narratives. Submitted manuscripts must not be under contract elsewhere. For the avoidance of doubt, no feature, pilot, play, or musical submissions will be eligible for this Program. 

• You must agree to: (1) these Submission Requirements; (2) all terms relating to the Program posted on Black List’s website, which you should review and read in full; and (3) the Submission Agreement, which governs the submission of your material to Spotify and Black List. The Submission Agreement includes important, legally binding terms and conditions, including arbitration of any disputes, which you must read in full before accepting.

• If requested, you must submit (by a date determined by Spotify) the following materials, which are also governed by the Submission Agreement:

• Contact and other personal information; and

• Executed originals of the Submission Agreement.

• If selected by Spotify for the Program, as a condition of your participation, you must agree to Spotify’s terms of participation.

• You must be at least 18 years of age and not a minor in the state or country of your residence at time of submission.

• If the submitted materials are written by a team consisting of one or more writers: (i) each member of that writing team must comply with these Submission Requirements, including agreeing to the Submission Agreement described above; and (ii) all members of the writing team must opt-out of the Program if any other member becomes ineligible (including as a result of failing to timely agree to the Submission Agreement or failing to timely provide the materials listed above).

• The submitted materials must be wholly original to you and you must be the sole owner of all rights. The submitted materials must not in any way infringe upon the copyright of any person or entity or, to the best of your knowledge in the exercise of reasonable prudence, constitute libel, defamation or invasion of privacy or any other rights of any third party. You understand and agree that Black List will share any information that you provide in connection with the Program with Spotify.

blcklst.com/programs/spotify-x-jed-impact-award

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The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism

International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)

DEADLINE: July 13, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: Kari Howard loved stories that left readers feeling as though they had just met a new friend. Writers fortunate enough to work with her as their editor found themselves challenged to weave the music of everyday life and the passion of extraordinary love into the fabric of stories illuminating the most important issues of the day. Kari’s family and friends, together with the International Women’s Media Foundation, are honored to offer grants to support the narrative journalism she championed.

Grants will be for a maximum of $5,000. Applicants may be a print journalist or a print journalist leading a multi-media team. Projects reported and published in English anywhere in the world are eligible. All reporting and publishing must be completed within six months of the award of the grant. 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

• This opportunity is open to women and nonbinary journalists.

• Applicants may be freelance or staff print journalists and may apply individually or as part of a multi-format team.

• Professional journalism must be the applicant’s primary profession.

• Applicants must have three (3) or more years of professional journalism experience. Internships do not count as professional experience.

• Applicants must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets. 

• Applicants must apply and publish in English. 

• Any multi-format reporting must supplement a printed project.

• Please note that stories can be published digitally and not necessarily in a newspaper or magazine. 

Applicants will receive a decision on their applications by early September.

iwmf.submittable.com/submit/2801c7e6-dca3-45d1-b4dc-80769ce25ce5/the-kari-howard-fund-for-narrative-journalism-2025

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BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest

Avid Reader Press (Simon & Schuster)

DEADLINE: July 14, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, is pleased to announce the launch of the fourth BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest. The aim of the contest is to facilitate access to the publishing process for writers from underrepresented groups, and to celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation strives for progress, Avid Reader Press and Simon & Schuster aim to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us.

The BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest is rotated among Simon & Schuster’s other adult imprints. Previous contests have been administered by the Atria Books, Gallery Books, and Simon & Schuster imprints.

A two-week submission period will begin at 12:00:00 AM ET Monday, June 30, 2025 and end at 11:59:59 PM ET Monday, July 14, 2025. At that time, writers are invited and encouraged to submit twenty-five pages of an original adult novel using the online form below. The publisher welcomes inclusive, entertaining, and groundbreaking reads with expert pacing, depth as well as heart, and irresistible characters who leap from the page. At the end of the submission period, the editorial, marketing, and publicity team at Avid Reader Press will review all submissions for originality, relevance to today’s publishing climate, and writing quality. In November 2025, the author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Avid Reader Press.

FAQs:

Will the winner receive a book deal?

The winner will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC

 Will the winner be paired with a literary agent?

The winner will be provided a list of literary agents who have expressed interest in representation to choose from. The winner is also welcome to search for an agent on their own. Our intention is to allow the winner the option of signing with an agent of their choice.

Can I submit my young adult novel?

We are only accepting adult fiction.

Can I submit my novel in another language, other than English?

The submission must be in English.

If I am a writer who isn’t 18, can I still enter?

Participants must be at least 18 years of age.

Are you accepting submissions from international writers?

No, the contest is open only to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. 

What if I have previously self-published my manuscript?

Self-published manuscripts are not eligible at this time.

If I submitted last year, can I resubmit?

Yes! If you previously participated in the BOOKS LIKE US contest, you’re welcome to enter again provided the manuscript was never published by any third party or self-published, and otherwise complies with the Guidelines and Restrictions in the Official Rules.

Must my 25-page submission be the opening pages from a completed manuscript?

Yes, that’s correct. Semifinalists will be notified on or about September 29, 2025, and will have one week from notification to submit their final manuscript. For that reason, we recommend that entrants fine-tune their completed manuscripts prior to September.

simonandschuster.com/p/avid-first-novel

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KYOTO RETREAT

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $95

INFO: The Kyoto Retreat is a new program created by Japan-based, independent curator Dexter Wimberly. The Kyoto Retreat offers artists, curators, and writers, based anywhere in the world, an opportunity to spend four weeks in Kyoto, Japan, for research, exploration, and inspiration. If selected for the retreat, you will receive a roundtrip flight, a private bedroom, and $800 USD to supplement meals and local transportation.

We select artists, curators, and writers at all career stages, working in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, interdisciplinary, and social practice. Individuals must be over 21 years old to apply.

The inaugural Kyoto Retreat will take place from October 16 - November 13, 2025. Individuals selected for the retreat will be notified by August 15, 2025.

A 4-WEEK EXPERIENCE:

We select artists, curators, and writers at all career stages, working in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, interdisciplinary, and social practice. Individuals must be over 21 years old to apply. Our application requires you to submit a CV or resume, a brief statement about your creative interests and a description of how you anticipate using the time if selected for The Kyoto Retreat. You can also provide up to 10 work samples.

• For artists, Kyoto's temples and shrines, such as the golden splendor of Kinkaku-ji and the serene rock gardens of Ryoan-ji, provide a gateway into traditional Japanese aesthetics. The interplay of light and shadow in these sacred spaces, alongside the intricate details of wooden architecture and ornate carvings, can ignite a profound creative spark.

• Curators will find Kyoto's preservation of heritage arts—like tea ceremonies, ikebana (flower arranging), and Noh theater—a living museum that transcends time. The city's numerous galleries and artisan workshops showcase both classical crafts and contemporary art, offering a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of Japanese artistry.

• For writers, Kyoto's tranquil gardens and winding cobblestone streets evoke narratives waiting to be penned. The changing hues of autumn during October and November paint the city in vibrant reds and golds, providing a stunning backdrop for contemplation and storytelling. Walking through the bamboo groves of Arashiyama or along the philosopher's path can stir reflections on nature, philosophy, and the human experience.

kyotoretreat.com

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BOLT CUTTERS COHORT

Unicorn Authors Club

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025

INFO: Bolt Cutters Cohort is a six-week program for authors who have been incarcerated, jailed, or detained by ICE

Authors who have served time inside prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers have vital stories to share. If you’re a system-impacted writer, the Bolt Cutters Cohort is here to support you to further your writing project. This program is fully funded for all accepted participants.

The program will run from September 15 to October 31, 2025.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

I - Interactive Cohort Gatherings

Learn from writers who share expertise, offer generative writing prompts, discuss assigned readings, and answer your questions.

Tuesday, September 16, Tuesday, October 7, and Tuesday, October 28, 5-6:30 pm Pacific.

II - Café Unicorn

Write your book in facilitated co-writing sessions, with supportive prompts and check-in circles.

Friday, September 26 and Friday, October 17, 12-1:30 pm Pacific.

III - Solve Your Story Group Coaching

Brainstorm with peers and a coach to get real-time help with your book’s problems.

Thursday, October 9, 5-6 pm Pacific.

IV - Private Unicorn Clubhouse

Chat with other cohort members online and use our curated toolkit of resources for every stage of the writing process.

Available 24/7.

ELIGIBILITY: We invite applications from people who have been held in an immigration detention center or incarcerated/jailed in the United States prison industrial complex in the past. (This program is not set up to be accessible to currently incarcerated folks.)

All genders are welcome. Strong priority will be given to applicants who are Black, Indigenous, Latine, or a person of color; or white allies with a track record of racial justice work.

The cohort supports works of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and graphic storytelling. This can include, but is not limited to, projects about your experience of the carceral system; stories of communities establishing and using power through organizing and activism; and works of imagination that help diversify the literary world.

You are welcome to work on books; shorter pieces such as a chapter, autobiographical statement, article, essay, op-ed, short story, artist bio, or artist statement; or just establishing a daily word count.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

This is an intensive program, and we seek writers who can commit to all parts of it. Please review the list below and make sure this program is a good fit for you:

• Commitment to attend all cohort gatherings (see schedule above).

• Capacity to dedicate a minimum of 4 hours per week to your writing project.

• Access to stable internet, a place where you are able to work, and a computer.

• Ability to use Zoom, respond promptly to cohort emails, navigate an online forum, and ask for tech assistance if you need it.

• Commitment to complete evaluation surveys about the program at the end.

All sessions are live online via Zoom and include auto-captioning. For security purposes, Bolt Cutters Cohort sessions will not be available via recording. We are committed to maintaining the privacy of all applicants and members. If your carceral record or immigration status involves special considerations, please let us know, and we will work with you to build a safe environment where you can create your narrative without fear of repercussions, up to and including maintaining anonymity.

Please reach out to boltcutters@unicornauthors.club for any safety or accessibility concerns.

unicornauthors.club/bolt-cutters/

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2026 artist residency

Marble House Project

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025

INFO: Marble House Project is a multidisciplinary artist residency program that fosters collaboration and the exchange of ideas, by providing an environment for artists across disciplines to live and work together. The residency is dedicated to ecological principles and integrates sustainable practices, including small-scale organic food production and waste conservation. Residents sustain their growth by engaging with the grounds while working on their artistic practice. Marble House Project is founded on the belief that the act of creating, whether in the studio or in nature, is how human potential expands and community thrives.

Marble House Project accepts approximately 60 residents and is open to artists living in the United States and abroad. You must be at least 21 years old.   Each session accommodates eight artists and is specifically curated to bring together a diverse group of creative workers, to maximize potential for collaboration and dialogue while in residence and beyond. 

RESIDENCY DATES FOR 2026:

• April 21 - May 12

• May 19 - June 9

• June 30 - July 14   (ecology residency) 

• September 29 - October 20

ABOUT:

All residents live together in the historic, eight-bedroom Manley-Lefevre house, a communal space organized around responsibilities-sharing systems which highlight sustainability and community. The residency is an opportunity to develop and carry out practices of mutual support, group conversation, and to cultivate adaptive relationships with the environment. This can take the form of discussions with guest multidisciplinary artists, thinkers, and activists and other individual and group activities that benefit our community of residents.

Residents will be paired and asked to cook for shared dinners at least three times over the course of their residency, Monday-Friday. . Each session culminates with a short video interview and artists are invited to publicly share their work with our community and each other. Marble House Project provides private bedrooms, food, private studio space, and artist support. We are not able to cover costs related to travel or materials. There is no fee to attend the residency.

Applications are accepted in all creative fields including but not limited to writing, dance and choreography, performance, music composition and sound, film and video, visual arts, and culinary arts. Applications are reviewed by a jury of alumni and staff. Artists are selected based on quality of work, commitment to practice, and project description. Please choose the application that best describes your work. Two artists may apply together as a collaborative, and should complete one application. Within each application you will be asked to select the session dates best for you. 

If you are applying to the ecology residency you must have a project that aligns with this theme.  You may also apply to the other residency sessions as well.

Marble House Project does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. For exact dates, more information or questions about the residency, visit our FAQ page. If you still have questions you may   contact info@marblehouseproject.org. 

Personal information is not shared with our jury and will remain confidential. This includes email, home address, phone number and any information regarding your family, anything else you would need to tell us and how you heard about Marble House Project. Please remove this information from your resume. All of our outreach questions also remain confidential and blind to our jury.  

marblehouseproject.submittable.com/submit

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U.S. Writers Aid Initiative

PEN America

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025

INFO: PEN America is an organization of writers and their allies, and that solidarity is never more important than when members of our literary community face crises. PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative, part of the PEN America Writers Emergency Fund, offers grants for writers in the United States facing acute financial need following an emergency situation.

The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, translators, and journalists in addressing short-term financial emergencies. To be eligible, applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. The fund is limited, and not every application can be supported. Grant decisions are made on a quarterly basis by a volunteer committee of literary peers in consultation with PEN America staff, using the following guidelines to evaluate professional credentials:

• Publication of one or more books. (Writers who are only self-published or published by a press that charges for publication are not eligible.)

• Multiple essays, short stories, or poems appearing in literary anthologies or literary journals (either online or in print) in the last two years.

• A full-length play, performed in a theater by a professional theater company. Productions in academic settings qualify if the author is not a student at the time of the production.

• Employment as a full-time professional journalist, columnist, or critic, or a record of consistent publication on a freelance basis in a range of outlets during the last two years.

• Contracted forthcoming books, essays, short stories, poems, or articles for which the name of the publisher can be provided.

• Other qualifications that support the applicant’s professional identity as a writer.

The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is not intended to subsidize writing-related expenses, such as residencies, sabbaticals, computers, printing, shipping, travel, or publicity services. Applications received on or before the following quarterly deadlines will be reviewed before the last day of that month.

pen.org/us-writers-aid-initiative/

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The 2025 Adrift Short Story Contest

Driftwood Press

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $30 (each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press fiction title of their choosing in the mail).

GUIDELINES:

• Fiction only.

• 1,000-6,000 word limit.

• A standard, 12-point font is preferred. 

• The work must not have been previously published.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but
  please withdraw the work if the story has been
  accepted elsewhere.

• Submit works written in English only, no translations.

• Please submit your manuscript in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.

• We read submissions blind, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself. 

​TIMELINE:

• The winner will be announced in November 2025.

• The winning short story will be published in the 2027 anthology.

​AWARDS: ​​

• The winner will receive $500 dollars and five copies of the anthology in which the story appears. The winner will also have the opportunity to be interviewed about their work; the interview will be published alongside the story.

• If a runner-up is chosen, their work will be offered publication, an accompanying interview, $200, and five copies of the issue in which their work appears.

GUEST JUDGE: Kelly Link is the author of The Book of Love, a national bestseller that was longlisted for The Center for Fiction Fiction First Novel Prize; White Cat, Black Dog, a finalist for The Kirkus Prize; Get in Trouble, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction; Magic for Beginners; Stranger Things Happen; and Pretty Monsters. Her short stories have been published in The Best American Short Stories and Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards. She is a MacArthur “Genius” fellow and has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. She is the co-founder of Small Beer Press and co-edits the occasional zine Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. She is also the co-owner of Book Moon, an independent bookstore in Easthampton, Massachusetts.

driftwoodpress.com/adriftstorycontest

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call for submissions: MER 24: “Mother & Family”

MER

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $3 fee for each poetry submission (of up to 3 poems), nonfiction/creative prose submission, art, and fiction or cross-genre submission (up to 1000 words total—can be several short pieces that total under 1000 words).

INFO: Often, as mothers, we are the nuclei of families—of the legacies, obligations, and stories that orbit around us. Family of heritage, family of birth, family of choice, our greater human family: our families can be sources of support, of exhaustion, of love, of pain.  Our families can pass down to us lore or trauma. For MER 24, we are exploring poems, fiction, and creative prose works that address our role as mother in these unwieldy units, how we embroider with and untangle these familial threads that can heal or hinder. Send us your poems, your family recipes, your generational myths, your memories that you’ve borne, your visions for the future.

Please read our print journal and online quarterly: http://merliterary.com

We publish poetry (up to 3 poems, no more than 5 pages), and fiction, creative prose/nonfiction, and hybrid works (up to 1000 words) on mothering or motherhood. We also seek mother-themed art. You need not be a mother to submit. Our calendar conforms to Eastern Time.

Submit work that has not been previously published online or in print. Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please let us know promptly if your submission is accepted elsewhere, by using your Submittable.com account to add a note to your submission telling us which titles are no longer available for consideration.

Submissions will be considered for the print issue and for MER Online on our website unless you specify that you are only submitting for one or the other. If you have previously submitted to MER online or print, we request that you submit work other than that previously submitted.

PLEASE NOTE: If your work was included in the Mom Egg Review Vol. 23, please wait until next year to submit in the same genre to our print issue. You may submit in a different genre. If you submit work in the genre previously published, it will be considered for online publication only. 

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

• Cover letter: Please include the title(s) of each individual work in the submission and a brief (50-75 word) third person bio. 

• Submit your work in one document named "Last name, First name, Genre."  We strongly prefer .doc, docx, .txt, or .rtf. If your work requires a pdf, please email us at mersubmissions@gmail.com and attach the pdf. 

• Poetry: Please submit up to 3 poems in a single word or text document of no more than 6 pages with the file name Last name, First name, Poetry. Please number your pages and start each poem on a separate page. Important: Please left justify your poem without indenting and single space your poem unless indenting or extra spacing is an integral part of the poem. 

• Creative Prose, Fiction, Cross-genre: Please submit one piece up to 1000 words, or several short-short pieces that total fewer than 1000 words in all, in a single word or text document with the file name Last name, First name, Genre. Please double space, number your pages, and put title of the submission (but not your name) on top of each page.

• Visual Art: Please submit up to four works of art (drawings, paintings, photos, etc.) that relate to mothers or motherhood, in a .jpg file at 300 dpi. (MER cover is color; interior art is black and white. If your art is selected, we will request a larger file.

SCHOLARSHIP SUBMISSIONS: We have a limited number of submission scholarships available. If the submissions fee is a hardship, you may submit during the "Early Bird" period or email us at MERsubmissions @gmail.com with your submission, cover letter and bio. Please put “Scholarship Application” as subject line.

CONTACT: MERsubmissions@gmail.com (Please be sure to add this address to your email program so that you can receive correspondence from us). We will add all submitters to our mailing list (we send a bimonthly newsletter) but you may unsubscribe if you wish.

themomegg.submittable.com/Submit

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FSG Writer’s Fellowship 

Farrar, Straus and Giroux 

DEADLINE: July 18, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: The FSG Writer’s Fellowship is a program designed to give an emerging writer from an underrepresented community additional resources to build a life around writing: funding, editorial guidance, and advice on how to forge a writing career. It offers the unique opportunity for a writer to spend time with and enjoy the support and mentorship of the FSG community. The fellowship celebrates the spirit of the FSG list and its commitment to invention, curiosity, and extending the limits of literature.

TIMELINE: 

• The Fellowship runs from January to December 2026

• The application period begins on June 16, 2025, and ends 11:59 PM EST, July 18, 2025

• The five finalists will be interviewed in November 2025

• The Fellowship winner will be announced in December 2025

• The Fellowship begins January 6, 2026

THE FELLOWSHIP AWARD:

• $15,000 paid over two installments: half paid at the start of the Fellowship program, half paid in June 2026

• Mentorship with an FSG house author

• Guidance from two in-house editors, who will offer line and structural feedback on the fellow’s work throughout the year 

• Opportunities for meet-and-greets with representatives from other departments – including Publicity/Marketing, Art, Subsidiary Rights, and Managing Editorial – to discuss their areas of expertise, answer questions, and help build a broader understanding of the publishing business 

• Support with networking beyond FSG

• The Fellow and finalists will receive a collection of FSG classics.

• The Fellow agrees to offer to FSG the Fellow’s first book-length work before submitting to, or soliciting offers from, any other publisher.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must submit:

• A sample of work—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—aimed at an adult audience

  • For fiction and nonfiction, the sample must be between forty and fifty double spaced pages

  • For poetry, the sample must be eight to twelve pages

  • The sample can include previously published work and does not need to be from a single section of the work

• A Statement of Purpose of no more than 500 words

Please note: The applicant’s name and contact information must not be anywhere on the writing sample or the Statement of Purpose—this includes within the uploaded file name.

ELIGIBILITY:

• The applicant must not have published a book-length work in any genre, have a book under contract, or be negotiating a contract either in the United States or abroad by the time the fellowship begins. Having published short poetry chapbooks will not exclude an applicant from eligibility

• Applicants must submit in only one category (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry)

• The applicant must be a U.S. Permanent Resident (green card) or U.S. Citizen

• There are no experience, degree credentials, or location requirements. This fellowship will take place remotely

• The applicant should be writing for an adult audience in the English language

• The applicant must be over 18 years of age

• The applicant cannot be an employee or family member of an employee of FSG or any other Macmillan affiliate

• The applicant may not use generative AI or work from AI-generated text for their samples and statements

fsgfellowship.com

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Summer 2025 Special Digi Issue

The African American Folklorist

DEADLINE: July 25, 2025

INFO: The African American Folklorist is now accepting submissions for our Summer 2025 Special Digi Issue.

This issue is a tribute to the deep-rooted and evolving relationships that Black communities have with the land, environment, and agrarian practices—exploring stories of conservation, environmental justice, food sovereignty, ancestral land stewardship, and sustainable futures.

SUBMISSION TOPICS:

1. Reclaiming the Soil: Black Land Rematriation and Stewardship

• Stories of reclaiming land, from legal battles to collective purchases.

• How families and communities are restoring ancestral connections through landownership.

• The spiritual and cultural significance of land in Black traditions.

2. Building from the Ground Up: Infrastructure, Enterprise, and Black Agrarian Futures

• Narratives of creating farms, businesses, co-ops, and sustainable agricultural enterprises.

• How Black-led food systems support economic independence and community resilience.

• Challenges and triumphs in developing sustainable infrastructure.

3. Blues and the Land: Music, Culture, and Agrarian Legacies

• The role of blues, field songs, and other musical traditions in Black agrarian life.

• How land and labor shaped the sound and stories of Black musical heritage.

• Blues as a form of resistance, storytelling, and cultural preservation.

4. Lessons in Black Cultural Maintenance: Keeping Traditions Alive

• How Black farmers, gardeners, and land stewards preserve cultural knowledge.

• The intersection of herbal medicine, spiritual practices, and agriculture.

• How oral traditions shape ecological practices and land-based storytelling.

5. Food, Memory, and Liberation: Cultivating Ancestral Wisdom

• How food traditions connect to Black ecological knowledge and resilience.

• The role of food sovereignty in Black liberation movements.

• Recipes, rituals, and farming practices that sustain cultural identity.

6. Music, the Land, and Black Social Spaces: 

• How have the sounds of the blues, gospel, and other Black musical traditions been shaped by the experiences of Black farmers, sharecroppers, and land stewards? 

• How do juke joints and social clubs reflect the rhythms of agrarian life?

We invite you to contribute your:

• Essays and articles

• Visual art and photography

• Oral histories and interviews

• Poetry and creative writing

• Documented traditions or community stories

• Multimedia submissions

Together, let’s uplift the narratives, memories, practices, and visions that continue to shape Black relationships to land, environment, and legacy.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKa4JBjsHWbAeQU_Q7y96_ByfRdUOZPhTiSWz4cPriuuejYA/viewform

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CALL FOR work exploring disability and neurodivergence

Ave Astra

DEADLINE: July 25, 2025

INFO: Ave Astra, an organization dedicated to discovering disability and neurodivergent culture through a fresh perspective, is now accepting submissions for our inaugural digital magazine issue.

We invite contributions that challenge established narratives and bring forward perspectives that deepen and complicate our understanding of disability and neurodivergence. Through essays, personal reflections, poetry, visual art, and research, your unique perspective becomes a vital force in driving precise and thoughtful dialogue.

By sharing your work, you actively shape conversations grounded in rigor, depth, and authenticity. Together, we build a platform that respects the complexity of disability and neurodivergent experiences, ensuring every contribution sharpens the collective discourse.

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS:

• Articles & Essays - Personal reflections, opinion pieces, research summaries, interviews, or cultural commentary (typically 800–1,500 words).

• Creative Writing - Stories, poems, or other literary works that engage with meaningful themes, evoke emotion, and offer fresh perspectives.

• Art & Photography - Original artwork, sculptures, illustrations, or photography that explore compelling themes, emotions, and perspectives through creative expression.

• Other Media - Multimedia projects, audio, or video pieces may be considered—please contact us prior to submission.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Ownership and Publication - We accept original work created by you. Submissions previously published elsewhere are welcome, provided you have the rights to share them on our platform. Please verify any restrictions from prior publishers or platforms before submitting.

• Format Requirements:

  • Text submissions: Word document (.doc/.docx) or Google Doc preferred.

  • Images: High-resolution JPEG or PNG files. Please include captions or descriptive text to ensure accessibility.

  • Accessibility: We encourage clear, straightforward language and recommend avoiding jargon to make your work accessible to a broad audience.

• Respectful Content - We seek thoughtful, respectful contributions that foster understanding and inclusivity. Content promoting harm, discrimination, or exclusion will not be accepted.

• Permissions - If your submission includes work by others, please ensure you have the appropriate rights and permissions to share it.

ave-astra.org/#submit

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call for submissions: 2025 Community Anthologies

Seventh Wave

DEADLINE: July 27, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $7

INFO: Seventh Waves’ 2025 Community Anthologies — curated by our editors-in-chief Naomi Day, Sanam Sheriff, Emilio Carrero, K-Ming Chang + Hairol Ma, and Jody Chan + Noa Sanders — are now open for submissions. 

Prior to submitting, please ensure that you have read about this program in full here, as well as visited our FAQ page here. To call out a few key details:

• Five 2025 Community Anthologies. There are 5 Community Anthologies open for submission, each of which is curated and edited by a different editor-in-chief. Seventh Wave selected our seven 2025 Editors-in-Chief through an application process in March 2025, and our EICs — named above — were selected based on the anthology topic they wished to curate in the world. 

• Each Community Anthology focuses on a different topic. Our five 2025 Community Anthologies are On Separation, On Liminality, On Collapse, On Girlhood, and On Repetition. Read the calls in full here. Each Community Anthology has its own call/topic for submission, but there is only 1 submission form for all 5 (as you can only apply to one anthology per year). 

• Each EIC will be selecting 6-8 contributors. If you are one of the 6-8 contributors selected by the EIC you submit work to, please note that you will be working directly with that EIC from acceptance to publication. Seventh Wave will host orientation sessions for all accepted contributors in August, but you will then work on revisions with your EIC from September - November. Please note that 4 of our 5 anthologies (as indicated in the form), are open for submissions via a hybrid submission model.

• General guidelines. We only accept previously unpublished work; you may only submit to one Community Anthology per year (when you submit, you will be prompted to choose which anthology you are submitting work to); for prose pieces, we accept submissions up to 5,000 words; for poetry, we accept up to 4 poems; and for art, it depends on the project/form. Each anthology may also have specific requirements or guidelines, so please ensure you've read the calls in full here.

https://seventhwavemag.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR PAPERS: ‘PORTALS’

WSQ (Feminist Press)

DEADLINE: July 30, 2025

INFO: In the 2020 essay “The Pandemic is a Portal,” novelist and activist Arundhati Roy invites her readers to consider how the COVID-19 global pandemic, in all of its devastation—both immediate and lingering in impact—has operated as a portal through which we may discover and enter into new and different modes of relationality, for good and ill. Pandemics, Roy reflects, force “humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew.”

Responding to Roy’s appeal, this special issue represents a continued and collaborative effort—a portal in itself—to think, dream, agitate, and “con-spire” (we are interested in the practices of “breathing together” and gathering that are often misconstrued as malicious planning instead of defending our literal ability to breathe) to name the kinds of worlds we wish, and indeed need, to see come into being. We refuse to cede the future to those whose vision of it consists of ruin and annihilation, which is essentially no future at all. Like Arundhati Roy, we believe “another world is not only possible, she is on her way. . . . On a quiet day, if [we] listen very carefully, [we] can hear her breathing.”

We welcome submissions by, among others, political theorists, creatives, scholars of feminist studies, queer and transgender, and Black studies, creative writers, artists, and activists engaging the question of what it means to participate in constructing portals to elsewhere, bridges from this world to the next (along temporal, geographic, epistemic, institutional, political, and spiritual lines), and how portals can be throughways to either more or less habitable worlds. Future visioning, as we are thinking about it, does not mean ignoring the present or reneging on the healing work needed to repair the violence of the past and present. Instead, future work enables us to understand precisely how and why we must fight for the past and the present.

Arundhati Roy’s theorizations about portals have been borne out in myriad ways. For instance, workers across an array of sectors became more acutely aware of their perceived fungibility as the capitalist profit motive underwriting their workplaces placed them in closer proximity to dangerous spheres of risk. Workplace risk, danger, and death in Roy’s India looked like forty-six million people pushed out of multiple urban cores, walking toward rural family, starvation, and joblessness while bearing and collecting more sickness. During the pandemic’s portal time, the sick, the suffering, and the dying could not simply be abandoned and placed beyond the fortress of safety.

Roy’s descriptions of pandemic-era anti-Muslim lynchings and fugitives taking refuge in graveyards while heads of state worried over elections, state visits, and their public image as be trustworthy fathers of the nation are deliberately horrifying. Roy curated the linkage between personal protective equipment manufactured in India and sold to medical workers in the US by a government whose alleged nationalism prioritized their citizens. Portal time, explains Roy, exposed how the virus brought the world’s people closer together through shared viral vulnerabilities, while also yanking us farther apart because the response to the virus still followed some of the rules about global racial hierarchies.

The widespread exposure to vulnerability—the degree of which was further calibrated by one’s social location along lines of race, gender, and migrant status—engendered a collective consciousness that prompted a mass multiethnic, multigenerational labor exodus termed by researchers the “Great Resignation.” The pandemic also created an opening for societies and communities across the globe to generate and imagine novel ways of practicing collective responsibility, which in some sense represents a renewed commitment to care for one another. In both of these instances, the portals wedged open by both individuals and societies were about creating a path toward, perhaps, a more human-oriented world.

Conversely, some saw the pandemic as an opening to drawing deeper and more dangerous lines of differentiation between one’s own group or ideological commitments and others whose existence they deemed both contaminating and threatening. The discursive expressions of this form of portal-opening work are on display in a plethora of white/ethnic nationalist–inflected propaganda where entire groups of people are foully marked as “enemies,” “foreigners,” “interlopers,” “invaders,” or inferior subjects having stepped out of their place. The call in such statements is to construct a gateway to the future where any divergence from the norm of whiteness is equal to deficiency and deviance. Within this paradigm, “different” serves as a proxy for “dangerous,” and therefore as an element in need of expunging. This value-claim, of course, bears grave implications for the future, as well as for how we construct visions of and make sense of the past.

Submissions might reflect on the following questions: How do you conceptualize the notion of portal-work? What initiates a break from the present and the past? What pedagogical practices create possibilities for movement into the futures we want to live in? What do portals make perceivable? How might groups engage in collective acts of portal-work? In what ways can protest and movement building serve as portals? What must we take with us into the future? What must we leave behind as we envision new, more human-workable worlds / worlds worthy of us? What portals need to be sealed off, and who must we become in order to initiate such foreclosures? Is the project of opening up portals an insurgent act? How do individuals engage in portal work in quotidian ways?

Other topics may include but are not limited to:

• Physical conduits to elsewhere

• Feminist notions of futurity and future-making

• Trans futurities

• The portals engendered through world-making practices of collectivities

• Radical dreaming as constituting a portal

• Afro-futurist constructions of portals

• Disaster/catastrophe as a portal

• Spatial conduits to elsewhere

• Pedagogical practices that transport

• Borders and crossings as portals

• Water/flows as a conduit

• Protest as a portal

• Feminist ecological practices

• Authoritarianism as a dangerous throughway

• The body as a portal

• Sonic transportations to elsewhere

• The role of Spirit and ritual in portal work

• Eschatological elsewheres

• Literature as a gateway to the beyond

• Art as a portal

• Environmental justice work and climate change activism

• Fugitive modes of portal-work

• Poetics of portal time

• Pandemic poetry

• Indigenous theories, cultural practices, or imaginaries

• Engagements with physics

ISSUE EDITORS:

• DESIREÉ R. MELONAS, University of California, Riverside

• ZAHRA AHMED, St. Mary’s College of California

• TIFFANY WILLOUGHBY-HERARD, University of California, Irvine, and University of South Africa

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Scholarly articles should be submitted to WSQ.submittable.com. Upload one Word document that includes the anonymized, complete article. Directly in Submittable, not as an attachment, please write a cover page that includes the article title, abstract, keywords, and a short author bio. Remove all identifying authorial information from the file uploaded to Submittable. Scholarly submissions must not exceed 6,000 words (including un-embedded notes and works cited) and must comply with formatting guidelines at feministpress.org/submission-guidelines. For questions, email the guest issue editors at WSQEditorial@gmail.com.

• Artistic works (whose content relates clearly to the issue theme) such as creative prose (fiction, essay, memoir, and translation submissions between 2,000 and 2,500 words), poetry (3 poems maximum per submitter), and other forms of visual art or documentation of performative artistry should be submitted to WSQ.submittable.com. Note that creative submissions may be held for six months or longer. We do not accept work that has been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable if the editors are notified immediately of acceptance elsewhere. Visual artists are also asked to submit a document containing captions for all works (including title, date, and materials), an artist’s statement and a short bio, each 100 words or less. For questions, email the guest issue editors at WSQEditorial@gmail.com.

• For works that are difficult to categorize, including those that fall between academic articles and personal narratives or creative essays, please choose the hybrid works option on Submittable, and explain the nature of the work in your cover page. Please especially indicate whether the work requires academic peer review.

• All submitters please note that if your submission contains images (including images embedded into a larger article or essay) please include them as separate attachments of 300dpi or more. Please also include a short bio and current email address [all submitters, directly onto the Submittable form, not as an attachment] as well as an artist’s statement and image caption [visual artists] or an abstract and keywords [academic submissions].

ABOUT WSQ:

Since 1972, WSQ has been an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of emerging perspectives on women, gender, and sexuality. Its peer-reviewed interdisciplinary thematic issues focus on such topics as Open Call, Unbearable Being(s), Pandemonium, Nonbinary, State/Power, Black Love, Solidão, Asian Diasporas, Protest, Beauty, Precarious Work, At Sea, Solidarity, Queer Methods, Activisms, The Global and the Intimate, and Trans-, combining legal, queer, cultural, technological, and historical work to present the most exciting new scholarship, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, and visual arts on ideas that engage popular and academic readers alike. WSQ is edited by Shereen Inayatulla (York College, CUNY) and Andie Silva (York College and the Graduate Center, CUNY), and published by the Feminist Press at the City University of New York. Visit feministpress.org/wsq.

feministpress.org/current-call-for-papers

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‘The Next Big Story’ fiction contest

The Novelry

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

INFO: Have you got an idea for a big story? Bring your wildest dreams to life: enter our prize competition to find the next big story.

What do you need? Just 3 pages of pure imagination—the beginning of a work of fiction, the first 1,500 words of what could become a page-turning book. Eight shortlisted entries, chosen by our judges, will win The Finished Novel Course from The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school. Together, we’ll help you turn your winning idea into a publishing-ready book.

No experience necessary. We’re looking for people ready to write their golden ticket to the next chapter of life!

PRIZE: One winner will take home $100,000.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: Big ideas! From people from all walks of life. Everything good in this world begins with a dream. Storytelling, not fancy words. We want to hear your voice come through the words on the page. Imagine yourself at the fireside with friends, telling them a great story.

All you need to do, in three pages or less, is make us care about what happens next. The five prize-winning tips below will help you start writing the next big story. Give it a shot!

ABOUT THE JUDGES:

Our wise judges will be looking for a fresh voice in fiction and the beginnings of a gripping story. Keeping in mind the results of the public vote, they’re going to choose the winner from the shortlist and will have the final say on the prize winner!

• Tayari Jones

• Emma Roberts

• Julia Quinn

• Zibby Owens

• Yann Martel

• Zosia Mamet

• Carley Fortune

• Kimmy Nwokorie

• Jackie Oshry

• Brady Lockerby

thenovelry.com/prize

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AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program

AWP

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

INFO: The AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program matches emerging writers with established authors for a three-month series of modules on topics such as craft, revision, publishing, and the writing life. Mentors volunteer their time and receive a free one-year AWP individual membership as a token of appreciation. Writer to Writer is free of charge to mentees, though they must be AWP members to apply.

SEASON 22: This session will take place September 15–December 5, 2025.

MENTEES: The AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program is open to all AWP members who identify as emerging writers, but we particularly encourage applications from those writers who have never been associated with an MFA program, and those writing from regions, backgrounds, and cultures that are too often underrepresented in the literary world.

Season 22 begins on September 15, 2025, and will consist of six lightly structured modules over a three-month period, concluding on December 5. You and your mentor will make a commitment to the process—and to each other.

FAQs:

If I have already been a mentee with W2W, can I apply again?

While you are welcome to apply an unlimited number of times before being matched, we only allow individuals to participate in the program as a mentee once.* We receive a high volume of applications each season and do our best to match as many individuals as possible.

*In the case of extenuating circumstances such as personal or health issues, we make every effort to rematch mentees who must withdraw from the program. However, this is up to staff discretion and depends on the availability of volunteer mentors.

Can I submit in two different genres?

While we do allow multiple applications, please note that you can only be matched with a mentor once; so, if you have a strong preference for one genre over the other, we advise you to apply only in that genre. If you do choose to apply in multiple genres, please indicate that on your application.

Can I submit work that has already been published?

We encourage you to submit a writing sample that gives the best sense of who you are as a writer, and what you will be working on with your mentor. While you are welcome to submit a published piece you are proud of, we encourage you to submit a sample of your work in progress, particularly if you are seeking manuscript review.

How are mentees selected?

We take your interest in connecting with a mentor seriously. After our reviewers read all mentee applications, we send a selection of potential matches to our participating mentors, who ultimately choose their own mentee. They tend to choose mentees based on shared goals and interests, and whether they feel they can help that person at the stage they are in now. Our mentees come from all backgrounds and levels of experience; to ensure that we make the best possible matches this season, we ask that you be open and honest about your goals, your background, and where you are now with your writing.

Should you be chosen to participate, your mentor will review your writing, listen to your concerns, and help you work toward your writing goals. AWP’s membership team will also be there to support you, every step of the way.

awpwriter.secure-platform.com/applications/page/W2W/W2W_Mentees

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call for submissions: GODS AND MONSTERS

FIYAH Lit Mag

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

INFO: Beyond the fringes of our knowledge lie divine, sacred, and unknowable forces. When these beings cross over into our reality, we know them as gods and monsters. Do they notice us? Do they care for us? Will they save us from our frailty or lead us to oblivion? Do they live in the heavens, below the sea, or right next to you and me?

For this latest issue of FIYAH, bring us your oshira, your loa, your tricksters and beasts and creeping things. Do you fancy a storyteller like Anansi or an avenger like Godzilla? What prose and poetry sings to you from beyond the numinous veil?

Publisher and Exectutive Editor DaVaun Sanders is particularly interested in horror and science fiction with rich world building—but don’t let that stop you if your style is different! Some other tips include:

• Cosmic horror? Sign me up!

• Overly gruesome or gory elements are a tough sell.

While we love a good novelette, shorter stories are an easier sell, as we prefer to acquire two 7k word stories more often than one at 14k.

fiyahlitmag.com/submissions/

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THE SARABANDE OPEN: fiction / nonfiction

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

INFO: Each year during the month of July, Sarabande offers writers and translators the opportunity to get their manuscripts in front of our editors without the mediating factors of agents or judges. Providing direct access to writers is a core Sarabande value, rooted in our long-held belief that you, writers, know best what kind of work we're going to love. 

We can’t wait to read your full-length manuscripts of poetry, fiction, hybrid work, literary nonfiction, and literature in translation! 

ELIGIBILITY 

The Sarabande Open is open to manuscripts in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included. 

It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent titles below.This submission period is open to manuscripts in English. We recommended all those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS — FICTION + NONFICTION

• Submission form must include a cover letter with a brief author bio and acknowledgements of past publications.

• Manuscript must be anonymous.

• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt.

• Prose manuscripts should be between 150 and 250 standard, double-spaced pages. 

• Manuscript should be paginated consecutively with a table of contents.

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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THE SARABANDE OPEN: TRANSLATIONS

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

INFO: Sarabande is pleased to offer a fully open reading period for literary works in translation. 

ELIGIBILITY: Publication of a translated work is contingent upon the agreement to grant English language rights and other contractual terms. Sarabande reserves the right to reject any submitted manuscript or to withdraw a publication offer if contractual obligations are not met. We recommended all those who intend to submit a proposal familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find recent bilingual titles and works in translation here.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Translators wishing to submit a query should include:

• A one-page cover letter that that addresses the book’s cultural, historical, and artistic significance

• A brief biography of the poet and the translator, including previously published works

• A sample translation of at least 20 pages (more complete manuscripts are preferred, but not required

• A statement confirming that permission has been granted to the translator(s) for English translation and publication of the original text by the rights holder

• Submission of more than one proposal is permissible with separate reading fees. 

• Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted. We ask that you notify us immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Gaudy Boy Open Call for Novel Manuscripts

Gaudy Boy

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

INFO: Gaudy Boy, a New York City -based independent press that publishes poetry, fiction, and non-fiction by extraordinary Asian voices, is open to submissions of unpublished adult novels by authors of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. One or more selected manuscripts will be published in 2026 or 2027. Each author will receive book publication and an advance of USD1,500.

Please submit the first 30 pages of your novel manuscript and a cover letter to our Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Jee Leong Koh, at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org. We will contact you if we are interested to see more. Please do not submit your work unless you have a completed draft.

Established in 2017, Gaudy Boy is an imprint of the literary nonprofit, Singapore Unbound. A transnational literary organization based in New York City, Singapore Unbound envisions and works for a creative and fulfilling life for everyone through the arts and activism. Gaudy Boy has published novels such as Lovelier, Lonelier by Daryl Qilin Yam, whose writing has been shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize; Bengal Hound by Rahad Abir, which won the Georgia Author of the Year Award for Literary Fiction; and Memorial Club by Mozid Mahmud, a noted writer from Bangladesh. Gaudy Boy also publishes poetry and creative non-fiction, and offers an annual poetry prize.

GUIDELINES:

1.     The open call is open to emerging and established novelists of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world.

2.     No proof of Asian heritage is required. As writers ourselves, we go by honor between writers.

3.     The call is not open to AI-generated work.

4.     Manuscripts must not have been published anywhere in the world. Self-published manuscripts are not eligible.

5.     We are interested in adult fiction only. Translations of novels are eligible, so long as the translator has permission from the author to translate the work. Genre fiction (such as speculative or historical fiction) is welcome if it is written with a literary intent and style. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with our publication catalog before submitting: https://singaporeunbound.org/gaudyboy.

6.     Please submit the following to our Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Jee Leong Koh, at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org:

• The first 30 pages (double-spaced) of your novel manuscript as a PDF or Word document, with page numbers and using a standard 12-point font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial). Please indent every paragraph (the standard indentation is 0.5") and use the # symbol to indicate section breaks, if any. Do not send more than 30 pages; they will not be considered.

• A synopsis of your novel (maximum one-page, single-spaced) as a PDF or Word document.

• A cover letter (maximum 500 words) that describes your project, including word count, comparable titles (books that are similar to yours in theme, style or readership) and a short author biography. Please include the cover letter in the body of your email.

7.    Although we are asking for only 30 pages initially, please do not submit unless you have a completed draft of at least 50,000 words.

8.    Each writer may submit only one manuscript during this open call.

9.     You may submit the manuscript elsewhere simultaneously. Please let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/2025-gaudy-boy-open-call-for-novel-manuscripts

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Call for submissions: Yu & Me Zine

Yu & Me Books

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

INFO: Yu & Me Books in New York City is launching its first zine! They are now taking submissions if you would like for your work to be included.

The theme is…FRIENDSHIP!

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1. Must be submitted in store (drop off zine submissions at the check out counter)

2. 4x6 max size

3. Any artistic form accepted

4. If written, must be <500 words

5. Will be printed in B&W

6. Include how you want to be credited + your email (in your submission)

If your submission is selected, they will notify you via email to receive a final copy of the zine!

They are planning on finishing the zine in early fall and will let Yu all know when it is ready in store.

www.instagram.com

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Spring 2025 Story Contest

Narrative Mag

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm PT

ENTRY FEE: $27 (with your entry, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage).

INFO: Our spring contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

Narrative winners and finalists have gone on to win Whiting Awards,the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize, and the Atlantic prize, and have appeared in collections such as Best American Short Stories,Best American Nonrequired Reading, and many others. View the recent awards won by Narrative authors.

As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.

We welcome and look forward to reading your pages.

AWARDS:

• First Prize is $2,500

• Second Prize is $1,000

• Third Prize is $500

• Up to ten finalists will receive $100 each.

• All entries will be considered for publication.

JUDGING: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by August 31, 2025. All writers who enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. The judges reserve the option to declare ties and to designate and award only as many winners and/or finalists as are appropriate to the quality of contest entries and of work represented in the magazine.

narrativemagazine.com/spring-2025-story-contest

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CALL FOR MENTORS: Prison Writing Mentorship Program

PEN America

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

INFO: The PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program has been a pillar of the Prison and Justice Writing Program for nearly 50 years. Separated from the outside world, incarcerated writers face unique challenges to their emergence and careers as writers, journalists, and artists with valuable contributions.

The PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program aims to fill this gap by matching an incarcerated writer with a writer on the outside who has volunteered to read and respond to submitted work—a relationship similar to that of a writer and editor. The majority of mentees join the program through the annual PEN Prison Writing Awards, either as winners or by recommendation of the judging committee.

Through these pairings, writers receive feedback on new or existing work, support with crafting a writing practice and process, and, most importantly, a tether to literary communities outside prison walls. These exchanges are designed to be connective experiences, where reciprocal learning occurs between mentees and mentors. In this respect, the PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program aims for participants to:

• Celebrate Different Perspectives

• Develop a Writing Practice

• Strengthen Literary Craft

• Explore New Methods of Storytelling

• Foster Connections with Literary Landscape

LASTING IMPACT: The impact of the PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program often extends beyond the writing goals of its participants. Participating mentees who complete the correspondence cycle receive a certificate of completion. Previous participants have included this certificate—as well as other documentation of their work with PEN America—in dossiers for parole hearings.

The program also facilitates the cultivation of deep and enduring relationships between writers in prisons and those on the outside. These meaningful connections are honored through the annual PEN America/L’Engle Rahman Prize for Mentorship, which is named for the 10-year written friendship of the late acclaimed author Madeleine L’Engle and scholar, writer, and former Black Panther Party leader Ahmad Rahman. In his nomination essay, 2023 PEN America/L’Engle Rahman Prize winner Steven Perez writes about his impactful relationship with his mentor, Alison Harney:

MENTEES: The Prison and Justice Writing Program works with adult writers who are incarcerated in federal and state prisons, jails, and detention centers. Program participants are of all age groups, races, ethnicities, genders, ability, and educational backgrounds, and join a community of writers with diverse lived experiences and writing backgrounds. PEN America works with individuals regardless of the circumstances that led to their incarceration.

MENTORS: The community of volunteers involved in the PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program are writers and editors of all genres who have direct experience with teaching, conducting an editorial process, facilitating workshops, and/or have familiarity with the media, literary, and publishing landscapes. This program is not suited for high school and undergraduate students. Graduate students, in MFA programs or otherwise, are welcome to apply. Individuals with justice involvement are highly encouraged to submit a mentor application.

PAIRING PROCESS: Pairings are decided based on the experience, skills, and strengths of each mentee and mentor applicant. We also cross reference each mentee’s expressed goals and intentions from their onboarding survey to provide a supportive and enriching experience.

Due to the convoluted nature of sending mail to and from prison, as well as the increasing censorship practices and mail digitization, the PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program is generally limited to writers who are recipients of the PEN Prison Writing Awards. Mentor applicants who are not paired for the upcoming cohort, may apply next year for the 2026-2027 mentorship cycle, and are encouraged to register for Works of Justice—PJW’s newsletter-based content series—to learn about future opportunities.

Please note that this is not a pen pal program. We support and admire the important work of pen pal programs and encourage those who do not fit the above criteria, or who don’t receive a pairing, to pursue those opportunities which are critical to mitigating the impact of isolation on the millions of people incarcerated in the US. Some of our favorites areHuman Rights Pen Pals, Lifelines to Solitary, Black and Pink, pARTner project.

MENTOR ENGAGEMENT:

PEN America facilitates most correspondence between mentors and mentees, with the expectation that mentors respond to each mentee communication within three weeks. Mentors are expected to correspond with mentees throughout the 10-month cycle, but are welcome to continue beyond that.

Throughout the cycle, the Prison and Justice Writing Program team will also host a variety of community-based sessions for volunteers, including an orientation, webinars, and other learning opportunities.

2025-2026 TENTATIVE TIMELINE:

Below are key dates for the 2025-2026 mentorship cycle. Some of these dates, such as the orientation, are subject to change based on internal and participant scheduling.

• June 1 – July 31, 2025: Mentorship application open

• September 30, 2025: All mentor/mentee pairs confirmed

• October 7, 2025: Mentor Orientation (virtual)

• October 15, 2025: Correspondence cycle begins

• August 14, 2026: Correspondence cycle ends

pen.org/prison-and-justice-writing/mentoring-program/

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The Emerging Writer Fellowship in Hybrid Writing

Brink

DEADLINE: July 31, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship in Hybrid Writing offers editorial support, guidance, and mentorship to previously unpublished writers who demonstrate exceptional promise in hybrid and cross-genre writing. The fellow will work alongside the Brink design and editorial team to prepare their piece for publication. The virtual fellowship will take place over a period of four months in the fall and will provide the following: 

• One-on-one developmental editing alongside a Brink editor with an emphasis on developing the innovative hybrid aspects of the selected piece 

• Advice and guidance on career development via the submission and publication process

• Publication in a print issue of Brink, providing a significant and respected publication credit 

• Four copies of the journal issue in which the winning submission appears

GUIDELINES:

The fellowship is open to all writers and artists who identify their work as hybrid or cross-genre in nature or who are interested in the process of learning how to hybridize their work in a readable, creative manner. 

• Emerging writers who have not yet published a book-length collection are eligible.

• Writers with forthcoming books may enter if their first book is published after April 2025.

• Writers who have edited and published an anthology or a collection of other writers' works remain eligible.

• Submit up to 15 pages in one previously unpublished submission per entrant.

• All entries will be read anonymously. Before you submit, please remove your name and any other identifying information from your submission. We will contact you regarding your submission through Submittable, so please ensure your contact information is accurate.

• Family, colleagues, intimate friends, and contributors previously published in Brink Literary Journal are ineligible.

brink.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ISSUE 6 – "BEAUTY"

Spoken Black Girl Magazine

DEADLINE: August 1, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: Spoken Black Girl - a literary platform centering Black women, femmes, and gender-expansive voices - is seeking poetry, essays, short stories, and visual art for Issue 6: BEAUTY, exploring the intersections of mental health, self-discovery, and the radical redefinition of what it means to be beautiful.  

For Black women, femmes, and gender-expansive people, beauty has never been just skin deep—it is a practice, a protest, a homecoming. We want to hear how you’ve shed old narratives, embraced healing, and reclaimed beauty as an act of liberation.  

We’re looking for work that asks:  

• How has your relationship with beauty evolved through mental health struggles or breakthroughs?  

• In what ways has wellness—spiritual, emotional, physical—shaped your understanding of beauty?  

• How do you define beauty outside of oppressive standards?  

• What rituals, mantras, or radical acts help you embody self-love?  

• How has growth—painful or joyful—transformed your sense of worth?  

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:  

• Poetry: Up to 3 poems (max 5 pages total)  

• Prose (Essays/Short Stories): 500–2,000 words  

• Visual Art: High-resolution images (300 DPI) with a short artist statement  

• No AI generated submissions!

COMPENSATION: Accepted contributors will receive a $50 honorarium and a print copy of the issue.  

spokenblackgirl.com/submit

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Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

Prairie Schooner

DEADLINE: August 1, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $20 (includes a copy of the Spring 2025 issue of the Schooner in which the winning essay will appear)

INFO: Our annual summer nonfiction contest opens May 15th to all types of creative nonfiction essays up to 5,000 words.

PRIZE: The winner will receive $1,000 and publication in our Spring 2026 issue.

JUDGE: This year's guest judge is Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Aimee is the author of the New York Times best-selling illustrated collection of nature essays, WORLD OF WONDERS: IN PRAISE OF FIREFLIES, WHALE SHARKS, & OTHER ASTONISHMENTS, which was chosen as Barnes and Noble’s Book of the Year and named a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. She also wrote four previous poetry collections: OCEANIC, LUCKY FISH, AT THE DRIVE-IN VOLCANO, and MIRACLE FRUIT. With the poet Ross Gay, she co-authored the chapbook LACE & PYRITE, a collaboration of epistolary garden poems. Her writing appears twice in the Best American Poetry Series, The New York Times Magazine, ESPN, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, and The Paris Review.

GUIDELINES:

Entries must include:

• Cover Letter: In the cover letter, include the submission's title and your contact information, including e-mail address, phone number, and mailing address. Your name and contact info must not appear anywhere within the manuscript itself (double-check headers and footers!).

• Essay Manuscript: The contest is open to all types of creative nonfiction essays up to 5,000 words. We're interested in reading imaginative essays of general interest. (Scholarly articles requiring footnote references should be submitted to journals of literary scholarship.) Manuscripts should be double-spaced and use a standard font, and, again, the submitter's name and contact info should not appear within the manuscript itself.

Multiple submissions are welcome and encouraged, but a separate entry fee must accompany each submission. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, provided you withdraw your work promptly should it be accepted for publication elsewhere. We do not consider work that has been previously published anywhere, including online publications.

This contest is administered anonymously. Editorial Assistants, Assistant Nonfiction Editors, the Guest Judge, and the Editor in Chief of the Schooner are not privy to submitters' identifying information.

If you have a problem with your submission, please write to Managing Editor Jessica Poli at prairieschooner@unl.edu.

prairieschooner.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Nightboat Prose Reading Period

Nightboat Books

DEADLINE: August 1, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

INFO: We’re thrilled to announce that Nightboat Books is considering prose manuscripts. Please familiarize yourself with our editorial affinities by checking out our catalogue. Buy our books! Borrow them from the library! Read them!

We’re looking for innovative prose manuscripts of formally experimental fiction and/or nonfiction. We welcome prose translations, international anglophone writing, and multi-lingual texts. We’re most excited about projects that disrupt our expectations of what prose can do. No strict forms. No limits. Your manuscript might include poetry and poetic sections, but we’re not considering full-length poetry collections at this time. We’re looking for text-based projects. You’re welcome to include images in your manuscript, but please note that we are not able to print in full-color.

The kinds of work we are are excited to encounter might include, but isn’t limited to:

Writing that emerges from the liminal
Writing that builds up / writing that tears down
Writing that torques conventional prose forms or genre
Writing that examines and perverts existing narratives around identity
Writing that documents past / present / future periods of political uprising
Writing that investigates or borrows from other mediums: visual art, music, film, performance
Writing that searches for and troubles the sacred / sacrilegious
Writing that illustrates and proliferates complexity in our world
Writing that glitches the algorithm
Writing that proposes
instigates
bewilders
seduces 

Examples of Prose books from Nightboat Books:

• Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter

• Crocosmia by Miranda Mellis

• Residual by Tisa Bryant

• !PóNK! by Marcus Clayton

• The Fifth Wound by Aurora Mattia

• Dreaming in the Fault Zone by Eleni Stecopoulos

• Sex Goblin by Lauren Cook

• Tree Spirits, Grass Spirits by Hiromi Ito, translated by Jon L. Pitt

• Greasepaint by Hannah Levene

• The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions by Larry Mitchell & Ned Asta

• Honey Mine by Camille Roy

• Phototaxis by Olivia Tapiero, translated by Kit Schluter

• Virgil Kills by Ronald V. Wilson

• Neotenica by Joon Oluchi Lee

Please include the following with your manuscript (of up to 300 pages, double spaced) through Submittable. (a) your name and contact information (b) a short professional biography (100 words maximum) (c) a description of the book/project (150 words maximum).

We plan to accept 1-2 manuscripts. Authors will receive an advance and royalty contract.

nightboat.org/announcing-the-2025-nightboat-prose-reading-period/

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Granum Foundation Prizes

Granum Foundation

DEADLINE: August 1, 2025 at 11:59pm Pacific Time

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: The Granum Foundation Prize will be awarded annually to help U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works.

Additionally, the Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated into English by a U.S.-based writer.

Funding from both prizes can be used to provide a writer with the tools, time, and freedom to help ensure their success. For example, resources may be used to cover basic needs, equipment purchases, mentorship, or editing services.

Competitive applicants will be able to present a compelling project with a reasonable timeline for completion. They also should be able to demonstrate a record of commitment to the literary arts.

The Granum Foundation is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

PRIZES:

• Granum Foundation Prize - One winner will be awarded $5,000. Up to three finalists will be awarded $500 or more.

• Granum Foundation Translation Prize - One winner will receive $1,500 or more.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Winners and finalists who received cash prizes from previous Granum competitions are not eligible.

• Writers who have published more than five books, including chapbooks, are not eligible for the Granum Foundation Prize. Literary journals and anthologies are not included in this count. This restriction does not apply to Granum Foundation Translation Prize applicants.

• Only U.S. residents 18+ are eligible for funding, and prizes must be spent in the U.S.

• Funds cannot be used specifically for travel or for study at an educational institution.

• At this time, we are not accepting screenplays, stage plays, or children’s picture books.

• Only one entry is allowed per person for each prize.

Winners and finalists will be announced in November.

granumfoundation.org/granum-prize

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"Writing for Life" Writing Prize

Girls Write Now / Chasing Spirits

DEADLINE: August 1, 2025 by 11:59 pm ET

INFO: Girls Write Now proudly joins forces with Chasing Spirits to present the inaugural "Writing for Life" Writing Prize. This award honors the free, rebellious spirit of fourteen-year-old Maya Logan Eileraas, who used the pandemic to write their novel and fought for writing as a lifeline while in foster care and mental healthcare facilities. Together, we amplify the vitality of today’s most promising young writers who use the power of their creative voices to confront the world around them.

About The Novel Chasing Spirits

Chasing Spirits honors the audacity and integrity of Maya Logan’s chosen path and the creative expressions that sustained them: intricate brushstrokes on canvas, poetic verses echoing their deepest thoughts, melodies strummed in solitude, and the midnight aromas of freshly baked confections.

After six months on the run from DCFS custody, hospital emergency rooms, adolescent psychiatric wards, police cars, strangers’ apartments, ambulances, and temporary shelters, Maya Logan was found unconscious in a group home in north Los Angeles.

Late one night in May 2021 during a global pandemic, fourteen-year-old Maya Logan Eileraas ran away to live with their girlfriend in Bel Air. “Nothing left to lose,” they posted on social media. Searching for their own truths around identity, home, family, world, and belonging, Maya Logan was fiercely determined to author a new life.

More than a tribute to an extraordinary teenager’s bold journey into the wild, gift for storytelling, and art of self-invention, Chasing Spirits is a stunning meditation on what it means to love, a nuanced exploration of the infinite complexity of the human psyche, and an unflinching look at a rebel heart whose light was extinguished too soon.

Centering Maya Logan’s novel, penned during the isolation of remote learning, as a testament to their profound introspection and boundless imagination, Chasing Spirits brings together investigative journalism, personal reflections, short stories, artwork, social media posts, and secret journals.

ELIGIBILITY:

This contest is open to…

• Young people who identify as girls, gender expansive, and/or LGBTQIA+ in the United States, ages 13-19

GUIDELINES:

To qualify, your piece must be…

• A personal essay that is 750 words or under in length

• Unpublished in any medium or outlet

• Not recognized with any prior award

• Submitted as a Google Doc via the form on this page before 11:59 P.M. ET on August 1, 2025

PRIZES:

One first place winner in each age category (13-15 and 16-19) will…

• Receive $1,500

• Be published on Girls Write Now Media

• Invited to be featured on Girls Write Now’s podcast Writing Our Way to Wellness

Two honorable mentions in each age category (13-15 and 16-19) will…

• Be published in a Chasing Spirits + Girls Write Now Story Collection

girlswritenow.org/partnership/chasing-spirits-writing-contest/

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Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship

The Republic (Nigeria)

DEADLINE: August 3, 2025 at 5:00 pm Lagos Time

INFO: The Republic is pleased to announce the Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship, a six-month fellowship programme designed towards the commissioning, writing and curation of stories rooted in Blackness and the African experience.

This fellowship will support five early- to mid-career editors, writers, researchers and/or journalists based in the different regions of Africa—West, East, Southern, North and Central. Fellows will receive mentorship, stipend and editorial support to commission original writing, produce original written content and curate local conversations around the most urgent themes shaping the African experience.

Each fellow will propose a theme from one of The Republic’s eight focus areas—including Art x Culture, Science x Technology, and Politics x Security—and will be expected to develop a distinct editorial identity and perspective for their regional division. Over the course of six months, fellows are required to commission two original essays per month, produce one story of their own each month and host one public engagement event in their African city at the end of the fellowship term.

COMPENSATION: Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of $500, as well as editorial guidance, workshop access and structured feedback from The Republic’s editorial team. They will also participate in workshops, skill-building sessions and a final digital symposium to showcase their work and launch a growing pan-African editorial network.

GUIDELINES: This fellowship is open to editors, journalists, curators or other storytelling practitioners who are based in Africa and have at least three years of professional experience. The fellowship is remote, and reliable internet access is required.

Applicants must submit a three-page proposal outlining their editorial focus and plan for the fellowship; a CV; a 500-word statement of interest; two samples of published work; and the contact details for two professional referees.

Selected fellows will be notified by September 2025.

rpublc.com/dispatch/black-atlantic-editorial-fellowship

FICTION / NONFICTION — JUNE 2025

call for submissions: ‘Haunting’ issue

MQR Mixtape

DEADLINE: June 1, 2025

INFO: MQR Mixtape is seeking submissions for Haunting, an issue guest edited by Malia Maxwell.

"For this issue of MQR Mixtape, I am seeking poems, essays, short fiction, and visual art that engage with the spectrum (and spectralities) of “haunting.” Give me ghost stories and habits broadly understood or work that engages specific traditions of haunting such as the apparitional lesbian or the haunted anthropocene. Give me metapoetic work that dis/engages formal traditions. Haunt me. For this issue, I am as much interested in haunted genres or subjects as I am in work that resists or enacts haunting on a formal level."

GUIDELINES:

• Poetry: up to three poems

• Prose*: up to 3,000 words (*short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction essays)

• Visual art/photography: up to five works

• Hybrid work**: up to five pages (**multimedia work, comics, collaborations (within and across disciplines), archival materials, love letters, etc. Surprise me!)

Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted by another publication. Please send only one submission per window; subsequent submissions will be rejected automatically.

mqr.submittable.com/submit

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2026 EMERGING WRITER AWARDS

Key West Literary Seminar

DEADLINE: June 2, 2025 by 11:59 pm EST (Letters of recommendation must be received by the following week)

ENTRY FEE: $12

INFO: We are now accepting applications for the 2026 Emerging Writer Awards.

The Cecelia Joyce Johnson Award, Scotti Merrill Award, and Marianne Russo Award recognize and support writers who possess exceptional talent and demonstrate potential for lasting literary careers.

Each award is tailored to a particular literary form. The Merrill Award recognizes a poet, while fiction writers may apply for either the Johnson Award (for a short story) or the Russo Award (for a novel-in-progress).

Winners of the 2026 Emerging Writer Awards received full tuition support for our January 2026 Seminar and Writers’ Workshop Program, round-trip airfare, lodging, a $500 honorarium, and appeared on stage during the Seminar. They will be in Key West from January 4 – 12, 2026.

Please review the criteria, complete the application form, and upload the required documents via Submittable. Due to an increased volume of applications and our thorough review process, we have implemented a $12 application fee to cover review costs.

kwls.submittable.com/submit

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New Author Contest:Romantasy Stories For Young Adults By BIPOC Writers

Sweet July Books x Zando

DEADLINE: June 5, 2025 at 5:00pm ET

INFO: Zando is thrilled to announce the New Author Contest. The contest will recognize a BIPOC, unpublished, and unagented writer for an original short story of the romantasy genre for young adults with a first-place prize of being published in an anthology by Zando.

WHAT CAN I WIN?

The winner’s short story will be published in These Kindred Hearts edited by Shari B. Pennant, a collection of romantasy tales for young adults written by talented BIPOC voices. This anthology is being published by Zando on their Sweet July Books imprint. 

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

• Genre: The story must contain elements of both romance and fantasy.

• Length: 2,000 to 4,500 words

• BIPOC Requirement: The protagonist(s) and love interest(s) of your story must be BIPOC

• All entries must be the fully original creations of the entrants.

WHO CAN ENTER:

In order to enter, you must:

• Be 18+ years old

• Self-identify as BIPOC 

• Be resident of the United States, Puerto Rico, or any other territory and possession of the United States

• Be unpublished and unagented at the time of your entry

HOW WILL ENTRIES BE JUDGED:

Submissions are evaluated by Zando’s editors with any final selection made by the Romantasy Collection’s Editor.​

Judging will be conducted using the following criteria:

• Appropriate story/content for young adults aged 12 to 18.

  The story should also reflect the Romantasy genre, provide a hopeful and/or happy ending

• Tone and voice

• Premise

• World-building. 

• Emotional connection

• Writing quality

• Uniqueness

WHAT HAPPENS IF I WIN?

One (1) winner will be judged and awarded. If you are the winner or an eligible finalist, you will be notified on or about July 18, 2025 via email and phone! Final contest results will be announced on our Website after July 18, 2025.

thesekindredhearts.com

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Writer-in-Residence program

Associates of the Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: June 6, 2025 at 11:59 pm

INFO: The Associates of the Boston Public Library's Writer-in-Residence program is intended to:

• Provide an emerging children’s writer with the financial support and office space needed to complete one literary work for children or young adults.

• Encourage the imagination of young readers, and in so doing, draw attention to the importance of authors and the essential role they perform in nurturing developing minds and furthering our culture.

• Promote the awareness of the Boston Public Library and its resources, by establishing a living link between the Library and the community.

TIMELINE: The Writer-in-Residence program will run from October 2025 through September 2026.

RESIDENCY BENEFITS:

• A total stipend of $70,000, paid in monthly installments over one year.

• The opportunity to request up to $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, or a critical reading of your manuscript.

• Use of a private office six days per week. Office space usage is contingent on the Library being open to the public and it being safe to work onsite.

• Access to and use of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections.

• A forum for the presentation/promotion of your finished literary work.

• Opportunities to establish connections with writers, publishers, artists, and the community-at-large through participation in/attendance at Library readings, lectures, and other events.

• At the end of the residency, your completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s archives. (However, you retain all rights to your completed work.)

ELIGIBILITY:

• The proposed literary project should be intended for children or young adult readers. All genres are welcome, including fiction, non-fiction, scripts, graphic novels, or poetry.

• The applicant should demonstrate active engagement as a writer, whether full or part-time, as an avocation or profession.

• Since this program is intended for emerging authors, the applicant should not have any prior professional book publications. (Self-published books, textbooks, works for hire, articles, and short stories published in an anthology do not count against this eligibility criteria.)

• Only one proposal may be submitted per person.

• Joint applications or proposed collaborations by more than one author are not permitted.

• Works that are already under contract with a publisher are not eligible for submission.

• There is NO residency restriction to apply, but you must be able to spend at least nineteen (19) hours per week at the Boston Public Library’s Central Library in Copley Square.

• Must be legally eligible to work in the US, as a U.S. citizen or green card holder. English fluency required.

• There are NO age, gender, race, or educational requirements.

TERMS OF RESIDENCY:

• You will work a minimum of nineteen (19) hours per week from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

• You will participate in a public reception at the BPL on October 7, 2025 to mark the beginning of your residency.

• You will complete a submission-ready manuscript by the end of residency, which you will present at a second public reception, on a mutually agreed upon date.

• You will include an acknowledgment of the Associates of the Boston Public Library in all work created during the residency, and during any media opportunities stemming from the program, using mutually agreed upon language.

• Optionally, you may participate in or create a program for Boston Public Library patrons such as a teen writing workshop or a presentation to Boston-area students, as mutually agreed upon with BPL Youth Services staff. (Participation would be only a small portion of your time and is not required but encouraged.)

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• To apply, please complete the application form (below) and upload a proposal (5 pages max.) and writing sample (15 pages max.) by Friday, June 6, 2025 at 11:59 pm. The documents should be double spaced with one inch margins and at least 11 point font. The attachments should not include any biographical information, since there will be a blind judging process. See questions #13 and 14 below for more details.

• Basic questions about the application will be answered via email (via hello@AssociatesBPL.org); no calls please. Questions regarding how to present your work will not be considered. Inquiries concerning applications under review will not be answered. 

• If using Submittable creates an undue burden for you, you can alternatively mail your submission to: Writer-in-Residence Program, Associates of the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.

• Late applications will not be considered. Once submitted, applications cannot be altered by either candidates or Associates staff. 

SELECTION PROCESS:

• Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges, which includes a rotating group of authors, librarians, booksellers, publishers, editors, book designers, teachers, and/or citizens representing different areas of the world of children’s literature. Associates staff do not vote in this process. 

• The judges do not know the candidates’ names, gender, educational qualifications, or any background information. This blind judging process is focused solely on the quality of the submissions. 

• Submissions will be judged on the merit of the original writing.  Work suspected of being derived from or enhanced by an AI writing program will only increase the chance that it will be eliminated from consideration by the judges.

• The candidate selected to be the 2025-26 Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence will be notified by Monday, August 11, 2025.

KEY DATES:

• Notification: Monday, August 11, 2025

• Residency Period: October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026

QUESTIONS? After reading these guidelines and reviewing the application form, if you still have questions, please refer to our FAQ page or email us.

associatesofthebostonpubliclibrary.submittable.com/submit

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Page One Media 2026 Grant

Page One Media (P1M)

DEADLINE: June 15, 2025

INFO: Effective for the 2026 publishing year, P1M is shifting from providing three partial grants to providing one fully supported pro bono publicity campaign to an underrepresented writer.

The 2026 grant will provide one full book publicity campaign spanning eight months for a book publishing in 2026. The chosen author will be supported by the Page One team and assigned a lead publicist, I will lead on strategy, there will be administrative support for the campaign, and the book will be included in all of our team based pitching, media meetings, and annual outreach for holiday gift guides, book clubs, year-end best of lists, and in our social media when appropriate. The campaign will receive the same level of time, care, creativity, and dedication that all our campaigns receive.

For more about why Page One is doing this, head over to the blog post announcement.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• You live in the United States

• Your book is for adults (young adults, middle grade, children’s and picture books do not qualify)

• Your book is not publishing as a reprint or anniversary edition (hardcover and paperback originals only)

• Your book is being published by a US based publisher and is being published in the US

• Your book will publish sometime between January and December 2026

• You have submitted all of the requested materials: grant form, publisher affidavit, author questionnaire, and a manuscript that is under contract and scheduled for publication in the 2026 calendar year

• By submitting your materials you agree to abide by the terms & conditions (scroll to the bottom of this page for those)

INSTRUCTIONS: The “Publisher Affidavit” form is required for submission, our author questionnaire is only required if you don’t have one from your publisher. Both will be submitted, along with your manuscript in the Grant Application form. All materials need to be submitted at the same time and by the final due date of June 15, 2025. Please keep this in mind and do not delay in requesting that someone from your publisher fill out the affidavit form. Partial submissions will not be considered.

page1m.com/2026-grant/

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2025 TUSCULUM REVIEW FICTION CHAPBOOK PRIZE

Tusculum Review 

DEADLINE: June 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: A prize of $1,500, publication of the story in The Tusculum Review’s 21st volume (2025), and creation of a limited edition stand-alone chapbook with original art is awarded for the winning story. 

The entry fee is $20 per manuscript. Entry fees include a one-year subscription to The Tusculum Review (an annual publication) and consideration for publication in our 21st volume (2025). We encourage international submissions but must charge an additional $15 fee to mail the journal to locations outside the U.S.

All entries should be sent through Submittable:tusculumreview.submittable.com. We do not accept mailed or emailed submissions, but if Submittable is a hardship, let us know atreview@tusculum.edu.

Each manuscript should consist of a single story in a standard 12-point font. Storiesmaybe between 2,000 words (about 7 manuscript pages) and 7,000 words (22 pages).

Storiesmaynot have been previously published nor be forthcoming. You are welcome to submit your story to other publications or contests while we consider it for the prize, but please alert us if your story is going to be published or honored elsewhere, so we can take it out of the running. If you have more than one story to submit, create a new entry for each.

Please do NOT include your name or any other identifying information on any page of the story manuscript.

Contest judge Jaime Cortez and editors of the The Tusculum Review will determine the winner of the 2025 prize. Family, friends, and previous students of the contest judge and the The Tusculum Review editors are disqualified from the competition, as are those with reciprocal professional relationships. Previous winners of Tusculum Review contests are also disqualified. Previous finalists and honorable mentionsmayenter.

Names and identifying information will not be visible to the judges. The Tusculum Review reserves the right to extend the call for manuscripts or cancel the award. We have only canceled one of the 30+ contests we’ve hosted, due to single-digit entries. We look forward to reading your work.

Publication Rights:except for second printings of the journal due to demand, all rights to material in The Tusculum Review and chapbooks revert to the individual authors and artists after publication (first serial rights). We request that you acknowledge us if you reprint work we published first. Tusculum University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, identity, religion, veteran or military status, citizenship status, ethnic origin, or disability.

Contest judgeJaime Cortez is a California writer and artist based in Watsonville and the SF Bay Area. His writing and drawings have appeared in Kindergarten: Experimental Writing For Children (Black Radish Press), No Straight Lines (Fantagraphics), Street Art San Francisco (Abrams Press), and Infinite Cities (UC Berkeley Press). He wrote and illustrated the graphic novel Sexile for AIDS Project Los Angeles. His debut short story collection, Gordo, was published in 2021 by Black Cat, an imprint of Grove Atlantic. Gordo received national acclaim from the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It was nominated for the Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction and the Lambda Literary Award for fiction, and was named a best book of the year by National Public Radio and Bookpage. Cortez received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MFA from UC Berkeley. Jaime’s website iswww.jaimecortez.org.

ttr.tusculum.edu/8085-2/

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CALL FOR “OF THE SEA” PORTFOLIO

SUSPECT (Singapore Unbound)

DEADLINE: June 15, 2025

INFO: Indigenous maritime communities know that the law of the sea is more ancient and powerful than the United Nations Convention of the same name. They know that the sea connects as well as divides. That the sea gives as much as it takes. That the sea is vast in its volume and tender in its tides. That in its eternal restlessness the sea contests fixed boundaries and national borders. 

This August, SUSPECT will publish a special portfolio dedicated to indigenous perspectives on the region designated as maritime Southeast Asia. We invite the submission of fiction and poetry that explore the manifold effects of the sea on individuals and communities. We are particularly interested in indigenous voices but we welcome non-indigenous authors who have engaged in a significant and sustained manner with maritime Southeast Asian communities. 

We are looking for: 

• Short fiction of 1,500 to 6,000 words

• 2-4 pieces of flash fiction that total 500 to 1,500 words

• 3-5 poems that total 3 to 10 pages

We welcome translated work, but translators must provide documentation of authorization from the original authors or their literary estates.

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please notify us immediately should they be accepted for publication elsewhere. 

We only accept work that has not been previously published. For translations, the original work may be published, but not the translations.

PAYMENT: USD $100

SUBMIT TO: Sharmini Aphrodite at suspect@singaporeunbound.org

singaporeunbound.org/opp/of-the-sea

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Call for submissions: fall/winter 2025 print issue

Epiphany

DEADLINE: June 15, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $5

INFO: Submissions are currently open for the Fall/Winter 2025 print issue.

GUIDELINES FOR FICTION SUBMISSIONS:

1. Submit one story at a time.

2. Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.

3. Withdraw promptly through Submittable should your work be accepted elsewhere.

4. We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).

5. Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.

6. Fiction contributors will receive a payment of $175, and two contributor's copies of the journal.

GUIDELINES FOR NONFICTION SUBMISSIONS:

1. Submit one essay at a time.

2. Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.

3. Withdraw your work promptly through Submittable should it be accepted elsewhere.

4. We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).

5. Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.

6. Excerpts from books in progress, memoirs, or longer works are welcome.

7. Nonfiction contributors will receive a payment of $175 and two contributor's copies.

GUIDELINES FOR POETRY SUBMISSIONS:

1. Submit up to 5 poems at a time.

2. Format in 12-pt font, single-spaced (where appropriate).

3. Send us a Message (not a Note) informing us if a poem in your submission has been accepted for publication elsewhere.

4. We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).

5. Poetry contributors will receive a payment of $75 per poem and two copies of the journal.ent stage.

We aim to respond to submissions within three to four months. Please be  patient: we give thoughtful and thorough consideration to each  submission. We look forward to receiving your work.

epiphanymagazine.submittable.com/submit

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call for submissions: ‘Issue 17: Estallido’ (for Latin/Latin-American Writers and Artists)

Lucky Jefferson

DEADLINE: June 15, 2025 by 11:59pm

INFO: You know what’s happening. You know about the injustices in the world, the abuse of power, and the suffering it causes. But you also know about the people resisting—those putting themselves on the line to confront the problem. You know those who gather, fight, and push for a better life.

Estallido is about social outbreaks: what leads to them, the people in the front and the back of them, those who can only join in spirit, the fighting spirit that sustains them, and most importantly, the change they can bring.

We want to see pieces that show your fighting spirit—moments when that spirit faltered but rose again, your support for others fighting the fight, and your voice in these times of outbreaks.

We have never been quiet, but together, we can be louder.

—

Sabes muy bien lo que está pasando. Sabes sobre las injusticias ocurriendo en el mundo. Sabes sobre personas abusando de su poder y sabes sobre las personas que sufren. Sin embargo, también debes saber sobre la gente que resiste, la gente que se pone en primera línea y se enfrenta al problema. Sabes sobre esas personas juntándose y luchando juntas por una mejor vida. Esto es un Estallido

Esta edición es sobre estallidos sociales: como empezaron, la gente al frente y atrás de ellos, la gente que solo puede participar en espíritu, el espíritu de lucha en ellos, y lo más importante, el cambio que pueden traer. Quiero ver piezas que muestren tu espíritu de lucha, momentos donde tu espíritu de lucha disminuyó pero se levantó, tu apoyo a otras personas luchando y tu voz en estos tiempos de estallidos. 

Nunca hemos estado callados, pero podemos ser más ruidosos juntos. 

—

PAYMENT (UPON ACCEPTANCE):

$15 — Haiku, Short Poems (<14 lines), Micro Fiction (under 100-300 words)

SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD

$20 — Prose, Short Story, Flash fiction, Creative-Nonfiction, Hybrid/Experimental (under 1000 words)

SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD

$25 — All Artwork (includes comics, paintings, etc.)

SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD

 Upon acceptance, submissions will be included on our website, in print, and will be eligible to be publicized on social media.  Accepted authors will receive a payout of $15, $20, or $25, for each accepted submission. 

luckyjefferson.submittable.com/submit

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call for nonfiction submissions: ‘How I Learned’ Series

Blaise Allysen Kearsley

DEADLINES:

• Soft Deadline: June 16, 2025

• Hard Deadline: June 20, 2025

INFO: The How I Learned Series was a live reading/storytelling/comedy show created by Blaise Allysen Kearsley in 2009. The monthly series ran for a little over a decade with events in the Lower East Side, Brooklyn, and New Orleans, and included benefits for Emily's List and Housing Works.

Featured guests included Mira Jacob, Alexander Chee, Ayo Edebiri, John Fugelsang, Anna Sale, James Hannaham, Hugh Ryan, Sasheer Zamata, John Wray, David Carr, Starlee Kine, Taylor Negron, Issac Fitzgerald, Aparna Nancherla, Emily Flake, Dodai Stewart, Choire Sicha, Jami Attenberg, Maggie Estep, Rosie Schaap, and many others.

How I Learned has been "on hiatus" since the Covid shutdown. Now, it's being resurrected as an online magazine. This aftertimes iteration is not public yet so don’t even bother to Ask Jeeves about it.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: In the nightlife spirit of the eclectic series, we are seeking sharp personal nonfiction stories from diverse perspectives, sensibilities, and voices that offer an evocotive spin on existential-leaning themes . The horror and the hilarity of living. The profound and the preposterous. The details that conflict with the old narrative, the little things that challenge a longheld belief. How something is changed, how we get shook; ways of seeing and moving in the world. Heavy stories, humor, stories, what lives in between — whatever the tone or the mood, your How I Learned story does not resolve neatly with a bow. Make meaning out of chaos, but leave us wondering where the story takes you after it ends.

• Nonfiction essay: 1500 - 2500 words

• Flash nonfiction: up to 800 words

• Email subject heading: Submission - How I Learned.

• Add a brief synopsis of your piece.`

• Attach your submission as a Word or Google doc.

• Send to: howilearned@gmail.com

For a less general sense of the vibe, here's a sampling of topics from live shows. You DO NOT have to write to any of these themes, though you're more than welcome to!

How I Learned To Fight Back; How I Learned My Adolescence Was Over; How I Learned What Life is Like; How I Learned About Sex; How I Learned To Lie, Cheat or Steal; How I Learned To Live in New York; How I Learned The Hard Way; How I Learned It's All My Parents Fault; How I Learned It's Not Me, It's You; How I Learned To Say I'm Sorry; How I Learned Nothing is Even Real; How I Learned To Believe; How I Learned There Might Be Some Issues: Stories About Therapy...

blaiseallysenkearsley.com/how-i-learned-magazine-submissions

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Muses & Melanin BIPOC Fellowship

Muses & Melanin

DEADLINE: June 20, 2025 at 5pm PST

APPLICATION FEE: $20

INFO: This intensive, fully funded hands-on practicum provides the career savvy writers of color need to stand out from the crowd of aspiring writers who, though talented, lack the marketplace acumen they need to craft and grow a literary career within a #PublishingSoWhite industry.

The Muses & Melanin Fellowship for California BIPOC Creative Writers is a supportive, hybrid, fully funded eight-month cohort-based professional development practicum for talented California creative writers of color who aspire to become professional authors. A few spaces are reserved for talented out-of-state applicants. The Fellowship is designed for those who do not yet have a lengthy list of publishing credits, are not under a publishing contract, do not have literary agent representation, and do not have a doctoral degree in English, Creative Writing, or Literature (a Master's degree in these subjects is fine, such as an MFA or MA). A Bachelor's degree is required.

Participants complete a comprehensive curriculum that equips them with the strategies, tools, and knowledge they need to transition from creative writing students or hobbyists to professional authors. As a hybrid program, Fellows must be able to attend occasional onsite meetings in downtown San Francisco. This program is made possible with support from the San Francisco Arts Commission and California Humanities, a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Do not apply before reading the FAQ on our website.

The application fee is $20. To pay the fee:

1. Go to https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/LVDQFPPUA6ZYW

2. Send your transaction ID number to MusesAndMelanin@gmail.com along with the name you used on your application.

Given the competitive nature of the selection process for this Fellowship, we advise paying diligent attention to application instructions. Materials must be free of typos, punctuation and grammar errors, and follow the standards of good, solid writing (no reliance on passive voice, adverb overuse, dangling modifiers, etc.). Failure to follow instructions will result in disqualification. Applicants evidencing the following issues will not advance to the interview stage:

• *incomplete applications

• *applications that don't adhere to instructions

• *submissions demonstrating the applicant did not review the program information beforehand

• *submissions featuring genres outside of those listed

• *ineligible applicants as described in the program information.

In 2024, we detected common issues across the breadth of rejected applicants. These issues were:

• insufficient mastery of solid literary mechanics [Indications: passive voice reliance, adverb overuse, dangling modifiers and referents, structural delivery problems]

• undeveloped, poorly considered, incomplete responses to the short-answer questions--in some cases providing statements that were non-responsive [Indications: raises questions about applicant's seriousness of purpose, intent, and dedication]

• lack of evidence of genuine interest in a literary career [Indications: bio and short answers did not support the claim]

• more than two typos on one or more pages [Indications: failure to proofread; carelessness; lack of serious intent]

• too many instances of basic punctuation and/or grammar errors [Indications: represents a mismatch between the applicant and the caliber of writer for which the Fellowship is designed)

• evidence in submitted materials that applicant cannot follow directions or did not read them, a critical skill for becoming a professional author [Indications: lack of attention to detail, disregard for instructions]

• inappropriate references listed [Indications: "friend," "book club colleague"]

• submitting an application after the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted, without exception. To avoid technical issues, we advise not waiting until the deadline day to submit your application.

Accepted genres: 

• *short and long fiction

• *creative nonfiction

• *memoir

• *articles and papers for newspapers, magazines, and  literary and academic journals

• *poetry

• *graphic novels and comics

The fellowship consists of the following components:

• *two online Weekend Intensives (August 8-10 and August 15 - 17. Fridays start at 5pm; Saturdays begin at 10am and end at 5:30pm. Sundays begin at 11am and end at 5pm.

• *ten weekly 2-hour online workshops (Tuesdays, 5pm-7pm, mid-August - October)

• *four monthly 3-hour online co-working sessions (one per month from September-December 2025, Tuesdays, 5pm - 8pm).

• *a February 2026 public graduation ceremony and reception at the San Francisco Public Library for qualified graduates. This ceremony features a public reading, Literary Launch Care Package, and a stipend to fund Fellows' new literary bank accounts. 

Applicants will receive admission decisions on or by July 13, 2025.  Accepted participants must not miss more than two class meetings and complete all assignments (except for optional ones) to remain in the program and to maintain graduation eligibility.

shuffle.do/projects/muses-melanin-fellowship-for-bipoc-creative-writers/about

_____

Book Project Emerging Writer Fellowship

Lighthouse Writers

DEADLINE: June 21, 2025

INFO: In 2018, we launched the Book Project Emerging Writer Fellowship, which covers partial or full tuition for the entire two-year program for writers who need financial support in order to enroll in the program. Book Project Fellows will receive all the benefits of the program, including one-on-one mentorship with a published author, classes with fellow Book Project participants, weekend intensives and retreats, and publishing advice from our in-house expert.

In 2025, we're pleased to announce the Nighthawk Nature Writing Fellowship, covering partial or full tuition for the Book Project. This annual fellowship supports writers who are engaged in work that explores and honors the natural world—and the animals and plants that inhabit it. 

The Book Project fellowships are supported by generous individual donors.

EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIP: Writers of fiction, nonfiction, short stories, memoir, and hybrid texts can apply for a Book Project Emerging Writer Fellowship. Each application is reviewed by Book Project faculty and rewarded based on merit and financial need.

NIGHTHAWK NATURE WRITING FELLOWSHIP: In addition to the Emerging Writer Fellowship, we're also pleased to offer the Nighthawk Nature Writing Fellowship, a sponsored award in support of writers who are engaged in work that explores and honors the natural world and the animals and plants that inhabit it.

AWARD DETAILS: Book Project Fellows receive full or partial tuition for the Book Project. The number of awards depends on the funding received each year.

HOW TO APPLY: When applications open, follow the instructions for the Book Project application and select the fellowship option. You’ll be asked to include annual household income and a statement of financial need (500 words or less). Writers making it to the final round may be asked for income verification in the form of IRS filings.

FELLOWSHIP NOTIFICATION: Applicants will receive two notifications. The first will let you know whether or not you’ve been accepted to the Book Project in early July. The second, a week later, will let you know whether or not you’ve received the fellowship. Applicants not accepted to the program will not receive a second notification about the fellowship.

lighthousewriters.org/book-project-fellowships

_____

call for submissions: recommended reading

Electric Literature

SUBMISSION PERIOD: June 23 - July 6, 2025 (or when they receive 750 submissions)

INFO: Recommended Reading publishes fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Simultaneous submissions are accepted but please notify us immediately if a piece is accepted elsewhere. Work previously published in any form cannot be considered.

Response time is six to eight months.

COMPENSATION: Upon acceptance, we can offer authors $300 for publishing rights.

GUIDELINES: During the general submissions periods, writers may submit one piece per period. (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 a member or reach out to wynter@electricliterature.com.)

Writers with a submission pending with The Commuter can still submit to Recommended Reading.

Please do not submit a story already previously rejected by Electric Literature, even if the story has been revised (unless you've been invited to do so by an EL editor).

electricliterature.submittable.com/submit

_____

FALL 2025 Trillium Arts Residency

Trillium Arts

DEADLINE: June 26, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Trillium Arts residencies offer secluded space for rejuvenation and creating in a beautiful, remote setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our location is ideal for an individual artist to complete an existing work, or develop and incubate new material. Our facilities in the fall months are best suited to the disciplines of literary arts, photography, visual arts and arts administration.

Individual artists who do not require a rehearsal studio (such as writers and photographers) are encouraged to apply for a one week residency. Performing artists (such as choreographers and theater artists) are also welcome to apply, with the understanding that the Red Barn Studio is seasonal and availability is dependent on weather. The Red Barn Studio will not be available after October 31.

Use of the studio is an additional fee of $35 per day.

There is ample land and outdoor space available for ideation and research. We are currently unable to accommodate groups or collaboratives on the Trillium property. Individual artist residencies are on a solo adventure during their time here and your residency will not overlap with other awarded artists. If an artist would like to bring collaborators, there are a variety of AirBnB’s available for rent in the immediate area. A list of recommended AirBnB’s is available upon request.

2025 RESIDENCIES INCLUDE:

• Private accommodations in a  one-bedroom, ground floor suite. (Trillium Arts co-founders live upstairs but resident artists have a private entrance).

• Welcome dinner with your hosts

• Shared use of the grounds, including firepit, hot tub, walking paths and waterfall area

• Use of onsite creative spaces that include a contemplation gazebo and a 380 square foot open air, covered workspace. Learn more about creative spaces HERE

• Basic kitchen supplies and all household goods (towels, linens, paper products, etc.)

• Access to high speed fiber optic internet

• Laundry facilities

• Mentorship services (optional for an additional fee) 

DATES: All 2025 residencies are one week of seven consecutive days in length. Applications are currently being accepted for residencies one week in length during:

• September 21-28, 2025, or

• Anytime between October 10-November 14, 2025

A limited number of work exchange scholarships are available.

ELIGIBILITY: Artists of various disciplines (writers, photographers, visual artists, choreographers) at any stage of their careers are invited to apply.

trilliumartsnc.org/artist-residencies

_____

Rooted & Relational Archives Fellowship

Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (NYC)

DEADLINE: June 27, 2025

INFO: CENTRO’s Rooted & Relational Archives Fellowship will expose early career archivists to the work and projects of CENTRO’s Archives. The fellowship will present a pathway into Ethnic Studies Libraries and Archives in order to provide students and recent graduates with practical work experience in areas commonly discussed in archival scholarship such as reparatory and bilingual description, community-oriented practices and spaces, and enrichment and diversification of the archival record. 

The CENTRO Rooted & Relational Archives Fellow will develop and implement a Fellowship Project in collaboration with CENTRO’s Digital Collections Manager based on the needs of the Archives as well as the Fellow’s experience and interests. In addition to the Fellowship Project, fellows will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of projects and participate in the day-to-day activities of the Archives, which may include assisting patrons and participating in events and workshops. Through these experiences, fellows will learn collection and project management skills, immerse themselves in CENTRO’s archival collections and communities, and become familiar with digital archiving skills. Fellows will be in residence for the 2025-2026 academic year and they will receive a $20,000 stipend paid in four installments.

The ideal candidate will be an advanced graduate student or recent graduate with experience in archives or special collections, experience conducting the type of work expected for the project, or experience managing small-scale projects. Some programming knowledge and  project management experience will be considered valuable. The fellow will be expected to work 20 hours a week in person as part of the fellowship. 

The fellow will receive support and mentorship from CENTRO Archives and Library staff and will be responsible for the tracking, implementation, reporting, and dissemination of their designated project. They will also be provided with professional development support and opportunities to develop skills in various areas of interest to information professionals, independent of the fellowship project. Fellows will be encouraged to participate in professional organizations and present their work at conferences and symposia.

POTENTIAL FELLOWSHIP PROJECTS + AREAS OF INTEREST INCLUDE:

• Collection assessment of digital materials

• Digital preservation strategies

• Development of usage and access metrics 

• Development of access and outreach tools, including LibGuides, instruction plans, and events

• Development of quality control and quality assurance processes

• Development of policies and strategies for A/V archiving

• Reparatory and bilingual description

• Community-oriented practices and spaces

ELIGIBILITY:

• Current graduate student or recent graduate (within the last 2 years) with coursework in archives or digital preservation (Archives experience may substitute for coursework)

• Reading comprehension in Spanish

• Interest in working with Puerto Rican collections or Ethnic Studies Archives

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

• All documents below must be submitted in PDF 

• CV or  Resume 

• Submit a cover letter in English or Spanish describing your interest in working at the CENTRO Archives, the type(s) of projects you would be interested in working on, and how this fellowship will benefit your career trajectory

OVERVIEW OF SUBMISSION PROCESS:

• Complete the form ensuring all mandatory fields are filled

• Review and confirm your submission

• We will email you to confirm receipt of your form

• We will email you with our decision and, if applicable, further steps

COMPENSATION FOR SELECTED FELLOW:

• $20,000 stipend (paid in four installments)

CONTACT INFO:

If you encounter any issues or have questions about the submission process, please don’t hesitate to contact Cristina Fontánez Rodríguez at cf3285@hunter.cuny.edu.

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/centro-rooted-relational-archives-fellowship/

_____

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Aesthetics of Joy and Refuge in Contemporary Culture — An Interdisciplinary Conference

The Latinx Project at New York University

DEADLINE: June 29, 2025

INFO: The Latinx Project invites submissions to an Open Call conference exploring scholarly approaches to the study of contemporary Latinx visual and expressive culture. The program will take place on Friday, October 10, 2025 at New York University. We are especially interested in original contributions that examine contemporary visual and expressive culture across film, media, sound, visual arts, design, architecture, fashion, advertising—and all forms in which today’s society visualizes Latinx culture.

We seek to examine the aesthetic strategies and creative interventions of artists and cultural producers, while also understanding how they visualize diverse expressions and work to transform contemporary visual and creative industries. Going beyond traditional approaches to visual stereotypes and the pathologization of Latinx culture, we’re looking for proposals that highlight creative strategies or that contextualize the larger historical and political economy context in which representations move. We are particularly curious about submissions that explore the political economy behind the production, circulation, and consumption of expressive culture— the ways in which communities engage with mediated representations of culture in all its forms. We welcome work that theorizes what we can learn about Latinx politics of joy, protest, and refuge in the twenty-first century when we foreground contemporary strategies of visual representation. 

Some ideas and concepts for possible contributions include but are not limited to:

• Media and cultural policies affecting film, media, sound, and other culture industries

• Explorations of design, public art, and public interventions on the landscape

• Black and Indigenous visualities

• Disability and expressive cultures

• Visual artists working across or along borderlines, and/or far from creative centers

• Perspectives on aesthetics, sexuality, and contemporary art

• Grassroots media and alternative fashion

• AI futures

• Logics of gender and citizenship

• Aesthetic epistemologies

• The politics of archives

• Surveillance technologies

• Labor in creative industries

• Media and algorithmic citizenship

APPLICATION:

• Please submit (1) a short abstract (pdf) under 200 words and (2) a bio or CV. Contributors selected to present will receive an honorarium and travel stipend.

FAQs:

• How do I apply? Submit your proposal via the submission form here by June 29, 2025,

• Who should apply? Scholars at all ranks and independent writers and critics are encouraged to submit a proposal to present.

• Is the symposium hybrid? The symposium is planned as an in-person event open to the public. Sessions may be recorded in accordance with the preference of the presenters.

• Who can I contact for more information? Please email latinxproject@nyu.edu with subject line: 2025 Symposium.

latinxproject.nyu.edu/20242025/open-call-conference

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Get the Word Out Publicity Incubator

Poets & Writers

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Get the Word Out is a publicity incubator for early career authors. Under the mentorship of an accomplished book publicist, writers will develop and execute publicity strategies to maximize the exposure of their first or second book, reach readers, and create a platform to propel their literary careers.

Get the Word Out fellows will:

• Participate in a six-session online publicity workshop led by an experienced book publicist.

• Attend six online seminars with leading media, events, marketing, and sales professionals, and accomplished authors.

• Devote time outside of scheduled sessions to implement book publicity strategies they are acquiring in workshops and seminars.

• Contribute to a peer learning community by sharing what works and what does not, helping each member of the cohort to amplify their impact.

• In addition, alumni of the program are eligible to apply for The Poets & Writers Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center, which provides a fully funded three-week residency to fiction writers and poets in alternate years.

Get the Word Out 2026 fiction cohort is open to authors with books slated for publication between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Fellows will be selected based on the strength of their statement of purpose, writing sample, and suitability for the program.

Get the Word Out is open to all eligible applicants. The program aims to support writers who might not otherwise have access to in-depth publicity support and to help develop strong literary voices nationwide. To that end, we encourage applications from writers who identify as Black, Indigenous, persons of color, immigrants, writers with disabilities, LGBTQ+ writers, writers residing outside of major cities, writers who do not have an MFA or equivalent degree, and writers whose books are slated to be published by independent presses.

The selection decisions of Poets & Writers will be final and not subject to review.

HOW TO APPLY:

Authors can apply to the program via Poet & Writers’ online application. Applications must include:

• A completed application form.

• A double-spaced excerpt (10-15 pages in 12 pt. font) from your debut novel or short story collection.

• An author bio (max: 250 words).

2026 FICTION PUBLICITY MENTOR: Born and raised in Malaysia, May-Zhee Lim is a writer working on her first novel and a freelance publicist living in New York. During her time with Riverhead Books, she has worked on all kinds of book campaigns, helping launch the careers of debut authors and expand the readership of prize-winning authors including Hernan Diaz, Olga Tokarczuk, James McBride, Masha Gessen, Patricia Lockwood, C Pam Zhang, Claire Vaye Watkins, and Sigrid Nunez, just to name a few. In 2021, she made the Publishers Weekly Star Honoree list for her creative, out-of-the-box publicity ideas, including a partnership with a New York City bakery to print a short story by Etgar Keret in cake wrapping and an open air, pop-up reading room series around the city.

For more information, please email programs@pw.org

pw.org/content/get_the_word_out

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call for submissions: “ON MOTHERHOOD”

Listen Journal

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025

INFO: Often conversations surrounding motherhood & pregnancy fail to represent the honesty, nuance and spectrum of real life experiences. The truth is every persons journey is personal. No two stories are the same.

For our first call for submissions, we’re inviting you to share your experiences with motherhood or pregnancy in all forms; whether raw, joyful, painful or complex.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: We are looking to hear about a wide range of experiences in relation to motherhood, we understand the journey to and through motherhood can often be turbulent with many experiences left unspoken.

This could be:

• Experience with adoption

• Doulas & midwives perspective

• Sickness through pregnancy

• Pregnancy as a professional athlete

• Not wanting children

• Experiencing homelessness as a mother

• Relationship with your own mother

• Spiritual experiences through birth

• Post-partum depression

• Disability and motherhood

• Difficulty with pregnancy / fertility issues

DESIRED FORMATS: long form writing (1500 - 2000 words), poetry, photo sets, video & illustrations

HOW TO SUBMIT: pitch to us through the submissions form or email a brief pitch to contact@listen-journal.com with subject line “On Motherhood”

listen-journal.com/submissions

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Call for Papers and Projects: The Caribbean Digital XII

The Caribbean Digital

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025

INFO: Beginning in 2014, The Caribbean Digital has sought to create a generative, multidisciplinary space within which to engage critically with the digital as practice and as a historicized societal phenomenon, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities presented by the media technologies that ever more intensely reconfigure the social and geo-political contours of the Caribbean and its diasporas.

In the twelfth iteration of this gathering, we are thrilled to continue these conversations via collaboration with the Early Caribbean Digital Archive, the Africana Studies Program, and the NULab for Humanities and Computational Social Science at Northeastern University.

The continued need for rigorous and ethical engagement with the digital “revolution” is especially immediate among the people of the Caribbean and its diasporas. Information technology remains a significant way people connect and frame pressing social problems and political aspirations. Moreover, the Internet is analogous in important ways to the Caribbean itself as a dynamic and fluid cultural space: it is generated from disparate places and by disparate peoples; it fundamentally challenges the geographical and physical barriers that disrupt or disallow connection; and it places others and elsewhere in relentless relation. Yet while we celebrate these opportunities for connectedness, we must ensure that the digital realm undermines and confronts rather than re-inscribes forms of silencing and exclusion in the Caribbean.

Following conversations that animated past events, we are looking forward in this twelfth public forum to continuing our critical engagement with presentations that might evoke any of the following topics and the ways they might intersect with each other:

• Gendered and class dimensions of the digital in the Caribbean

• The connection between digital technologies and practices of the Caribbean “folk”

• World-building – Reimagining through and as the digital

• Citizenship, mobility, migration, and the digital

• Material, audio, and visual culture connected to the digital

• 3-D imaging and the digital

• Considering the politics and ethics of AI in/and the Caribbean

• Digital pedagogies, curriculum, and/or classroom or community education activities

• Archives in and about the Caribbean

• Languages as technology and structures of the digital

• The relationship between the aesthetics of absence and the digital

• Minimal computing as a form of digital resistance

• Digital counter-publics/counter-narratives

• Digital mapping and questions of place, space, and belonging

• Collaborative/community-engaged digital projects

• Relationships between digital and physical resistance

• Digital access and the aesthetics/politics of digital ownership

• Digital possibilities and imaginaries

• Digital knowledge-making and decolonial epistemologies

Both traditional conference papers and multimedia presentations on these or related topics are welcome. We also welcome virtual synchronous participation by presenters who cannot travel to Boston to attend the event. Participants from this forum will be encouraged to submit their work to archipelagos, an interactive, born-digital, print-possible, peer-reviewed publication.

The 2025 conference is being held in the loving memory of Dr. Ángel David Nieves (1971 – 2023). At the time of his passing, Dr. Nieves was Dean’s Professor of Public and Digital Humanities, Professor of Africana Studies and History, and Director of the Humanities Center at Northeastern University in Boston. Dr. Nieves also held positions at Hamilton College, Yale University, San Diego State University, and many other institutions. Dr. Nieves’s vivacious presence, teaching, and work left a lasting impression on everyone. His books, An Architecture of Education: African American Women Design the New South (2018) and ‘We Shall Independent Be:’ African American Place Making and the Struggle to Claim Space in the U.S. (edited with Leslie Alexander, 2008) were significant explorations into the labors done by of Black feminists that served to eventually uplift all others. Like his subjects of study, Nieves, too, believed that all people deserve a good education and working conditions to lead a good life. His investments in social justice were total and all-encompassing. As a proud, queer, Brown man whose roots were in Puerto Rico, he was especially dedicated to supporting like-minded scholars such as those associated with The Caribbean Digital. The conference especially welcomes submissions that engage with the spirit and content of Dr. Nieves’ foundational work.

GUIDELINES: We welcome abstracts of 250-300 words in length. Abstracts should include name, academic affiliation, contact information, and short bios. Please submit using this form (requires Google sign-in). by 30 June 2025. Successful applicants will be notified by 30 August 2025. Travel and accommodations for conference presenters will be covered.

thecaribbeandigital.org/cfp

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NEW VOICES AWARD

Lee & Low Books

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025

INFO: Do you write for children or do you know someone who does?

Are you an unpublished author of color or Indigenous/Native writer hoping to break into the publishing industry for the first time?

Don’t miss this terrific opportunity to have your work considered for publication by a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent.

ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open to writers of color and Indigenous/Native writers who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a picture book published. It’s one way Lee & Low Books uplifts historically marginalized voices in the predominantly white children’s book industry.

GUIDELINES: Manuscripts must be FICTION, NON-FICTION, or POETRY aimed at readers ages 5 to 12, and should address the needs of children of color or Native/Indigenous children by providing stories with which they can identify and relate, and promote a greater understanding of one another.

PRIZE: The winner receives a standard publication contract, including Lee & Low Books’s basic royalties and a $5,000 advance.

leeandlow.com/blog/new-voices-award-now-accepting-submissions/

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call for submissions: Fall 2025 issue

The Plentitudes

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

READING FEE: $5

INFO: The Plentitudes is now open for submissions for their Fall 2025 issue. Send us your best short stories, short memoirs, personal essays, poems, and flash pieces.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• During our general submissions period, we accept submissions through Submittable and Duotrope. 

• We charge a small reading fee (US$5.00 per entry) to cover maintenance costs and operating expenses.

• We allow multiple submissions by the same writer--however, each entry should be separately submitted and accompanied by a reading fee.

• A single submission consists of:

  • Poetry: No more than three poems, and no more than ten pages, and should place all poems in a single document.

  • Fiction or Nonfiction: One short story or one personal essay between 1,000 - 5,000 words. 

  • Flash: One micro-fiction or micro-nonfiction piece under 1,000 words.

• Please limit formats to .doc, .docx, and .pdf.

• We suggest 12-point Times New Roman font, and double-spacing all prose submissions.

• We do not publish previously published work, including those published on blogs.

• Simultaneous submissions (i.e., concurrently submitting to other journals and platforms) are permitted; however, please notify us promptly if your piece has been accepted elsewhere. 

• Upon publication, we retain the right to be the sole publisher of the works for the first year from the initial date of publication. Thereafter, contributors may republish their works, with The Plentitudes Journal credited as the initial publisher. We retain the right to re-publish works designated for print publication in an anthology and on our social media platforms. 

• Marginalized voices, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Crip/disabled writers, are particularly encouraged to submit. 

• We pay an honorarium of $50 for published work. The honorarium is payable within a week after the publication of the piece.

theplentitudes.com/submit

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call for submissions: nature-themed poetry, fiction + nonfiction

Mississippi Review

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $3

INFO: We are currently accepting Poetry for Mississippi Review 53.3, with a publication date of Winter 2026.

GUIDELINES:

• Poetry - Though we are happy to read and consider any Poetry for this issue, we are particularly interested in nature-themed pieces. Submit up to five poems in one file (file should be no more than ten pages total).

• Fiction - Though we are happy to read and consider any Fiction for this issue, we are particularly interested in nature-themed pieces. Stories should be 8,000 words or less.

• Nonfiction - Though we are happy to read and consider any Creative Nonfiction for this issue, we are particularly interested in nature-themed pieces. Essays should be 8,000 words or less.

WHO CAN SUBMIT? Anyone who is not currently a student at the University of Southern Mississippi or affiliated with the Mississippi Review can submit.

COMPENSATION: As a university-supported literary journal, we are working to find new ways to compensate our contributors. For Mississippi Review 53.3, we are able to pay each contributor $50 and send two free copies of the issue upon publication.

Contributors with mailing addresses outside of the U.S. will receive two copies of Mississippi Review 53.3 and a Mississippi Review subscription at the value of $50. 

mississippireview.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize

Wasafiri

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025

ENTRY FEE: A single entry costs £12, with £16 for double entry. We also offer subsidised entry.

INFO: Wasafiri is thrilled to announce that the 2025 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize is now open!

Since 2009, the Prize has been awarded to some of the most exciting new voices in life writing, poetry, and fiction from around the world. The sixteenth edition of the prize brings an exciting new development as we open to entries in translation – across all three categories – for the first time since the prize was founded by Dr. Susheila Nasta.

JUDGES: Our 2025 Chair is Romesh Gunesekera, who is joined by our three category judges: Anton Hur (Fiction), Noreen Masud (Life Writing), and Yasmine Seale (Poetry).

PRIZE: The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication in Wasafiri magazine; if a work in translation wins, the cash prize will be split equally between the author and translator.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality or background. New for 2025: Accepting work in translation.

wasafiri.org/writing-prizes/queen-mary-wasafiri-new-writing-prize/enter-the-2025-queen-mary-wasafiri-new-writing-prize/

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Regeneration Literary Contest

Ninth Letter + I-Regen + the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

DEADLINE: June 30, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $7 (Contest entrants will have the option to purchase a copy of the Fall/Winter 2024 issue or a one-year print subscription at a discounted price at the time of submission)

INFO: Our lives and communities revolve around food: hungering for it, buying it, preparing it, and eating it, but also growing it, moving it from field to shelf, and disposing of its waste. Just as healthy food promotes human health, healthy food systems promote healthy communities—places and people oriented toward restoration, regeneration, and even rebirth. What would it look like to live in a world where our food systems regenerated not only us, but the planet? What if how we grew and ate our food could sequester carbon, replenish the soil, restore ecosystem biodiversity, and help battle disease?

I-Regen is working toward such a vision and is partnering with Ninth Letter to help us all imagine it. We invite poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction responding to or exploring the subject of regeneration, specifically as it relates to food and food systems. What does regeneration in our lives and communities look like, sound like, feel like, taste like? How does its absence harm us? Feel free to think as narrowly or as broadly as you like about the theme—surprises are always delightful and welcome. Please include a brief note that explains your work’s connection to the theme of “regeneration.” Please see full theme description at the top of this page.

2025 GUEST JUDGE: Scott Chaskey is the author of Soil and Spirit (Milkweed 2023). His poetry, first printed in literary journals in the early seventies, has been widely published over four decades. A pioneer of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement, for thirty years he cultivated more than sixty crops for the Peconic Land Trust at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, New York, one of the original CSAs in the country.

CONTEST DETAILS: Submissions will be accepted from May 23, 2025-June 30, 2025. Winner and finalists will be announced in the fall. Prize: $1,000 and publication in the Fall/Winter 2023-24 print edition of Ninth Letter (with the opportunity to also publish excerpts or full work on ninthletter.com) and two contributors copies. You can read previous Regeneration contest winners for free here.

GENERAL GUIDELINES: Submissions are read anonymously, so neither the author’s name nor any identifying information should appear on the manuscript itself. If the author’s name appears in the poem, story, or essay, please replace with [Author’s Name] or a pseudonym to maintain anonymity. Acceptable file formats are .pdf, .doc, .docx. If you have questions or need clarification, please email ninthletter9@gmail.com.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please withdraw your submission immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. For flash and poetry, please send a message via Submittable if withdrawing select pieces but not the entire manuscript. Due to logistical and labor considerations, neither refunds nor replacement submissions will be offered for withdrawn manuscripts.

• Prose (fiction, creative nonfiction): Please submit one piece of no more than 8,000 words. You may also submit up to three pieces of flash-fiction or flash-nonfiction as long as the total word count of the submission is no more than 8,000 words.

• Poetry: Please submit up to 5 poems in a single file of no more than 8 pages.

ELIGIBILITY: Writers affiliated with Ninth Letter or the UIUC Creative Writing Department within the last 4 years are not eligible to submit. Any writers with a close, personal connection with the judge that could signify a conflict of interest are not eligible to submit. Regeneration Contest winners within the last 4 years are not eligible to submit.

ninthletter.com/regeneration-literary-contest/

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2025 WNDB Black Creatives Revision Workshop

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB)

DEADLINE: July 1, 2025

INFO: Launched in 2021, WNDB created the Revisions Workshop to help Black writers edit their stories, learn about publishing, and build a creative community within their cohort. Over a six-month period, our workshop participants revise their manuscript with guidance from a dedicated mentor and through faculty-led seminars. 

Workshop attendees must be U.S.-based writers who identify as part of the African diaspora. During the workshop period, attendees will be matched with a published author who will guide them through the process of revising their manuscript.

Throughout the workshop, the attendees will also attend virtual seminars to learn more about the publishing industry, both from editors and agents along with published authors. Each attendee will also receive $1,000 as a grant to help them on their publishing journey.

Upon completion of the program, the attendees’ manuscripts will be submitted to Penguin Random House, which will select two winning manuscripts and that will be considered for publication.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Revisions Workshop is available to: 

• unpublished and un-agented writers based in the U.S.

• who identify as part of the African diaspora and

• who have a fully completed manuscript that a.) features Black protagonists and that b.) focuses on a diverse central subject matter

The work AND the author must not be published, either traditionally, self-published or in any other medium. The submitted manuscript cannot be submitted to other programs designed to lead to publication. 

Applicants who do not have a completed manuscript at the time of application will not be considered. Applicants should only submit one work in one genre. Multiple applications will not be considered.

The submitted manuscript should be:

• Fully written and complete; partially finished drafts are not eligible for submission.

• Unpublished in any form, including individual chapters or short story adaptations.

• Between 30,000 (for middle grade works) and 75,000 words. These word counts are strict; any manuscripts over the word count will not be considered.

• Original work of the participant, not co-written or co-created.

You will be asked to submit your fully completed manuscript to your mentor at the beginning of the program. If you are accepted and unable to produce your manuscript at the outset of the program, you will not be allowed to continue in the program and will not be compensated.

Participants must sign a document committing to submit a final manuscript to PRH at the conclusion of the program.

Applicants may only apply for one of the three mentorship categories: Middle Grade, Young Adult, or Adult. Previous recipients of the WNDB general Mentorship program may not apply for this opportunity.

diversebooks.org/programs/revisionsworkshop

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BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize

Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival

DEADLINE: July 1, 2025 at 11:59pm EST (late submissions will not be accepted)

INFO: In a year when our festival becomes a Literary Botánica—a sanctuary of memory, resistance, and reimagining—we invite writers across the Caribbean and its diasporas to submit stories that act as remedies for the times we live in.

This year’s BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest seeks new fiction that speaks to the urgent need for grounding and healing. Whether it is a tale of migration and return, an act of quiet rebellion, an ancestral recipe passed through generations, a rewilding of grief, or the reclaiming of forbidden memory, we are calling for stories that prescribe survival, illuminate resilience, and offer prayers for what endures.

ELIGIBILITY:

• All entrants must be of Caribbean heritage/of Caribbean descent

• Be a resident of the United States/Canada

• Be over the age of 18 years

• Self-published writers may apply

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

• Stories must be original works of fiction. Work should not be published in any nationally distributed publication

• Word count: 3,000 words or less

HOW TO SUBMIT:

• Contest portal must be used to submit stories

• Emailed manuscripts WILL NOT be considered

• Please review submission guidelines carefully before selecting a category and entering your story

• Errors in category selection will not be corrected on your behalf; requests for the same WILL NOT be accommodated

• If you are uncertain of which category you belong to, send an email to contact@bklyncbeanlitfest.com

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• To submit your story, please click the SUBMIT ENTRY button below

• All stories should be submitted in English

• Entrants are allowed one (1) submission only. Entrants may not submit in both categories. Multiple submissions (of stories/award categories) will be rendered ineligible and disqualified from consideration

• Writers who use pen names may not submit multiple entries

• English translations of another language will be accepted    

• Review categories thoroughly to self-determine eligibility. The BCLF will not switch entry categories if there is a user error at selection

• All stories must be the original work of the entrant. The BCLF appreciates your integrity in this regard

• The judges’ decision is final

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINAL LIST

The writers of the selected stories will be announced in August via email, on our website, Facebook, Instagram account pages, and media partners. For more information, or to become a media partner, please e-mail contact@bklyncbeanlitfest.com

PRIZES AND PUBLICATIONS

The writer of the winning story will receive:

• *A US$1,750 cash prize

• BCLF Trophy

• A caché of books courtesy Akashic Books

• A feature episode on the acclaimed BCLF Cocoapod

• Author interview and profile on the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival website 

• BCLF branded merchandise

• Winner will be published in PREE

• Winner will be published in Carib News

bklyncbeanlitfest.org/2025-bclf-short-fiction-story-caribbean-american

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BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean

Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival

DEADLINE: July 1, 2025 at 11:59pm EST (late submissions will not be accepted)

INFO: In a year when our festival becomes a Literary Botánica—a sanctuary of memory, resistance, and reimagining—we invite writers across the Caribbean and its diasporas to submit stories that act as remedies for the times we live in.

This year’s BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest seeks new fiction that speaks to the urgent need for grounding and healing. Whether it is a tale of migration and return, an act of quiet rebellion, an ancestral recipe passed through generations, a rewilding of grief, or the reclaiming of forbidden memory, we are calling for stories that prescribe survival, illuminate resilience, and offer prayers for what endures.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Exclusively open to unpublished and published writers who were born/raised and holding nationality in the Caribbean

• You may submit if you are currently on temporary assignment elsewhere in the world (except the US and Canada)

• Submitted stories must be original works of fiction

• Be over the age of 18 years

• All writers regardless of their publishing status may apply

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

• Stories must be original works of fiction

• Word count: 3,000 words or less

HOW TO SUBMIT:

• Contest portal must be used to submit stories

• Emailed manuscripts WILL NOT be considered

• Please review submission guidelines carefully before selecting a category and entering your story

• Errors in category selection will not be corrected on your behalf; requests for the same WILL NOT be accommodated

• If you are uncertain of which category you belong to, send an email to contact@bklyncbeanlitfest.com

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• To submit your story, please click the SUBMIT ENTRY button below

• All stories should be submitted in English

• Entrants are allowed one (1) submission only. Entrants may not submit in both categories. Multiple submissions (of stories/award categories) will be rendered ineligible and disqualified from consideration

• Writers who use pen names may not submit multiple entries

• English translations of another language will be accepted    

• Review categories thoroughly to self-determine eligibility. The BCLF will not switch entry categories if there is a user error at selection

• All stories must be the original work of the entrant. The BCLF appreciates your integrity in this regard

• The judges’ decision is final

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINAL LIST

The writers of the selected stories will be announced in August via email, on our website, Facebook, Instagram account pages, and media partners. For more information, or to become a media partner, please e-mail contact@bklyncbeanlitfest.com

PRIZES AND PUBLICATIONS

• *A US$1,750 cash prize

• BCLF Trophy

• A caché of books courtesy Akashic Books

• A feature episode on the acclaimed BCLF Cocoapod

• Author interview and profile on the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival website 

• BCLF branded merchandise

• Winner will be published in PREE

• Winner will be published in Carib News

bklyncbeanlitfest.org/2025-bclf-short-fiction-story-writers-in-the-caribbean

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Black Women’s History Series Incubator

The University of North Carolina Press

DEADLINE: July 1, 2025

INFO: The editors of the Black Women’s History series invite applications for the series’ annual incubator. Authors who are currently completing a book-length manuscript on Black women’s history are encouraged to apply. Applications will be due in May for an incubator to take place the following Spring semester. One to two applicants will be selected and have the opportunity to receive feedback on their work-in-progress from series editors (Dr. Talitha L. LeFlouria, Dr. Ashley D. Farmer, and Dr. Daina Ramey Berry) as well as other invited interlocutors in their field.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

To complete the application, please be prepared to upload:

• A cover letter with key details about the project and your interest in the series and incubator.

• A project abstract that does not exceed 500 words.

• A 2-page CV or resume.

• A polished sample chapter. 

Selected authors will be notified September 1, 2025.

Please contact Dawn Durante at dawn.durante@uncpress.org with questions about the incubator.

uncpress.org/black-womens-history-series-incubator/

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The Kyoto Retreat 2025

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $95.00

INFO: The Kyoto Retreat is a new program created by Japan-based, independent curator Dexter Wimberly. The Kyoto Retreat offers artists, curators, and writers, based anywhere in the world, an opportunity to spend four weeks in Kyoto, Japan, for research, exploration, and inspiration. If selected for the retreat, you will receive a roundtrip flight, a private bedroom, and $800 USD to supplement meals and local transportation.

We select artists, curators, and writers at all career stages, working in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, interdisciplinary, and social practice. Individuals must be over 21 years old to apply.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Individuals selected for the retreat will be notified by August 15, 2025

• The inaugural Kyoto Retreat will take place from October 16 - November 13, 2025

kyotoretreat.com

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CALL FOR PITCHES: AAPI WRITERS BASED IN NYC

The AMP

DEADLINE: Ongoing

INFO: The Amp is an online magazine from the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) that celebrates the vibrant, multifaceted, and rich AAPI cultural community in NYC and beyond. Through critical essays and reviews, thoughtful profiles, and insightful interviews, we aim to serve as an evolving record of and voice for AAPI art and artists.

SUBMISSIONS:

Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.

To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:

“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”

From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.

Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.

The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).

Please note: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.

Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.

Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.

Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.

Email: theamp@aaartsalliance.org

aaartsalliance.org/magazine/about

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: CRITICAL ESSAYS

The Margins

DEADLINE: Ongoing

INFO: The Margins is open year-round to pitches and submissions of critical essays on Asian American literature, film, visual art, and culture.

We specifically seek essays that—through close engagement with art—might challenge the Asian American community to think or act in a new way. We are open to criticism of any artform, of works from any time period, so long as the writer speaks in some way to how we live now. Critics are encouraged to foreground their own voice and style in the pursuit of this goal, but should ultimately keep focus on their chosen objects of study.

Possible forms include but are not limited to:

• A review of a single title with ambitions and analysis that extend beyond the title under review. E.g., “The Banality of Hate” by Sanjena Sathian (The Margins)

• An essay where personal experience or voice is used to drive a critical study. E.g., “Death, Mediated” by Ismail Ibrahim (The Margins)

• A study of an emerging phenomenon—referencing multiple recent works—with an eye toward the future. E.g., “Mixed-Race Metaphor” by Andrea Long Chu (Vulture)

• A critique of a persistent, underexamined issue in our literature or literary community. E.g., “Blunt-Force Ethnic Credibility” by Som-Mai Nguyen (Astra)

• An essay that puts new work into conversation with older works (or emerging artists into conversation with established artists) to make an argument about the evolution of a form or genre. E.g., “Controlled” by Noor Qasim (The Drift)

Additional notes on book reviews: We prefer criticism of works by more established writers, or posthumous criticism. We are generally not interested in list-style or roundup reviews, but are open to pieces that put multiple books in conversation with each other, or to reviews of anthologies. It is useful, but not a requirement, for a pitch to be timed to a publication date.

Send pitches of up to 500 words or drafts from 1,500-3,000 words to Spencer Quong, criticism editor, at criticism@aaww.org. Writers can expect a reply within two months. Please do not use the criticism@aaww.org inbox to pitch interviews.

We pay all writers and translators. Please refer to our rate sheet for more details.

aaww.org/criticism/

FICTION / NONFICTION — MAY 2025

call for pitches: aapi writers based in nyc

The AMP

DEADLINE: Ongoing

INFO: The Amp is an online magazine from the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) that celebrates the vibrant, multifaceted, and rich AAPI cultural community in NYC and beyond. Through critical essays and reviews, thoughtful profiles, and insightful interviews, we aim to serve as an evolving record of and voice for AAPI art and artists.

SUBMISSIONS:

Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.

To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:

“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”

From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.

Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.

The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).

Please note: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.

Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.

Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.

Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.

Email: theamp@aaartsalliance.org

aaartsalliance.org/magazine/about

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call for submissions: critical essays

The Margins

DEADLINE: Ongoing

INFO: The Margins is open year-round to pitches and submissions of critical essays on Asian American literature, film, visual art, and culture.

We specifically seek essays that—through close engagement with art—might challenge the Asian American community to think or act in a new way. We are open to criticism of any artform, of works from any time period, so long as the writer speaks in some way to how we live now. Critics are encouraged to foreground their own voice and style in the pursuit of this goal, but should ultimately keep focus on their chosen objects of study.

Possible forms include but are not limited to:

• A review of a single title with ambitions and analysis that extend beyond the title under review. E.g., “The Banality of Hate” by Sanjena Sathian (The Margins)

• An essay where personal experience or voice is used to drive a critical study. E.g., “Death, Mediated” by Ismail Ibrahim (The Margins)

• A study of an emerging phenomenon—referencing multiple recent works—with an eye toward the future. E.g., “Mixed-Race Metaphor” by Andrea Long Chu (Vulture)

• A critique of a persistent, underexamined issue in our literature or literary community. E.g., “Blunt-Force Ethnic Credibility” by Som-Mai Nguyen (Astra)

• An essay that puts new work into conversation with older works (or emerging artists into conversation with established artists) to make an argument about the evolution of a form or genre. E.g., “Controlled” by Noor Qasim (The Drift)

Additional notes on book reviews: We prefer criticism of works by more established writers, or posthumous criticism. We are generally not interested in list-style or roundup reviews, but are open to pieces that put multiple books in conversation with each other, or to reviews of anthologies. It is useful, but not a requirement, for a pitch to be timed to a publication date.

Send pitches of up to 500 words or drafts from 1,500-3,000 words to Spencer Quong, criticism editor, at criticism@aaww.org. Writers can expect a reply within two months. Please do not use the criticism@aaww.org inbox to pitch interviews.

We pay all writers and translators. Please refer to our rate sheet for more details.

aaww.org/criticism/

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U.S. WRITERS AID INITIATIVE

PEN America

DEADLINE: May 2, 2025

INFO: PEN America is an organization of writers and their allies, and that solidarity is never more important than when members of our literary community face crises. PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative, part of the PEN America Writers Emergency Fund, offers grants for writers in the United States facing acute financial need following an emergency situation.

The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, translators, and journalists in addressing short-term financial emergencies. To be eligible, applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. The fund is limited, and not every application can be supported. Grant decisions are made on a quarterly basis by a volunteer committee of literary peers in consultation with PEN America staff, using the following guidelines to evaluate professional credentials:

• Publication of one or more books. (Writers who are only self-published or published by a press that charges for publication are not eligible.)

• Multiple essays, short stories, or poems appearing in literary anthologies or literary journals (either online or in print) in the last two years.

• A full-length play, performed in a theater by a professional theater company. Productions in academic settings qualify if the author is not a student at the time of the production.

• Employment as a full-time professional journalist, columnist, or critic, or a record of consistent publication on a freelance basis in a range of outlets during the last two years.

• Contracted forthcoming books, essays, short stories, poems, or articles for which the name of the publisher can be provided.

• Other qualifications that support the applicant’s professional identity as a writer.

• The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is not intended to subsidize writing-related expenses, such as residencies, sabbaticals, computers, printing, shipping, travel, or publicity services. Applications received on or before the following quarterly deadlines will be reviewed before the last day of that month.

ELIGIBILITY: Writers currently enrolled in degree-granting programs are also not eligible. Writers do not have to be Members of PEN America to receive a grant, but all recipients of emergency funding will be given a complimentary one-year PEN America membership.

PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is made possible by generous support from an anonymous donor , PEN America Members, and other supporters. Questions may be addressed to writersfund@pen.org

pen.org/us-writers-aid-initiative/

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LITERATURE GRANT

Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation

DEADLINE: May 5, 2025 (or if we reach our limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first)

INFO: The world is a story and the writer, the story teller. In writing stories we are trying to make sense of our world by seeking what is real, by rejecting what is false, and by exercising the greatest of our mortal gifts in pursuit of the immortal.

DESCRIPTION: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction and poetry.  

SUBMISSIONS: To ensure that each submission receives the attention it deserves we will be only accepting 40 applications for each of our categories.

AMOUNTS: Up to $10,000.00  

ELIGIBILITY:

• Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction and poetry (*please see note regarding plays below)

• The applicant must be the originator of the written material.

• Grants will not be made for the purpose of research only. 

• Grants will not be made for equipment.

• Writers applying applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

Grants awarded in this category may fund costs associated with continuing the composition of work submitted. Such as:

• Course Reduction (if you're a Teacher/Professor)

• Salary Replacement

• Living Expenses

• Research Expenses

• Travel Research Expenses

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Up to and no more than a 15 page PDF of the work, for the Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection and Executive Committee to download and read. Please make sure your links are correct and not password protected. If they are not correct or have password protection your application will be declined and not reviewed by the Selection Committee.

• A short description of the project.

• A short author biography of the person(s) involved.

• Budget must not exceed the amount of $10,000.00.

• List of costs of how you plan to use the grant funds.
  (Please review our lists of Approved and Ineligible Budget Items for Literature Grant Funds, located below)

• Travel and Research costs within the United States must demonstrate a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.

• You may not apply for International Travel and Research Costs.

• If you are hiring fact checkers / editors / research assistants please be aware that we prefer that individuals providing these services are located in the NYC area.

• Writers applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

• We ask that the completion of your manuscript is no sooner than 90 days after this application's due date (no sooner than August 1, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than June 17, 2026).

• Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.

• You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.

• * Regarding Plays - We Don’t offer support for playwrights in our literature category, we encourage playwrights with a finished script to apply for a grant in our Performance category which offers funding for stage production.  

caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page

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2025 ARTS WRITERS GRANT

The Andy Warhol Foundation

DEADLINE: May 7, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies.

We also support art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply.

Writers are invited to apply in one of the following categories:

• Article

• Books

• Short-Form Writing

To be eligible for this grant, an arts writer must be:

• an individual;

• applying for a project about contemporary visual art;

• an art historian, artist, critic, curator, journalist, or a writer in an outside field who is strongly engaged with the contemporary visual arts;

• a U.S. citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or holder of an O-1 visa (if your application advances to the final round, you will need to submit current documentation);

• at least twenty-five years old by Oct 1 in the application year;

• a published author (specific publication requirements vary depending on grant category; see the project-specific eligibility requirements).

• By “contemporary visual art,” we mean visual art made since World War II. Projects on post-WWII work in adjacent fields—architecture, dance, film, media, music, performance, sound, etc.—will only be considered if they directly and significantly engage the discourses and concerns of contemporary visual art.

An arts writer is NOT eligible for this grant if they are:

• applying on behalf of an organization;

• applying for a project in which their primary involvement will be as an editor;

• a full-time student in a degree-granting program (with the exception of those students who are simultaneously maintaining professional careers as arts writers);

• an artist, writer, or curator writing an interpretive essay on their own practice;

• applying for a project that is primarily fiction, poetry (including ekphrasis), or memoir;

• applying for a project based on a PhD dissertation or MA thesis;

• applying to conduct a Q&A interview (or series of Q&A interviews);

• applying to assemble an archive or database;

• applying for a project on Andy Warhol;

• applying for a project that will be published by a commercial gallery;

• applying for a Creative Capital Award for any project in the same grant year (including as a collaborator);

• applying with the same project for which they have received a Creative Capital Award (including as a collaborator);

• applying with the same project for which they have received a curatorial research fellowship from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts (including as a collaborator);

• a grantee of The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant;

• a recent juror of the program (evaluators are eligible to apply after one grant cycle; panelists are eligible after two grant cycles);

• a current employee, consultant, board member, or funder of Creative Capital or The Andy Warhol Foundation, or an immediate family member of such a person.

artswriters.org/application/

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CARE IN PRECARITY: AN OPEN CALL FOR CARIBBEAN WRITERS

Burnaway / Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute

DEADLINE: May 8, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Burnaway and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) are pleased to announce our new collaboration: Care in Precarity, an open call for Caribbean writers to reflect on practices of care in the context of climate-based instability and crisis. This partnership is representative of our organizations’ shared commitments to amplifying Caribbean creative culture, engaging with community beyond linguistic barriers, and exploring the intersections of art, culture, and care in the face of climate crisis and systemic inequities.

Burnaway is an online art magazine that celebrates art from the American South and the Caribbean, while CCCADI is a New York-based cultural institution dedicated to preserving and promoting African diasporic cultures through arts, education, and activism. Working toward bridging some of the linguistic siloing of the region, pitches for Care in Precarity will be accepted in both Spanish and English, with CCCADI supporting translation alongside Burnaway’s Editorial Assistant Isabella Marie Garcia. In addition to Garcia and Natalie Willis Whylly (Caribbean Editor-At-Large) is CCCADI’s Lead for the CROSSROADS program, Dr. Marissel Hernánndez Romero, who will join the Burnaway team in the selection panel for the open call as well as community outreach. 

 “At CCCADI, we recognize that shaping meaningful partnerships with like-minded organizations is essential,” said Melody Capote, Executive Director of CCCADI. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to fostering creative and intellectual exchange that uplifts the experiences of Caribbean communities. It is through these intentional efforts that we continue to build a more inclusive and representative cultural realm.” 

Together, we invite writers to reflect on the unique ways we show collective care as a region (for the landscape, community, ancestors, and memory), and how this serves as a vital practice in a moment of ongoing climate crisis. Celebrating the similarities and divergences of the Caribbean, Capote adds, “We hope it creates a space where artists, scholars, and cultural workers from different Caribbean nations can find resonance in each other’s work.” Care in the context of this open call could mean tending to an ancestral altar, engaging in environmental activism, offering a sharp critique of colonial legacies, or speaking a soft word to those who most need to hear it. 

Natalie Willis Whylly, Burnaway’s Caribbean Editor-at-Large, shares: “Care in Precarity is a heartfelt invitation to Caribbean creative community to reflect on the ways we use care as a radical act of survival and solidarity, contributing to a deeper understanding of how this collective care has historically sustained us in times of crisis.”

Isabella Marie Garcia, Burnaway’s Editorial Assistant, states: “My initial entry into working with Burnaway was through participating in the 2022 Arts Writing Incubator, where the overarching theme was Criticism as Care. As a bilingual woman of Caribbean descent myself who advocates for care matrices wherever possible, I’m honored to uplift the language accessibility of the selected writers and increase reader visibility towards the Caribbean.”

To be considered eligible for the open call, applicants must meet and agree to the following criteria:

• Be a writer living in the Caribbean or in the Caribbean diaspora,  including those without tertiary education or professional arts experience. Pitches are particularly encouraged from those who are a part of marginalized and underserved demographics, keeping postcolonial ethics of care, healing and support in mind.

• Submissions accepted in English and Spanish. Writing will be published in both English and Spanish in a spirit of bolstering connection between linguistic regions of the Caribbean.

• Pitches must reflect on practices of care in the context of climate-based instability and crisis within the Caribbean i.e. how artists are navigating migration within an island induced by rising sea levels or a group exhibition that responds to issues surrounding infrastructure such as damaged residential homes, coastal populations, and food insecurity. For more information on conflict of interest and pitching policies, click here.

• The format of the piece can take the form of essays, artist profiles, interviews, dispatches, and other experimental art writing, with an intended word count of 1,000–1,500 words. Compensation for the selected pieces published by Burnaway will be $0.30 per word (USD).

To apply to the open call or if you have any questions, please email caribbean@burnaway.org by Thursday, May 8th at 11:59pm EST

burnaway.org/daily/burnaway-announces-open-call-collaboration-with-cccadi/

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2025-2026 EMERGING CRITICS FELLOWSHIP

National Book Critics Circle

DEADLINE: May 9 at 11:59 pm PT

INFO: The National Book Critics Circle’s Emerging Critics Fellowship seeks to identify, nurture, and support the development of the next generation of book critics.

ELIGIBILITY: The Emerging Critics Fellowship is open to critics of all experience levels who seek to review and write about books for print and digital outlets. Applicants may or may not have previously published book reviews. The NBCC seeks a broad range of diverse applicants, especially those who have demonstrated a genuine interest and commitment to engaging in a critical conversation about books. Applicants must be 21 years or older.

Applicants do not need to be U.S. permanent residents and/or citizens to apply. However, applicants should be available to participate in mandatory Emerging Critics Fellowship programming and events for the duration of their term, including virtual workshops, events, and gatherings (scheduled during evenings/weekends, Eastern/Pacific Time Zones). Applicants must also be willing to communicate regularly with mentors and their fellow emerging critics via email, phone, and message board. The NBCC Emerging Critics Program is an interactive, participatory program guided by the philosophy that critical thought can be fostered and enriched through dialogue within a cohort of similarly-interested critics.

At the NBCC, we are invested in encouraging people who are great thinkers and writers but who need support along the path to becoming an active critic. Our fellowship aims to break down financial and geographical barriers for emerging critics. In particular, BIPOC critics, LGBTQIA+ critics, critics with disabilities, and critics from historically resilient communities are encouraged to apply.

THE FELLOWSHIP:

• Over the course of the one-year fellowship, emerging critics will receive:

• One-on-one mentorship from board members

• Small group Q&A with board members

• Small group professional development/ craft lectures over Zoom

• Dues-free NBCC membership, admission to NBCC events, and annual reception for one year

TO APPLY:

Fill out the contact form and include your name/pronunciation, pronouns, phone number, email address, website, two references, and a short bio (50-100 words).

Upload as attachments:

• Resume/CV (1 page)

• Statement of purpose (300-500 words): What are your interests? How will you benefit from the NBCC Emerging Critics Fellowship program? Why are you an ideal candidate?

• 3 writing samples demonstrating critical thought

bookcritics.org/emerging-critics/fellowship/

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Adroit Prize for POETRY + PROSE

The Adroit Journal

DEADLINE: Extended to May 11, 2025

INFO: The Adroit Prizes are awarded annually to two students of secondary or undergraduate status. We're fortunate to receive exceptional work from emerging writers in high school and college, and the best of the best will be recognized by the Adroit Prizes.

The 2025 Adroit Prize for Poetry will be selected by Danez Smith. The 2025 Adroit Prize for Prose will be selected by Aria Aber.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

All secondary and undergraduate students are eligible, including international students and students who have graduated a semester early (in this case, in December 2024). Each poetry submission may include up to five poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced). Each prose submission may include up to three works of fiction or creative nonfiction (combined word limit of 3,500 words; excerpts are acceptable). 

Each student may send up to five separate submissions for the Adroit Prize for Poetry (each with up to five poems) and up to five separate submissions for the Adroit Prize for Prose (each with up to three works of prose), totaling ten separate submissions. 

Poems and prose pieces included in submissions may be sent to other contests and publications as well (but please disclose simultaneously submitted work in your cover letter), and may have been previously recognized by other organizations and/or featured in campus-wide publications. If work under consideration is accepted elsewhere, submitters should reach out promptly by adding a note to the corresponding submission on Submittable.

All submitted poems and prose pieces will be considered for publication in the Adroit Journal.

PRIZE: Winners will be awarded $200, and their work—along with the work of runners-up—will be featured in the Adroit Journal. Runners-up and finalists will receive a copy of the judges' latest book.

To accommodate this while offering free online issues, we have set a non-refundable submission fee of $15. If you require financial assistance, please download this form and follow the instructions.

Please direct any questions to editors@theadroitjournal.org. 

2025 JUDGES:

Aria Aber (Prose) was born and raised in Germany and now lives in the United States. Her first novel GOOD GIRL is was published from Hogarth (US) in 2024 and Bloomsbury (UK) in 2025, and will be translated into German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, and Japanese. Her debut poetry collection, Hard Damage, won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize and the Whiting Award. She is a former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford and graduate student at USC, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, New Republic, The Yale Review, Granta, and elsewhere. Raised speaking Farsi and German, she writes in her third language, English. She serves as the poetry editor of Amulet, as a contributing editor at The Yale Review, and works as an assistant professor of Creative Writing at the University of Vermont. Aber divides her time between Vermont and Brooklyn.

Danez Smith (Poetry) is the author of four poetry collections: [insert] boy, Don’t Call Us Dead, Homie, and, most recently, Bluff.  They are also the curator of Blues In Stereo: The Early Works of Langston Hughes. For their work, Danez was won the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the Minnesota Book Award in Poetry, the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, and have been a finalist for the NAACP Image Award in Poetry, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the National Book Award, as well as an array of grants, fellowships, and residencies including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the Princeton Arts Fellowship. Danez lives in the Twin Cities with their people and teaches at the Randolph College MFA program and the Black Youth Healing Arts Center in St. Paul, MN. 

adroit.submittable.com/submit

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Creative Nonfiction Summer Essay Contest

Prairie Schooner

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: Each year, the Schooner accepts submissions to the Summer Creative Nonfiction Contest, open to all types of creative nonfiction essays, up to 5,000 words.

PRIZE: Winner receives $1,000 and publication in the following Spring issue.

JUDGE: The guest judge for the 2025 contest is Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of Bite by Bite and World of Wonders.

GUIDELINES: Entries should include a cover letter with the submission’s title and your contact information. Your name and contact information shouldn’t appear anywhere on the manuscript. Multiple submissions are encouraged, but an entry fee must be paid for each submission. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, provided you withdraw your work promptly should it be accepted for publication elsewhere. We do not consider work that has been previously published anywhere, including online publications.

We prefer electronic submissions via Submittable, but we also accept hard copy submissions. Hard copy submissions should follow the above guidelines, and should be printed single-sided. A self-addressed, stamped envelope must accompany the submission, which may be sent to the attention of the editor at:

ATTN: CNF Editor(s)
Summer Essay Contest
Prairie Schooner
110 Andrews Hall
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE 68588-0334

prairieschooner.unl.edu/submit/creative-nonfiction-summer-essay-contest/

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2025 Emerging Writer’s Contest

Ploughshares

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: 

• Current Members: $0 

• Non-Members: $30

INFO: The Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest recognizes work by an emerging writer in each of three genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We consider authors “emerging” if they haven’t published or self-published a book in any genre.

One winner in each genre per year will receive $2,000 and publication in the literary journal. The winners will also receive a conversation with our partnering literary agency, Aevitas Creative Management, regarding their work and writing careers. 

The 2025 contest judges are R . O. Kwon in fiction, Joshua Bennett in poetry, and Elisa Gabbert in nonfiction. 

GUIDELINES:

PUBLICATION: The winning story, essay, and poems from the 2025 contest will be published in the Winter 2025-26 issue of Ploughshares. 

ELIGIBILITY:

You are eligible if you:

• Have not published a book or chapbook in any genre.

• Have no book or chapbook forthcoming before April 15, 2026.

• Are not currently affiliated with Emerson College or with Ploughshares as a volunteer screener, intern, student, staff member, or faculty member.

• Will not have a relationship with Emerson College before April 15, 2026 (example: if there is a chance you will attend the Emerson MFA program in the coming year or if your work has been accepted for publication for an upcoming issue).

SUBMITTING:

We accept fiction and nonfiction up to 6,000 words and 3-5 pages of poetry. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained.

• Submit one entry per year via our online submission manager. 

• No entries via email or mail will be considered for the contest.

• Submitted work must be original and previously unpublished in any form.

• Please remove all identifying information from your manuscript as it will be read anonymously.

• For poetry, we will be reading both for the strongest individual poem and the general level of work, and maychoose to publish one, some, or all of the winner’s submitted poems.

• We cannot accommodate revisions once a manuscript has been submitted.

• If submitting work with images, please acquire permission beforehand and, if possible, ensure any images are high resolution (300 dpi).

• We strongly encourage typed, double-spaced (poetry may be single-spaced), and numbered pages.

SIMULTANEOUS vs. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: We only consider one submission per author for the duration of the contest, regardless of genre. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are fine as long as we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere via email (pshares@pshares.org) or our online contact form. 

ENTRY FEE: If you are a current subscriber, your contest entry is free of charge. Make sure you are logged into your account before you begin the submission process. You will still be prompted to “checkout” but you will not be required to enter payment information and will not be charged. 

If you are not a subscriber, the submission manager will prompt you to pay the $30 fee at checkout. The fee includes a 1-year print and digital subscription to Ploughshares and free submissions to the 2025 regular reading period (June 1-January 15). 

pshares.org/submit/emerging-writers-contest/

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Mineral Arts & Residencies FELLOWSHIPS

Mineral Arts & Residencies (Mineral, WA)

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Mineral Arts & Residencies (formerly Mineral School) is an artists residency founded in a former 1947 elementary school near Mt. Rainier, in Mineral, Washington. During 2025 and the first half of 2026, we'll host 32 creative people during six sessions ranging from one to two weeks in length, providing them with time, space, nutritious food, community, and access to the outdoors as well as the wild and wonderful energy of the region.

During 2025-2026, we are able to offer 11 fellowships so writers and artists may attend residency at no cost; fellowshipped writers are provided with travel assistance to Mineral from within the I-5 corridor between Portland and Seattle. Otherwise, one-week residency costs $450 and two-week residency costs $900, which includes all meals, linens, and programming. 

FELLOWSHIPS:

• June Dodge Fellowships (8) are open to poets or writers from the Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) or the provinces of western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon) and whose work is inspired by adventure, travel, the outdoors, and a feisty won't-give-up spirit. Though named for a woman, applicants of any identity may apply! These fellowships fund a two-week residency and include transit to Mineral from Portland, Seattle, or points between along I-5.

• The Tahoma Literary Review Fellowship (1) will offer one writer of poetry or prose who identifies as part of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color) community support for a two-week residency. Applicants may request that their submission be read solely for residency or also considered for publication in Tahoma Literary Review. TLR is supporting this fellowship and publication opportunity to recognize and uplift BIPOC voices. The fellowship also includes travel assistance from points between Portland, OR and Seattle, WA along the I-5 corridor, if needed.

• The Mona Lisa Roberts Visual Artist Fellowship  (1) supports a two-week residency for one visual artist who self-identifies as LGBTQ+ and lives in the Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) or the provinces of western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon). This fellowship funds a two-week residency any month. Depending on the medium and artist preference, the accepted artist can work in the studio room where they also sleep, spread out in the gym, or work outdoors.

• The Erin Donovan Writing Fellowship (1) supports one woman writer at midlife (40+). A fan of small town culture, travel, dive bars, nature, wordplay, and late-night talks about the meaning of life, Erin Donovan lived with abandon. Her friends and family co-created a fellowship in her memory open to applicants from the states where Erin lived. This residency is open to a woman-identifying writer of poetry or prose living in Massachusetts, New York, Washington, or Oregon, who is at least 40, and whose writing expresses wit and compassion. This fellowship funds the two-week residency fee and offers travel support upon proof of travel purchase or mileage, up to $175 (OR/WA) or $400 (NY/MA).

welcometomars.submittable.com/submit

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Summer 2025 digital residency: The Workshop

Seventh Wave

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: We are thrilled to open up applications for our Summer 2025 digital residency, The Workshop. For more information about this program, please visit our site here. We have summarized some of the most pertinent information below: 

• The logistics: The Workshop is a genre-agnostic writing program that includes five sessions across five weeks, a space for creatives to share their works-in-progress with a purposefully curated group of writers, artists, and activists. In 2025, we will be running one intake in the summer, with two cohorts of 7 residents. Each session is 2 hours long. 

• Benefits: Over the course of five weeks, residents will have the chance to experience the Seventh Wave's take on the traditional model, one that centers the writer as the expert of their own piece. Each resident will be workshopped once, and receive extensive written and verbal feedback from their cohort, as well as from their facilitator. Residents are also encouraged to sign up for a one-on-one session with their facilitator to discuss their workshop experience and next steps for their piece.

• Costs: This program costs $450, which is $90 per session. There will be limited financial aid available for selected residents.

• Application materials: In addition to general information, the primary requirement is responding to our statement of interest questions, which are an opportunity to tell us about you, your work, and why you want to join the residency. All applicants are also required to share the piece they are looking to bring to The Workshop if they are accepted. 

• Zoom info sessions. Seventh Wave will be hosting a Zoom info session in April to answer any and all questions about application requirements and the program in general. You'll see our announcement for this via newsletter and social media.

theseventhwave.org/programs/digital-residencies/the-workshop/

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call for mentors + mentees: Girls Write Now Summer Cycle

Girls Write Now

DEADLINE: Extended to May 15, 2025

INFO: Girls Write Now is a national nonprofit dedicated to connecting young women and gender expansive youth with mentors. For nearly three decades, they have broken down the barriers of gender, age, race, and poverty to mentor, teach, and connect writers and leaders across disciplines and around the nation.

They are currently seeking mentors and mentees for their Summer Cycle, which runs from July 1 to September 31. Girls Write Now hosts a number of Journeys, which are focused on topics such as Teleplays: Writing for TV and Book Club: Summer Read.

In these Journeys, women and gender expansive mentors work one-on-one with mentees aged 14-24 to set goals, write together, and form important connections.

You can find the complete list of Journeys here: https://girlswritenow.org/journeys/

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2025/26 LITERARY ARTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM

The Studios of Key West

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $45

INFO: The Studios of Key West, the premier arts organization at the Southernmost Point of the United States, offers a residency program for emerging and established artists and writers from around the world. We provide residencies to visual artists, writers, composers, musicians, media artists, performers, and interdisciplinary artists.

The program grants nearly 40 artists each year the time and space to imagine new artistic work, engage in valuable dialogue and explore island connections.

The Studios’ residency program is community-based and built upon the hope that visiting artists will take inspiration from Key West’s rich artistic past and present, and will engage with — and be inspired by — the remarkable people and culture that surrounds them.

skw.org/pear-program/

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Monson Arts FALL residency program

Monson Arts (Maine)

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

INFO: Monson Arts’ residency program supports emerging and established artists and writers by providing them time and space to devote to their creative practices. During each of our 2-week and 4-week programs throughout the year, a cohort of 5 artists and 5 writers are invited to immerse themselves in small town life at the edge of Maine’s North Woods and focus intensely on their work within a creative and inspiring environment. They receive a private studio, private bedroom in shared housing, all meals, and $500 stipend ($250 for 2-week programs). The Abbott Watts Residency for Photography offers access to the photography studio and darkroom of Todd Watts in nearby Blanchard, adjacent to the former home of Berenice Abbott. Click here to read more about this unique opportunity specifically for photographers.

Applications for a residency at Monson Arts are open to anyone at any stage of their career, working in visual arts, writing, and related fields (i.e. audio, video, photography, woodworking, movement, screen and playwrights). Open calls for residency applications currently take place 3 times throughout the year with deadlines on January 15, May 15, and September 15. Each application period corresponds to specific residency offerings 3-6 months out.

Residents’ studios are located in newly renovated Main Street buildings that have been designed specifically for visual artists and writers. All of our studio spaces are outfitted to be as flexible as possible so that we can accommodate a variety of creative practices. Our visual arts studios are spacious and light-filled with large work tables and sinks. Shelving and portable storage carts are available as needed. Access is available to woodshop and metal shop facilities in nearby buildings for any fabrication needs. Our writing studios are comfortably furnished with work tables, office chairs, bookshelves, and reading chairs. For those working in time and sound based media: apply to the Writing category if quiet contemplation would be best for your project or the Visual Arts category if you need room and the opportunity to make and play sounds out loud.

Residents live in newly renovated historic homes throughout town, within walking distance to studios and everything that downtown Monson has to offer. These are mostly 3 bedroom structures that are fully furnished and comfortable all four seasons of the year. Houses all have shared kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas with laundry machines, telephone, and other amenities as well. Wifi is available in all of our buildings through high speed fiberoptic service.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE:

• Up to 5 images / 5 minutes of media OR 5 pages of writing examples

• A letter of intent for your time at the residency

• C.V. or Resume (limited to 6000 characters)

• Two reference names

FALL 2025 RESIDENCY SCHEDULE

• Sep 8 – Sep 18 : 2 week (with Abbott Watts)

• Sep 22 – Oct 16: 4 week

• Oct 20 – Nov 13: 4 week (with Abbott Watts)

monsonarts.org/residencies/overview/

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VCCA FULLY-FUNDED FELLOWSHIPS

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

INFO: In residencies ranging from one to six weeks, Fellows have the freedom to work individually and interact with 20+ writers, visual artists, and composers in residence. Returning and first-time Fellows combine to create a mutually supportive and inspiring community of peers.

Mt. San Angelo offers artists a private bedroom with private en-suite bath, a separate individual studio, and three meals each day, all within sight of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

VCCA is proud to offer a rotating selection of fully-funded fellowships.

The following fully-funded fellowships are available for the Spring 2026 residency period at Mt. San Angelo in Amherst, Virginia.

BARBARA CROOKER CAREGIVING FELLOWSHIP

Who: Artists in any discipline who are caregivers to an ill or disabled family member
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2026 (January – April)

RICHARD E. CYTOWIC NONFICTION FELLOWSHIP

Who: Writers of long-form nonfiction, with preference given to writers who are gay, residents of Washington D.C., or caregivers to an ill or disabled family member
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2026 (January – April)

JACQUES AND NATASHA GELMAN FELLOWSHIP

Who: Visual artists, with preference given to those of African American and Latin American descent
What: Two-week or one-month residency at Mt. San Angelo; $1,000 honorarium
When: Spring 2026 (January – April)

GOLDFARB FAMILY FELLOWSHIP

Who: Writers of creative nonfiction
What: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2026 (January – April)

GREATER OPPORTUNITY FELLOWSHIPS

Who: Artists in any discipline who have not previously been in residence at VCCA, with preference given to those who self-identify as people of color
What: Residency of up to two-weeks at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2026 (January – April)

MONTANA FELLOWSHIP

Who: Artists in any discipline who live in Montana
What: One-month residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2026 (January – April)

RICHARD S. AND JULIA LOUISE REYNOLDS POETRY FELLOWSHIP

Who: Poets
What: Three-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
When: Spring 2026 (January – April)

vcca.com/apply/fully-funded-fellowships/

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Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award

Trio House Press

DEADLINE: May 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: The Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award is open to ALL living authors, regardless of publication history. 

Notification of our winners and finalists is posted on our web page and announced through social media during the summer months.  Please check our website for results. If you are a finalist, semi-finalist, or the winner, you will be personally notified.  

• Manuscripts must be 45,000 - 80,000 words of creative nonfiction (excluding title page, table of contents, and all front matter), written in English by a person residing within the U.S.

• No submissions from those living outside of the United States, unless they plan to reside in the US for the year following the publication of the book.

• No submissions are accepted that are written by the deceased.

• Submissions generated using AI in whole or in part are prohibited.

• Translations are not eligible for publication, nor are previously published or self-published books. If the book has an ISBN, it is considered to be published.

• Manuscripts must be sent in a single file. We accept Word and PDF files.

• Include and upload your cover letter with your bio and contact information in the cover letter option area.

• Include an acknowledgement page of excerpts published within the manuscript.  The manuscript as a whole must not be previously published.

• Multiple award submissions are accepted as long as a $25 fee accompanies each award submission.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as we are notified immediately if your manuscript is chosen elsewhere.

• Relatives and current or former students of Trio House Press editors, staff, or Board members are not eligible for awards or publication during our contest submissions period.

• No edits can be made to manuscripts after you submit your manuscript.  However, if chosen for award or publication, edits will be made prior to final proofs.

• Your submission acknowledges that you understand and agree to all guidelines and to being contacted via our distribution list.

triohousepress.submittable.com/submit/319805/2025-aurora-polaris-award-in-creative-nonfiction

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The Art Writing Incubator

Burnaway

DEADLINE: May 16, 2025

TUITION: Tuition for the 2025 cycle is $250. Thanks to generous funding from our partners, Burnaway will consider additional needs-based support for selected participants that indicate.

INFO: The Art Writing Incubator is an annual online writing intensive, which cultivates the next generation of critics and art writers through a series of workshops with leading culture writers and artists from around the world and one-on-one tutorials with Burnaway’s editors. Much of the program is funded by Critical Minded, which supports emerging writers of color, LGBTQ+ writers, and writers in rural communities. 

The theme this year is ‘the personal’. The 2025 AWrI Your Voice is Critical will explore the role of subjectivity and personal perspective in art criticism. In doing so, we will acknowledge and honor that art writing is a means to share who you are as much as what you see. 

Burnaway’s Arts Writing Incubator program has equipped participants with tools for pitching, writing statements, and producing considered criticism for the last eight years. The four-week program begins with a session hosted by Burnaway’s editorial masthead and subsequent weeks led by guest speakers. Over the course of the program, students will formally propose, develop, and complete a short-form writing project with one-on-one feedback from Burnaway’s editors. Following the completion of the program, these works will be compiled into a small chapbook circulated on Burnaway’s platform.

The 2025 Art Writing Incubator will be held virtually. Applications are open to anyone over the age of 18 with a connection to our coverage area – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and The Caribbean. The Art Writing Incubator intends to foster new writers and champion under-represented voices.

We will be hosting a Q&A / info session on May 6 from 6:30-7:30. RSVP for the Zoom link here.

For program inquiries, please email madeline@burnaway.org.

burnaway.org/programs/2025-art-writing-incubator/

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Lambda Literary's Special Prizes

Lambda Literary

DEADLINE: May 16, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Lambda's Special Prizes season is open for applications! These prizes award LGBTQ+ writers in various stages in their careers with thousands of dollars in cash each year.

1. The Karla Jay Prize for Emerging Writers in Gender and Sexuality Studies - The prize recognizes an individual with an emerging career in Gender and Sexuality Studies research, writing, and publication. The winner will receive a cash prize of $1,500.

2. The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence - The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is named in honor of Michael Denneny, who founded the first ever LGBTQ+ imprint at a major publishing house, was essential in the publishing of literature dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and so generously shared his talents with writers right up until the end of his life. The award will go to an editor whose commitment to the publication of LGBTQ+ writers and literature contributes significantly to the advancement of the LGBTQ+ community. The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is the only editorial award that not only recognizes the support provided by editors to the literary community, but also the importance of editors in the advancement of a social movement. The winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500.

3. The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing - The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing is presented in memory of the celebrated author and long-time SF Chronicle book review editor Patricia Holt and honors LGBTQ Critical Writing on Arts & Literature. The award will go an LGBTQ arts critic or literary reviewer committed to examining queer works of art and culture, as Holt ground-breakingly did for 16 years. This award is made possible by Lesbians for Good, a fund of the Horizons Foundation, and includes a cash prize of $4,000.

4. The Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction - The Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction, in memory of the celebrated author Randall Kenan, honors Black LGBTQ writers of fiction. The award will go to a Black LGBTQ writer whose fiction explores themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history. To be eligible, the winner of the prize must have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking work. The award includes a cash prize of $3,000.

5. Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction - Lambda Literary’s Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction, in memory of the beloved activist and author, honors lesbian/queer-identified women and trans/gender non-conforming nonfiction authors. The award will go to a writer committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history. The winner of the prize will have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking and challenging work. The award was introduced in 2018 and includes a cash prize of $2,500.

6. The Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers - The Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers recognizes LGBTQ-identified writers whose work demonstrates their strong potential for promising careers. The award includes a cash prize of $1,500. Two prizes are awarded annually.

7. Jim Duggins, PhD Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize - Dedicated to the memory of author and journalist Jim Duggins, this prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation and following, and show promise to continue publishing high quality work for years to come. This award is made possible by the James Duggins, PhD Fund for Outstanding Mid-Career LGBTQ Novelists, a fund of the Horizons Foundation, and includes a cash prize of $5,000.

8. The J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50 - The J. Michael Samuel Prize honors emerging LGBTQ writers over the age of 50. This award is made possible by writer and philanthropist Chuck Forester, who created it out of the firmly held belief that “Writers who start late are just as good as other writers, it just took the buggers more time.” The prize will go to an unpublished LGBTQ writer over 50 working in any genre. The award includes a cash prize of $5,000. 

lambdaliterary.org/awards/special-awards/

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Amazon Literary Partnership GRANTS

Amazon Literary Partnership

DEADLINE: May 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT.

INFO: With the goal of helping writers tell their stories and find their readers, the Amazon Literary Partnership supports nonprofit literary organizations that empower writers to create, publish, learn, teach, experiment, and thrive.

We provide grant funding to innovative groups that amplify diverse voices and strive not only for a lasting impact on writers' lives but on the broader literary and publishing communities. To learn more about the Amazon Literary Partnership, visit: www.amazonliterarypartnership.com

Grant recipients will be notified by June 27, 2025.  

apply.amazonliterarypartnership.com/submit

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Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency

The Adirondack Center for Writing

DEADLINE: May 19, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $30 (There is no cost to attend the residency)

INFO: The Adirondack Center for Writing offers a free, two-week residency annually in autumn to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at a lodge on Twitchell Lake in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Six residents will be chosen: three from the Adirondack region and three from anywhere in the world. Quality of written submissions is the primary consideration when accepting applications.

The residency is generously provided by the estate of Anne LaBastille, who wrote books capturing challenges of the region, including Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake from her cabin on Twitchell Lake. During the residency, writers will paddle to the site of her property and explore the lake with locals.

The Lodge at Twitchell Lake provides an abundance of physical space, and each resident has their own bedroom and bathroom. There are plenty of writing spaces in and around the property. Internet access is available, but limited (email ; Zoom ). Most cell phones will not work (a landline is available).

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Residency Dates: September 21 – October 5, 2025

• Notification: July 2025

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Cover Letter: In the space provided in Submittable (no attachments), include a brief, third-person bio and a work plan detailing your goals for this residency.

2. Writing Sample: Please send up to 10 pages of your best writing in the genre you will working in at the residency. Prose: 10 pages max. Poetry: 10 poems max. NOTE: Make sure your name does not show up anywhere in your writing sample. Writing samples that include your name will not be considered. Quality of written submissions will be our primary consideration when accepting applications.

We do not accept printed applications. Contact info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org or 518-354-1261 with any questions.

adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency/

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call for writing: ‘Remote Connections’

Writers Club NY

DEADLINE: May 25, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

SUBMISSION FEE: $5

INFO: In recent years, we've shifted toward remote connections in our homes, workplaces, and personal relationships—so much so that it's become difficult to distinguish between surface-level and meaningful connectedness. For our first zine, we want to explore how you connect (or disconnect) with people, nature, and inanimate objects.

Were interested in all forms of community and connection including:

•   neighbors to coworkers

•   morning commutes to virtual meetups

•   recreational clubs to family gatherings

•   urban to nature walks, and more

Consider the following questions:

•   What is your threshold for isolation?

•   Your breaking point?

•   How do you sustain connections?

• When do you feel most connected?

Only successful applications will be contacted by Monday, June 16, 2025.

Only the first 75 writing submissions will be considered.

Email us at writersclubny@gmail.com.

writersclubny.notion.site/1d76253496f380fd8a16ec49fab28bc2

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2025 fall multi-disciplinary artist residency

Bethany Arts Community

DEADLINE: May 26, 2025 at 11:58pm EST  

INFO: Bethany Arts Community (BAC) offers residencies to emerging and established artists for the development of both new works and works-in-progress. BAC welcomes artists working across any discipline and medium, including visual artists, sculptors, writers, playwrights, choreographers, musicians, composers, performance artists, filmmakers, and more to our Fall Multidisciplinary Residency. Any and all artistic mediums are encouraged to apply. Enjoy an environment where artists from different disciplines and walks of life can work in community and near each other, creating opportunities for generative collaboration and cross-pollination. 

Residents will be surrounded by uninhibited creativity during their time at BAC, in the form of other Multidisciplinary Residents, local studio artists, BAC staff and board members, those presenting programs on campus, and more!  

A unique component of residencies at BAC is Community Programming. As part of a residency, we ask each artist to develop and facilitate a Community Program related to their residency plan. This part of the residency is an opportunity for artists to engage with the local community in Ossining and Westchester County, and for the local community to engage with artists through their work. 

The Fall Multidisciplinary Residency runs for two, two-week sessions, September 9 to 23, 2025 and September 26 to October 10, 2025, each with its own cohort. Artists are provided room & board, a private studio conducive to artists’ medium and/or project, 3 basic meals a day*, and a $225 stipend per week upon completion of the residency. Artist is responsible for transportation to and from BAC and any supplies or materials needed for their practice. We ask that you only apply if you can stay for the entire length of this residency. 

*Please note for the 3 meals a day included during the residency, Bethany Arts Community is only able to accommodate for vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, dairy-free, and/or gluten-free diets. Please contact submit@bethanyarts.org with any questions or if you have any further allergies/dietary needs not listed. 

Regarding Artist Teams/Groups/Collaborations: Artist team applications will only be considered for groups up to 3 members. 

TIMELINE:

• Application Deadline: May 26, 2025 at 11:58 PM EST  

• Letters of Recommendation Deadline: June 2, 2025 at 11:58 PM EST 

As letters of recommendation (LORs) requests are sent out at the time of application submission, we give applicants another week to ensure that their LORs are in. Please ensure your LOR is submitted by this deadline to be considered for this residency. 

There is one letter of recommendation and one reference (not the same person who wrote the LOR) required to be considered. 

Your LOR and your reference should come from someone who can speak to your artistry, character, and integrity. LORs and References from relatives will not be accepted. 

• Notifications: June 25, 2025 

bethanyarts.org/calendar/fall2025residency/

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EDItorial themes: features, long-form essays + interviews

Burnaway

DEADLINE: May 28, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

Burnaway is excited to announce the editorial themes that will guide the magazine’s 2025 features, long-form essays, and interviews.

THEMES:

• Trickster: The Trickster bends, and at times, breaks the truth. A crosser of boundaries, they are devoted to mischief. Eschewing stagnation, purity, or the binary, the trickster is always on the move. Never good or evil, they are paradoxically both.

• Ghost: Ghost is a restless spirit that lingers after death. Or, it is an after image, one that remains when the act of creation is complete.Ghost recalls erased labor and histories, digital afterlives, “ghosting” and ghostwriting, ephemerality, shadow-banning, and censorship.

• Siren: Siren sings a song you hear with more than your ears. Its echo rises from within, appealing to a deep sense of longing. They may appear as a solitary seductress, weaponizing femininity as a lure, but it is in the company of sisters, a chorus, treachery awaits.

To read more about pitching to Burnaway, please review our pitch page.

To submit, please send a brief proposal by email to editorial@burnaway.org.

Proposals should be for long-form essays, interviews, experimental art criticism, visual projects, or other ambitious forms of writing about art. Proposals should include two samples of previous writing.

burnaway.org/magazine/introducing-our-2025-editorial-themes/

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Thr Black Womxn Writers in Europe Retreat

Black Womxn Writers in Europe (France)

DEADLINE: May 30, 2025

INFO: The Black Womxn Writers in Europe Retreat is a four-day writing workshop for Black womxn writers currently residing in Europe. 

FORMAT:

Our third annual BWWE retreat will take place November 7-10, 2025 in Fauroux, near Toulouse and Bordeaux, in southwest France. 

The format will include: 

• Workshop sessions where writers give and receive feedback on submitted work

• Generative/free creative time (prompts will be provided to work on at your own pace) 

• Shared activities to foster closer connections

Though our surroundings will be beautiful, please note that this is not a luxury writing retreat. Writing and honing our craft together takes precedence over gorgeous photos for social media (though there will be time for that too!). 

TIMELINE:

• Thurs, May 1, 2025: Application Opens

• Fri, May 30, 2025: Application Deadline

• Early July 2025: Notifications go out. All applicants will hear from us before the end of the month, whether you are invited this year or not. 

• Nov. 7-10, 2025: BWWE Workshop! 

COST:

The retreat costs 450€ per participant.

This covers food, lodging, and materials for the retreat. It does not include travel. Coming from within Europe to either the Toulouse or Bordeaux airport and by shuttle to Fauroux (we arrange the shuttle), plan for around 200€ for travel. 

Each participant, including the hosts, will pay the same amount. We are not profiting from this. The experience and our gathering together is our priority. 

We will send a deposit schedule when we notify accepted applicants. If you are concerned about cost, please let us know. We are working hard to make this affordable! 

blackwomenwritersineurope.com

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2025-2026 Emerging Writer Fellowship Program

The Center for Fiction

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025

INFO: The Center for Fiction / Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowship program offers grants, editorial mentorship, and other opportunities to early-career New York City-based practitioners who are at a critical moment in their development as fiction writers.

Applications are judged on a blind reading of a writing sample and there is no fee to apply. Fellowships begin in October and last for one year. We encourage all eligible NYC-based writers to apply and to share this opportunity with others in the community.

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP:

The Center for Fiction / Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowship Program annually provides financial support, professional and creative development, personalized mentorship, and community engagement to nine early-career, New York City-based fiction writers. The Fellowship also marks the beginning of a lifelong relationship with The Center. Alumni remain a vital part of our community, launching their debuts on our stage, participating in our programs, and offering support to new Fellows.

Our 125 Fellowship alumni have published over 60 books, reflecting The Center’s mission to nurture and champion exciting new voices. Fellows have gone on to receive prestigious honors and awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Whiting Award, the NAACP Image Award, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award, the Gotham Prize, and the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35.

During the one-year Fellowship period, Fellows receive:

• A grant of $5,000

• The opportunity to have their manuscript revised and critiqued by an experienced editor

• Access to write in our Writers Studio

• The opportunity to meet with editors, authors, and agents who represent new writers at monthly dinners

• Two public readings as part of our annual program of events

• A professional headshot for personal publicity use

• Inclusion in an anthology distributed to industry professionals

• Tickets to our First Novel Fête and/or Annual Awards Benefit

• Complimentary admission to all Center events

• A 25% discount on writing workshops at The Center

• A workshop on reading as performance

centerforfiction.org/grants-awards/nyc-emerging-writers-fellowship

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2025-2026 Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers

GrubStreet

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025

INFO: GrubStreet’s Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers provides financial and professional development support to two self-identified Black writers interested in teaching classes, participating in events, and working with our instructors and staff to deepen our curriculum.

The fellowship includes compensation of $20,000, (plus additional compensation for teaching duties), artistic mentorship, and access to the GrubStreet community and the Muse and the Marketplace conference. In time, the program aims to offer sustainable support to Black Writers and create a cohort of fellows who have direct access to GrubStreet resources, classes, and events. We also hope the fellows can influence GrubStreet’s pedagogy and cultural vision based on their experience and feedback.

COMPENSATION:

• $25,000 per fellow for the year ($20,000 artist grant and $5,000 or more in teaching compensation)

• Access to mentorship from GrubStreet’s Education Director and fellow instructors

• Free access to events and sessions during GrubStreet's Manuscript Month and other industry events, with the additional option to lead a paid session at the GrubStreet events.

• A space at GrubStreet’s new community space to work on personal writing projects

• 60 hours (or roughly 20 weeks) of free GrubStreet classes, which can be taken during or after the fellowship

• A two-year GrubStreet membership.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Participate in the development or revision of class curriculum and future course/event brainstorming.

• Teaching one ten-week class

• Teaching one six-week class

• Teaching one week-long teen camp

• Teaching one six-hour seminar

• The option to teach more classes for additional payment.

• [Note that the teaching load can be adjusted to some degree in terms of the types of classes, to better suit the fellow's interest areas. So if a fellow loves youth work, that teaching area can be expanded to replace other coursework.]

• Moderate or participate in a Boston Writers of Color’s event

• Meet with the Director of Faculty and Fellowships periodically to track progress

• Meet with new fellows at the end of your own fellowship year

The fellowship begins September 2nd, 2025 and runs through the end of August 2026.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: This fellowship is open to writers who self-identify as Black, are 18 or older, are able to work with both adult and teen audiences, and have a passion for expansive pedagogy, curriculum development, and professional growth. Ideal candidates will have some publication and teaching experience. Preference will be given to those working on their first book or a larger project. MFAs, a long publishing record, or extensive teaching experience are not requirements to apply, though feel free to tell us if you have any of these things.

Covid-19 Update: We hope fellows will be able to join us in-person during their fellowship year. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston (assuming it's safe to do so). Learn more about GrubStreet’s Covid-19 updates.

HOW TO APPLY:

The Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers Application Form will require the following:

• A personal statement (500 words max), which should include:

• Your background as a writer and teacher

• Your personal philosophy or approach to creative writing workshops

• How this particular fellowship fits your interests and goals as a writer and educator

• Your CV or resume

• A writing sample (20 pages limit for prose; 12 pages for poetry; 25 pages for scripts; and 20 pages for other or fused genres) that best exemplifies your current trajectory as a writer

• Two personal references (name, email, and phone number) who can speak to your experience and dedication to writing and teaching

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Applications open: Friday, February 28, 2025

• Deadline: Saturday, May 31, 2025

• Applications will be reviewed by a panel composed of GrubStreet’s program staff

• Final decisions will be announced mid-July

• Program kicks off on September 2, 2025 and runs through the end of August 2026

Questions? If you have specific questions about the Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers, email programs@grubstreet.org or call the office anytime at 617.695.0075.

grubstreet.org/write/teaching-fellowship-for-black-writers

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call for submissions: 2025/2026 issue

Harriet's House

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025

INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2025/2026 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.

During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.

GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,250-2,500 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.

harrietshousemag.com

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call for essay submissions

The Offing

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025

INFO: The Offing’s Essay department is seeking new works!

GUIDELINES: Please submit personal essays, rather than commentary or criticism, of any length.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

• Upon publication, contributors will be paid a $25–$100 fee, depending on department and number/length of works published.

• All pieces should be original, and previously unpublished in any format in English.

• We acquire first serial rights worldwide in English and non-exclusive anthology rights. 

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted; please be sure to withdraw your piece promptly if it’s accepted elsewhere.

• Please direct all inquiries and comments to info@theoffingmag.com.

• We'll do our utmost to respond within six months, but due to the volume of submissions we receive, and the careful & collaborative nature of our review process, that may not always be possible. Thank you for your patience.

theoffingmag.submittable.com/submit

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THE RESTLESS BOOKS PRIZE FOR NEW IMMIGRANT WRITING

Restless Books

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing was created in 2015 to honor outstanding debut literary works by first-generation immigrants, awarded for fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. The winner receives $10,000, a writing residency from Millay Arts, and publication by Restless Books. 

Beginning in 2025, the prize will no longer alternate between fiction and nonfiction, but will accept submissions in both genres every year.

GUIDELINES + ELIGIBILITY: 

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing will now accept unpublished adult fiction and nonfiction submissions each year. Submissions in both genres must be complete. Fiction submissions can take the form of a novel or a book-length collection of short stories or some creative combination of the two. Nonfiction submissions can take the form of narrative nonfiction, memoir, polemic essay, a collection of essays, or some creative combination of these. 

• All manuscripts in fiction and nonfiction must be complete and full-length. All submissions must be in English. 

• Candidates must be first-generation residents of their country. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated, or to residents of a country with parents who were born elsewhere.

• Fiction and nonfiction candidates must not have previously published a book-length work in English in the genre in which they’re applying. This includes self-published work. We encourage applicants to look at the other titles Restless has published and previous contest winners to get a sense of our aesthetic.

• We will accept only one submission per candidate per submission period. Submissions must be under the author’s real name, not under a pseudonym. Agented submissions are welcome.*

• Candidates may not submit the same manuscript for the Prize in subsequent years unless specifically invited to do so by Restless.

• Restless reserves the right to invite writers to submit for the Prize.

• Restless reserves the right to consider any Prize submission for publication.

• The winning manuscript will be published by Restless Books in paperback, electronic, and audio format. Restless Books reserves world (translation) rights.

• By applying, candidates agree to travel at their own expense for festivals or awards in connection with the Prize should they win.

• Submitted manuscripts may be simultaneously under consideration for publication by other publishing houses. Please withdraw the submission immediately if it is accepted elsewhere. Once a manuscript is selected as the winner of the Prize, Restless will ask that the manuscript be withdrawn from consideration elsewhere. A publishing contract between the winning author and Restless Books must be signed before the winner is announced.

* Please note that while Restless Books welcomes all submissions for the Prize, we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts for our regular publishing program.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Candidates are asked to submit the following:

• A CV and one-page cover letter: the letter should address the candidate’s background as a writer, experience as an immigrant, and a succinct paragraph describing the submitted work and the inspiration for it.

• All files must be submitted together in one document. Please include the CV and cover letter as the first pages of your submission.

• The text should be double-spaced, in twelve-point font, with numbered pages.

• The submission must be uploaded as a PDF.

• Please adhere to the required word length. All manuscripts must be complete, with a minimum of 45,000 words.

• Restless will accept only electronic submissions by way of our submissions manager.

• There is a $20 fee to submit a manuscript for consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact us if this presents a hardship for you.

restlessbooks.org/prize-for-new-immigrant-writing

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call for FICTION submissions

A Public Space

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025 by 11:59pm

INFO: A Public Space is officially open for our spring reading period.

Please submit only one (​1) story at a time. Additional submissions will be returned unread. Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but if your piece is accepted elsewhere we ask that you please withdraw it from our system. Novellas and novel excerpts are welcome. Translations are welcome; it is the translator's responsibility to secure rights to the work before it is submitted.

We suggest reading recent issues of A Public Space to acquaint yourself with work the magazine has published. Subscriptions are available here. We have also made a selection of pieces from the magazine available as part of our Public Access series, including:

• “Khushiya” by Marzia Grillo, translated from the Urdu by Matthew Reeck and Aftab Ahmad

• “War, Blossoms” by S. J. Naudé

• "Young Lover, New Lover" by Muhammad Aladdin, translated from the Arabic by Humphrey Davies

We aim to reply to submissions within four months. If it has been ​more than four months and you have not yet received a response, we will be happy to reply to a query regarding the status of your submission.

apublicspacedemo.submittable.com/submit

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call for NONFICTION submissions

A Public Space

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025 by 11:59pm

INFO: A Public Space is officially open for our spring reading period.

Please submit only one (​1) essay at a time. Additional submissions will be returned unread. Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but if your piece is accepted elsewhere we ask that you please withdraw it from our system. Excerpts are welcome. Memoir is welcome. Long-form cultural criticism is welcome. Translations are welcome; it is the translator's responsibility to secure rights to the work before it is submitted. 

We suggest reading recent issues of A Public Space to acquaint yourself with work the magazine has published. Subscriptions are available here. We have also made a selection of pieces from the magazine available as part of our Public Access series, including:

• “Meeting Points: Between and In Between Subject and Object” by Cleo Mikutta

• “Pita in the Arms of God” by Elena Poniatowska, translated by Christina MacSweeney

We aim to reply to submissions within four months. If it has been ​more than four months and you have not yet received a response, we will be happy to reply to a query regarding the status of your submission.

apublicspacedemo.submittable.com/submit

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The Kinder/Crump Award for Short Fiction

Pleiades

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025 at 11:59 CST

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: Pleiades is accepting submissions for the Kinder/Crump Award for Short Fiction during the month of May. The winner will receive $1,000 and publication in an upcoming issue of Pleiades: Literature in Context. .

JUDGE: Fabienne Josaphat is the 2023 PEN Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, and the author of the novel Kingdom of No Tomorrow (Algonquin), longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize 2025. Her first novel, Dancing in the Baron’s Shadow, was published by Unnamed Press. Her work has been published in The Bellevue Literary Review, Pleiades, the Master’s Review, The Hong Kong Review, The Washington Post and Teen Vogue. She is currently at work on a third novel.

TO SUBMIT: Writers may submit one story for a $20 entry fee between May 1-May 31, 2025. There is no word count maximum, and writers may submit multiple times. Please visit pleiadessubmissions.com to submit. ***Please select “Kinder/Crump Award for Short Fiction under “genre” or your submission will not be read. Please include your order number in the comments section of your submission. Please do not include any identifying information on the submission document or PDF. 

The Kinder/Crump Award for Short Fiction is named in honor of Professor Emerita at UCM and Editor Emerita of Pleiades, R.M. Kinder, and Professor Emeritus at UCM and Pleiades fiction reader G.B. Crump.

pleiadesmag.com/submit/

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James A. Winn Prize

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: May 31, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $20 (includes a one-year digital subscription for four issues of MQR beginning with the Summer 2025 issue).

INFO: The James A. Winn Prize will be awarded annually by the Michigan Quarterly Review to one nonfiction piece submitted for consideration. The Michigan Quarterly Review established this prize in 2023 in honor of former English professor and inaugural director of the University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities, James A. Winn.

GIUDELINES: Please submit one unpublished piece of nonfiction of 1,500-7,000 words. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please withdraw your submission as soon as it is accepted elsewhere.  

We ask entrants not to include their names or contact information within the document they upload to Submittable, its title, or its file name.

JUDGING PROCESS: Preliminary judges for the prize will be the Helen Zell Writers’ Program students at University of Michigan who currently review submissions on behalf of the journal.

Submissions will go through two rounds of consideration before ten (10) finalists are passed on to the judge.

The 2025 Judge will be Elizabeth Goodenough. The winning story will be published in the Winter issue of the following year.

ELIGIBILITY: Current faculty and students as well as recent graduates (in the past three years) of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program will be barred from submitting. Close friends, relatives, and current and former students (in the past three years) of the Judge will be barred from submitting. MQR’s staff and editorial board, as well as their immediate family members, are also excluded from the contest.

PRIZE: The prize will be in the amount of $1,500 and publication. All submissions will be considered for publication in MQR.

mqr.submittable.com/submit

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OPEN CALL for prose chapbooks

Split/Lip Press

DEADLINE: June 1, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $10

INFO: We loved it so much last year that we're once again doing an open prose call for our chapbook period, which means we're open for fiction vs. nonfiction vs. hybrid vs. secret fourth options—we want to read it all! Six members of the SLP editorial team (managing director Caleb, marketing directors Gage and Abby, incoming multigenre/chapbook editor Erin, novel/novella editor Kate, and director Kristine) will be serving as both your first-round readers and your final editorial team decision-makers, which means your chaps are going directly to the top! We will be reading, discussing, and voting democratically as a team to decide on our selection.

We are currently looking for previously unpublished prose chapbook manuscripts that are considered complete projects as they stand—we do not view chapbooks as "a taste of a longer work" but, instead, as the beautiful, brief books they are. Collections of individual pieces which gain power through their proximity to one another, or a single, sustained long work—we're open to and interested in both!

Individually published pieces within the manuscript are absolutely fine (and expected!) but the chapbook should not have been published as a BOOK before. Our definition of "chapbook" is between 60-100pg, but we've got a little flex, so don't let those guidelines exclude your work if you're pretty close to that page count. If your book is significantly longer, keep us in mind during our novel/novella reading period in July, our nonfiction/hybrid full-length reading period in October, our short story/flash fiction collection reading period in January, or our new chapbook + multigenre full-length reading period next April!

First and foremost, we seek out manuscripts that question boundaries (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional—you get the gist). Our editors are drawn to work with a twist, whether that means blending fact with fiction, employing speculative elements, placing lyricism alongside criticism, and/or image-based work interacting with text.

To get an idea of what we've historically loved, please check out our current chapbook offerings: 

Sienna Liu's forthcoming Specimen, Heather Bartel's Exit the Body, Tucker Leighty-Phillips' Maybe This is What I Deserve, Claudia Putnam’s Double Negative, Kelly Ann Jacobson's An Inventory of Abandoned Things, Calvin Walds’ Flee, Samantha Edmonds’ The Space Poet, Tyler Barton's The Quiet Part Loud, Shasta Grant's Gather Us Up and Bring Us Home, SJ Sindu’s I Once Met You But You Were Dead, and Kara Vernor's Because I Wanted to Write You a Pop Song. 

We'd love it if you'd add a copy of any (/all) of our chapbooks to your submission, and we'll happily throw in free shipping (US only; our apologies!) as a thanks!

Historically underrepresented perspectives are WELCOME and ENCOURAGED and HIGHLY SOUGHT—we want to help bring your voice to the world!

Our press mission

We publish boundary-breaking fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid books, lifting the transition boards that prevent fluidity and smashing those we cannot pry up. We love work that questions the concept of truth, and work that reinterprets what we think we know. We prize experimentation (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional); we welcome the unanswerable. We want to see the dark and the light side of the moon—or we want to see it obliterated. If your book is a wedge in a crack, Split/Lip Press is the hammer helping you split the wall apart.

However, Split/Lip Press does not tolerate manuscripts celebrating racist, homophobic, or misogynistic perspectives, and will discard such manuscripts unread. We believe in breaking boundaries at Split/Lip, but we will not assist agendas of hate.

Basic formatting details

Times New Roman 12 (or similar), double-spaced (unless you are specifically using special formatting—which we'd love to see), and PLEASE remove your name from the manuscript and file name—we want to review your manuscripts without names attached. There is a box on the submission form where, if you choose, you may indicate any information about positionality which may be helpful for the readers to know.

Please note that while we love and welcome work which includes images/diagrams/etc, all images may need to appear in black-and-white within a 6" x 9" printed book, so please keep that in mind when submitting.

Hugs + thanks

We work closely with our authors on all elements of their book, from design to promotion. We are engaged in the literary community, and as writers ourselves, we know how important it is to have a book that you love that is supported by a press that loves you. We'd love for you to be part of the Split/Lip Press family.

Simultaneous submissions are obviously welcome. Our reading process is a process and we move quickly and efficiently, but we also don't interrupt it prematurely. So if another publisher snags you first, we just ask that you withdraw your submission (and congrats to you!).

We intend to reply to all submissions by July 15, 2025, so please do not query about the status of your manuscript before that date. If you haven't seen anything from us by 7/15/25, check your status in Submittable and double-check your email spam filter because Submittable's messages sometimes get stuck there—we will definitely respond!

Thank you for considering Split/Lip Press as the home for your chapbook!

splitlippress.submittable.com/submit

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Call for submissions: Poetry, short stories + essays

No More Margins Literary Journal

DEADLINE: June 1, 2025

INFO: The first issue of this annual publication, Liberation, focuses on amplifying the voices of Black women as they explore and express their unique truths through literature and art. Liberation signifies freedom from external validation, standing boldly in the human right to exist, and creating spaces filled with love, joy, and empowerment. Thank you for your submission.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1. Eligibility: Submissions are open to members of the NMM community and beyond.

2. Written Submissions: You may submit up to three pieces (poetry, short stories, and essays) for consideration. We are specifically looking to publish works completed as part of a free writing activity. However, we will accept written works that align with the theme of liberation and embody creative, authentic expression. Submissions must be provided in a Word document or PDF format. Submit all pieces in one document. Each piece should be titled and on a separate page. Do not submit more than 5 pages total.

3. Artwork Submissions: You may submit up to three original images for consideration. Artwork submissions must be high-resolution (minimum 300 DPI) and submitted in JPG or PNG format.

4. Submission Deadline: All entries must be submitted by June 1, 2025. Each image must be titled.

5. Priority: Priority will be given to members of the NMM family who have attended our writing groups.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeingowczc9PTB_qS-csjEIMa3TZL9_XThojaa-aG9zInodxg/viewform

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2025-2026 Rooted + Relational Community Micro-Grant Program

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College (New York City)

DEADLINE: June 1, 2025

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College is pleased to announce that applications are now open for its 2025-2026 Rooted + Relational Community Microgrants Program. CENTRO will award up to 12 grants of up to $5,000 each, to non-institutionally affiliated community organizations, individuals, or projects focused on community-based initiatives.

Theme: “Boricuas in Relation”

The 2025-2026 theme, Boricuas in Relation, invites community organizations to explore the formation of Boricua archipelagic and diasporic communities in connection with other racial and ethnic groups. Throughout history, Boricuas have developed and sustained political, social, kinship, creative, labor, and spiritual practices alongside diverse communities across the United States and beyond. 

We seek to fund projects that examine the experiences and impact of migration, language, assimilation, cultural and linguistic resilience, and the connections between Puerto Ricans and other racial and ethnic groups. Applicants are encouraged to consider Boricua connections with Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and/or other communities. 

The theme of Boricuas in Relation centers the lived experiences and histories of Puerto Ricans in both the archipelago and the diaspora, building on existing important community activism and critical scholarship while forging new directions within and beyond Puerto Rican Studies. Ultimately,  this theme asks: what can we learn from the complex and overlapping relationships that Puerto Ricans have across global geographies and within specific cities, sites, and communities? What responsibilities do we have to one another as we strive for political and cultural decolonization, self-determination and liberation, and anti-racism in our communities? 

Who can apply?
Community Micro-Grant recipients will be non-academic, non-institutionally affiliated individuals or groups, including:

• Community organizers

• Artists, creatives, and writers

• Agricultural workers

• Activists and organizers

• Cultural workers

Applicants must reside in Puerto Rico or the United States and its territories and collaborate on projects that engage participants who identify as Puerto Rican or are of Puerto Rican descent, or work on a community project related to Puerto Rican histories, legacies, or futures.

Project Period 
During the 2025-2026 academic year (September 2025 – August 2026), grantees will implement their funded projects within their chosen communities. Additionally, they will be invited to:

• Present their work at a CENTRO event (format to be announced).

• Attend three virtual meetings.

• Have their work highlighted through CENTRO’s communications and media channels.

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants must be community-based individuals, groups, or organizations engaged in artistic, community-driven, agricultural, activist, or cultural projects 

• Applicants must not be affiliated with a college or university (professors, graduate students, and academic staff are not eligible).

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Submission Guidelines
To apply, complete the application form at: https://centropr.submittable.com/submit/324462/2025-2026-rooted-relational-community-micro-grant-program/collectOrganization

• Required Identifying Information

• Program/initiative/event title

• Project description (1 paragraph)

• Objectives (bullet points)

• Biographical or organizational sketch (150 words)

• Timeline (implementation plan)

• Budget (total project cost and requested grant amount, up to $5,000)

• Optional: A PDF or hyperlink showcasing past works (photos, media, press, reviews, or portfolio).

• Proposals may be submitted in English or Spanish.

Application Submission Checklist

✔ Complete the application form, ensuring all mandatory fields have been filled out

✔ Review and confirm submission.

✔ Receive confirmation of receipt upon submission.

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/community-fellows-micro-grant-program/

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call for submissions ‘Invisible Chains: Contemporary Slavery and Forced Migration’

IHRAM Press

DEADLINE: June 1, 2025

INFO: A poignant reflection on contemporary slavery and forced migration, this issue delves into exploitative labor practices, human trafficking, and the loss of human rights. It examines the economic and personal challenges faced by migrants, including discrimination, culture shock, and the lingering mental health effects.

We are dedicated to publishing firsthand experiences of forced migration, factual retellings on contemporary slavery, reflections of the author’s personal experiences with the economic challenges or discrimination, and feelings of hope and perseverance. We encourage submissions from all over the world, regardless of gender or identity.

Magazine Themes: Modern slavery, forced migration, human trafficking, economic challenges, cultural discrimination, first-hand accounts, feelings of hope and perseverance.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Before submitting, please review the following guidelines, including (1) IHRAM’s accepted media, required supplemental information, and quarterly magazine themes. We are only accepting pieces which align with our annual themes at this time. Thank you!

We are interested in reviewing and publishing the following for the 2025 quarterly magazine:

• Poetry

• Short stories (2500 words or less)

• Essay (2500 words or less), or 

• Artwork*

  *Accepted Visual Art includes: mixed media, acrylics, oil paintings, drawings, photographs, collages, sculptures, or any forms that fit our magazine themes.

  Submission for artwork is unlimited. Please note, your published artwork might be presented in black-and-white and therefore should be suitable for “print”. We WILL NOT accept any AI-Generated art. Ensure your artwork is submitted as .JPG, .PDFs, or .PNGs.

Please submit your poetry, short story, essay, or artwork to submit@humanrightsartmovement.org along with the following required information:

• Your full name and/or pen name.

• Your country of residence.

• A brief third-person bio (roughly 100 words). If your bio includes references of your past work, feel free to provide links!

• A brief foreword to your piece (between 300-500 words), explaining your inspiration for creating it, background information, explanation of key characters, and any other key insight for the reader.

  *If your piece is accepted, we will request a high-resolution author photograph. However, authors are not required to provide photographs of themselves and are always welcome to decline, should they wish to remain anonymous.

  IHRAM Press pays $50 per accepted written piece.

humanrightsartmovement.org/ihraf-publishes

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2026 EMERGING WRITER AWARDS

Key West Literary Seminar

DEADLINE: June 2, 2025 by 11:59 pm EST (Letters of recommendation must be received by the following week)

ENTRY FEE: $12

INFO: We are now accepting applications for the 2026 Emerging Writer Awards.

The Cecelia Joyce Johnson Award, Scotti Merrill Award, and Marianne Russo Award recognize and support writers who possess exceptional talent and demonstrate potential for lasting literary careers.

Each award is tailored to a particular literary form. The Merrill Award recognizes a poet, while fiction writers may apply for either the Johnson Award (for a short story) or the Russo Award (for a novel-in-progress).

Winners of the 2026 Emerging Writer Awards received full tuition support for our January 2026 Seminar and Writers’ Workshop Program, round-trip airfare, lodging, a $500 honorarium, and appeared on stage during the Seminar. They will be in Key West from January 4 – 12, 2026.

Please review the criteria, complete the application form, and upload the required documents via Submittable. Due to an increased volume of applications and our thorough review process, we have implemented a $12 application fee to cover review costs.

kwls.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Tusculum Review Fiction Chapbook Prize

Tusculum Review 

DEADLINE: June 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: A prize of $1,500, publication of the story in The Tusculum Review’s 21st volume (2025), and creation of a limited edition stand-alone chapbook with original art is awarded for the winning story. 

The entry fee is $20 per manuscript. Entry fees include a one-year subscription to The Tusculum Review (an annual publication) and consideration for publication in our 21st volume (2025). We encourage international submissions but must charge an additional $15 fee to mail the journal to locations outside the U.S.

All entries should be sent through Submittable:tusculumreview.submittable.com. We do not accept mailed or emailed submissions, but if Submittable is a hardship, let us know atreview@tusculum.edu.

Each manuscript should consist of a single story in a standard 12-point font. Storiesmaybe between 2,000 words (about 7 manuscript pages) and 7,000 words (22 pages).

Storiesmaynot have been previously published nor be forthcoming. You are welcome to submit your story to other publications or contests while we consider it for the prize, but please alert us if your story is going to be published or honored elsewhere, so we can take it out of the running. If you have more than one story to submit, create a new entry for each.

Please do NOT include your name or any other identifying information on any page of the story manuscript.

Contest judge Jaime Cortez and editors of the The Tusculum Review will determine the winner of the 2025 prize. Family, friends, and previous students of the contest judge and the The Tusculum Review editors are disqualified from the competition, as are those with reciprocal professional relationships. Previous winners of Tusculum Review contests are also disqualified. Previous finalists and honorable mentionsmayenter.

Names and identifying information will not be visible to the judges. The Tusculum Review reserves the right to extend the call for manuscripts or cancel the award. We have only canceled one of the 30+ contests we’ve hosted, due to single-digit entries. We look forward to reading your work.

Publication Rights:except for second printings of the journal due to demand, all rights to material in The Tusculum Review and chapbooks revert to the individual authors and artists after publication (first serial rights). We request that you acknowledge us if you reprint work we published first. Tusculum University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, identity, religion, veteran or military status, citizenship status, ethnic origin, or disability.

Contest judgeJaime Cortez is a California writer and artist based in Watsonville and the SF Bay Area. His writing and drawings have appeared in Kindergarten: Experimental Writing For Children (Black Radish Press), No Straight Lines (Fantagraphics), Street Art San Francisco (Abrams Press), and Infinite Cities (UC Berkeley Press). He wrote and illustrated the graphic novel Sexile for AIDS Project Los Angeles. His debut short story collection, Gordo, was published in 2021 by Black Cat, an imprint of Grove Atlantic. Gordo received national acclaim from the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It was nominated for the Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction and the Lambda Literary Award for fiction, and was named a best book of the year by National Public Radio and Bookpage. Cortez received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MFA from UC Berkeley. Jaime’s website iswww.jaimecortez.org.

ttr.tusculum.edu/8085-2/

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Call for “OF THE SEA” Portfolio

SUSPECT (Singapore Unbound)

DEADLINE: June 15, 2025

INFO: Indigenous maritime communities know that the law of the sea is more ancient and powerful than the United Nations Convention of the same name. They know that the sea connects as well as divides. That the sea gives as much as it takes. That the sea is vast in its volume and tender in its tides. That in its eternal restlessness the sea contests fixed boundaries and national borders. 

This August, SUSPECT will publish a special portfolio dedicated to indigenous perspectives on the region designated as maritime Southeast Asia. We invite the submission of fiction and poetry that explore the manifold effects of the sea on individuals and communities. We are particularly interested in indigenous voices but we welcome non-indigenous authors who have engaged in a significant and sustained manner with maritime Southeast Asian communities. 

We are looking for: 

• Short fiction of 1,500 to 6,000 words

• 2-4 pieces of flash fiction that total 500 to 1,500 words

• 3-5 poems that total 3 to 10 pages

We welcome translated work, but translators must provide documentation of authorization from the original authors or their literary estates.

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please notify us immediately should they be accepted for publication elsewhere. 

We only accept work that has not been previously published. For translations, the original work may be published, but not the translations.

PAYMENT: USD $100

SUBMIT TO: Sharmini Aphrodite at suspect@singaporeunbound.org

singaporeunbound.org/opp/of-the-sea

FICTION / NONFICTION — APRIL 2025

CREATIVE CAPITAL AWARD

Creative Capital

DEADLINE: April 3, 2025

INFO: The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of bold, innovative, original, and imaginative new artistic works. In addition to unrestricted project grants from $15,000 up to $50,000, the Award offers transformative professional development support including strategic advising, peer mentorship, industry connections, and community-building opportunities. Grants are awarded via a national, democratic, open call, external review process.

For the 2026 grant cycle, Creative Capital invites professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Creative Capital seeks project proposals for formally and/or conceptually innovative works in all disciplines, including, but not limited to, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and multimedia, dance, theater, playwriting, jazz, opera, music, experimental film, documentary and narrative film, poetry, and fiction.

Creative Capital welcomes a full range of artistic approaches and thematic inquiries, including boundary-pushing formal explorations, as well as projects that engage urgent social issues of our time. Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that Creative Capital has not previously funded. For example, for this grant cycle, Creative Capital also seeks strong visual arts projects dealing with fentanyl, veterans/military, or wealth inequality.

The Creative Capital Award seeks project proposals in the following disciplines:

• Visual Arts: architecture & design, craft, drawing & illustration, ecological art, installation, painting & printmaking, performance art, photography, public art, sculpture, social practice, sound art, video art, technology, and socially-engaged visual art

• Performing Arts: dance, jazz, multimedia performance, music, musical theater, opera, theater, playwriting, technology, and socially-engaged performing arts 

• Film: animation, documentary film, experimental film, and narrative film 

• Literature: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry

A diverse cohort of approximately 50 artists will be selected for the Creative Capital Award through an external review process. Our goal is to support artists and new works across a range of disciplines, themes and ideas, geographic regions, identities, ages, and career stages. See recent Creative Capital Awardees and Projects for 2025, 2024, and 2023.

Creative Capital’s transformative giving approach is built on the principle that artists need funding as well as networks and advisory services in order to realize ambitious projects and build thriving careers. Recipients of the Creative Capital Award receive access to a full range of professional development services over a five-year period. These services include strategic planning, legal and financial advising, marketing and communications strategy, peer mentorship, and industry networking opportunities.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

ROUND I: Project Proposal

Creative Capital welcomes project proposals for original, imaginative, impactful new artistic works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially-engaged projects are welcome in every category. 

Along with a project title, one line project description (50 words max), project description (500 words max), bio, resume, and artist website (recommended), applicants will answer the following questions:

1. Creative Capital supports formally and conceptually innovative and experimental work. How does your project idea take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? (150 words / 1,000 characters max)

2. Place your work in context. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

3. What kind of impact do you hope your project will have, and why? What specific audiences and/or communities will the project engage? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

4. Creative Capital awards artists at catalytic moments in their careers. How is this a catalytic moment in your practice? How will your proposed project or new work act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

5. Creative Capital provides professional development services and community-building opportunities for awardees and encourages a spirit of mutual generosity and exchange among our artists. How would this support and being part of the Creative Capital community be impactful for you? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

In addition, applicants will submit one (1) work sample from a completed, past work. 

• Visual Arts applicants will submit one Image Sample or Video Sample. 

• Performing Arts applicants will submit one Video Sample.

• Film applicants will submit one Video Sample.

• Literature applicants will submit one Writing Sample.

For more details on application questions and work sample guidelines, see the Creative Capital Application Handbook.

ROUND II: Project Details

Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round II will submit additional materials to support their application:

1. Project itemized budget

2. Project timeline (1 page)

3. Work samples (see Application Handbook for guidelines)

4. Proof of eligibility

ROUND III: Panel Review

Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round III will be asked to:

1. Confirm collaborators (if applicable)

2. Submit project updates (optional, 100 words max)

Full application guidelines are outlined in the Application Handbook.

2026 OPEN CALL APPLICATION TIMELINE:

These dates may change.

• March 3, 2025: Round I application portal opens

• April 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time: Round I application deadline

• June 2025: Notification of advancement to Round II

• September 2025: Notification of advancement to Round III: Final Panel Review

• Early 2026: Public announcement of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and State of the Art Prizes

Artist Eligibility

• US citizen, permanent legal resident, O-1 visa holder, or Tribal ID holder

• At least 25 years old by application deadline

• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline

• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program

• May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year

• May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award

• May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year

• State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2026. Prize recipients must provide proof of residence in the state or territory to receive the grant. 

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional

• Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization 

• Curation or documentation of existing work

• Projects that will premiere or be completed before October 1, 2026

More questions? Email awards@creative-capital.org. No phone calls please.

creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award

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THE STATE OF THE ART PRIZE

Creative Capital

DEADLINE: April 3, 2025

INFO: Through the 2026 Open Call process for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients of the State of the Art Prize, a new national, two-year initiative, which aims to recognize one artist residing in each U.S. state and its territories, with an unrestricted grant of $10,000 per artist. All applicants to the Creative Capital Award will be automatically considered for the State of the Art Prize and will be evaluated for the Prize using the same criteria; there is no separate application process. State of the Art Prize recipients will also have access to a suite of online professional development resources, including the Creative Capital Curriculum and Artist Labs, Artist Opportunities, and online community-building opportunities.

State of the Art Prize recipients may apply again to future open calls for the Creative Capital Award. However, artists who have already received the Creative Capital Award may not apply for the State of the Art Prize. Both the State of the Art Prize and the Creative Capital Award are one-time awards. 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

ROUND I: Project Proposal

Creative Capital welcomes project proposals for original, imaginative, impactful new artistic works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially-engaged projects are welcome in every category. 

Along with a project title, one line project description (50 words max), project description (500 words max), bio, resume, and artist website (recommended), applicants will answer the following questions:

1. Creative Capital supports formally and conceptually innovative and experimental work. How does your project idea take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? (150 words / 1,000 characters max)

2. Place your work in context. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

3. What kind of impact do you hope your project will have, and why? What specific audiences and/or communities will the project engage? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

4. Creative Capital awards artists at catalytic moments in their careers. How is this a catalytic moment in your practice? How will your proposed project or new work act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

5. Creative Capital provides professional development services and community-building opportunities for awardees and encourages a spirit of mutual generosity and exchange among our artists. How would this support and being part of the Creative Capital community be impactful for you? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

In addition, applicants will submit one (1) work sample from a completed, past work. 

• Visual Arts applicants will submit one Image Sample or Video Sample. 

• Performing Arts applicants will submit one Video Sample.

• Film applicants will submit one Video Sample.

• Literature applicants will submit one Writing Sample.

For more details on application questions and work sample guidelines, see the Creative Capital Application Handbook.

ROUND II: Project Details

Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round II will submit additional materials to support their application:

1. Project itemized budget

2. Project timeline (1 page)

3. Work samples (see Application Handbook for guidelines)

4. Proof of eligibility

ROUND III: Panel Review

Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round III will be asked to:

1. Confirm collaborators (if applicable)

2. Submit project updates (optional, 100 words max)

2026 OPEN CALL APPLICATION TIMNLINE:

These dates may change.

• March 3, 2025: Round I application portal opens

• April 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time: Round I application deadline

• June 2025: Notification of advancement to Round II

• September 2025: Notification of advancement to Round III: Final Panel Review

• Early 2026: Public announcement of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and State of the Art Prizes

Artist Eligibility

• US citizen, permanent legal resident, O-1 visa holder, or Tribal ID holder

• At least 25 years old by application deadline

• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline

• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program

• May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year

• May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award

• May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year

• State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2026. Prize recipients must provide proof of residence in the state or territory to receive the grant. 

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional

• Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization 

• Curation or documentation of existing work

• Projects that will premiere or be completed before October 1, 2026

More questions? Email awards@creative-capital.org. No phone calls please.

creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES

Massachusetts Review

DEADLINE: April 4, 2024

INFO: INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES is a special Massachusetts Review issue that seeks to center and honor the literary art of incarcerated writers and their families. 

With INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES, a special issue, the Massachusetts Review intends to extend the definition of families and broaden the portrait of lives impacted by our justice system to include that most basic unit of our society, the family. We are interested in traditional families but also in alternative forms of caretaking, parenting, and kinship that have a long history in queer and/or BIPOC communities. 

The Massachusetts Review seeks writers who can reveal more about how the concept of family might be transformed by those who are on the inside. When the bonds with their loved ones outside are severed, what kind of familial care emerges between people who are still incarcerated, in spite of the carceral system's tactics for dividing and isolating them from one another? 

In the spirit of the stunning documentary Time, created by Garrett Bradley, the Massachusetts Review wants to publish stories, poems, essays, hybrids, and art that follow the struggles of families to confront, survive, and triumph over the challenges that incarceration creates for both prisoners and their families. We seek writing and art that traces the tragic aftermath and long-term effects on children and families that too often result from a system that we euphemistically call “correctional.” We are also interested in how communal caretaking that redefines what "family" means (and what justice means) contributes to the overall goal of prison abolition. In widening our focus to include family members as well as the incarcerated, we hope to give a more accurate portrait of the toll of our prison-industrial complex and also include readers who haven’t yet confronted the Kafka-esque dilemma of standing directly before the law.

INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES is a special MR issue that asks for your personal essays, stories, interviews, poems, hybrids and visual art about incarceration and its direct and indirect impacts. Your essays, stories, interviews, poems, and/or hybrids might (but do not have to) engage these questions:

1. How can a family persist in the face of incarceration’s barriers and obstacles?

2. What is the impact of incarceration on the radius of care beyond the individual imprisoned?

3. How do definitions of family shift, contract and/or widen in the carceral environment?

SUBMISSION INFO: Submissions should be no more than 7,000 words for prose (fiction, nonfiction), hybrids, up to 6 poems for poetry, or up to 3 pages of visual art. We are interested in submissions from people who are most marginalized by oppressive systems, to include trans, gender queer, poverty-born, incarcerated, justice-involved, system-impacted, disabled, neurodivergent, BIPOC, colonized, people living on the frontlines of climate crisis, and others. 

COMPENSATION: Published writers will receive $300 upon publication.

Please send work as a Word or PDF attachment to themassreview@gmail.com and indicate the special issue and genre in the subject line (i.e. "INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES: Fiction"). 

If online submission is not possible, please mail work to:

The Massachusetts Review
400 Venture Way

Hadley, MA 01035

PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS OF PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK.

themassachusettsreview.substack.com/p/mr-call-for-papers

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SITKA RESIDENCY

The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology (Otis, OR)

DEADLINE: April 3, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: Sitka residencies provide time and space for self-paced work and reflection in an inspiring natural setting. Residents from a broad range of art, writing, performance, science, education and interdisciplinary practices come to Sitka to create and explore away from the familiar contexts and constraints of daily routines, and free from external expectations.

Sitka Residencies offer dedicated time and space for artists, writers, scientists, educators and interdisciplinary creators to immerse themselves in independent work amid the remarkable ecology of Cascade Head and the Oregon coast.

Sitka residents enjoy solitude as well as opportunities for self-directed exchange and collaboration in a supportive environment, free from outside pressures, drawing inspiration from a landscape that invites discovery, reflection and renewal.

Residencies, ranging from two weeks to three months between October and May, are awarded through an annual juried process and provided free of charge. Some Sitka residents also receive living and travel stipends as part of their awards.

RESIDENCY DETAILS:

Facilities

Each resident is provided with private living and, if needed, studio space. Residences include living, sleeping, bathroom and kitchen areas, equipped for basic cooking. Laundry facilities are available on campus. Wi-Fi is provided in both residences and studios. Residents are responsible for their own transportation, food and supplies.

The Sitka Center is a non-smoking and non-vaping environment. Please avoid strong scents, as some individuals have allergies. Candles and incense are not permitted. Pets are not allowed on Sitka’s main campus or at our 80 acre nature preserve.

Sitka is family-friendly, and partners are welcome to stay or visit. Please inform the Sitka office if you have overnight visitors.

We are located about seven miles from the nearest grocery store, in Lincoln City, a small coastal town. The area receives about 98 inches of rain annually, so rain gear is essential for outdoor activities.

Cost

Living and studio spaces are provided free of charge. There is a $30 application fee to cover administrative costs. Residents are responsible for their own travel, food, supplies and other expenses. If the application fee is a barrier, please contact Sitka at info@sitkacenter.org for a fee waiver.

Accessibility

Sitka’s studios, office and library are ADA accessible, with one ADA-compliant cabin. Some areas on our steep campus may be less accessible. Please contact us with any specific needs or concerns. Certified service animals are welcome with prior disclosure and permission. Sitka has housing options for families with children of different ages or residents who are caretakers. Please indicate any housing needs in your application. Sitka has an extremely limited ability to host a pet or emotional support animal in a single off-campus cabin. Please do not count on being able to bring your pet when you apply.

Collaborations

Collaborating teams should submit one application. Please note if you will need sperate sleeping accommodations.

Studio Supplies and Materials

Sitka provides basic studio equipment, including easels, task lights, tables, and chairs, as well as a printing press and a small ceramics studio. Residents must bring their own materials for their work, and we can discuss specific needs ahead of time.

Solitude and Engagement

Residents can engage with other residents and the local community in their own ways. We host a Zoom Resident Talk event where each resident shares their work. Participation is encouraged but not required.

Expectations

Residents are asked to present at a Resident Talk event, complete an exit survey and leave their assigned residence and studio clean and in the same condition as when they arrived. There are no expectations regarding creative or scientific productivity and no culminating report or presentation is required.

Commitment to Equity

The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology affords equal opportunities to applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to equity and inclusion and believe different voices and perspectives strengthen our organization and amplify Sitka’s impact. 

MATERIALS NEEDED TO APPLY:

• References – Name and contact information (your references will be sent a form to complete).

• Application – Complete responses to all application questions.

• Resume – Submit as a .doc, .docx or .pdf file.

• Work Samples – Provide examples of your current work in formats that best showcase your practice.

  • Visual artists, designers and architects: 8-10 high quality images of your most current work.

  • Creative writers, journalists, playwrights and poets: 2 writing samples of up to 10 pages. For shorter works (poetry, short prose, etc.), submit 4 samples of up to 5 pages each. Excerpts are accepted for all writing forms. (.doc, .docx or .pdf)

  • Scientists: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files (if applicable) and up to 2 writing samples (up to 10 pages each) (.doc, .docx or .pdf).

  • Musicians, composers, performers and Film Makers: 2-4 audio or video files (mp3, video files or links) of your most recent work. Excerpts are encouraged for longer works. 

  • ‍Curators, educators and social practice artists: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files and up to 2 writing samples of a maximum of 10 pages each.  

  • ‍Interdisciplinary practitioners: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files and up to 2 writing samples of a maximum of 10 pages each.

sitkacenter.org/residency-at-sitka/

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BIPOC ARTIST RESIDENCY AT SITKA CENTER

Portland in Color / The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology (Otis, OR)

DEADLINE: April 4, 2025 by 11:59 PM PT

INFO: The Portland in Color Residency at Sitka Center was created to establish the foundation for a partnership between our community organizations in an effort to collectively support artists of color in Oregon.

Artist residency programs can offer creatives at all stages a supportive place to rest, dream, and/or create as they see fit, without the expectation of production or output. It can be a meaningful, regenerative process to have time and space away from existing routines and setting, yet we recognize that residencies can be inaccessible to artists so this initiative seeks to address some barriers of access by waiting application fees, including a modest stipend of financial support, and flexible scheduling.

In 2025-2026, The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology will offer 2 residency spots for a Portland in Color collaboration, with the opportunity for 2 artists of color to be in residence at Sitka Center for up to a month.

DETAILS:

• Residency Period: October 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026

• Duration: 2-4 weeks (length and dates to be determined by your availability)

• Eligibility: Open to BIPOC artists over 18 years old residing in Oregon who have not previously participated in a Sitka artist residency.

• Location: Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, 56605 Sitka Dr, Otis, OR 97368

• Funding availability: $600 stipend flat fee

• Notifications: All applicants will be notified by email by April 30th, 2025.

portlandincolor.com/residency

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APPLY YOURSELF! APPLYING TO RESIDENCIES, GRANTS, WORKSHOPS, AND OTHER WRITING OPPORTUNITIES IN EUROPE AND BEYOND

Black Women Writers in Europe

INFO: Are you looking for opportunities to support, develop or fund your writing? 

Join BWWE co-founders, Joy and Jeannetta, for a two-part class designed to help writers navigate the world of residencies, grants, fellowships, workshops, and other writing programs in Europe and beyond.

DATES:

• April 6, 2025 (Session 1 - Resources + Artist Statement DNA)

• April 20, 2025 (Live Feedback Session on Submitted Artist Statements)

TIME:: 7:30–9:30 PM CET

LOCATION: Zoom

PRICE: 50€

WHAT TO EXPECT:

In this hands-on workshop, we will explore:

• The different types of writing opportunities available, including residencies, fellowships, grants, workshops, mentorships, and MFA programs.

• How to find and research opportunities that align with your goals.

• How to craft a compelling artist statement—a key component of most applications.

• Writing prompts and exercises to help articulate your creative vision.

• During the second session, we will provide feedback and guidance on your artist statements, helping to refine applications for success.

 Whether you’re new to applying for opportunities or looking to strengthen your applications, this workshop will give you practical tools and confidence to take the next step in your writing journey.

Limited spots available! Sign up now to secure your place.

blackwomenwritersineurope.com/the-classes

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Call For Pitches: Creativity at Work in Midwest Communities

Arts Midwest

DEADLINE: April 6, 2025

INFO: We’re looking for stories of creativity in action—projects, people, and ideas that are solving problems, strengthening connections, and shaping communities in the Midwest.

What does creativity look like where you live? How is it distinctly of, by, and for your community? Tell us more!

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR: 

We’re seeking engaging, people-centered stories that showcase the power of creative action across our coverage region—especially from Greater Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

We cover Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography. Pitches from outside of this region will not be considered.

Selected pitches will be contracted for 500-word written articles to be published by Arts Midwest’s Creativity News Desk starting May 2025. The compensation of the 500-word story is $500; paid once all deliverables are finalized and ready for publishing.

artsmidwest.org/about/updates/call-for-pitches-creativity-at-work-in-midwest-communities

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​​​Brown Handler Residency

Friends of the San Francisco Library

DEADLINE: April 6, 2025 at 11:59pm PST

INFO: Friends of the San Francisco Public Library (Friends) is pleased to announce this year’s application for the 2025-2026 Brown Handler Residency. Created by Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler in 2018, this residency supports the creative expression of diverse San Francisco-based writers, offering time, space, and a connection to the public through the Library. The Brown-Handler Residency offers five San Francisco writers a free, year-long studio space, a connection to the SF Public Library system, and opportunities to engage the public through literary programming.

Reflecting the Library’s mission as a democratic, public, and accessible institution, we are committed to supporting writers from a wide spectrum of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and genre.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Residencies will be offered to five San Francisco-based writers for one year, open to:

• Fiction writers

• Nonfiction writers

• Children’s writers and illustrators

• Poets

• Playwrights/screenwriters

Both emerging and established writers are welcome to apply. Priority will be given to applicants who can most benefit from access to space, support, and connection.

There is no cash award offered for the residency.

There is no requirement to publish a work at the end of the residency, but candidates must be

working on a personally significant project.

Residents will be required to participate in at least two Library events and programs.

THE SPACE:

The writing space is located at the office of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library at 1630 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 (between Carolina & Wisconsin). It is a rich, supportive environment with Friends staff working during regular business hours. The large writing space is in the front of the office, with a vast window overlooking Jackson Park. The back of the building houses thousands of donated books, sold to support the Library’s programs and services.

It is important that residents can work well in an office community of this arrangement. The office will not be perfectly quiet nor without exciting bustle. Residents will have 24-hour access to the space, though, seven days a week — plenty of quiet time without staff around.

BENEFITS:

Dedicated, free space to focus on your creative work 24-hour access to Friends’ writing salon conveniently located near Potrero Hill Storage, printers, copier, kitchen, bathrooms, free access to the internet, and a Friends’ email address for business use, if desired

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY:

As the Library is a public place, it cannot designate a permanent space for a writer. However, residents can be paired with neighborhood library branches in relationships of support and exchange. Residents often have relationships with a library “host branch,” and Friends’ staff will help facilitate the relationship to ensure a quality experience as a “special author” at select branches.

Opportunities are available for residents to participate in library programs and activities that promote their work and public engagement with writing. (i.e. toddler and children’s reading circles; teen book clubs; branch literary and cultural events; and special readings/activities designed by you and the Library staff)

PROMOTION:

Marketing and social media exposure through Friends’ Communications Department and the Public Relations Department of the Library Readings at books sales and events coordinated by SFPL or Friends

friendssfpl.org/residency.html

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OPEN CALL FOR 2025 Editors-in-Chief: community anthologies

Seventh Wave

DEADLINE: April 9, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $5

INFO: Seventh Wave is excited to open up applications for it’s 2025 cohort of editors-in-chief, who will be curating our next round of Community Anthologies.

For information about this program, please visit the FAQ section of our Submit page here (scroll down to "Anthologies") and see our 2024 Community Anthologies here. We have summarized some of the information below: 

• Four Editors-in-Chief: We will be selecting four individuals to be our 2025 EICs. Each EIC will curate and publish a "Community Anthology," which is a digital anthology that publishes 6-8 writers or artists within each on Seventh Wave's website here.

• Budget/Stipend: Each EIC receives a $1,000 stipend for curating their issue. Each anthology has a budget of up to $2,050: $1,000 of that goes to the EIC, $600-800 goes to contributors (each contributor is paid $100 for their work), and there is a $250 stipend that an EIC can use to work with a featured artist for the issue.

• Overview of work: Seventh Wave will guide the four EICs through five phases of work together: call curation, submission/selection, editorial, staging, and publication. Each EIC is required to attend a monthly meeting, each of which focuses on one of the five phases of the work. For example, our first monthly meeting will focus on the call curation process, and during that month, EICs will work to produce their own 1-paragraph prompt for their anthology, which will serve as their call for submissions. 

• Application Materials: As you'll see in the form, we're asking folks to submit a bio, your topic of interest, intended submission method, and a statement of interest that addresses a few simple questions. Please note: your topic and submission method can change once selected; however, we want to get an idea of what topic you are thinking of curating to ensure that we bring in a diverse set of potential topics. There is a $5 application fee, which honors the time it takes our team to read and respond to every submission. If the $5 fee is cost prohibitive, you can submit your full application to submit@seventhwavemag.com for free by 4/9. 

seventhwavemag.submittable.com/submit

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OPEN CALL - THIS QUEER ARAB FAMILY: AN ANTHOLOGY BY LGBTQ+ ARAB WRITERS

Saqi Books (UK)

DEADLINE: April 10, 2025 at Midnight GMT

ENTRY FEE: £0

INFO: Are you Queer and of Arab heritage? Do you have something to say about it? Would you like your work to be published alongside other ground-breaking writers, including Randa Jarrar and Elias Jahshan?

Whether you’re a published author or are looking to get your life writing down for the first time, we would love to read about your experiences.

Successful pieces from the open call will be included in a collection titled This Queer Arab Family, edited by Elias Jahshan and published by Saqi Books (September 2025). This intimate and hopeful collection celebrates the family we inherit and the friends we choose to become our family. It is a testament to the challenges and triumphs that bind us together.

You might want to write about:

• Finding kinship in unexpected places – at festivals, online, etc

• Parenting – rewriting the parenting ‘rule’ book

• Staying connected with extended family around the world – the wild etiquette of your family WhatsApp group, the rituals we hold dear to feel near to one another

The writing you submit can be funny, poignant, passionate, thoughtful, angry and every shade in between. We want to readers to understand how LGBTQ+ Arabs are redefining what traditional roles and relationships look like.

COMPENSATION: Successful writers whose work is selected will be notified in May 2025 and paid a fee of £400.

Please review the guidelines and submit your writing for consideration at submissions@saqibooks.com

saqibooks.com/2025/02/open-call-for-submissions-this-queer-arab-family/

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African Voices Call for Fiction, Poems, Art & Essays Celebrating Harry Belafonte

African Voices

DEADLINE: April 11, 2025 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: African Voices invites submissions for the Summer/Fall 2025 issue focused on the artistry and activism of the late Harry Belafonte. This issue will be guest edited by award-winning poet, author, and artist Keisha-Gaye Anderson. 

Harry Belafonte's decades-long work of blending his artistry and activism to promote civil rights and human rights in the United States and beyond helped to foment significant social change in his lifetime, from his work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to his role in the anti-apartheid movement.

This issue will showcase fiction, art, poetry, and essays that exemplify some of the areas that Belafonte was passionate about, including racial equity, social justice, human rights, community empowerment, the interconnectedness of the cultural production of the African diaspora in the Americas, and the power of literacy and the arts to positively transform lives. 

 “Artists are the gatekeepers of truth," said Belafonte. "We are civilization’s anchor. We are the compass for humanity’s consciousness.” The issues that Belafonte worked to advance in his life in terms of Civil Rights and human rights are particularly resonant at this moment. We want to share your work that reflects and ponders these themes.

Please include your short bio and contact information with your submission.

What we’re looking for:

• Fiction – no more than 2,500 words

• Essays – no more than 2,500 words

• Poetry – three to five poems

• Artwork – three to five images

File types accepted: Word, PDF, JPEG, TIFF.

africanvoices.submittable.com/submit/318874/african-voices-call-for-fiction-poems-art-essays-celebrating-harry-belafonte

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2025 Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize

The de Groot Foundation / Desperate Literature

DEADLINE: April 13, 2025

INFO: The 2025 Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is now open for submissions.

PRIZES:

First Prize:

• €2000

• A week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation

• A consultation with a Literary Agent

• A manuscript assessment and follow-up meeting with a literary editor

Runner-up Prizes:

• €1000 (two prizes available)

All Shortlisted Writers:

• Eligible for publication in select literary publications.

• Participation in Desperate Literature Prize events at Desperate Literature, Madrid and Burley Fisher, London.

All Longlisted Writers:

• Receive one year’s access to The Literary Consultancy’s ‘Being a Writer’ platform.

One Shortlisted Writer:

• Will be invited to participate in the European Writers Salon in Brussels (EU writers Only)

One Shortlisted Writer:

• Will be offered a ten-day stay in their in-house residency, Madrid.

desperateliterature.com/prize

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2026 Writer-In-Residence

Hedgebrook

DEADLINE: April 14, 2025

INFO: Hedgebrook is a nonprofit organization serving women-identified writers. Our retreat program is located on Whidbey Island near Seattle where writers come to write, rejuvenate and be in community with each other. Hedgebrook welcomes all women-identified writers representing diversity in citizenship status, nationality, current place of residence, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, trans* identity, age, disability, professional experience, and economic resources. We welcome applicants, published or not, who embrace the mission and opportunity to be a member of Hedgebrook's community.

Writers join an intimate and diverse community of six residents at a time who share a home-cooked meal, their work, their process and their stories, in addition to the time spent in solitude.

Applications will be accepted in the following genres:

• Non-Fiction

• Poetry

• Screenwriting

• Playwriting

• Fiction

https://hedgebrook.slideroom.com

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Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency

The Adirondack Center for Writing

APPLICATION PERIOD: April 14 - May 19, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $30 (There is no cost to attend the residency)

INFO: The Adirondack Center for Writing offers a free, two-week residency annually in autumn to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at a lodge on Twitchell Lake in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Six residents will be chosen: three from the Adirondack region and three from anywhere in the world. Quality of written submissions is the primary consideration when accepting applications.

The residency is generously provided by the estate of Anne LaBastille, who wrote books capturing challenges of the region, including Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake from her cabin on Twitchell Lake. During the residency, writers will paddle to the site of her property and explore the lake with locals.

The Lodge at Twitchell Lake provides an abundance of physical space, and each resident has their own bedroom and bathroom. There are plenty of writing spaces in and around the property. Internet access is available, but limited (email ; Zoom ). Most cell phones will not work (a landline is available).

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Residency Dates: September 21 – October 5, 2025

• Notification: July 2025

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Cover Letter: In the space provided in Submittable (no attachments), include a brief, third-person bio and a work plan detailing your goals for this residency.

2. Writing Sample: Please send up to 10 pages of your best writing in the genre you will working in at the residency. Prose: 10 pages max. Poetry: 10 poems max. NOTE: Make sure your name does not show up anywhere in your writing sample. Writing samples that include your name will not be considered. Quality of written submissions will be our primary consideration when accepting applications.

We do not accept printed applications. Contact info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org or 518-354-1261 with any questions.

https://adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency/

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2025 Fiction Contest

BOMB Magazine

DEADLINE: April 15, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

READING FEE: $30

INFO: BOMB Magazine’s 2025 Fiction Contest is open for submissions, and we’re honored to have the Pulitzer Prize finalist and MacArthur Fellow Kelly Link joining us as this year’s guest judge. Link will select one winner to receive a $1,000 prize and publication in BOMB’s quarterly magazine.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Manuscripts may contain no more than 5,000 words and must consist of a single work of short fiction.
  All entries will be considered anonymously. Do not include author name on manuscript pages.Nonanonymous manuscripts will be disqualified.

• Reading Fee: $30. Includes a yearlong print subscription to BOMB for US entrants (a $60 value). All non-US entrants will receive a digital-only subscription. All new subscriptions will begin with BOMB’s Summer 2025 issue, arriving on newsstands June 15. Current subscribers to BOMB have a discounted reading fee of $5 and will receive details on discounted entry via email.

• Work must be previously unpublished.

• Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but we ask that you notify us if your piece is accepted elsewhere. The fee is nonrefundable.

• Work must be uploaded via Submittable.

Email firstproof@bombsite.com with any questions. The winner and finalists will be announced in July 2025.

ABOUT KELLY LINK:

Kelly Link is the author of five collections and the novel The Book of Love. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her family and owns the independent bookstore Book Moon. A former MacArthur Fellow and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, she coedits the occasional zine Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. You can find her on Bluesky at @kellylink.bsky.social.

bombmagazine.org/articles/2025/02/28/2025-fiction-contest-judged-kelly-link/

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2025 Breakout! Writers Prize: For outstanding undergraduate + graduate student writers of POetry + prose

Epiphany Magazine

DEADLINE: April 15, 2025

INFO: The 2025 Breakout! Writers Prize is officially open for submissions. The Breakout! Writers Prize brings visibility to and supports outstanding undergraduate and graduate student writers. Winners have won the PEN/Dau Prize and gone on to get agents, publish books, and discover new careers in publishing.

This year’s prize judges are: Victoria Chang for poetry, and Hilary Leichter for prose.

PRIZE:

Two Writers, One in Prose and One in Poetry, Will Each Receive:

• A $1000 cash prize

• Publication in the Summer 2025 issue of Epiphany

• A one-year subscription to Epiphany

To apply you must have been enrolled in an accredited university, at least part-time, for the academic years 2024 or 2025. The prize is open to both undergraduate students and graduate students receiving a Masters degree. PhD candidates are not eligible. Students need not be specifically enrolled in MFA programs or creative writing programs.

https://epiphanyzine.com/features/2025-breakout-prize

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2025 Prose Contest

Fugue

DEADLINE: April 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: Submissions are currently open for Fugue’s 2025 Prose Contest

GUIDELINES: Submissions should include no more than one short story or one essay per submission in a .doc, .docx (preferred), or .pdf document. Multiple submissions are considered as long as a separate fee is paid for each. We ask that submissions not exceed 7000 words.

PRIZE: The contest winner in prose receives $1,000 and publication in Fugue’s 2025 print issue. One runner-up is also published. All submissions will be read by at least two editors, and ten finalists will go on to our judge. All submissions will be considered for general publication in Fugue.

JUDGE: This year's prose judge is Jess Arndt. Jess Arndt is a transgenre writer seeking protuberant forms. Their story collection, Large Animals, (CATAPULT 2017 / CIPHER 2020), was shortlisted for the California Book Prize and their writing has recently appeared in Conjunctions, Granta, LARB, Lithub, Fence, BOMB, Night Papers, and in collaborations with The Knife's Shaking the Habitual tour. Arndt received an MFA at Bard College (2007) and is a co-founder of the Brooklyn-based prose experiment, New Herring Press. They have been teaching endogenous writing at the Pacific Northwest College of the Arts (PNCA), the California Institute of the Arts, and currently co-chair the Bard MFA Writing department. 

fugue.submittable.com/submit

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THE PEN PARENTIS WRITING FELLOWSHIP FOR NEW PARENTS

Pen Parentis

DEADLINE: April 17, 2025

INFO: One talented writer who is the parent of at least one child under 10 years old will receive $2000 to further their writing career, a year of mentorship, and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story online at a Pen Parentis Literary Salon in Fall 2025. Their winning story will also be published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) as well as included in the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology.

The second prize and third prize will likewise be welcomed into our Cycle of support and receive $500 and $250, respectively.

GUIDELINES: Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story-any genre, on any subject-of up to 350 words.

PLEASE NOTE: we change the word count each year! One of the goals of this project is to keep parents working — motivating all writers to continue to create new high-quality creative writing at the busiest time of the parenting journey. We keep the word count intentionally low--this year shorter than ever (because wow, we are all slammed!)

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Put only the title of the story and its word count on the manuscript. Nothing to identify the writer.

On that note, Judging is blind and based only on the following criteria:

• 1. Adherence to contest rules

• 2. Creativity

• 3. Narrative arc

• 4. Emotional truth

• 5. Elements of surprise, humor, writing skill, and/or layers of depth.

All genres and styles of unpublished fiction are welcome. Entry fees will not be refunded. Previous Pen Parentis Fellows and 2nd/3rd Prize winners are not eligible if they received a cash prize.

(Anyone who did not receive a cash award is encouraged to try again!)

Entry fees fund the operation of Pen Parentis, Ltd, with priority given to the maintenance of this Fellowship. $5 of the fee covers our costs of accepting credit cards.

Accepted Document Types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf.

penparentis.org/fellowship/

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Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)

DEADLINE: April 20, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship provides academic and professional opportunities to advance the reporting skills of women and nonbinary  journalists who focus on human rights and social justice. The Fellowship was created in memory of The Boston Globe correspondent and IWMF Courage in Journalism Award (1998) winner Elizabeth Neuffer, who died while reporting in Iraq on May 9, 2003. In collaboration with Neuffer’s family and friends, the IWMF started this program to honor Neuffer’s legacy while advancing her work in the fields of human rights and social justice.

The Neuffer Fellowship is designed for women and nonbinary journalists with at least three years of professional experience in journalism working in print, broadcast, or digital media, either as a staff journalist or as a freelancer. All nationalities are welcome to apply but non-native English speakers must have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program. The Fellow will complete research and coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies and journalism internships at The Boston Globe and The New York Times. The flexible structure of the program provides the fellow with opportunities to pursue academic research and hone their reporting skills. Past fellows have taken advantage of opportunities to publish work under their byline through various media outlets.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

• The Neuffer Fellowship is open to women, nonbinary and gender non-conforming journalists whose work focuses on human rights and social justice issues.

• All applicants for the Neuffer Fellowship must be working journalists with at least three years of full-time, professional journalism experience. Internships and journalism-related work completed as a university student do not count as professional experience. Applicants may be affiliated or freelance journalists.

• Journalists from any country around the world are eligible to apply. However, applicants must speak, read, and write English fluently in order to fully participate in and benefit from the Fellowship.

FELLOWSHIP SCHEDULE:

• June 2025: Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow will be selected

• February 2026: Fellowship begins in Boston with an internship at the Boston Globe and research/coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies

• May 2026: Fellow moves to New York for internship at The Express Desk, The New York Times

• July 2026: Fellowship ends

QUESTIONS:

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions page for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship before starting your application or contacting the IWMF.

For any inquiries related to the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, or if you are experiencing accessibility/connectivity issues, please contact Divya at dtewari@iwmf.org.

iwmf.submittable.com/submit/3ec88fa1-364d-4120-85b3-370b8734671a/2026-elizabeth-neuffer-fellowship

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Real People, Real Struggles, Real Stories Fellowship: Writing About Mental Illness

The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow

DEADLINE: April 21, 2025 by midnight CST

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow (WCDH) is pleased to announce the "Real People, Real Struggles, Real Stories" Fellowship, designed to support a writer working on a short or long-form non-fiction project that explores personal experiences with mental illness. This fellowship seeks narratives that not only provide insight and awareness but, most importantly, offer hope. Writers are encouraged to share their journeys, aspirations, and the ways they adapt and fine-tune their dreams. Stories addressing relationships, family life, travel, employment, civic contributions, and personal passions—alongside the barriers, fears, and stigmas encountered—are especially welcome. Submissions must be non-fiction and may take the form of memoir, essay, profile, or biography. The winning application will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and strong potential for publication.

AWARD: The fellowship winner will be awarded a two-week residency at WCDH, providing the recipient with an opportunity to focus entirely on their writing. Each writer’s suite includes a bedroom, private bathroom, dedicated writing space, and wireless internet. The residency also includes uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner five nights a week, and the camaraderie of other professional writers. A community kitchen stocked with essential ingredients is available for additional meals. WCDH will work closely with the fellow to develop a community outreach project that aligns with their strengths and skillset.​

TIMELINE: The fellowship winner will be announced no later than June 1, 2025, and the residency must be completed by December 31, 2026.

For further details, please contact:

Jeanne Glass, Director
The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow
515 Spring Street, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
479-253-7444
wcdhfellowships@gmail.com

writerscolony.org/fellowships

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “AMPARO” MICRO-ISSUE

Dominican Writers Association

DEADLINE: April 21, 2025

INFO: AMPARO, that uniquely Dominican sense of protection that goes beyond physical shelter. The arms that held you, the sacrifices made in silence, the “bendición” that followed you out the door like an invisible shield.

We’re launching “Palabras del Alma,” a new bi-monthly micro-issue series exploring Dominican emotional concepts, and our first theme is close to our hearts.

GUIDELINES:

• Submit your poetry, flash fiction, micro-essays, or testimonios reflecting on maternal protection, family guardianship, or community shelter.

• 300-1000 words (or 1 poem, max 1 page)

• English, Spanish, or Spanglish welcome – “en el idioma que te salga del corazón”

Email submissions to: editor@dominicanwriters.com

Subject line: “AMPARO SUBMISSION - [Your Name]”

Selected pieces will be published in our May Substack issue, with a virtual reading to follow.

“Bajo mi ala” as our mothers would say. “Mientras yo viva, tú no pasas trabajo” as our grandmothers promised. What does AMPARO mean to you?

dominicanwriters.substack.com/p/call-for-submission-amparo

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Reading Periods: FICTION, NONFICTION + POETRY

A‍pogee Journal

DEADLINE: April 21, 2025

INFO: Apogee publishes a journal of literature and art that encourages thoughtful exploration of identity at its intersections: race, gender, sexuality, class, and disability status. We publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art, as well as reviews, interviews, flash, and more on our digital platform, Perigee. 

The word “apogee” denotes the point in an object’s orbit farthest from a center. In turn, we value artistic expression far from the political center, created by artists and writers of oppressed identities who interrogate aesthetic and political status quos through their work. As we do so, we pay tribute to the Black feminist Combahee River Collective in recognition that “the major systems of oppression are interlocking.” To that end, we combat the domination of white, cis-heteronormative, patriarchal, settler-colonial voices that pervade our literary landscape in our celebration of linguistic diversity and our commitment to our community of readers and contributors. We recognize that centrist literary and artistic spheres contribute to genocide and other forms of violence via censorship and political suppression. We aim to uplift the work of those writing against genocide and would like to extend an invitation to Palestinian, Lebanese, Congolese, and Sudanese writers in particular to share their work during this reading period. 

We look for work that centers the experience of marginalized perspectives. We want to foster work that addresses the politics of identity, such as migration, diaspora, multiculturalism, privilege, hierarchy, oppression, though these themes are not a requirement for publication. We believe the exploration of perspectives and voices that are mostly unheard and ignored is a political act itself. To read our mission statement, please visit this page.

• All work must be previously unpublished.

• Cover letters are optional.

• Please include a current bio.

• We accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify us if your work has been accepted elsewhere.

• For prose submissions, please send a maximum of 5,000 words, in either .doc or .docx format.

• Please send only one piece per reading period.

• Please send a maximum of five poems in the same document, either .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.

Check out our past issues to get a sense of the journal before sharing your work with us. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and if you have any questions email us at editors@apogeejournal.org. We look forward to reading your work!

apogeejournal.org/share-work

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call for submissions: The Commuter (Prose, Poetry, and Graphic Narratives)

Electric Literature

SUBMISSION PERIOD: April 21 - 27, 2025 (or until submissions cap at 750 (325 per category)

INFO: The Commuter is our home for poetry, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives. It publishes weekly on Wednesday morning, and has showcased the likes of Caroline Hadilaksono, Aleksandar Hemon, Jonathan Lethem, Lindsay Hunter, Tahirah Alexander Green, and Julia Wertz.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind:   

• For Prose, submit one or more pieces, either standalone or connected, in a single document. The total word count should not exceed 1500 words. We encourage writers to push boundaries.

• For Poetry, submit 4–6 poems in a single document, and please limit the page count to 8. Keep in mind that due to our digital platform, not all poems may render exactly as they appear in a PDF.

• For Graphic Narrative, we are interested in both traditional and non-traditional forms of visual storytelling. Submit up to 3 pieces of narrative illustration, comics, mixed media narrative, or genre-negative oddments. For comics, each piece should contain a minimum of 3 panels. The total page count of your submission should not exceed 20 pages.

• Please submit all genres in .doc, .docx, or PDF. 

• Please submit only once per category.

• Work previously published in any form cannot be considered.

• Please include your email address.

• If your work is selected, we offer a total payment of $100.

• Writers with a submission pending with Recommended Reading may still submit to The Commuter.

All submissions will be accepted through our Submittable page. For a sense of the kind of work we publish, check out recent issues of The Commuter, our 280-character contest winners, and Recommended Reading’s 300th issue.

For candid advice from our editors on how to make your poems, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives stand out, watch our video "How to Get Published in The Commuter." 

electricliterature.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant

Whiting Foundation

DEADLINE: April 23, 2025 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: The 2025 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant of $40,000 will be awarded to as many as ten writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general adult readership. It is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing at a crucial point mid-process, after significant work has been accomplished but when an extra infusion of support can make a difference in the ultimate shape and quality of the work.

Whiting welcomes applications for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. Again, the work should be intended for a general, not academic, adult reader. Self-help titles, historical fiction, textbooks, books primarily for a scholarly audience, and books for young readers are not eligible. Examples of the wide range of previous grantees can be found here.

Projects must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by April 23 to be eligible. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible.

Writers must submit the materials listed below via the online application form by 11:59pm ET on Wednesday, April 23. The application form includes detailed instructions for each requested item.

• The original proposal that led to the contract with your publisher

• Up to 25,000 words from your draft. Please submit full-length draft chapters, rather than short excerpts from across your book, to the extent the word count allows

• A statement of work yet to be completed

• A plan for use of funds

• A signed and dated contract (please note that to be eligible, books must be under contract with a Canadian, UK, or US publisher – unfortunately, we can make no exceptions to this requirement)

• A current resume

• A list of grants, fellowships, or other funding received for the book

• A letter of support from your publisher or editor

Each project under submission will have two first-round readers who will evaluate for substance and execution (while understanding that they are reading a work in progress). Finalists will be considered by a separate panel of judges who will evaluate for need in addition to substance and execution. Readers and judges will consist of experts in the field from Canada, the UK, and the US, and they will serve anonymously to shield them from any external pressures. The grantees will be announced in December.

The Foundation hosted two online information sessions to answer questions and offer guidance on applying for the grant. You can watch a recording of an info session here.

If you have any questions about the eligibility of your project or the application process, please contact us at nonfiction@whiting.org.

Regardless of eligibility for this grant, Whiting encourages nonfiction writers at all stages of the writing process to consult the Poets & Writers’ Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database for other opportunities for support.

Nonfiction authors with books under contract with a publisher might also consider applying to the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards.

A few opportunities open to nonfiction writers not under contract with a publisher include:

• AWP Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction

• Cullman Center Fellowships at the NYPL

• Fund for Investigative Journalism

• Gournay Prize from Ohio State University Press

• Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize

• Leon Levy Center for Biography Fellowships

• NEH Public Scholars program

• NEH Fellowships

• Silvers Grants for Works in Progress

• The DAG Prize for Literature

• The Yale Nonfiction Book Prize

• Zone 3 Press Creative Nonfiction Book Award

whiting.org/writers/creative-nonfiction-grant/about

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Call for submissions: ‘Birds: Witnessing the mathematics of flight, of song, of movement…’

Women Who Submit

DEADLINE: April 25, 2025

INFO: The Women Who Submit blog is now open for submissions for our bi-monthly publication.

Send us your poetry, flash fiction, or brief essays that explore BIRDS in all their glorious, known and unknown complexities. We want work that peeks into those moments when a flock transforms what we see into new territory, when a single song breaks the morning into remembering, when migration patterns map themselves onto your geography. Work that captures the preciseness of flight: the way wings cut through air or how the presence of birds marks territories in our urban (or rural) spaces.

Your story, essay, or poem might delve into the biomechanics of how or why the bird flies, tell the story of the red-shouldered hawk, document the exact moment you counted the fifth mockingbird on the bird day trail, or it might share your connection to the ancient language of bird song. Whether your words lean into physics or document the way you watched a nest appear outside your window, we want to read work that takes flight. Every single pun intended.

Work will be selected for the May & June publication.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The WWS blog accepts original, unpublished pieces no more than 2,000 words.

• Work should be 12 Times New Roman, double spaced (single-spaced for poetry) with one-inch margins

• Email the piece as an attached .doc or .docx. If images are included, please do not send attachments (we’ll ask for them if the piece is accepted). 

• Include a short cover letter in the body of the email that states how you heard of Women Who Submit, your genre, where you reside, and a short 50-word bio. 

• Simultaneous submissions under more than one theme are accepted. You can submit to any themes throughout the year, as long as the decline has not passed. 

• Send to the Managing Editor, Jessica Ceballos y Campbell at blog@womenwhosubmitlit.org with the theme you are submitting under and the word “Submission” in the subject line. e.g.: “Dreams Submission”, “Rain Submission”

• Contributors whose work is accepted will receive $75 per piece, upon publication.

*Note: As an editor & publisher, Jessica Ceballos y Campbell  disengages from writing that perpetuates violence through racist, xenophobic, classist, sexist, misogynistic, ageist, ableist, homophobic, and/or transphobic ideologies.

womenwhosubmitlit.org/submit-to-us/

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Confluence: International Indigenous Art Criticism Residency

Forge Project

DEADLINE: April 25, 2025

INFO: Confluence is a fully funded art criticism residency that brings together six Indigenous writers for two weeks of workshops, reflection, and collaboration to support them in their creative practice at any stage in their career. 

Continuing a series that has brought Indigenous writers, scholars and knowledge keepers together between continents and archipelagos, Confluence is convened by Sarah Biscarra Dilley (yaktitʸutitʸu yaktiłhini), Director of Indigenous Programs and Relationality at Forge Project, and Léuli Eshrāghi (Tagata Sāmoa), Curator of Indigenous Practices at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. 

We recognize Indigenous art as the foundation of all contemporary art, not simply as a facet of art history or historical context. Reaching beyond the inhibited memory of settlement with Indigenous artists, methods, and histories that assert longevity, innovation, and Native futurity, Confluence refuses the limited focus of a dominant art historical canon that situates the emergence of art at moments of colonial rupture in fractured geographies. Rather than reproducing narratives that situate Native intellectual, material, and artistic practice as objects of study, the cohort and faculty of Confluence contribute to the critical fields of Indigenous art, art history, and cultural sovereignty by speaking from, and between, our respective centers. 

Confluence grounds our work in the importance of gathering and exchange as a space of intellectual kinship, inviting an international cohort of residents to affirm the inherent inter-nationalism of ceremonial-political practices, kinships, tribes, and Native nations. 

By bringing together Indigenous art writers based in occupied lands, those impacted by global imperialism and other distinct colonial projects, residents can deepen comparative study in a distinctly relational way. The gathering will move at a pace that supports the importance of coming together in deep thought and critical exchange while balancing days of presentation and workshops with days of unstructured time to write, rest, or reflect. 

Participants in this residency will develop ideas and texts in kinship with an international roster of guest faculty belonging to Indigenous nations in North America and the Great Ocean. Taking place at Forge Project, located in the unceded homelands of the Moh-He-Con-Nuck (People of the Waters that are Never Still) in upstate New York, this is conceived as a retreat for emerging and established Indigenous art historians, critics, curators, and poets. 

Confluence offers fully funded travel, meals, and lodging for both faculty and residents, minimizing barriers to access, with the intention of shaping a cohort that represents writers in varied stages of their careers.

FACULTY:

Confluence is co-facilitated by Sarah Biscarra Dilley(yaktitʸutitʸu yaktiłhini), artist and Director of Indigenous Programs and Relationality, Forge Project; and Léuli Eshrāghi(Tagata Sāmoa), artist and Curator of Indigenous Practices, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal.

• Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick (Kanaka ʻŌiwi), artist, writer, and member of kekahi wahi (kw)

• Candice Hopkins (Carcross/Tagish First Nation), Executive Director and Chief Curator, Forge Project

• Heather Igloliorte (Nunatsiavummiuk), Canada Excellence Research Chair and Professor, Visual Arts, University of Victoria

• Tanya Lukin Linklater (Sugpiaq), artist-choreographer and Postdoctoral Fellow in Decolonial and Transformational Art Practices at University of Victoria

• Lana Lopesi (Tagata Sāmoa), author and Assistant Professor in Indigenous, Race and Ethnic Studies at University of Oregon

• Jolene Rickard (enrolled citizen of Skarù:ręˀ - Tuscarora, Turtle Clan), Associate Professor in the History of Art and Visual Studies with affiliations in American Studies, American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Art, and Performance, and Media Studies at Cornell University

• Monique Tyndall (Mohican/Munsee-Lenape/Omaha/Creek), Director of Cultural Affairs at Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans

ELIGIBILITY:

Confluence is shaped with the intention of convening an international cohort of Native writers from across diverse spatial and cultural contexts from Indigenous communities throughout shared saltwater, continents, and archipelagoes. This is inclusive of writers and thinkers beyond the context of North America. 

We envision the reach of this residency as global and the cohort will be selected with attention to a collaborative whole. We recognize that there are multiple forms of community-affirmed relationships and Indigenous governance but remain accountable to lived practices of kinship, cultural belonging, and sovereignty. 

Recently discovered or distant Native ancestry, absent ongoing community relations, or claiming a community that does not claim an applicant does not qualify an individual as Indigenous for the purpose of this residency. 

As an extension of Forge Project’s commitment to support Native leadership in the arts and culture broadly, we choose to center applicants whose practice benefits collective or community-centered work.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

To apply, please see guidelines below:

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF to info@forgeproject.com by Friday, April 25 at midnight EST, and include:

• A résumé or CV of relevant community-based, creative, publishing and/or professional experience (1 page maximum)

• A statement of relationality and intention for joining the cohort (2 page maximum)

  • This statement should offer:

    • clear narrative context for your relationship(s) to your Native and/or Indigenous communities,

    • commitment to working alongside or in service to them, 

    • an overview of your intention(s) for applying to this residency and what most draws you to the experience 

  • This statement can be shared in an alternative format -  such as links to audio clips and/or video responses (6 minutes maximum)

• A writing sample (4 page maximum, both published or unpublished writing in Indigenous and colonial languages [with parallel and/or translated texts] will be accepted)

ACCESSIBILITY:

Confluence will be led and conducted in both English and a variety of Indigenous languages. We recognize the limitations that this presents and seek to expand our capacity to work across broader linguistic contexts in future iterations of this residency series.

The residency will take place in a variety of spaces throughout the Mahicannituck (Hudson River) Valley region surrounding Forge Project in Taghkanic, NY. Both lodging and shared workshops spaces are in a largely rural environment with local travel by personal vehicle, train routes from nearby towns to major cities, and provided, pre-arranged transportation.

Residents will be housed together in offsite accommodations at Sylvan Motor Lodge which allows each resident to have their own hotel room on the ground floor as well as access to a shared kitchen, living room space, and heated pool. Transportation in minivans between Forge, Sylvan Motor Lodge, other host sites and pre-arranged errand runs will be provided.

Forge is committed to increasing accessibility to our site, including physical accessibility. We welcome requests for accommodation and further questions—please reach out directly by emailing robbie@forgeproject.com or info@forgeproject.com.

forgeproject.com/projects/convenings

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call for submission: Issue 14

PREE

DEADLINE: April 30, 2025

INFO: The prompt for our fourteenth issue comes from James Baldwin:

“Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word “love” here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace — not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth”

— James Baldwin, “Down at the Cross”. Letter from a Region in My Mind”. 

For PREE 14, we invite you to engage with Baldwin’s expansive vision of love, and his notion of quest. Dare we breach established rules of inclusion and exclusion to escape conceptions of the present and past dictated by the ruling culture? What might this quest of the daring self-aware subject look like?  And where is the love? We welcome your explorations that challenge default assumptions about love —- in the Caribbean context, or otherwise — and paint a picture of what love might look like if we ventured into the unknown. 

If you’re unfamiliar with PREE we ask that you take a look at the content we’ve already published to get an idea of the quality of writing we expect. A fun fact: We wish we received as many prose submissions as we do poetry.

GUIDELINES:

PREE is a magazine for writing from, on or about the Caribbean. We are not open to submissions from writers based in in the Global North.

At PREE we want to showcase your writing and require original works (previously unpublished) for us to feature. The piece should not be under consideration elsewhere.

By submitting your work, you acknowledge that, if accepted, your work will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Terms of Use outlined below.

What Are We Looking For?

Vivid pieces of finished work that fit our issue themes. This includes essays, articles, creative non-fiction, fiction, short stories, poetry, and photo essays.

We accept work written in Caribbean vernaculars, English, and representations of both. At this time we’re unable to accept submissions in other languages.

Length & practicalities:

• For prose (fiction and non-fiction) – anywhere from 1,500 words to 5,000 words.

• For poems – 2-3 works.

We will only accept one submission per person and it’s important that this is the first place your piece has been published, both in print and digitally. You’ll retain the copyright on the work but we’ll be contracting for the right to publish that work for the first time.

Formats to submit to PREE:

The Editors have different ways of reading

• Save the filename as TITLE (eg Miss Birdie or Carousel or whatever the title of your piece is)

• Arial. 12 point. Double-spaced.

• Save either as a .doc, a .docx. We cannot accept any other format.

• Your name and the title of the piece should be on the front page. Please don’t embed your name on other pages.

• Finished work only, please. It can be within a minute of the last day but it needs to be finished.

Please check you’ve done all these things before submitting. We are unable to consider work that does not fall within these guidelines.

POETRY

We will accept a minimum of two poems and a maximum of three poems. The poems can be any length. The poems must come in one single document. Each new poem must start on a brand new page in the document. It’s important you use Arial 12 point as the font and size. Please use manual breaks at the end of lines and paragraph breaks at the end of each stanze. Do NOT use paragraph breaks at the end of each line. If you have specific formatting requirements for the poems, it’s important they be formatted as intended.

If you have any queries, comments or just want to get in touch, let us know via preeliteditors@gmail.com

If you are a publisher or agent who wants information about submitting writers you publish or represent please email preeliteditors@gmail.com 

preelit.com/contact/

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Letras Boricuas Fellowship

Flamboyan Arts Fund

DEADLINE: April 30, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. (AST)

INFO: The Letras Boricuas Fellowship is an opportunity sponsored by the Mellon Foundation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund that awards individual grants of $25,000 to literary writers who identify as Puerto Ricans. The program began in 2021 and has named three cohorts of Letras Boricuas Fellows to date.

The fellowship’s call for 2025 will open Tuesday March 18, 2025. The next round for Letras Boricuas will open in 2026. Twenty-four writers will be selected annually in 2025 and 2026. The fellowship supports writers working within one of the following literary genres: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Spoken Word and Playwriting.

In addition to providing unrestricted funds to support writers in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. diaspora, Letras Boricuas seeks to encourage literary practice, connect writers, expose writers’ works to a wider audience, and support the creative development of works that celebrate Puerto Rican lives and culture.

The fellowship program aims for each group of grantees to include writers from different literary genres. Applications will be accepted in Spanish, English, or both languages.

GUIDELINES: Please read the following guidelines closely, as our application requirements may have changed from previous years and aspects of the program have been adjusted for 2025. Learn more about Letras Boricuas on www.letrasboricuas.org

FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE:

• Online Application Period - March 18 to April 30, 2025

• Application Period Ends - April 30, 2025, 5:00 p.m.

• Evaluation and Selection Period - May 1 to September 30, 2025

• New Letras Boricua Cohort Announcement - Fall 2025

ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION PROCESS:

ELIBILITY: To determine eligibility and be considered for this fellowship, the applicant must meet and adhere to the following criteria:

• Must be 21 years of age or older at time of application

• Self-identify as Puerto Rican

• Must be a current resident of Puerto Rico or reside in the United States (50 states)

• Must present original work

• Must have or create an account at www.submittable.com

• Must complete and submit the application on time by Wednesday April 30, 2025. The application portal closes at 5:00 p.m. (AST).

• Former Letras Boricuas Fellows are not eligible to rapply for an additional fellowship.

• Writers of multiple genres must select one eligible genre in which to complete the application

• Applications from publishers, organizations, or institutions will not be considered.

• Employees or contractors of the Flamboyán Foundation and the Mellon Foundation are not eligible. Immediate family or people living in their household cannot apply either.

SELECTION PROCESS: The new Letras Boricuas cohort, made up of twenty-four writers, will be chosen through a two-step nomination and selection process by committee members. The Selection Committee, appointed by the Mellon Foundation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund, consists of experienced writers, literary experts, and former Letras Boricuas Fellows.

Eligible applications will be reviewed based on literary merit, the latter of which may include work samples that display some or all of the following characteristics: originality, imagination, creativity, a strong point of view, a unique voice, facility with language, technical skill and craft. Financial status will not be taken into consideration.

It is recommended to closely review all required materials listed in the guidelines. The application has specific requirements for each genre; each applicant can apply in one literary genre. Incomplete applications or applications that do not meet specifications will result in disqualification. Late applications will not be accepted, without exception.

NON-ELIGIBLES: The following publications will NOT be considered as demonstrating eligibility or as valid work samples:

• co-authored or co-published works

• academic writing (dissertation, thesis, critical essays, research, textbook chapters, etc.)

• journalism (articles, reporting, pieces of criticism including book or

• other reviews, opinion pieces, etc.)

• biographies

• graphic novels

• wordless books

• cookbooks

• song lyrics

• screenplays or television scripts

• opera theater plays (libretto)

• any other works that are not considered literary.

Decisions by the Flamboyan staff regarding eligibility are final. Due to the high number of submissions, we are not able to provide individual feedback on any application.

Letras Boricuas Boricuas does not discriminate based upon age, color, national origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

flamboyanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/guialetrasingles2025-2-1.pdf

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2025 Nonfiction prize

Autumn House Press

DEADLINE: April 30, 2025

READING FEE: $35

INFO: For the 2025 prize, the Autumn House staff as well as select outsider readers serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is May-lee Chai.

PRIZE: The winner receives publication of their full-length manuscript and $2,500 ($1,000 honorarium, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book).

We will announce the finalists and the winner of the contest by August 1, 2025.

All finalists will be considered for publication

GUIDELINES:

• Nonfiction submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (37,500-75,000 words)

• The reading fee is $35 (We will waive the submission fee for those undergoing financial hardship or living with limited means. Before you reach out to request a waived fee, please read our full statement and instructions here. If the guidelines are not followed, we will not be able to offer a waived fee.)

• Autumn House is looking for personal essay collections and memoirs; we do not accept self-help books

• The book must be previously unpublished as a whole. However, individual pieces may have been published in journals, magazines, or anthologies.

• We only accept original manuscripts; AI-generated or AI-supported works are not accepted

• Do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript; if your name appears within the body of the text, please omit it or black it out (first name is fine, but last name must be omitted)

• You may include a brief bio in the “cover letter” section of Submittable

• Do not include a bio or an acknowledgments page in the manuscript

• Feel free to include a table of contents (This does not count as part of your final page count)

• Simultaneous submissions permitted

• Friends, family members, and former students of judges or Autumn House editors may not submit to the contest. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships.

• Former employees of Autumn House, including interns, may not submit to the contest.

autumnhouse.org/submissions/nonfiction/

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Internship Grant Program

We Need Diverse Books

DEADLINE: April 30th at 12am PST/ 3am EST.

INFO: In 2025, We Need Diverse Books will award sixteen $3,000 grants to expand WNDB's efforts to diversify the publishing industry—there will be grants focused on both children's publishing and adult publishing.

Internship positions must take place over the summer between June 1st and August 31st.  In addition to the grant award, grantees are expected to attend various events throughout the summer, including an introductory Internship Grant Bootcamp, as well as additional professional development and networking events, publishing panels, organized partner mentor/mentee meetings, and an exit interview/testimonial of the program. Please be mindful that the virtual events will take place during the day of your internship (our placement partners are aware of this and will be flexible with you so you can attend all the events).

For Summer 2025, remote positions are permitted.

Please note the below:

• You can find a walkthrough of the application process below.

• Applicants will be notified of their grant award confirmation within 30 days after the application window closes at the very latest.

• Applications are set to close on Wednesday, April 30th at 12am PST/ 3am EST.

• Any questions? Reach out to internships@diversebooks.org

APPLICATION PROCESS WALKTHROUGH:

You're probably here because you love books. We do, too!

The WNDB Internship Grant Program provides supplemental grants to applicants from diverse backgrounds who wish to pursue a career in children’s and adult publishing. The high cost of living in New York City and other major publishing hubs bars many marginalized students from accepting the opportunity to intern in publishing—a vital entry point to the industry.

In 2025, we will award sixteen $3,000 grants our Children’s Internship Grant Program and Adult Internship Grant Program. In addition to financial support, our grantees also benefit from the camaraderie of their fellow grantees, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and make crucial networking connections through various summer programming events.

diversebooks.org/internship-grants-application-process/

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2025-2026 Miriam Jiménez Román Fellowship

The Latinx Project at NYU

DEADLINE: April 30, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The Miriam Jiménez Román Fellowship is designed for post-doctoral candidates and junior scholars whose research advances the study of Afro-Latinx communities in the U.S. The fellowship is open to all fields. In order to be eligible for the fellowship, applicants must have defended their dissertation or plan to defend their dissertation before the start of the fellowship on or after September 1, 2025. 

The selected candidate will spend a semester or a year with the NYU Latinx Studies academic community. The fellowship aims to allow the fellow to complete a major publication or a research project during the fellowship year. The fellow will also have access to limited funds (up to $5,000) to develop one public programming event around the focus of their research, to be hosted and supported by The Latinx Project. The fellow will receive a stipend of $45,000 for an academic year (or $22,500 for a one-semester fellow). Workspace at NYU will be provided for the duration of the fellowship

The fellowship is named after our dear former colleague Miriam Jiménez Román, a pioneer in the field of Afro Latinx Studies who taught the first courses on the subject at the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU. This fellowship aims to honor her legacy of mentorship and activism as an inspiring public intellectual and scholar of Afro Latinx studies. 

FELLOWSHIP DATES: Starts on or after September 1, 2025 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

• Who are the past Miriam Jiménez Román Fellows? Click here to meet past Miriam Jiménez Román Fellows.

• What are examples of public programs organized by past fellows? Past public programs include: Calling to the Ancestors: Garifuna Women as Embodied Archives (spring 2024), Transing Afro-Latinx Studies and Identity (Fall 2023), Garifuna Ancestral Memory in Diaspora (Spring 2022), Ciguapa Unbound: Blackness, Gender & Transnational Geographies of Marronage (Spring 2021).

• Do I need to be based in NYC? No. The fellowship can be completed virtually; however, in-person participation is encouraged to promote community engagement at NYU.

• What do you mean by junior scholar? For the purpose of this opportunity, junior scholars are individuals who have recently graduated from a PhD program, have defended their dissertation, or will defend their dissertation before the start of the fellowship. Junior scholars are pre-tenure and must have completed their PhD before starting the fellowship.

• Who is eligible to apply? Applicants must have defended their dissertation or plan to defend their dissertation before the start of the fellowship on or after September 1, 2025.

• Who can I contact for more information? Please email latinxproject@nyu.edu with subject line: 2025 Miriam Jiménez Román Fellowship.

latinxproject.nyu.edu/miriam-jimenez-roman-fellowship

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T&W Magazine Editorial Fellowship

Teachers & Writers Magazine

DEADLINE: April 30, 2025

INFO: Teachers & Writers Magazine is accepting applications for the T&W Magazine Editorial Fellowship. The fellows will join the T&W Editorial Board and assist with the production of Teachers & Writers Magazine. In addition to supporting the operations of the magazine, the Editorial Fellowship is intended to give students and recent graduates editorial and publishing experience through hands-on assignments and mentorship from experienced editors. By the end of the fellowship term, the fellow should have a body of knowledge and work which may be shared in a resume and/or portfolio. Up to two fellows may be selected. 

The Editorial Fellows will be expected to attend monthly meetings via Zoom, where the editorial board will discuss submissions, accept editorial assignments, generate new content, and further engage in the publication of Teachers & Writers Magazine. Fellows will be paired with an experienced editor to establish a mentor relationship and provide time and space for questions the editorial associates may have. 

Fellows will be expected to edit or write at least one piece per month. In addition to accepting editing assignments, fellows may pitch ideas to generate or solicit new material for the magazine. The Editorial Fellowship will last for one year (July 2025 - June 2026), with the possibility of renewing for a second year following a review. The fellows' stipend will disbursed over the course of the year on a bi-monthly (every other month) schedule. 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

• Stipend: $3,000

• Location: Remote

• Hours: Approx. 12 hours per month

• Duration: 1 year with potential to renew for a second year

TO APPLY: Please share a cover letter, resume/CV, and a brief editorial statement (200-300 words) sharing why you are interested in this fellowship, what you hope to gain from the experience, and your editorial vision for the magazine. 

Preference will be given to applicants with experience teaching creative writing. Learn more about Teachers & Writers Magazine at www.teachersandwritersmagazine.org.

twc.submittable.com/submit/324075/tw-magazine-editorial-fellowship

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS ON GRIEF

Ebony Tomatoes Collective

DEADLINE: April 30, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: After generations of unbridled loss and trauma, Black folks from across the diaspora have much to mourn. We’re interested in stories that capture grief in its many forms and faces. 

Think: The mundane griefs that pepper our lives as a result of intergenerational trauma. The silence that follows going no-contact with family members who do not accept our queerness or religious differences. The loss of temperate seasons as a result of widespread environmental catastrophe. The altars we maintain for our ancestors and all the love and wisdom they were not able to share with us. 

While we encourage you to interpret the theme of grief broadly and authentically, here are the types of stories our three editors are most excited to read.

OUR WISHLIST:

Ava is seeking:

• Personal essays or short stories about experiences with poverty, abuse, or marginalization

• Stories on the impact of intergenerational trauma, complex trauma, and PTSD 

• Speculative or horror fiction

• International writers, Afro-Latine writers, or those outside of urban centers

Cecilia is seeking:

• Longform pieces or poetry about how grief lives in the body and somatic experiences

• Surrealist pieces

• Writers with disabilities, chronic illness, mad and neurodiverse writers

Yumna is seeking:

• Essays about going no-contact with family due to queerness or religious beliefs

• Stories that explore grief related to climate change and environmental crisis

• Essays on the experience of growing up in predominantly white spaces

• Queer writers from East and West Africa

COMPENSATION:

All writers will be compensated $0.04 per word for up to 1,000 words.

The selected editorial artist will receive a stipend of $80 for illustrating the issue based on the selected writing.

Non-writing submissions will be compensated on a case-by-case basis depending on length, medium etc.

Payments will be sent upon completion of the issue via Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.

GUIDELINES:

• Please submit up to 3 poems.

• 3,000 word limit for essays and creative non-fiction.

• 4,000 maximum word count for fiction.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Please email all writing submissions to submit.ebonytomatoescollective@gmail.com by Tuesday, April 30th, 2025 at 11:59PM EST to be considered.

To apply as an editorial photographer, email us with former work samples by Tuesday, April 30th, 2025 at 11:59PM EST to be considered. Painters and visual artists are encouraged to apply. Please note you don’t have to create any new work for your application.

Please include “ISSUE 24” in your email’s subject line along with a brief biography (3-4 sentences, in third person) in your email.

ebonytomatoescollective.com/submit/

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EastOver Prize for a Debut Story Collection

EastOver Press

DEADLINE: May 1, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: EastOver Press seeks submissions for the EastOver Prize for a Debut Story Collection, which will be awarded to a writer who has not published another full-length book.

AWARD: The winner of this contest will be awarded $2,000 and be offered publication by EastOver Press (after successful completion of a contract).

The editors reserve the right to close the contest early if the number of submissions exceeds our ability to respond to each submission in a timely manner.

JUDGE: Manuel Muñoz will serve as the judge for the competition. Friends, family members, former students, and anyone well-acquainted with the judge is not eligible for consideration.

eastoverpress.com/submit/

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U.S. Writers Aid Initiative

PEN America

DEADLINE: May 2, 2025

INFO: PEN America is an organization of writers and their allies, and that solidarity is never more important than when members of our literary community face crises. PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative, part of the PEN America Writers Emergency Fund, offers grants for writers in the United States facing acute financial need following an emergency situation.

The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, translators, and journalists in addressing short-term financial emergencies. To be eligible, applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. The fund is limited, and not every application can be supported. Grant decisions are made on a quarterly basis by a volunteer committee of literary peers in consultation with PEN America staff, using the following guidelines to evaluate professional credentials:

• Publication of one or more books. (Writers who are only self-published or published by a press that charges for publication are not eligible.)

• Multiple essays, short stories, or poems appearing in literary anthologies or literary journals (either online or in print) in the last two years.

• A full-length play, performed in a theater by a professional theater company. Productions in academic settings qualify if the author is not a student at the time of the production.

• Employment as a full-time professional journalist, columnist, or critic, or a record of consistent publication on a freelance basis in a range of outlets during the last two years.

• Contracted forthcoming books, essays, short stories, poems, or articles for which the name of the publisher can be provided.

• Other qualifications that support the applicant’s professional identity as a writer.

• The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is not intended to subsidize writing-related expenses, such as residencies, sabbaticals, computers, printing, shipping, travel, or publicity services. Applications received on or before the following quarterly deadlines will be reviewed before the last day of that month.

ELIGIBILITY: Writers currently enrolled in degree-granting programs are also not eligible. Writers do not have to be Members of PEN America to receive a grant, but all recipients of emergency funding will be given a complimentary one-year PEN America membership.

PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is made possible by generous support from an anonymous donor , PEN America Members, and other supporters. Questions may be addressed to writersfund@pen.org

pen.org/us-writers-aid-initiative/

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LITERATURE GRANT

Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation

DEADLINE: May 5, 2025 (or if we reach our limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first)

INFO: The world is a story and the writer, the story teller. In writing stories we are trying to make sense of our world by seeking what is real, by rejecting what is false, and by exercising the greatest of our mortal gifts in pursuit of the immortal.

DESCRIPTION: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction and poetry.  

SUBMISSIONS: To ensure that each submission receives the attention it deserves we will be only accepting 40 applications for each of our categories.

AMOUNTS: Up to $10,000.00  

ELIGIBILITY:

• Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction and poetry (*please see note regarding plays below)

• The applicant must be the originator of the written material.

• Grants will not be made for the purpose of research only. 

• Grants will not be made for equipment.

• Writers applying applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

Grants awarded in this category may fund costs associated with continuing the composition of work submitted. Such as:

• Course Reduction (if you're a Teacher/Professor)

• Salary Replacement

• Living Expenses

• Research Expenses

• Travel Research Expenses

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Up to and no more than a 15 page PDF of the work, for the Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection and Executive Committee to download and read. Please make sure your links are correct and not password protected. If they are not correct or have password protection your application will be declined and not reviewed by the Selection Committee.

• A short description of the project.

• A short author biography of the person(s) involved.

• Budget must not exceed the amount of $10,000.00.

• List of costs of how you plan to use the grant funds.
  (Please review our lists of Approved and Ineligible Budget Items for Literature Grant Funds, located below)

• Travel and Research costs within the United States must demonstrate a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.

• You may not apply for International Travel and Research Costs.

• If you are hiring fact checkers / editors / research assistants please be aware that we prefer that individuals providing these services are located in the NYC area.

• Writers applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

• We ask that the completion of your manuscript is no sooner than 90 days after this application's due date (no sooner than August 1, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than June 17, 2026).

• Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.

• You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.

• * Regarding Plays - We Don’t offer support for playwrights in our literature category, we encourage playwrights with a finished script to apply for a grant in our Performance category which offers funding for stage production.  

caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page

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2025 Arts Writers Grant

The Andy Warhol Foundation

DEADLINE: May 7, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies.

We also support art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply.

Writers are invited to apply in one of the following categories:

• Article

• Books

• Short-Form Writing

To be eligible for this grant, an arts writer must be:

• an individual;

• applying for a project about contemporary visual art;

• an art historian, artist, critic, curator, journalist, or a writer in an outside field who is strongly engaged with the contemporary visual arts;

• a U.S. citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or holder of an O-1 visa (if your application advances to the final round, you will need to submit current documentation);

• at least twenty-five years old by Oct 1 in the application year;

• a published author (specific publication requirements vary depending on grant category; see the project-specific eligibility requirements).

• By “contemporary visual art,” we mean visual art made since World War II. Projects on post-WWII work in adjacent fields—architecture, dance, film, media, music, performance, sound, etc.—will only be considered if they directly and significantly engage the discourses and concerns of contemporary visual art.

An arts writer is NOT eligible for this grant if they are:

• applying on behalf of an organization;

• applying for a project in which their primary involvement will be as an editor;

• a full-time student in a degree-granting program (with the exception of those students who are simultaneously maintaining professional careers as arts writers);

• an artist, writer, or curator writing an interpretive essay on their own practice;

• applying for a project that is primarily fiction, poetry (including ekphrasis), or memoir;

• applying for a project based on a PhD dissertation or MA thesis;

• applying to conduct a Q&A interview (or series of Q&A interviews);

• applying to assemble an archive or database;

• applying for a project on Andy Warhol;

• applying for a project that will be published by a commercial gallery;

• applying for a Creative Capital Award for any project in the same grant year (including as a collaborator);

• applying with the same project for which they have received a Creative Capital Award (including as a collaborator);

• applying with the same project for which they have received a curatorial research fellowship from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts (including as a collaborator);

• a grantee of The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant;

• a recent juror of the program (evaluators are eligible to apply after one grant cycle; panelists are eligible after two grant cycles);

• a current employee, consultant, board member, or funder of Creative Capital or The Andy Warhol Foundation, or an immediate family member of such a person.

artswriters.org/application/

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Care in Precarity: An Open Call for Caribbean Writers

Burnaway / Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute

DEADLINE: May 8, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Burnaway and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) are pleased to announce our new collaboration: Care in Precarity, an open call for Caribbean writers to reflect on practices of care in the context of climate-based instability and crisis. This partnership is representative of our organizations’ shared commitments to amplifying Caribbean creative culture, engaging with community beyond linguistic barriers, and exploring the intersections of art, culture, and care in the face of climate crisis and systemic inequities.

Burnaway is an online art magazine that celebrates art from the American South and the Caribbean, while CCCADI is a New York-based cultural institution dedicated to preserving and promoting African diasporic cultures through arts, education, and activism. Working toward bridging some of the linguistic siloing of the region, pitches for Care in Precarity will be accepted in both Spanish and English, with CCCADI supporting translation alongside Burnaway’s Editorial Assistant Isabella Marie Garcia. In addition to Garcia and Natalie Willis Whylly (Caribbean Editor-At-Large) is CCCADI’s Lead for the CROSSROADS program, Dr. Marissel Hernánndez Romero, who will join the Burnaway team in the selection panel for the open call as well as community outreach. 

 “At CCCADI, we recognize that shaping meaningful partnerships with like-minded organizations is essential,” said Melody Capote, Executive Director of CCCADI. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to fostering creative and intellectual exchange that uplifts the experiences of Caribbean communities. It is through these intentional efforts that we continue to build a more inclusive and representative cultural realm.” 

Together, we invite writers to reflect on the unique ways we show collective care as a region (for the landscape, community, ancestors, and memory), and how this serves as a vital practice in a moment of ongoing climate crisis. Celebrating the similarities and divergences of the Caribbean, Capote adds, “We hope it creates a space where artists, scholars, and cultural workers from different Caribbean nations can find resonance in each other’s work.” Care in the context of this open call could mean tending to an ancestral altar, engaging in environmental activism, offering a sharp critique of colonial legacies, or speaking a soft word to those who most need to hear it. 

Natalie Willis Whylly, Burnaway’s Caribbean Editor-at-Large, shares: “Care in Precarity is a heartfelt invitation to Caribbean creative community to reflect on the ways we use care as a radical act of survival and solidarity, contributing to a deeper understanding of how this collective care has historically sustained us in times of crisis.”

Isabella Marie Garcia, Burnaway’s Editorial Assistant, states: “My initial entry into working with Burnaway was through participating in the 2022 Arts Writing Incubator, where the overarching theme was Criticism as Care. As a bilingual woman of Caribbean descent myself who advocates for care matrices wherever possible, I’m honored to uplift the language accessibility of the selected writers and increase reader visibility towards the Caribbean.”

To be considered eligible for the open call, applicants must meet and agree to the following criteria:

• Be a writer living in the Caribbean or in the Caribbean diaspora,  including those without tertiary education or professional arts experience. Pitches are particularly encouraged from those who are a part of marginalized and underserved demographics, keeping postcolonial ethics of care, healing and support in mind.

• Submissions accepted in English and Spanish. Writing will be published in both English and Spanish in a spirit of bolstering connection between linguistic regions of the Caribbean.

• Pitches must reflect on practices of care in the context of climate-based instability and crisis within the Caribbean i.e. how artists are navigating migration within an island induced by rising sea levels or a group exhibition that responds to issues surrounding infrastructure such as damaged residential homes, coastal populations, and food insecurity. For more information on conflict of interest and pitching policies, click here.

• The format of the piece can take the form of essays, artist profiles, interviews, dispatches, and other experimental art writing, with an intended word count of 1,000–1,500 words. Compensation for the selected pieces published by Burnaway will be $0.30 per word (USD).

To apply to the open call or if you have any questions, please email caribbean@burnaway.org by Thursday, May 8th at 11:59pm EST

burnaway.org/daily/burnaway-announces-open-call-collaboration-with-cccadi/

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2025-2026 Emerging Critics Fellowship

National Book Critics Circle

DEADLINE: May 9 at 11:59 pm PT

INFO: The National Book Critics Circle’s Emerging Critics Fellowship seeks to identify, nurture, and support the development of the next generation of book critics.

ELIGIBILITY: The Emerging Critics Fellowship is open to critics of all experience levels who seek to review and write about books for print and digital outlets. Applicants may or may not have previously published book reviews. The NBCC seeks a broad range of diverse applicants, especially those who have demonstrated a genuine interest and commitment to engaging in a critical conversation about books. Applicants must be 21 years or older.

Applicants do not need to be U.S. permanent residents and/or citizens to apply. However, applicants should be available to participate in mandatory Emerging Critics Fellowship programming and events for the duration of their term, including virtual workshops, events, and gatherings (scheduled during evenings/weekends, Eastern/Pacific Time Zones). Applicants must also be willing to communicate regularly with mentors and their fellow emerging critics via email, phone, and message board. The NBCC Emerging Critics Program is an interactive, participatory program guided by the philosophy that critical thought can be fostered and enriched through dialogue within a cohort of similarly-interested critics.

At the NBCC, we are invested in encouraging people who are great thinkers and writers but who need support along the path to becoming an active critic. Our fellowship aims to break down financial and geographical barriers for emerging critics. In particular, BIPOC critics, LGBTQIA+ critics, critics with disabilities, and critics from historically resilient communities are encouraged to apply.

THE FELLOWSHIP:

• Over the course of the one-year fellowship, emerging critics will receive:

• One-on-one mentorship from board members

• Small group Q&A with board members

• Small group professional development/ craft lectures over Zoom

• Dues-free NBCC membership, admission to NBCC events, and annual reception for one year

TO APPLY:

Fill out the contact form and include your name/pronunciation, pronouns, phone number, email address, website, two references, and a short bio (50-100 words).

Upload as attachments:

• Resume/CV (1 page)

• Statement of purpose (300-500 words): What are your interests? How will you benefit from the NBCC Emerging Critics Fellowship program? Why are you an ideal candidate?

• 3 writing samples demonstrating critical thought

bookcritics.org/emerging-critics/fellowship/

FICTION / NONFICTION — MARCH 2025

RUMPUS PRIZE FOR POETRY, FICTION, AND CREATIVE NONFICTION

The Rumpus

DEADLINE: March 2, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $20 per entry

INFO: The Rumpus has a long history of championing emerging and established poets, fiction writers, and essayists, and we’re pleased to announce a new way the magazine will bring attention to great writing. 

All submissions will be read by The Rumpus‘s editorial team, and our final judges will be Kaveh Akbar (Poetry), Rachel Khong (Fiction), and Megan Stielstra (Creative Nonfiction).

AWARD:

• $3,600 in prizes:

• $1,000 first-place prize and publication in three genres: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction

• Honorable mentions receive $200 and publication in each of the three genres

All submitters can opt in if they’d like to be considered for publication by The Rumpus, regardless of whether they’re named a winner or finalist.

Finalists will be contacted in May 2025. Winners will be announced publicly and published by June 2025.

therumpus.net/2024/12/05/the-rumpus-prize/

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: HISTORICAL FICTION BY AFRICAN WRITERS

Lọún Lọún

DEADLINE: March 2, 2025

INFO: Lọún Lọún is a literary journal focused on historical fiction based on historical events that have shaped and defined places and times in Africa and the experiences of those who lived through the events—or didn’t—no matter how minute. They’re interested in a car crash in 2004 published in the local newspapers as much as they are in the Rwandan and Biafran genocides of 1994 and 1967, respectively.

We are interested in speculative or factual tellings of African history centred on themes across Economics, Society & Politics, Gender & Feminism, Hope & Healing, Identity & Belonging, and War, Conflicts, & Disaster. We strongly recommend reading a few stories from past issues before submitting.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

African writers, and those of African descent, home and abroad.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Before submitting your work, please carefully read and adhere to the following guidelines:

We accept only submissions in fiction.

Fiction: 2000 – 4000 word range.

1. Only original pieces will be considered. Previously published pieces and excepts from a larger body of work are not accepted.

2. Submissions should be in EB Garamond, size 12, 1.5-spaced, and submitted in Word document format with word count included.

3. Submissions should be in English or translated into English. Writers are, however, allowed creative freedom with the expression of their languages.

4. Submissions must be based on an event that has happened on or affected the continent, regardless of where characters in the telling are located.

5. Submissions must contain a brief historical setting description (max. two sentences) formally describing the historical events in telling.

6. Submissions must have at least two reference links to the historical events in telling.

7. We accept simultaneous submissions, but let us know promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.

8. Ensure your submissions are meticulously reviewed for correct formatting, grammar, and punctuation. Significant mistakes in these areas can hinder the likelihood of your work being considered for publication.

COMPENSATION:

As of now, we cannot appropriately compensate our writers but stick around.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

To submit your work, send an email to submissions@lounloun.com with the subject ‘Fiction Submission.’ In the body of the email, include your third-person bio and theme, and attach the story. Please ensure the story has references and is in Word document format.

REVIEW PROCESS:

Our editorial team carefully reviews each submission. We strive to provide feedback and appreciate the time and effort you put into your work. Please be patient; the review process may take 3-8 weeks after the deadline.

We look forward to reading your work!

CONTACT:

If you have questions or encounter issues during submission, please contact our editorial team at lounlounjournal@gmail.com.

lounloun.com/submissions/

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RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

The Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: March 3, 2025

INFO: The Boston Public Library is proud to announce two new research fellowships to support the use of special collections:

I - Telling Boston Stories Fellowship:

The Boston Public Library's Special Collections Department is offering a four-week fellowship intended to support research projects whose focus is on the people and communities of Boston that are often left out of the historical narrative.

This fellowship can support a wide variety of projects, both academic and artistic. Successful topics for this fellowship could include projects looking at Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood and its history of community activism, the rise of Boston’s Little Syria neighborhood, the campaign from Villa Victoria residents to save their community from urban renewal displacement, or other projects that applicants may be interested in researching further.

Fellows will receive a $4,500 stipend, with the first half dispensed at the start of the fellowship and the second at the completion of the fellowship. Fellows will be expected to spend four weeks working with collections, primarily at the Boston Public Library and Northeastern University, though trips to other Boston cultural heritage institution or research centers may be included in the four weeks. The weeks do not have to be consecutive.

In addition to their research time, fellows will be asked to:

• Write a blog post on their research topic and collections utilized, to be published on the Boston Public Library’s website

• Work with the Community History Department at the Boston Public Library to create a workshop or program based on their research experience

Fellows will work with the Community History Department to run a program at a neighborhood branch of the Boston Public Library within four months of completing their research time. This program will use the fellow’s research experience as a launching point to encourage other community members to delve into their own research. Suggested formats include a short talk paired with a community discussion or story sharing session. The Programming & Outreach Librarian for Community History will support the fellow in developing a program.

Artists, independent scholars, graduate, and doctoral students are all encouraged to apply, as well as academics, community activists, and library, archives, and museum professionals. We particularly welcome applications from artists, scholars, and researchers who belong to the community or neighborhood they wish to study.

II - Surfacing Overlooked Stories Fellowship:

The Boston Public Library's Special Collections Department is offering an eight-to-ten-week fellowship intended to highlight often overlooked voices and narratives in our collections.

The theme for the 2025-2026 fellowship will be looking into Black Bostonians from Boston’s founding through Boston’s incorporation as a city in 1822. Suggested collections for research include the Boston Town Records, Elijah Adlow Collection of Boston Legal History, Mellen Chamberlain Autograph Collection, and Boston Tax Records, 1780-1821, as well as city directories and newspapers held in our research collections.

Fellows will receive a $9,500 stipend, with the first half dispensed at the start of the fellowship and the second at the completion of the fellowship. Fellows are expected to research at the Boston Public Library's Special Collections Department for eight to ten weeks within their fellowship year, though these do not have to be consecutive weeks. Supplementary research with the Boston Public Library’s Research Collections will also count towards the research time.

In addition to their research time, fellows will be asked to:

• Give an informal talk to Research & Special Collections staff midway through their fellowship about their research

• Give a public talk at the Central Library in Copley Square on their research topic and collections they utilized at the end of their research time

• Create a narrative guide to identifying the voices of Black Bostonians in the collections they utilized

Fellows will work with the Special Collections Public Services Supervisor to create this narrative guide within four months of completing the research residency, to be published digitally by the Boston Public Library on a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license. Fellows are welcome to publish, present with, or otherwise use their written work elsewhere and retain the copyright for their work. The fellow will not be processing collections or creating archival description or finding aids for materials. Staff may choose to augment collection description based on findings from this fellowship at a later date.

Masters and doctoral students, post-doctoral, academic, and independent scholars, and artists as well as curators and other library, archive, and museum professionals are welcome to apply. We particularly welcome applications from students and scholars who identify in groups that have been historically unrepresented in academia. We will look for fellows whose expertise and research interests align with our chosen theme of the year and whose research projects would be supported and informed by the collections they utilize during their research at the Boston Public Library.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A FELLOWSHIP:

Fellowship applications are due on Monday, March 3, 2025. To apply for this fellowship, please email specialcollections@bpl.org. Please include in the subject line which fellowship you are applying to. Please also include the following documents:

• Cover letter

• Curriculum vitae or resume

• Writing sample (maximum 400 words, preferably public-facing; excerpts from larger works are fine)

• Project proposal, including explanation of how this fellowship would support and inform the project

• Proposed research dates and collection materials

  • For the Telling Boston Stories Fellowship include any other institutions and collections you would hope to use during the fellowship

If you have any questions about the fellowship or application process, please write to Special Collections Public Services Supervisor Kathleen Monahan at specialcollections@bpl.org. Please identify yourself as an applicant for a fellowship in your email.

bpl.org/blogs/post/apply-for-a-research-fellowship-with-the-bpls-special-collections-department/

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2025 SUMMER INSTITUTE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Black Midwest Initiative (University of Illinois Chicago)

DEADLINE: March 7, 2025

INFO: The Black Midwest Initiative (BMI) at the University of Illinois Chicago invites applications from early-career scholars, artists, and community organizers to its 2025 Summer Institute on Environmental Justice. This convening will bring together 15 participants, designated as BMI Fellows, who are doing work around environmental justice issues affecting Black people and communities within the Midwest and Rust Belt regions of the United States for a week-long series of discussions, presentations, and workshops with leading figures in the field. In alignment with environmental sociologist and Institute facilitator David Pellow, we conceive of environmental racism as a “form of violent control over bodies, space, and knowledge systems.” Accordingly, we define the parameters of the environmental justice issues applicants might propose to address broadly—from urban agriculture, toxic emissions, natural disasters, and climate change to carcerality, housing instability, residential segregation, community health and wellness, and beyond.

After the conclusion of the Institute, each Fellow will also work to develop a project, individually or in collaboration with one or more other Fellows, that will be incorporated into the Black Midwest Justice Hub (the HUB)—a digital platform we will launch in the fall of 2026 that will serve as a resource repository for the BMI Environmental Justice Collaboratory, a set of environmental justice courses that will be taught across multiple midwestern colleges and universities during the 2026-27 academic year. HUB projects may ultimately take any number of forms that can be accessed digitally, including but not limited to short films, virtual exhibits, traditional academic papers, storymaps, graphic notes, sound recordings, oral histories, interviews, and introductory essays or lectures.

INSTITUTE FACILITATORS:

• Erika Allen, Urban Growers Collective

• Adrienne Brown, University of Chicago

• Lydia Marie Hicks, Black Eden Arts Alliance

• Fayola Jacobs, University of Minnesota

• Tonika Lewis Johnson, UnBlocked Englewood

• David Pellow, UC Santa Barbara

• LaShawnda Crowe Storm, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Monica M. White, University of Wisconsin-Madison

ELIGIBILITY:

Emerging artists of all genres (including filmmakers, dancers, poets, and other literary, visual, sound, and performance artists), community organizers and activists, graduate students, junior faculty, adjunct and non-tenure track faculty, independent scholars, and postdoctoral scholars whose work deeply engages with environmental justice issues affecting Black communities in the Midwest or Rust Belt regions of the United States (ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, SOUTH DAKOTA, WISCONSIN).

DETAILS OF PARTICIPATION:

Fellows from outside of the Chicago area will be expected to arrive in Chicago on Sunday, July 20, with departure scheduled for the morning of Saturday, July 26. Most days of the Institute will feature a morning session during which facilitators will discuss their work with the Fellows and an afternoon session during which the Fellows will present their work to the group. There will also be a site visit during the week to a location TBA that is engaging critical EJ work in the Chicago metro area. Fellows will be expected to attend all sessions, including the site visit and final group dinner, to complete any readings or screenings assigned by the facilitators, and to prepare a presentation of their work to be shared during one of the afternoon sessions. The Summer Institute will be hosted at the UIC Institute for the Humanities, and all sessions will be held in person.

Each Fellow will receive up to $500 toward their travel expenses to attend the Summer Institute. Lodging will be provided in UIC campus housing for all Fellows coming from outside of the Chicago area. Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day of the Institute, as well as dinner on Friday. After the conclusion of the Summer Institute, each participant will receive a $1000 stipend to be used toward the costs associated with their HUB project.

APPLICATION:

The BMI Summer Institute Application requires a 500-word project statement and a 5-page cv or resume.

Applicants will be notified of decisions by April 10.

QUESTIONS?

Please feel free to email theblackmidwest@gmail.com with any questions.

theblackmidwest.com/summer-institute

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PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program

PB Rising

APPLICATION PERIOD: March 7 - 21, 2025

INFO: The #PBRisingStars Mentorship started with a tweet, a huge response, and two authors with book deals looking for ways to give back to the KidLit community that gave so much to them.

We pair agented picture book creators that are knowledgeable about querying, author-agent relationships, being on submission, book deals, and contract language, with the next generation of children’s book creators for an immersive, three-month, one-on-one mentorship experience that is more than just a critique.

Our mission is to give experienced picture book professionals the platform to pull up-and-coming picture book creators up the turbulent publishing ladder. We center Black creators, creators of color, and ALL historically excluded communities because we believe in equity. Above all, we believe that our mentors and mentees should reflect what publishing SHOULD look like.

MENTEE ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be 18 years or older.

• Must be an agented or unagented picture book author, illustrator, or author-illustrator.

• Everyone in our program must foster diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• We encourage past PB Rising Star runner-ups and honorable mentions to apply!

• You must not have any AGENT-REPPED traditionally published PICTURE BOOKS or traditional PICTURE BOOK deals sold by (or represented by) an agent. Self-published creators can apply! AND Creators who self-represented their book deals can apply! And creators with traditionally published books in other markets can apply!

• Must not have been a mentee in another official PICTURE BOOK mentorship program anytime between January 2024-September 2025.

• Must be available to participate in the full mentorship program from May 15, 2025 through September 30, 2025. The schedule and workload are flexible and is led by the mentor’s availability + a mutually agreed upon plan.

• Must agree to pause (or wait on) querying for the duration of the mentorship, unless a unique opportunity arises and is agreed upon by both mentor and mentee.

• Must commit to revising one or more manuscripts, portfolio pieces, and/or dummies based on you and your mentor’s agreed upon terms and schedule.

PB RISING STARS MENTORSHIP INCLUDES:

• A 4-month long mentorship, including 3 months of a 1-on-1 craft intensive with your mentor + 1 month of publishing business development with PBRS co-founders Ebony Lynn Mudd and Kailei Pew. The full experience runs from May 23-September 30.

• Feedback and revision help on one (or more) manuscripts, dummies, or portfolio pieces that will go well beyond typical critique.

• A website spotlight, showcasing your headshot, bio, and social media links.

• Exclusive workshops hosted by industry professionals.

• A mentee-only Discord chat group to communicate and build community with fellow mentees.

• An end-of-mentorship wrap party to celebrate your accomplishments and growth.

• Lifelong membership in our PB Rising Stars community which gives you access to private, in-person meetups and any private virtual events that we have for our community.'

IMPORTANT DATES:

• March 7, 2025 - March 21, 2025: Mentee applications open! Apply here during the application period. Applications close on March 21, 2025 at 11:59 PM EASTERN TIME. Please coordinate with your time zone and plan accordingly.

• May 15, 2025: 2025 Mentees, Runner Ups, and Honorable Mentions are announced! We won’t be announcing on social media this year, so subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know everything! www.pbrisingstars.com/subscribe

• May 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time: 2025 Mentee Bonding Event (Virtual/Zoom) — This is an opportunity for our 2025 mentees to meet and mingle prior to the mentorship. Expect intros/games! *This will be a private event for the 2025 Mentees only.

• May 29, 2025 at 8:00pm-10:00pm Eastern Time: 2025 Mentee Orientation (Virtual/Zoom) — This is mandatory to attend live or to watch the recording by June 1, 2025. *This will be a private event for the 2025 Mentees only.

• June 2, 2025 - June 8, 2025: Your one-on-one mentorship begins! During this week, Mentors will host their first meetings with their Mentees based on a mutually agreed upon date and time.

• June 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time: Honorable Mention AMA (Ask Me Anything) Zoom Q&A w/ Ebony Lynn Mudd and Kailei Pew. *This will be a private event for the 2025 Honorable Mentions only.

• June 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time: PB Rising Stars Meetup & Reunion (Virtual/Zoom) — This is an exclusive event for PB Rising Stars Mentees and Mentors only.

• June 27, 2025 - June 30, 2025: PB Rising Stars 2nd Annual IN-PERSON Meetup in Philadelphia, PA (During the American Library Association Annual Conference) — Optional Event for 2022-2025 Mentees and Mentors ONLY. More info will be sent to 2025 Mentees after they apply and get selected.

• August 27, 2025: This is the final day of the one-on-one mentorship with the mentors!

• August 28, 2025 at 8:00-10:00 PM Eastern Time: 2025 PB Rising Stars Wrap Party (Virtual/Zoom) — Time to celebrate yourself, the mentors, and your fellow mentees!

• September 4, 2025 - September 29, 2025: The four-week publishing business intensive with co-founders Ebony Lynn Mudd and Kailei Pew. [Workshops will tentatively be held on September 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.]

In addition to the dates above, exclusive industry workshops will take place during the mentorship. The dates and details will be released to our 2025 Mentees in May.

pbrisingstars.com/mentees

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2025-2026 EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIP

GrubStreet (Boston, MA)

DEADLINE: March 10, 2025

INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship aims to develop new, exciting voices by providing three writers per year tuition-free access to GrubStreet’s classes and several key publishing/industry events. Over the course of one year, each Emerging Writer Fellow will attend a combination of seminars and multi-week courses of their choosing, along with a wide selection of other topical programming, in order to enhance their understanding of craft and the publishing industry.

We hope that this year's fellows will be able to join us in-person for classes and events. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston.

OVERVIEW: The Emerging Writer Fellowship will be awarded to three writers who demonstrate a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their writing abilities, and financial need. Any person 18 and older who demonstrates ability and passion for writing is eligible.

The Emerging Writer Fellowship will provide access to each of the following:

• 5 multi-week courses

• 5 three-hour seminars

• Access to key annual industry events and other craft-related programs.

• Access to GrubStreet's Artistic Director and/or other program staff members for quarterly (or as-needed) office hours for personalized mentorship. (Optional)

• At the end of the program, fellows will also receive a complimentary one-year GrubStreet membership so they can continue enjoying extra community perks even after their program year ends.

The fellowship year begins in May.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: This fellowship is open to anyone 18 and older with a passion for writing. The fellowship specifically aims to assist writers in need of financial assistance in reaching their writing goals. We particularly encourage writers of color, ethnic minorities, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by the literary community to apply.

WHY WE CREATED THIS FELLOWSHIP: Over the years, GrubStreet encountered more and more people who loved to write but didn't have the money to invest in a creative writing education that would help advance their craft or give them a thoughtful introduction to the publishing world. As part of its mission to make sure that voices of every type and talent are heard, GrubStreet developed the Emerging Writer Fellowship to eliminate some of the financial barriers to entry. Through this program, we hope to connect writers to a literary world – a world made richer and more relevant with the contribution of these voices.

In the program's first year, we were able to offer one fellowship to one student. As of the 2018-2019 cycle, we were able to begin offering a second fellowship in memory of novelist Anita Shreve, longtime board member and dear friend of GrubStreet. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we now offer three fellowships each year.

HOW TO APPLY:

The Emerging Writer Fellowship Application Form will require the following:

A sample of your writing that demonstrates your artistic style and voice. 5-10 pages for prose, screenwriting, or playwriting. 3-7 pages for poetry.

A personal statement—no more than 500 words please!—which should include the following:

• How you envision using the fellowship.

• A description of your relationship to writing. By this we mean: what excites you about it? What does it mean to you personally?

• How the fellowship will help you in your growth and success as a writer.

• Your writing and workshop history (Note: Prior workshop experience at GrubStreet is not required).

• The Fellowship year begins in May.

• All applicants can expect to hear back by early May.

grubstreet.org/write/emerging-writer-fellowship

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LGBTQIA+ LITERARY SUCCESS GRANTS

Georgia Writers

DEADLINE: March 10, 2025 BY 11:59 pm ET

INFO: Georgia Writers’ LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grants, modeled on our John Lewis Grants, are designed to encourage and amplify the voices of LGBTQIA+ youth (18-24) in Georgia. At a time when the country possesses a record number of anti-LGBTQ legislation (400+ bills and counting), we believe it is our responsibility to promote positive stories of queer life in the South. By promoting young queer voices state- and nationwide, we offer models for success that all young queer people in the state of Georgia can aspire to.

Generously supported by the Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA), the LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grants will be awarded annually in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenwriting. The purpose of the grants is to elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of young queer writers in Georgia.

THE GRANTS:

Winners in each genre will receive:

• A grant of $500 to give a reading at our Red Clay Writers Conference

• A scholarship to the next annual Red Clay Writers Conference

QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants must be 18 - 24 years of age and emerging writers who are queer residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award.

• Applicants are ineligible if they have published more than one traditionally published book. Promising writers without publication will be considered. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win a grant once. There is no submission fee to enter.

• Applications will be reviewed anonymously.

• Applicants are ineligible if they are of relations to any of the Georgia Writers staff or board of directors.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Writers may apply in only one genre and must submit the following:

• A completed grant application

• An essay of no more tha 500 words as a concise description of your work and goals as a writer. Please tell us what inspires or challenges your writing career.

• No more than a ten-page writing sample of a published or unpublished piece in the genre in which you are applying--fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or screenwriting. If submitting poetry, one poem per page please.

• Please format your manuscript: 12 pt. font, double-spaced, name and page number on each page.

georgiawriters.org/literarysuccess

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CALL FOR PAPERS - CHRONIC: LIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS

WSQ (Spring 2026)

DEADLINE: March 14, 2025

INFO: In late December 2023, Giorgia Lupi, an information designer, published a long illustrated essay in the New York Times Opinion section titled “1, 380 Days: My Life With Long COVID.” “Long COVID,” she writes, “is a physical affliction, but chronic illness, stretching over months and years, has a way of picking apart your mind and breaking your heart. It is a constant deluge of pain that slowly strips you of everything you used to be by taking away everything you used to do . . . and, eventually . . . the ability to imagine a future without harsh physical limits.” The reported suffering of those like Giorgia Lupi who live with long COVID has brought into the spotlight the many chronic illnesses Americans endure—notably ME, myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome), from which primarily women suffer. Thanks to innovative treatments, especially over the last decade, some cancers have also become manageable chronic illnesses.

In contrast to acute or terminal disease, chronic illness—which includes mental illness—takes many forms over a lifetime: chronic with pain, chronic without pain, chronic with a medical diagnosis or without one (conditions that resist clinical documentation), chronic that is life-limiting or life-threatening, with progression, progression free, or stable, visible or invisible. There is not one chronic experience.  

This special issue of WSQ takes this contemporary phenomenon as our point of departure to consider the social, affective, and political consequences of living with chronic illness. We are soliciting essays, personal and researched, that reflect this variety and that map the critical and scholarly intersections of chronic illness with disability and critical race studies, notably in relation to lupus, but also related to health and healthcare issues. These might include, for example, issues primarily affecting Black women, including access to diagnosis and treatment of various cancers, notably gynecological ones. Though we will consider all approaches, we welcome work theorizing from the first person, whether in poetry, essay, comic, or hybrid form. Questions about chronic illness align as well with care, affect, and feminist eco-theory, which help illuminate the literary, social, and philosophical implications of what it means to be living one’s life in an ill body. To document the surprising variety of expressions of the lived experiences of chronic illness, we hope to include pieces that in some way grapple or experiment with the visual, whether through data visualizations, graphic representations, photography, or other media. (See guidelines below for more details.)

We see this project, in the spirit of the journal’s history, as transdisciplinary in conception, accessible and experimental at a variety of levels, and committed to the public good.

At the same time, we want specifically to explore new ways to live with and understand the challenges of chronic illness, and in the process, following activism and scholarship in the fields of health humanities and graphic medicine, we also hope to propose new paradigms of health and healthcare.

Submissions might attend to some of the following:

• definitions and themes of the chronic in the twenty-first century: diagnosis, disability, medical infrastructure, autoimmune disease, comorbidity, chronic and crisis (as in the case with COVID-19)

• discussions and/or representations of/discourse around chronic illnesses such as COVID/long COVID, HIV/AIDS, Lupus, ME (CFS), Lyme, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer

• advocacy and community: What are the challenges of living in relation to what philosopher Havi Carel calls “social architecture”? What different/alternative communities/illness mentorships exist? How do different illness communities advocate for their specific needs? What role(s) are played by factors like gender, race, religion, sexuality, etc.?

Other topics may include but are not limited to:

• individual experiences and their relation to community activism, advocacy, and social norms

• questions of gender expression, sexuality, and race

• economics and illness; economics and healthcare

• the physical (side effects, immunology)

• psychological/social/temporal frames: “scanxiety”; the scan-to-scan existence; recurrence

• relation to medical establishment

• literal and metaphorical space

• pain: its literary languages and visual representation

• American television drug promotion

• affect and chronicity (prolonged grief disorder, bipolar disorder, etc.)

ISSUE EDITORS:

• NANCY K. MILLER, The Graduate Center, CUNY

• TAHNEER OKSMAN, Marymount Manhattan College

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Scholarly articles should be submitted to WSQ.submittable.com. Upload one Word document that includes the anonymized, complete article. Directly in Submittable, not as an attachment, please write a cover page that includes the article title, abstract, keywords, and a short author bio. Remove all identifying authorial information from the file uploaded to Submittable. Scholarly submissions must not exceed 6,000 words (including un-embedded notes and works cited) and must comply with formatting guidelines at feministpress.org/submission-guidelines. For questions, email the guest issue editors at WSQEditorial@gmail.com.

Artistic works (whose content relates clearly to the issue theme) such as creative prose (fiction, essay, memoir, and translation submissions between 2,000 and 2,500 words), poetry (3 poems maximum per submitter), and other forms of visual art or documentation of performative artistry should be submitted to WSQ.submittable.com. Note that creative submissions may be held for six months or longer. We do not accept work that has been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable if the editors are notified immediately of acceptance elsewhere. Visual artists are also asked to submit a document containing captions for all works (including title, date, and materials), an artist’s statement and a short bio, each 100 words or less. For questions, email the guest issue editors at WSQEditorial@gmail.com.

For works that are difficult to categorize, including those that fall between academic articles and personal narratives or creative essays, please choose the hybrid works option on Submittable, and explain the nature of the work in your cover page. Please especially indicate whether the work requires academic peer review.

All submitters please note that if your submission contains images (including images embedded into a larger article or essay) please include them as separate attachments of 300dpi or more. Please also include a short bio and current email address [all submitters, directly onto the Submittable form, not as an attachment] as well as an artist’s statement and image caption [visual artists] or an abstract and keywords [academic submissions].

ABOUT WSQ:

Since 1972, WSQ has been an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of emerging perspectives on women, gender, and sexuality. Its peer-reviewed interdisciplinary thematic issues focus on such topics as Unbearable Being(s), Pandemonium, Nonbinary, State/Power, Black Love, Solidão, Asian Diasporas, Protest, Beauty, Precarious Work, At Sea, Solidarity, Queer Methods, Activisms, The Global and the Intimate, and Trans-, combining legal, queer, cultural, technological, and historical work to present the most exciting new scholarship, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, and visual arts on ideas that engage popular and academic readers alike. WSQ is edited by Shereen Inayatulla (York College, CUNY) and Andie Silva (York College and the Graduate Center, CUNY), and published by the Feminist Press at the City University of New York. Visit feministpress.org/wsq.

feministpress.org/current-call-for-papers

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Writer to Writer Mentorship Program

AWP

DEADLINE: March 15, 2025

INFO: The AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program is open to all AWP members who identify as emerging writers, but we particularly encourage applications from those writers who have never been associated with an MFA program, and those writing from regions, backgrounds, and cultures that are too often underrepresented in the literary world.

We take your interest in connecting with a mentor seriously. After the AWP membership team reviews all mentee applications, we send a selection of potential matches to our mentors, who ultimately choose their own mentee. They tend to choose mentees based on shared goals and interests, and whether they feel they can help that person at the stage they are in now. Our mentees come from all backgrounds and levels of experience; to ensure that we make the best possible matches this season, we ask that you be open and honest about your goals, your background, and where you are now with your writing.

Should you be chosen to participate, your mentor will review your writing, listen to your concerns, and help you work towards your writing goals. AWP's membership team will also be there to support you, every step of the way.

Season 21 begins on May 5, 2025, and will consist of six lightly structured modules over a three-month period, concluding on July 25. You and your mentor will make a commitment to the process—and to each other.

awpwriter.secure-platform.com/applications/page/W2W/W2W_Mentees

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DAG Prize for Literature

DAG Foundation

DEADLINE: March 15, 2025 by 11:59 pm

INFO: The $20,000 DAG Prize for Literature is awarded annually to an emerging prose writer whose work expands the possibilities for American writing.

The goal of the DAG Prize is to contribute meaningfully to the evolution of American prose literature. To that end, we aim to support writing that offers significant innovation—for example, at the level of form, content, or genre. What more can prose literature be? What more can it do? The recipient will be a writer who has already published one book demonstrating commitment to such investigations but whose work has not yet received prominent literary recognition. The DAG Prize is meant to support a second project already substantially underway.

Prize funds can be used for research, writing, editing, workshops, residencies, or other activities that facilitate the creation of a significant project in prose literature.

ELIGIBILITY: 

• You have published one book of prose with a nationally distributed U.S. press. Online publication and self-publication do not fulfill this criterion, nor do books first published in another country or in a language other than English.

• You aim to publish a second book of prose in the U.S., written in English.

• This second project must be substantially underway.

• You reside in the United States as of the application deadline.

• A “book of prose” may contain elements of poetry, visual art, or other forms but should be primarily recognized/categorized as prose.

• If you have won, or were a finalist or shortlisted for, the Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, a National Book Critics Circle Award, an award from the American Academy for Arts and Letters, a PEN America Literary Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Booker Prize, or another major national or international prize, you are not eligible for the DAG Prize.

• If you have published a second book of prose, or have a second book of prose under contract, by the application deadline, you are not eligible for the DAG Prize.

• We do not invite or accept nominations from agents, editors, mentors, or peers.

APPLICATION MATERIALS: 

On the application page, you will be asked for:

• Your author bio (250 words maximum)

• Information about your first book. Copies will be requested from finalists in April.

• Your CV or résumé (3 pages maximum)

• A description of your new project that gives an overview of its subject matter and discusses its artistic innovations, with an approximate timeline for completion of the project (500 words maximum)

• An excerpt from your new project (25 pages maximum)

• We neither require nor accept letters of support. Please do not ask anyone to contact DAG on your behalf.

dagfoundation.org/the-dag-prize/

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BAYARD RUSTIN RESIDENCY

Penington Friends House (New York City)

DEADLINE: March 15, 2025

INFO: Building on the social activist history of Penington’s founders, original board, and later residents, the Bayard Rustin Residency at Penington Friends House (PFH) is envisioned as an ongoing ladder to empowerment for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) working to end Systemic Racism and to create a culture of anti-Racism and intersectional equality in the United States of America. It is also intended to extend and strengthen the wider Quaker witness to equality.

Beginning in September of 2025, this residency will provide up to one year of room and board to a person who demonstrates a strong project that addresses ending Systemic Racism and who has a necessity to be in New York City for up to one year. They will reside at the Penington Friends House located in New York City’s Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Bayard Rustin Resident will demonstrate a need to live in Manhattan. Areas of focus of their work can include activism in the arts, policy change, human rights, community organizing, and other areas of activism focusing on ending racism and strengthening equality. Residents will meet regularly with the Residency Manager and will be expected to share their progress with the New York City community in the form of presentations or workshops.

The resident does not have to be Quaker but their work should be shaped by and in harmony with our tenets of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. The resident will be expected to be a full-time resident of PFH and be participating member of this intentional community. This includes eating chef prepared dinners with the other residents and participating in shared light house chores. ( 1 1/2 hour commitment per week on average.) The Penington Friends House’s approach to living collaboratively may be new to you. We encourage to look at our website and instagram account (@Penington_friends_house) to gain a better understanding of what we are. Feel free to call us as well with questions. We are LGBTQ embracing community. We believe Black Lives Matter. We are always working to be a safe space and an anti-racist community.

Resident selection is made through a BIPOC committee of Quakers and non-Quakers and is based on the strength of the applicants work and proposed project. Final approval of the Bayard Rustin resident is made by the Penington Friends House Residents and staff, in the same interview process that all other residents are approved to live at the Penington. Applicants should note that the Bayard Rustin Resident bedroom is on the 4th floor of an historic Brownstone. An elevator is not available. Bathrooms are shared with other floor residents. This residency covers the cost of rent, boarding (food) provided 5 nights a week, internet, cable, and heat/AC. Limited access ( starting at 3:30PM weekedays) to a studio space may be available. A stipend is NOT currently provided by this residency.

Here are a few types of artists and activists activities that we would be interested in considering. Please contact us before applying if you are not sure your project would fit our call. Questions can be directed to Todd Drake at outreach at penington dot org.

• An artist working on a body of art that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A writer working on a new book, play, screenplay, or collection that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A performer creating a new dance piece that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A community based artist designing or carrying out a community based project that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• An activist organizing communities to address racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A social entrepreneur that is starting a non-profit focused on addressing racism and/or intersectional issues.

• An inventor or designer working on solving a problem associated with systemic racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A graduate student that has a strong and well defined anti-racism project that needs support and time to launch.

BACKGROUND: The residency is named after Bayard Rustin who was a Quaker and an attender at 15th Street Monthly Meeting in New York City. This meeting (Quaker house of worship) is next to the Penington Friends House. Rustin worked commitedly for the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He was an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on nonviolence. Rustin was also a chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and a founding member of the Freedom Riders. He was an early advocate for gay rights. Rustin’s later work included a heavy focus on refugee affairs. Rustin served as Vice Chairman of the International Rescue Committee, helped to found the National Emergency Coalition for Haitian Refugees, and was Chairman of the Executive Committee of Freedom House. He died in 1987. In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ( Source rustinfund.org)

We are currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Bayard Rustin Residency. This is our 5th Bayard Residency.

The Bayard Rustin Residency is supported with funds from the Society of Friends (Quakers) New York Yearly Meeting, the New York Quarterly Meeting, the Brooklyn Monthly Meeting, the Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and the Board of Penington Friends House. Donations are currently being accepted.

penington.org/rustin-residency/

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Raz-Shumaker Book Prize in Fiction and Poetry

Prairie Schooner

DEADLINE: March 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: Submissions to the 2025 Prairie Schooner Raz-Shumaker Book Prize Contest are open.

PRIZES: Winners will receive $3000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press.

ELIGIBILITY: The Prairie Schooner Raz-Shumaker Book Prize Series welcomes manuscripts from all living writers, including non-US citizens, writing in English. Both unpublished and published writers are welcome to submit manuscripts. However, we will not consider manuscripts that have previously been published, which includes self-publication. Writers may enter both contests. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but we ask that you notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted for publication somewhere else. No past or present paid employee of Prairie Schooner or the University of Nebraska Press or current faculty or student at the University of Nebraska will be eligible for the prizes.

MANUSCRIPT:

We prefer that fiction manuscripts be at least 150 pages long and poetry manuscripts at least 50 pages long. Novels are not considered; we will consider manuscripts comprised either entirely of short stories or one novella along with short stories (please do not send a single novella or a collection of novellas). Manuscripts may contain stories or poems that have been published in journals or in chapbook form; however, if the full-length manuscript includes work from a previously published chapbook, the majority of the manuscript must be additional work not appearing in the chapbook. Prairie Schooner accepts electronic submissions as well as hard copy submissions. Please see below for further formatting guidelines and the link to submit electronically.

HARD COPY SUBMISSIONS:

The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. All entries will be read anonymously. Please include two cover pages: one listing only the title of the manuscript, and the other listing the author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address. An acknowledgements page listing the publication history of individual stories or poems may be included, if desired. No application forms are necessary.

For hard copy submissions, photocopies are acceptable. Please do not bind manuscripts with anything other than a binder clip or rubber band. Please include a self-addressed postage-paid postcard for confirmation of manuscript receipt. Please use a standard postcard—small index cards will not be accepted by the U.S. Postal Service. A stamped, self-addressed business size envelope must accompany the submission for notification of results. No manuscripts will be returned. All manuscripts that do not win will be recycled.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS: The author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript. All entries will be read anonymously. An acknowledgements page listing the publication history of individual stories or poems may be included, if desired. No application forms are necessary. Click here to submit via Submittable.

NOTIFICATION: Winners will be announced on this website on or before August 15, 2025. Results will be emailed or mailed shortly thereafter.

ADDRESS:

Prairie Schooner Prize Series
Attn: Fiction or Poetry
110 Andrews Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0334

Please send any questions to PSBookPrize@unl.edu.

For information on submitting to the journal, please see our submission guidelines.

prairieschooner.unl.edu/book-prize-guidelines/

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The 117° Summer Writer’s Residency

Black Mountain Institute (Las Vegas, NV)

DEADLINE: March 15, 2025

INFO: The 117° residency is for emerging and distinguished writers working in English who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press. This fellowship is for writers working on a project in nonfiction or poetry (or a hybrid work that includes one or both of those genres). The fellowship includes:

• A salary of $10,000 paid over a two-month period

• a two-month letter-of-appointment

• eligibility for optional health coverage

• office space at BMI on the campus of UNLV

• housing (fellows cover some utilities) in a unique and vibrant arts complex in the bustling district of downtown Las Vegas—home to The Writer’s Block, our city’s beloved independent bookstore

• recognition as a "BMI Fellow"

While there are no formal teaching requirements, this is a “working fellowship” located in Las Vegas. BMI’s visiting fellows will maintain office hours (1 day a week), and will offer regular service to the community. In addition to the primary goal of furthering one’s own writing during their term in Las Vegas, visiting fellows are expected to engage in a substantial way with BMI’s community in ways that connect to their interests and skills. Upon acceptance into the program, each fellow will craft a plan for community-engagement in partnership with BMI. This component is equally weighted along with the writing sample and proposed literary project in the application. Here are some examples of activities a visiting fellow might pursue:

• Offer readings, craft talks, and other public presentations to the readers and writers of UNLV and Southern Nevada.

• Offer workshops or seminars.

• Curate events or programs, live and virtual.

Please feel free to move beyond these examples in your application – BMI wants to find new ways to serve the Las Vegas community.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

Please submit:

1. A one-page personal statement,* which includes 1) your interest participating in the Las Vegas literary community, 2) a description of how you envision fulfilling your service hours and engaging the Las Vegas community, and 3) the writing project(s) you will work on while in residency.

2. A writing sample (10 pages maximum,* double-spaced, 12 pt. font).

3. A résumé or CV.

*Please respect the committee’s time by observing these guidelines and page limits.

Candidates are selected by a committee of staff and community members at BMI.

For more information, please consult our Fellowship FAQs.

blackmountaininstitute.submittable.com/submit

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2025 NOVELETTE PRINT PRIZE

CRAFT

DEADLINE: March 16, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $30 (multiple entries will be welcomed)

INFO: The novelette occupies a unique and enigmatic space in the literary landscape. Too expansive to be confined by the brevity of a short story, yet too concise to fully embody the scope of a novel or novella, the modern novelette stands on its own as a bold and ambitious form. But within its constraints lies the opportunity for daring experimentation, as seen in last year’s prize winner, Landing in Andonia by Philip Anderson. This year, we dare you to embrace the challenges and idiosyncrasies of the form and then send us your most mesmerizing novelette for consideration.

For the CRAFT 2025 Novelette Print Prize, we’re seeking submissions of polished novelettes from 7,500 to 15,000 words. One grand-prize winner will receive $3,000, print publication, royalties, and twenty author copies. The winner will have the option of international distribution through drop-shipping at Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and other platforms, earning fifty percent of royalties on their published novelette.

GUEST JUDGE: ’Pemi Aguda, a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award, will choose the winner and write the foreword for the print publication. 

AWARDS:

• $3,000,

• online excerpt publication,

• print publication with foreword by the guest judge, 

• royalties on optional international drop-shipping with our partners, 

• twenty author copies,

• and a free class at The Loft Literary Center!

https://craft.submittable.com/submit

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Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship

Democracy Center

DEADLINE: March 17, 2025

INFO: The Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) is thrilled to announce the 3rd annual Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship. This year’s fellowship will award $5,000 unrestricted awards to two emerging writers of color who write critically about music.

Writers of color have knowledge and experiences that differ from the dominant Eurocentric ones, and their perspectives give art produced by marginalized communities the depth of attention and consideration it deserves. The fellowship seeks to encourage critics of color starting out in the field to continue writing about works from their own cultural and political perspectives, enriching and broadening cultural criticism as a practice and profession. By supporting and highlighting these voices, the fellowship seeks to broaden public discourse and strengthen participation in cultural conversations by diverse communities.

Irene Yamamoto (1937–2020) was a life-long lover of the arts. Born in Los Angeles, she was incarcerated with her family during WWII in Gila River, AZ. Upon returning to Los Angeles, she attended UCLA and had a long career as a production artist for several design and advertising agencies. In her free time, she loved to draw, learn new languages, visit museums, and travel.  

The Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship is made possible through a gift from Sharon Mizota to honor Irene Yamamoto. This project is also supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color cofounded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Ford Foundation. 

PURPOSE:

The fellowship focuses on a different artistic discipline each year. This year’s focus is music.

In order to ensure full consideration of your application, please make sure your writing samples are works of criticism or reviews of live or recorded music. Although music is experienced in many different contexts, for the purposes of this award, music is defined as a creation that is experienced primarily as sound. For example:

• A review of a film’s soundtrack would be appropriate, but not a review of the film.

• Criticism of an audio recording of songs from an opera or musical theater production would be considered, whereas a response to the overall production would not. 

• Critical views on the music industry, its figures, or trends are acceptable, as long as they are directly related to the artistry, production, or reception of music.

Above all, writing samples must provide a critical, analytical, or interpretive perspective on a piece or pieces of music. 

AWARD:

Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowships will be awarded to two (2) emerging writers of color, each of whom receive a $5,000 award to be spent over a six-month period.

The awards are unrestricted. Funds may be used for any purpose that helps the fellows advance their careers, including paying themselves to write. In addition to the cash award, the fellows are given the opportunity to write a piece of criticism or review of a musical work for the Democracy Center blog as well as the opportunity to deliver a talk at the Democracy Center at JANM on their work.

A brief, written report in the form of a letter accounting for the use of funds is required at the end of the fellowship period. No receipts or other documentation is required.

For more information:

• See Eligibility Criteria, Application Process, and Review Process  VIEW NOW

• Official Fellowship Call APPLY NOW

• Learn about past Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship Recipients  PAST FELLOWS

ORGANIZATIONS:

Established in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)  promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite while traveling 17 exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus, throughout Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Southern California, and beyond from early January 2025 through late 2026. For more information, visit janm.org/OnTheGo or follow us on social media @jamuseum. 

The Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) at JANM, convenes and educates people of all ages about democracy to transform attitudes, celebrate culture, and promote civic engagement. The Democracy Center is a place for dialogue about race and social justice, where visitors can examine contemporary and historical frameworks, including the Asian American experience. 

janm.org/democracy/arts-writer-fellowship

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Spring YA Workshop

Tin House (Portland, OR)

DEADLINE: March 17, 2025

INFO: The Tin House Spring YA Workshop is a long weekend consisting of curated and intimate workshops (with no more than six participants per class), craft lectures, generative exercises, and readings. There will also be plenty of opportunities for mingling, sightseeing in Portland, and, of course, karaoke.

The workshops will take place at our offices in NW Portland, which are centrally located in Northwest Portland. Many housing and eating options are within walking distance of our offices.

Room and board are not included in this workshop, though breakfast will be provided throughout the weekend, as well as coffee/tea, snacks, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Lunch will be provided on Monday.

Enrolled applicants will be able to connect for shared housing as well as discount rates at the Silver Cloud Inn, a nearby hotel.

APPLICATION:

We ask for one unpublished novel sample (4,000 words or less) from the project you intend to work on while attending. Once admitted, you will have the opportunity to workshop a different manuscript or section from your project.

If you have previously attended, please do not apply with the same sample. A different excerpt from the same project is acceptable.

In addition to the writing sample, the application includes several questions about your project.

Applicants must be 21 years of age to apply.

International writers may apply.

There is no cap on the number of Tin House Workshops you may attend.

Applications are read by a board composed of Tin House Workshop staff and Reading Fellows (whose stipends are paid via the application fees). At least two readers will read all applications, and acceptance is based on the strength and promise of the writing sample and how much the board feels an applicant might benefit from the Workshop and contribute to the community.

Fee waivers: Through our Pay It Forward program, Tin House offers a limited number of application fee waivers. We will distribute these waivers on a first-come, first-serve basis. As an applicant, you can help cover the cost of another writer’s application fee through this same program. All excess application funds will go towards our Scholars Travel Fund.

For inquiries, please email workshop@tinhouse.com with the subject line “Spring YA Fee Waiver.”

COST: $1000

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Scholarships cover the entire conference tuition. Scholars are responsible for their travel to/from Portland.

All scholarship applicants are considered for general admission (you do not need to submit a separate general application).

Previous Tin House Scholars are not eligible to apply for awards.

We announce the names of the Scholars publically after the workshop’s conclusion (though scholars themselves will be notified before the conference).

Please reach out to workshop@tinhouse.com if you have any eligibility questions.

General Scholarship: Open to all applicants.

BIPOC Scholarship: This award is open to anyone identifying as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color.

LGBTQIA2S+ Scholarship: This award is open to anyone identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, plus other identities not explicitly listed.

SCHEDULE:

Thursday, May 29th
3:00 pm: Welcome Lecture
3:30 pm: Welcome Workshop Meeting
5:00 pm: Welcome Reception

Friday, May 30th
9:oo am: Student Readings
10:00 am: Workshops
3:00 pm: Lecture
4:30 pm: Lecture
5:30 pm: Social Hour

Saturday, May 31st
9:30 am: Student Readings
10:30 am: Lecture
12:00 pm: Portland Getaway Day
8:00 pm: Karaoke

Sunday, June 1st
10:00 am: Workshops
3:00 pm: Lecture
4:30 pm: Student Readings
7:30 pm: Faculty Reading

Monday, June 2nd
10:00 am: Workshops
1:00 pm: Goodbye Lunch

tinhouse.com/workshop/ya-workshop

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The Editor-Writer Mentorship

The Word for Diversity

DEADLINE: March 17, 2025 at 11:59pm US Denver/MT

INFO: The Editor-Writer Mentorship pairs upcoming writers from underrepresented groups* with experienced book publishing editors!

 Our Editor Mentors provide substantive feedback to help raise a strong manuscript to its best position for submission to potential agents and editors. This is an opportunity to learn from the knowledge of experienced acquiring editors. This program is free of cost to ensure wide accessibility, which is made possible due to the generosity of our volunteer editors. 

ELIGIBILITY: Aspiring or upcoming writers from underrepresented groups (see explanation below) with a completed, unpublished manuscript in the above outlined categories may apply. Applicants may apply in only one category.

HOW TO APPLY:

Step 1: Download the full application instructions.

   Remember to follow all formatting requirements when you apply! 

Step 2: Take a look at this example submission attachment to double check yourself.

Step 3: Submit your application HERE.

More about underrepresented voices:

How do we focus our search for underrepresented voices? We promote the inclusive representation of experiences in literature, including a diversity of experiences based on: racial, cultural, ethnic, or religious identity; gender identity; sexual orientation; physical, cognitive, or emotional disability; socioeconomic adversity; and personal experiences of adversity or injustice. 

*We recognize that personal experiences of adversity occur in many forms and we believe that the impact of each must be respected. To guide the use of our resources, we focus on experiences that lack representation in literature, based on our best knowledge and research. 

Additional program information:

Mentors and mentees will determine their contact schedules and frequency based on the needs of both parties. All mentors and mentees will be provided guidelines and resources to help promote productive working relationships. The mentorship relationship does not guarantee publication of any completed work and mentors are not expected to provide any referrals to acquiring agents, editors or others. The program’s goal is to support the development of the mentee writer’s work.​

Mentors and mentees will have a minimum of two meetings over a 6-9 month mentorship relationship. Feedback may be written or oral, as is determined by each volunteer editor. Additional meetings and feedback will be determined by each mentor/mentee pair, based on the volunteer editor's availability and the needs of the mentee. 

FAQs

Is this opportunity open to writers whose subject-matter may not directly reflect their personal identity?

We recognize that the perspectives of individuals from marginalized backgrounds will influence their works in a variety of ways. We further recognize that identity is a complex question. We, therefore, do not have any subject-matter limitations for this opportunity.

I’ve read the explanation of “underrepresented voices” but I’m still not sure if my background fits within the underrepresented category. Should I submit?

Our mentorship is focused on providing support for individuals whose background has proved a challenge to their writing path and entry into the publishing space, as well as focused on stories that are underrepresented among published books. We ask that you consider whether your identity and background have offered challenges on your writing path, and whether you think that your work will contribute to our mission to achieve greater inclusivity among those groups that have been regularly marginalized. If based on those considerations you believe that your work is the right fit for this program, we welcome your submission. 

Is this opportunity open to agented writers or writers who have been previously published? 

We don’t require that a writer be unpublished or unagented. Given the high volume of interest and need, we do ask all writers to consider whether you are truly in need of this opportunity. 

The manuscript for which you are seeking feedback must be unpublished. 

What can I expect from my mentor-editor if selected for the program?

This mentorship pairing is for the purpose of providing our Mentee Writers with editorial feedback on one full-length manuscript. Mentees will have at least two touch points for feedback during the mentorship program (approximately 6-9 months in length), and each pair will determine the method of feedback that will be provided (e.g.,: editorial letter, oral feedback, or feedback in multiple rounds). 

Can I submit to more than one category?  

Applicants may only submit one manuscript for consideration per application year. Applicants should not submit multiple manuscripts, even if in different categories, or this will result in disqualification.

What category should I apply for?

Editor Jessica Anderson generously demystifies the KidLit genres for us. Learn about the differences between Chapter Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult books. Here is the link to the video and skip to the 24-minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-_120Rj4k4

Does my manuscript have to be complete for me to apply? 

Yes, your manuscript must be complete. If you are chosen as a finalist, you will be required to submit your complete manuscript for the Editor-Mentors to evaluate and chose their mentee. This mentorship program is meant for authors who are looking to prepare a manuscript for agent or editor submissions, which requires a completed piece of work.  

Are you accepting graphic novel submissions?

At this time, we are NOT accepting graphic novel submissions.

For picture books: What if my manuscript is less than 10 pages? 

You should submit your entire manuscript in your initial application materials if it is less than 10 pages.

 For picture books: Should my manuscript include directions on page breaks and art direction or art notes? 

As long as your manuscript does not exceed 10 pages, and meets all other formatting requirements listed in the application instructions, it can be formatted in whatever way you feel best communicates your vision.  

For my pitch, should I include comp titles? 

Write your pitch in whatever way you think will best represent your manuscript. What you choose to include is up to you as long as it does not exceed the word limit set in the application instructions.  

Can non-US citizens or non-US residents (international applicants) apply? 

You are welcome to apply for our mentorship program regardless of your location. Keep in mind that all of our editors are located in the US, and so if you are chosen as a mentee, when it comes to scheduling times to chat, meet, and do critiques, you'll have to be a lot more flexible with their schedules. But if that's not a problem, then please apply!

Can co-authors submit?

We unfortunately can only accept submissions for one writer mentee.

thewordfordiversity.org/editor-writer-mentorship

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Call for Papers: Summer 2026 CENTRO Journal

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO)

DEADLINE: March 17, 2025

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) opens a call for contributors to a special issue of CENTRO Journal titled New Histories of Health, Care Work, and Healthcare Activism in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and the United States, which will be published in September 2026.

This special issue will bring into dialogue new scholarship on the history of health, care work, and healthcare activism in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and relevant Latinx communities in the United States since the late nineteenth century. In recent years, new histories of health and medicine have built on social history and showcased the volatile relationship between health and political and economic systems. In interconnected ways, scholarship on care work and healthcare activism has underscored how political and other forms of mobilization around care, health, and social reproduction have taken shape and challenged the state and society to create a more caring world. In this special edition, we will explore the intersections within these conversations, emphasizing how thinking about health and care as uncertain and contested terrain allows us both to account for “hidden” and “silenced” histories and to map new paths forward in times of continuity, crisis, and change.

The issue will build on scholarship that has considered how social, cultural, political, and economic factors have informed medical logics and practices, and expanded who is seen as qualified to produce and exercise health knowledge, power, and authority. We seek to further unpack and nuance these recent trends in a historical register while charting interdisciplinary terrain. To pursue and complicate history in modest or intense cross-/interdisciplinary fashion, we will use health, care work, and healthcare activism as conceptual tools to help anchor our collective effort and center what Pablo Gómez, Katherine McKittrick, and others have called the “experiential”—creative-intellectual- sensorial-embodied ways of knowing and being (Gómez 2017; McKittrick 2021). By amplifying the variability of medical and health actors and their techniques, taking seriously community voices and knowledge, and stressing how medicine and healing always exist in layers of context and community, we seek to trouble traditional understandings of the history of medicine and health.

This discussion will engage with the histories of care work and healthcare activism, exploring how individuals and communities have fought against marginalization, discrimination, and violence. As Premilla Nadasen has argued, a deep history of the care economy can show us how it has served as an engine to extract profit under racial capitalism while also revealing how minoritized people have organized politically around social reproduction and fought for new ways of provisioning care and mutual aid (Care: The Highest Stage of Capitalism, 2023). This issue will examine the crucial roles of women, people of color, and heterodox practitioners, among others, as activists demanding care and healthcare in their communities. We invite contributions that shed light on Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and US-based Latinx approaches to and mobilization around health and care and how their ideas, practices, and organizing have confronted epistemic imperialism, state violence, and colonialism while envisioning, materializing, and demanding new social and economic relationships in society.

Contributors to this issue of CENTRO Journal are welcome to think with, critique, and transcend prevailing frameworks and, potentially, interpretive status quos in histories of health, care work, and healthcare activism. We encourage thinking from and with the people, ideas, practices, and sources at the core of our work rather than just producing knowledge on or about them. We therefore invite submissions that engage with and expand CENTRO’s archive, as well as those that contemplate the histories in question in comparative, transnational, and “undisciplined” keys, specifically in relation to how health, care work, and healthcare activism have manifested in Puerto Rico, the circum-Caribbean, and/or Latinx communities in the US. We seek to sit with and lean into how health, care work, and healthcare activism have been lived historically across categories of difference and invite methodologically ambitious and rigorous submissions that elaborate on this aspect.

Topics for this issue may include histories of health, care work, and healthcare activism that dialogue with:

• Health and wellness

• Medicine and public health

• “Popular” or “folk” medicine

• Medical pluralism

• “Madness” and psychiatry

• Social work and social welfare

• Communities of care and mutual aid

• Religious/spiritual healing

• Care work and reproductive labor

• Social determinants of health and social reproduction

• Healthcare activism

• Social movements

• Reproductive health and justice

• Popular culture

• Art and literature

• Gender and sexuality

• Race and ethnicity

• Feminisms

• Disability studies

• Geographies of health

• Colonialism and capitalism

• Environment and ecology

• Climate justice

• Policing and incarceration

POSSIBLE SUBMISSION FORMATS:

To allow for a breadth of approaches and lenses, contributors are invited to submit pieces in one of the following formats (with listed word counts, inclusive of main text, references, and notes):

• Articles (12,000 words max)

• Short essays/interviews (2,000 words)

• Poems (1-3 poems depending on length)

• Art/photography (1 piece/representative photograph with a brief written explanation)

GUEST EDITORS
Emma Amador, University of Connecticut-Storrs
Alberto Ortiz Díaz, University of Texas at Arlington

TIMELINE:

• Abstract submission deadline:
  March 17, 2025

• Notification of abstract approval:
  April 7, 2025

• Final manuscript submission:
  July 25, 2025

• The publication of this special volume (v. 38, n. 2) is scheduled for September 2026.

ABSTRACT AND MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION DETAILS:

Please send a 250-word abstract of your work and a 50-word biography to the following link (https:/ /bit.ly/centro_journal_summer_2026_abstract)
We will accept abstracts and manuscripts in English and Spanish.

Approved manuscript submissions should be uploaded to the following link (https:/ /bit.ly/centro_journal_summer_2026_manuscript)

All submissions should follow CENTRO Journal’s style guidelines (https:/ /bit.ly/centro_journal_style_guide) and will be sent out for peer review. Please include a brief cover letter with your manuscript title, the word count (including references and notes), your full name, a short biography (of no more than 75 words), institutional or organizational affiliation (if applicable), email address, and phone number.

For more information:
Questions should be addressed to the guest editors of the special issue:

Emma Amador
(emma.amador@uconn.edu)

Alberto Ortiz Díaz
(alberto.ortizdiaz@uta.edu)

or to the journal editor:
Gustavo Quintero Vera
(journal@hunter.cuny.edu)

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/call-for-papers-summer-2026-centro-journal/

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2025 LAMMY AWARDS

Lambda Literary

DEADLINE: March 21, 2025

INFO: Lambda Literary Awards celebrate the outstanding LGBTQ+ storytelling from a given year. Lambda uses “LGBTQ+” as a catch-all term, meaning that works reflecting identities beyond lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer or questioning are also welcome, to include two-spirit, intersex, pansexual, aro/ace, and other emerging identities.

Please read through these guidelines carefully to ensure that your book is eligible for consideration and that you are submitting it to the proper category. When you are ready during the open submission period, tap the “GO TO SUBMITTABLE” button at the top of the page to submit works through our Submittable portal and follow the instructions for the feature labeled “37th Lambda Literary Awards Registration.” If there is no button, it means the submission period has not opened.

If you have a question not answered here, visit the Awards FAQ page or email awards[at]lambdaliterary.org.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Submitted works must be published between January 1 and December 31, 2024. The work must also be distributed (i.e., available in bookstores or online) or performed (in the case of plays) in the United States during 2024.

• Lambda Literary Awards are open to all authors regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity except in the case of the special prizes that mark specific stages of an individual LGBTQ writer’s career. The content of the submitted work must be representative of/content relevant to LGBTQ+ lives.

• Titles must be published in English. Translations from other languages are eligible provided they meet other requirements re: publication year.

• Self-published books are eligible. Works must be available for purchase in a bound or collected format (i.e. not dripped in chapters delivered by newsletter. The work should exist published in a single file). Works published exclusively on social or subscriber-based sites such as blogs, personal newsletters, Patreons, and Wattpad are not eligible.

• First print editions of books previously published online or in ebook format are eligible.

• Reprints of books that were published in the US in previous years are not eligible. This includes second (or later) editions, books that have been republished by a different publisher, and books that are modified versions of previously published works. 

• First US editions of books published outside the US before 2024 are eligible if the original edition was not submitted for Lammy consideration in a previous year.

• Poetry chapbooks over 30 pages in length are eligible.

• Submitted works must be human-authored and not generated in whole or in part by “A.I.”/LLM engines or services (i.e. ChatGPT). Submitted works found in violation of this policy will be disqualified without refund.

SUBMISSION FEES:

For the 2025 award cycle, submission fees are as follows:

• Submissions by Big 4 publishers and large universities: $115.00 USD per title

• Submissions by small press/independent publishers, small colleges, and individual authors: $65.00 USD per title for 1-10 titles; $55.00 USD per title for 11+ titles

SUBMISSION FORMATS:

For the 2024-2025 award cycle, submissions must be made initially in digital format (epub, pdf preferred). To accommodate accessibility requests for our judges, we request three (3) additional physical/print copies of each submitted title where available (4 titles for the LGBTQ+ Young Adult category). Mailing address and additional information will be provided within Submittable. Failure or refusal to submit physical copies does not automatically disqualify a title from consideration, but may make it more difficult for judges to fully review the work. We do not accept audiobooks at this time. 

CATEGORY-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES:

A book may be submitted to only one category.

If a category receives fewer than ten (10) submissions, the category will not be active in this awards cycle. The submitted books may then be reassigned to another category, if appropriate. If the book cannot compete in another category, the submission fee will be refunded.

LESBIAN OR GAY CATEGORIES:

Books eligible for lesbian categories feature a prominent lesbian/sapphic/nonbinary and/or female- or femme-attracted character or contain content of strong significance to lesbian lives.

Books eligible for gay categories feature a prominent gay/achillean/nonbinary and/or male- or masc-attracted character or contain content of strong significance to gay lives.

Lesbian Fiction or Gay Fiction:
Literary fiction that does not fit more precisely into a specific genre category such as Erotica, Romance, Speculative Fiction, or Mystery. Novels, novellas, and short story collections by a single author are eligible; anthologies are not.

 Lesbian Memoir/Biography or Gay Memoir/Biography:
Biographies, memoirs, autobiographies, and works of creative nonfiction by or about lesbians and gay men or with content of strong significance to gay and lesbian lives. Posthumously published works and/or those with co-authors are eligible; anthologies are not. 

Lesbian Poetry or Gay Poetry:
Single volumes and collected poems are eligible as are chapbooks over 30 pages in length. Updated editions of previously published works are not eligible unless at least 50% of the poetry (not the supplemental text) is new.

Lesbian Romance or Gay Romance:
Novels, novellas, and short story collections by a single author that focus on a central love relationship between two or more characters are eligible; anthologies are not. Category includes a broad range of subgenres including traditional, historical, gothic, Regency, and paranormal romance.

BISEXUAL OR TRANSGENDER CATEGORIES":

These categories are non-gender-specific works containing material of strong significance to members of the bi/pan and trans communities.

Bisexual Fiction or Transgender Fiction:
Novels, novellas, short story collections, and anthologies with prominent bi/pan, nonbinary/genderqueer, and trans characters and/or content of strong significance to these communities. May include historical novels, comics, cross-genre works of fiction, humor, and other styles of fiction.

Bisexual Nonfiction or Transgender Nonfiction:
Nonfiction works with content of strong significance to members of the bi/pan, nonbinary/genderqueer, and trans communities. Includes a wide range of subjects for the general or academic reader (e.g., history, memoirs, cultural studies, public policy, law, politics, community organizations, humor, spirituality, gender studies, parenting, religion, spirituality, relationships, psychology, travel).

Bisexual Poetry or Transgender Poetry:
Single volumes and collected poems are eligible, as are chapbooks over 30 pages in length. Updated editions of previously published works are not eligible unless at least 50% of the poetry (not the supplemental text) is new.

LGBTQ CATEGORIES:

These categories are non-gender-specific works containing material of strong significance to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+ Anthology:
Anthologies are collections of fiction, nonfiction, and/or poetry by multiple authors. Collected works authored entirely by a single person are not eligible in this category.

LGBTQ+ Children’s Books:

Individual works and collections of fiction, nonfiction, picture books, board books, early-readers and poetry whose intended audience is young readers are all eligible; anthologies are not.

LGBTQ+ Middle Grade:
Individual works and collections of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry whose intended audience is the middle grade audience are all eligible; anthologies are not.

LGBTQ+ Young Adult:
Individual works and collections of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry whose intended audience is young adult readers are all eligible; anthologies are not.

LGBTQ+ Comics:
Book-length works of fiction or non-fiction that use a combination of words and sequential art to convey a narrative are eligible, including novels, graphic memoirs and short story or comics collections by the same author/team. Individual comic books, periodicals, anthologies, and web-only content are not eligible.

 LGBTQ+ Drama:
Plays and other theatrical works and performance pieces that have been published in book or script form during 2024. Collections from a single author are eligible; anthologies featuring multiple authors are not. Plays which have been produced in 2024 but not published are also permitted, but will need to be provided in a written format for review.

 LGBTQ+ Mystery:
Novels, novellas, and short story collections in which a crime or series of crimes is an integral part of the story are all eligible; anthologies are not. Category includes a wide range of crime fiction subgenres including police procedurals, political/legal/medical thrillers, cozies, and hard-boiled detective stories.

LGBTQ+ Nonfiction:
LGBTQ-themed works for general readers, as opposed to those targeted primarily to scholarly audiences (e.g., LGBT/Queer/Gender Studies programs). Includes but is not limited to law, history, politics, spirituality, humor, parenting, relationships, psychology, travel, and photography. Anthologies (edited collections of separately authored work) are not eligible in the LGBTQ+ Nonfiction category and should be submitted to LGBTQ+ Anthology. (Please see the LGBTQ+ Studies category below for comparison.)

LGBTQ+ Poetry:
Single volumes and collected poems are eligible as are chapbooks over 30 pages in length. Updated editions of previously published works are not eligible unless at least 50% of the poetry (not the supplemental text) is new. Works of specifically Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender Poetry are encouraged to submit in their respective categories to allow representations of other identities space in this category.

LGBTQ+ Romance and Erotica:
Novels, novellas, and short story collections by a single author that focus on a central love relationship between two or more LGBTQ+ characters, to include characters on the aromantic/asexual spectrum, or whose content is principally of an erotic nature are eligible. Category includes a broad range of subgenres including traditional, historical, gothic, Regency, and paranormal romance. Works of specifically Lesbian or Gay Romance are encouraged to submit in their respective categories to allow representations of other identities space in this category.

LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction:
Includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, and related genres. Novels, novellas, and short story collections are eligible; anthologies are not.

LGBTQ+ Studies:
Scholarly work focusing on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, and oriented toward academia, libraries, cultural professionals, and the more academic reader. Generally, but not exclusively, published by university presses. Anthologies (edited collections of separately authored work) are not eligible in the LGBTQ+ Studies category and should be submitted to LGBTQ+ Anthology. (Please see the LGBTQ+ Nonfiction category above for comparison.)

lambdaliterary.org/awards/lammys-submissions/

_____

The Artist Publishing Practicum: March 22 - 23, 2025

at Louis Place

INFO: The Artist Publishing Practicum is a virtual crash course on pathways to book publishing, designed for artists and open to all.

Workshops are led with generosity and care by our supportive network of authors, editors, and mentors: Elizabeth Karp-Evans (Pacific), Erika Stevens (Salky Literary Management), Kameelah Janan Rasheed (artist and writer), Karen Kelly (Dancing Foxes Press), Mindy Seu (designer and author, Cyberfeminism Index), Rachel Valinsky (co-founder, Wendy’s Subway; Director of Publications, C.A.R.A.), and Yusuf Hassan (BlackMass Publishing).

The Practicum takes place Saturday, March 22 - Sunday, March 23, 2025.

atlouisplace.com/practicum

_____

Luminary Editorial Incubator for Black Feminist Writers

SISTORIES

DEADLINE: March 24 at 10:00pm ET

INFO: In The Style of Liberation is a two-pronged political education & public program series housed by SISTORIES and curated by Mariah M. designed to develop and deepen attendees' political consciousness & narrative voice.

This program is a study and praxis space for Black women and non-binary/genderqueer artists based in North Carolina looking to make a deeper commitment to both one's craft, study & creative self.

Six (6) young Black creatives, ranging from ages (22-28), will comprise the 16-week Luminary Editorial Incubator (LEI) fellowship cohort. As a part of the cohort, members will engage in craft study of Black radical feminists, their writing and politic, as well as create a zine from both their written and photographic work.

There will also be a zine launch & exhibition opening of the works created during the LEI program held at the conclusion of the program in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Awardees of the Luminary Editorial Incubator fellowship will also receive a personal no-strings scholarship of $1500 to use however is needed in order to actualize themselves as artists paid midway (June) and at the conclusion of the program (August 10th)

To apply to this program you must:

• be Black woman, genderqueer and/or non-binary

• be a current resident of the Southeastern US

• have 8-10 hours weekly for 16 consecutive weeks to dedicate to this program and your creative development

• be available virtually on Tuesday and Thursdays from 6:30-8:30pm EST starting the week of April 6th

• be available Friday, April 11th - Sunday, April 13th for opening weekend orientation

• be available for the artist talk + zine launch on Friday, August 8th & closing brunch Sunday, August 10th

• submit samples of your writing

• have & express your desire and interest to study a Black radical feminist creative writer/figure

Meet the LEI Mentors & Workshop Stewards

Mariah M. (@m_lightsower) | LEI Program Director & Guest Curator of Cultural Programs for SISTORIES ||

Mariah M., or Em, (they/them) is a Black queer writer, cultureworker , and worldbuilder rooting in Greensboro, North Carolina (ancestrally Keyauwee & Saura tribal land). As a practicing abolitionist, Em embodies non-binary as a praxis for navigating our lives under and undoing imperialism, and moves with their roles in community inseparable from their identity as an artist. by way of Toni Cade Bambara, they aim to use their existence to the ends of making revolution irresistible. They are presently a 2024-25 Mellon Community Fellow with the Diaspora Solidarities Lab and a 2024 Winter Roots.Wounds.Words. Fellow in Speculative Fiction. They are the inaugural artist-in-residence at The Beautiful Project (c. 2023) and Program Steward of Ekphrasis in Black, an artist incubator for young Black women & non-binary folk designed for fellows to expand in both poetryform and photography as well as deepen in politic. They are also a two-time Watering Hole fellow (c. 2017, 2019) and an Emergent Poet Fellow with Crescendo Literary & the National Poetry Foundation (c. 2017). You can find Em talking to a tree about our futures, indoors dancing under red lights and on Substack at Selfish Mars Musings. They have poems published by the Neighbor News Pan-African News Service of Oakland, voicemail poems & SISTORIES.

Ashley Nickens (@laydeeashley) | Founding Director & Editor-in-Chief of SISTORIES Literary Magazine || 

Ashley Nickens (she/her) is an educator, writer, and the founding director of SISTORIES—a southern-rooted queer Black feminist publishing and production organization that explores sites of recovery and resistance in the archival narratives of southern Black women, femmes, and GNC people. Born in Maryland, raised in Chesapeake, Virginia, and made a woman in the Carolinas, her work is grounded in her southeastern roots, and seeks to continue a tradition of Black feminist storysharing that uncovers, recovers, and (re)creates models of possibility across time and space. In 2024, Ashley received the Charlotte Arts & Science Council $50,000 Founders Grant Award for visionary artists who build and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to community. She has held artist residencies as a Culture Bearer with QC Family Tree (2024),  a Prismatic Artivist with  Cypress Fund (2022-2024), and The Roll Up CLT (2021). Her writing has been published in RaceBaitr, Engaging Collections, and Black Femme Collective.  

Samiah Fulcher (@samiahfulcher) | Editorial Mentor, Poetry Editor @ SISTORIES ||

Samiah Fulcher is a lifelong writer and editor moved by personal poetry and the world-building power of narrative storytelling. As a proudly Black, Queer, and Jewish woman from the South, it is the weaving of disparate parts in visual art, media, and the written word that inspires her passion for building community. She has spent the last 5+ years braiding experiences in nonprofit communications and community strategy with a deeply rooted commitment to creative expression. From Nigeria to Montreal, uplifting interconnected narratives of peoples, cultures, and the places they’re from is the North Star for her work in this life.

Ivy Nicole-Jonét (@ivynicolejonet) | Study & Curriculum Mentor || 

Ivy Nicole-Jonét is a Black Womxn and storyteller based in Greensboro, NC, whose work teleports between the past, present, and future. Rooted in Afrofuturism and Black Womxnism, their art blends archival exploration, digital media, and immersive landscapes to conjure spaces where history and imagination embrace. Water flows through Ivy’s work as both an ancestral guide and a symbol of transformation, shaping dreamscapes where Black Womxn and folx exist in their full power—unbound, thriving, free. Each piece is a ritual, a reclamation, and a call to remember and reimagine liberation.

Fola Onifade (@_holafola) | Editorial Mentor, Poetry Editor @ SISTORIES ||

Fola Onifade (she/they) is an Aries sun, Libra moon, and Aries rising, so it's sweet and spicy over here. She serves as Sistories' Editorial Director and Poetry Editor and is the staff writer and associate podcast producer for Democracy in Color, a nonprofit media organization at the intersection of race and politics. In her creative work, Fola explores and celebrates the realities of African diaspora women through poetry, playwriting, and narrative fiction. You can find her on a nature trail, strolling in an art museum, or nibbling on plantain chips.

J. Tiffany Holland | Study & Curriculum Mentor || 

J. Tiffany Holland is a public educator, freedom dreamer, and wayward scholar. Her scholarly passions focus on the expansiveness and complexities of black identity and the potentials of black liberation. A
former performing artist and middle-school teacher, Tiffany teaches in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She livesin Greensboro, North Carolina with her partner, her wonder-twin children, and her extended and magical queer family.

We can't wait to review your application! If you have any questions, please email mariahmcreates@gmail.com with 'LEI' in the subject line.

The Luminary Editorial Incubator is a program and personal project of Mariah M. as SISTORIES' Guest Curator of Cultural Programs. This project is made possible in part by the Poetry Partnerships, Programs and Innovation Grant awarded jointly to Mariah M. and SISTORIES by the National Poetry Foundation.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbB8jkD1UqvbwuwG6QJqE8rWtaJBWz-UjoNCnRxRz0zjJ07g/viewform

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call for submissions: Winter Black fox prize

Black Fox

DEADLINE: March 30, 2025 by midnight EST

ENTRY FEE: $12

INFO: Black Fox is accepting submissions for our winter writing prize. The theme for this round is “Rise or Ruin.” We are open to loose interpretations of the theme in any genre, as always.

Good reputation or bad? Reputations can mold destinies, define legacies, and/or echo through history. We invite writers to investigate a reputation’s power, potential, and frailty. Will your hero rise or will your legends fall? Give us themes of redemption, scandal, honor, or betrayal—where truth or lies can shift the direction of a life or shatter a legacy in a single moment. We’re looking for work that will uncover truths behind personas and reveal the complex layers of how we are perceived and remembered.

GUIDELINES: Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner that we feel interprets the theme best.

PRIZE: $325 and print publication in the Summer 2025 issue. All submissions are considered for print publication in the Summer 2025 issue.

https://blackfoxlitmag.com/contests/

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THE WRITING FELLOWSHIP 

A Public Space

DEADLINE: March 31, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET 

INFO: The Writing Fellowships at A Public Space support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision. Writers who have not yet published a book are invited to apply. The three Fellows selected annually receive editorial support to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine; a $1,000 honorarium; complimentary access to all A Public Space Master Classes during the fellowship year; the opportunity to meet virtually with members of the publishing community and to participate in a public reading.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

Time Period and Compensation: Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply to the 2025 Writing Fellowships. Submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are welcome. Three fellowships will be awarded. 

During the seven-month fellowship, fellows will receive:

• editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine;

• a $1,000 honorarium;

• a one-year subscription to A Public Space;

• a guest pass to attend Master Classes;

• the opportunity to participate in a public reading and conversation with A Public Space editors and contributors.

ELIGIBILITY: Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work with a U.S. publisher are eligible. Writers who have self-published, published an academic text, published a book with a publisher outside the U.S., or translated another writer’s work are eligible to apply. Writers who have published a chapbook or published (or contracted to publish) a book-length work in any of the fellowship genres (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) in the U.S. are ineligible to apply. International applicants are encouraged to apply, but we are only able to consider submissions in English. Only one submission per person is allowed. Please do not submit a piece you have previously submitted to A Public Space, either through the Fellowship category, the General Submissions category, or an Open Call. A Public Space reserves the right to invite submissions.

TIMELINE: Successful applicants will be informed no later than May 27, 2025. The fellowship period will be June 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.

PROCEDURE: Only electronic submissions will be considered. Applications must be submitted through the Writing Fellowship category in Submittable. (The category will not be available until March 1, 2025.) There is no application fee. Please submit the following:

• A résumé

• A cover letter containing a one-paragraph biographical statement; one paragraph that is a favorite of yours from a book you've read, be it recently or long ago; and a brief statement telling us why this particular passage is meaningful to you. 

• One previously unpublished piece (for prose, a limit of 6,000 words; for poetry, up to 15 pages). If selected, the submitted manuscript is the piece that will be published in the magazine. 

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please note that if any part of the submitted work is accepted elsewhere, you will be required to withdraw your entire application; replacement submissions will not be accepted once the deadline has passed. 

Only PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx) are accepted. The cover letter and manuscript should be submitted as separate files. Incomplete applications will not be considered and will be returned unread.

apublicspace.org/about/fellowships/writing-fellowship 

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WINTER 2025 STORY CONTEST

Narrative

DEADLINE: March 31, 2025 by 11:59 pm PST

SUBMISSION FEE: $27 (with your entry, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage).

INFO: Our Winter Contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

Narrative winners and finalists have gone on to win Whiting Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize, and the Atlantic prize, and have appeared in collections such as Best American Short Stories, Best American Nonrequired Reading, and many others. View the recent awards won by Narrative authors.

As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.

We welcome and look forward to reading your pages.

AWARDS: 

• First Prize is $2,500

• Second Prize is $1,000

• Third Prize is $500

• Up to ten finalists will receive $100 each. 

• All entries will be considered for publication.

All contest entries are eligible for the $5,000 Narrative Prize and for acceptance as a Story of the Week.

JUDGING: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by April 30, 2025. All writers who enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. The judges reserve the option to declare ties and to designate and award only as many winners and/or finalists as are appropriate to the quality of contest entries and of work represented in the magazine.

narrativemagazine.com/winter-2025-story-contest

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2025 creative nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

DEADLINE: March 31, 2025 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $20 (comes with a year-long subscription to Indiana Review. Entrants without a US mailing address will receive an electronic version of the journal.

INFO: Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. Each paid submission also gets you a year-long subscription to Indiana Review. Entrants without a US mailing address will receive an electronic version of the journal.

Please note the following:

• Previously published works and works forthcoming elsewhere cannot be considered.

• Multiple and simultaneous submissions are permitted; however, each submission requires a separate reading fee. Please withdraw your piece immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.

• IR cannot consider work from anyone currently or recently affiliated with Indiana University or the prize judges. This includes people who have studied or taught at Indiana University in the past four years.

JUDGE: Shayla Lawson

indianareview.submittable.com/submit

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The Future Success of American Writers

Deep South Convening

DEADLINE: March 31, 2025

INFO: This event convenes writers, literary nonprofits, journal publishers, book publishers, writing programs, and funders. Our aim is to listen to writers speak about what they need to thrive, understand the work that organizations and funders already do to support that goal, and synthesize findings to develop and grow bold new initiatives that nurture and embolden writers who live or work in the American South.

RATIONALE: The Deep South has historically lagged other regions in terms of literary infrastructure, including access to publishing houses, agents, journals, and residency programs. In an era where storytelling has the power to unite and inspire or divide and demean, our goal is to take one big step to overcoming the historical and contemporary challenges that writers in the South face while gathering and amplifying a diverse array of voices from the region.

ATTENDANCE: 100 people will attend by way of invitation or application. No one will pay registration fees.Some people will receive travel stipends. Applications will be available on Submittable. Writers and organizers working in the South are encouraged to apply to attend the convening. A successful applicant will demonstrate a commitment to building literary community in the South and a commitment to active participation in the convening, bringing expertise from their work in their own communities.

Organizers

• Ashley M. Jones, Poet Laureate of Alabama, Executive Director of Magic City Poetry Festival

• Meg Reid, Executive Director, Publisher, Hub City Press

• John T Edge, Developer, Greenfield Farm Writers Residency, University of Mississippi

hubcity.submittable.com/submit

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The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship

The American Library in Paris

DEADLINE: April 1, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: €30 

INFO: The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship offers writers, researchers, and creators the unique opportunity to spend a month in Parisworking independently on their own creative project while contributing to the cultural life of the Library.

In addition to working on their own project, Fellows present a public program during their residency that engages our audience and members around a central theme. The theme for 2025-2026 is Ways of Seeing.

THEME: Ways of Seeing is a theme that invites exploration of how we perceive and interpret the world through art, literature, media, and culture. Inspired by John Berger’s influential work and the broader concept of understanding perspectives, this theme encourages Fellows to delve into new ways of thinking, creating, and connecting. Programs could explore topics such as visual storytelling, cultural perception, cross-cultural exchange, or innovative approaches to creativity and representation. 

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS: 

• Residency Period: One month, between September 2025 and June 2026. Fellowships are not available in July or August due to the Library’s programming hiatus.

• Stipend: $5,000 USD paid prior to the Fellowship period to cover travel, accommodation, and expenses in Paris.

• Eligibility: Open to writers, researchers, journalists, poets, screenwriters, playwrights, directors, and documentary filmmakers. International applicants are welcome.

THE FELLOWSHIP INCLUDES:

• An orientation day that includes meeting Library staff, a guided tour of the collections and archives, and lunch.

• A Library membership with full access to the Library’s collections, archives, and e-resources.

• A commitment to spend at least three half-days per weekin the Library during the residency working on your personal creative project.

• Dedicated time and space to work independently on a self-guided creative project.

• The opportunity to develop and deliver a one-hour public program tied to the theme of Ways of Seeing. This program could be a talk, workshop, panel, performance, or other creative format.

• Opportunities to attend fundraising dinners, cocktail gatherings, or exclusive events as a representative of the Fellowship.

• Participation in filming promotional material for the Library and your Fellowship experience.

• A final exit interview to share feedback and insights about the Fellowship experience.

• An expectation to acknowledge the Library and Fellowship in any publications or media resulting from the project.

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications for the Visiting Fellowship require:

• A single PDF file (maximum 5 pages) containing:

• A one-page cover letter and a two-page CV.

• A one-page narrative description of your personal creative project, including its timeline, current stage, and how the Fellowship at the Library will contribute to its success.

• Three brief (max. 50 words each) proposals for a public program tied to Ways of Seeing.

• Two professional references (names and contact information).

americanlibraryinparis.org/about-the-visiting-fellowship/

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Black Mountain Institute-Kluge Fellowship

Black Mountain Institute / Library of Congress

DEADLINE: April 1, 2025

INFO: The Black Mountain Institute-Kluge Fellowship consists of a three-month term for a writer whose book would directly benefit from access to the Library of Congress’ extensive collections and time in which to conduct research and write. Although this fellowship has some in-person requirements it is primarily virtual, wherein the recipient can continue most of their scholarship and creative activity where they live while receiving prestigious support from Black Mountain Institute and the Library of Congress. During the three-month term, the fellow will spend two weeks at the Library of Congress conducting research. After the conclusion of their fellowship, the scholar/writer will visit BMI and UNLV in Las Vegas to offer a public program during the academic year.

The fellowship includes

• a salary of $15,000 to be paid over a three-month period

• flights to/from Washington, D.C. for research at The Kluge Center

• flights to/from Las Vegas for a public program

• 3 nights of lodging in Las Vegas

• recognition as a BMI-Kluge Fellow

Applicants must have a master’s degree or doctorate directly related to the area/subjects the applicant proposes to study (although, major creative or scholarly publications in the area of the proposed research may replace the graduate degree requirement); or, a bachelor's degree plus five (5) years professional work experience. 

The application includes:

• a proposal regarding the project the fellowship would serve, 1 - 3 pages in length 

• identification of specific Library collections materials that the applicant deems necessary for their research

• a CV

• a writing sample of no more than 10 pages, double-spaced in 12-point font

• three references’ names and contact information 

ABOUT:

The Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute at UNLV champions writers and storytellers through programs, fellowships and community engagement. From the brightest spot on the planet, Black Mountain Institute amplifies writing and artistic expression to connect us to each other in the Las Vegas Valley, the Southwest, and beyond.

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress was created in the year 2000 to host scholarly programs and to support scholars in residence from around the world in their use of the Library’s extensive collections.

blackmountaininstitute.submittable.com/submit

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Ann Perry Award

Red Hen Press

DEADLINE: April 1, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Founded in 2020 in partnership with Red Hen Press and the Peauxdunque Writers Alliance, the Ann Petry Award seeks to publish prose literature by Black authors.

The Ann Petry Award is for a work of previously unpublished prose (including self-published works), either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages, by a Black writer.

The awarded manuscript is selected through an annual submission process, with primary review by Aliah Wright, who will winnow the submissions to a list of finalists for the final judge.

The Ann Petry Award will consist of $3000 and publication of the awarded manuscript by Red Hen Press, as well as a four-week residency at The Community Library's Ernest and Mary Hemingway House in Ketchum, Idaho.

Please use double-spaced, 12-pt. Times New Roman font. Title only on the cover sheet, with no other identifying information on the manuscript itself. The entry should be a minimum of 150 pages. 

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES:  

The Ann Petry Award is open to all Black writers, with the following exceptions:

• Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press;

• Current employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press;

• Relatives of employees or members of the Red Hen Press executive board of directors;

• Members or former members of the Peauxdunque Writers Alliance;

• Relatives or individuals having a personal or professional relationship with any of the final judges or with members of the Peauxdunque Writers Alliance where they have taken any part whatsoever in shaping the manuscript, or where, for whatever reason, selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety.

PROCEDURES + ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material. Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.

Please remove all names, bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material from the submitted manuscript, and include only your name, contact information, and a short biographical statement in the cover letter field of Submittable.  

The Ann Petry Award of Red Hen Press and the Peauxdunque Writers Alliance is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

redhen.org/awards/ann-petry-award

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Call for submissions: Prose, Poetry + Translation

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: April 1, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $3

INFO: Michigan Quarterly Review is currently seeking submissions of prose, poetry and translation for its print journal. The average turnaround time is six months, but we may take longer and ask that you do not query us until a year has passed.

GUIDELINES:

• Prose submissions: Manuscripts should be double-spaced, right margins not justified; 1,500–7,000 words. All nonfiction submissions will be automatically considered for publication in MQR Online. All stories accepted for publication will be passed on to a judge as finalists for the $2000 Lawrence Prize. There is no additional fee for the prize beyond submission.

• Poetry submissions: Please submit up to 6 poems in one document, not to exceed a total of 12 pages. Poems published in MQR by early career writers (those who have not yet published a full-length collection) will be considered as finalists for our Page Davidson Clayton Prize.

• Translations: Please submit translations in the appropriate genre and include biographical information for both the author and translator.

Upon publication, MQR takes a nonexclusive license to publish work in print and online in perpetuity, and requests that MQR is formally acknowledged as the first publisher in any reprints.

mqr.submittable.com/submit

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The State of the Art Prize

Creative Capital

DEADLINE: April 3, 2025

INFO: Through the 2026 Open Call process for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients of the State of the Art Prize, a new national, two-year initiative, which aims to recognize one artist residing in each U.S. state and its territories, with an unrestricted grant of $10,000 per artist. All applicants to the Creative Capital Award will be automatically considered for the State of the Art Prize and will be evaluated for the Prize using the same criteria; there is no separate application process. State of the Art Prize recipients will also have access to a suite of online professional development resources, including the Creative Capital Curriculum and Artist Labs, Artist Opportunities, and online community-building opportunities.

State of the Art Prize recipients may apply again to future open calls for the Creative Capital Award. However, artists who have already received the Creative Capital Award may not apply for the State of the Art Prize. Both the State of the Art Prize and the Creative Capital Award are one-time awards. 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

ROUND I: Project Proposal

Creative Capital welcomes project proposals for original, imaginative, impactful new artistic works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially-engaged projects are welcome in every category. 

Along with a project title, one line project description (50 words max), project description (500 words max), bio, resume, and artist website (recommended), applicants will answer the following questions:

1. Creative Capital supports formally and conceptually innovative and experimental work. How does your project idea take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? (150 words / 1,000 characters max)

2. Place your work in context. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

3. What kind of impact do you hope your project will have, and why? What specific audiences and/or communities will the project engage? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

4. Creative Capital awards artists at catalytic moments in their careers. How is this a catalytic moment in your practice? How will your proposed project or new work act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

5. Creative Capital provides professional development services and community-building opportunities for awardees and encourages a spirit of mutual generosity and exchange among our artists. How would this support and being part of the Creative Capital community be impactful for you? (150 words / 1,000 character max)

In addition, applicants will submit one (1) work sample from a completed, past work. 

• Visual Arts applicants will submit one Image Sample or Video Sample. 

• Performing Arts applicants will submit one Video Sample.

• Film applicants will submit one Video Sample.

• Literature applicants will submit one Writing Sample.

For more details on application questions and work sample guidelines, see the Creative Capital Application Handbook.

ROUND II: Project Details

Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round II will submit additional materials to support their application:

1. Project itemized budget

2. Project timeline (1 page)

3. Work samples (see Application Handbook for guidelines)

4. Proof of eligibility

ROUND III: Panel Review

Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round III will be asked to:

1. Confirm collaborators (if applicable)

2. Submit project updates (optional, 100 words max)

2026 OPEN CALL APPLICATION TIMNLINE:

These dates may change.

• March 3, 2025: Round I application portal opens

• April 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time: Round I application deadline

• June 2025: Notification of advancement to Round II

• September 2025: Notification of advancement to Round III: Final Panel Review

• Early 2026: Public announcement of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and State of the Art Prizes

Artist Eligibility

• US citizen, permanent legal resident, O-1 visa holder, or Tribal ID holder

• At least 25 years old by application deadline

• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline

• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program

• May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year

• May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award

• May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year

• State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2026. Prize recipients must provide proof of residence in the state or territory to receive the grant. 

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional

• Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization 

• Curation or documentation of existing work

• Projects that will premiere or be completed before October 1, 2026

FAQS:

Eligibility

• Do you fund artist-run nonprofits or businesses?

The Creative Capital Award is specifically designed to support the realization of new artist projects. Creative Capital does not fund nonprofits and artist-run businesses, nor are Creative Capital’s services well-suited to support these kinds of ventures. 

• Do you fund curatorial projects?

The Creative Capital Award does not support the production of exhibitions. Creative Capital funds new, discrete artistic projects that have one author, director, lead or a core group of collaborating artists. 

• Do you fund educational projects?

Creative Capital supports artist projects, and does not fund projects that are solely academic. While Creative Capital understands that all art is educational to some degree, if the end goal of your project is to serve a student audience, create a curriculum, or help fund programming for a community center, then the project is ineligible.

• I am looking to expand an existing project, should I apply?

Creative Capital is most interested in projects that are in the early stages of development and production, as they can benefit the most from the services that Creative Capital offers. That being said, if you still consider your project to be in development or have only shared the work in workshops or much more condensed versions, you are welcome to apply. Note that Creative Capital does not provide support to projects that are at a stage where they need finishing funds or touring support. Creative Capital asks our reviewers to specifically consider the timeline of development for a project to make sure that Creative Capital can make the most impact on the artist and the final results of their project. If you think that a significantly more evolved version of your project could take form, then the project is eligible. 

• How do you define five years of professional experience?

Creative Capital defines five years of professional experience as engaging an artistic practice in some public capacity over a cumulative five years. This could be constituted through projects, exhibitions, readings, panel conversations, screenings, interviews, etc. 

• How do you define student status?

All applicants must have finished any degree-granting educational commitments before applying. This applies to ABD (all but dissertation) status Ph.D. candidates and students in low-residency MFA programs. 

• Can I apply with multiple projects?

You may only submit one project per award cycle. Artists may not apply as a collaborator on an additional application, as all collaborators are considered awardees. 

Application Materials

• My work spans multiple disciplines. How do I pick just one?

Creative Capital invites artists to submit their proposals based on which area experts are most suited and qualified to review the project proposal, with the understanding that radical art is often by nature interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or antidisciplinary. Choosing a disciplinary category is a way to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate the project proposal.

• How do you define the “Technology” sub-discipline category in Visual Arts and Performing Arts?

Visual Arts and Performing Arts applicants have the option of selecting “Technology” as one of their project’s three sub-disciplines if technology (including but not limited to: games, digital media, artificial intelligence, robotics, AR/VR, internet art, bio art, etc.) plays a significant role in the form of the work.

• What kind of non-monetary support does Creative Capital provide?

Creative Capital offers a range of professional development services including strategic planning, legal and financial advising, marketing and communications strategy, industry networking, awardee gatherings, and artist-to-artist connections. 

• Why do you ask about my hometown?

The hometown question lets us know if you maintain roots that are different from your present location. Creative Capital finds that many people who currently live and work in major cities still identify as coming from another place. If you were born and raised in your current city, please enter your current city.

• My application contains sensitive information. How are you going to use this information? Can I submit it another way besides through your application portal?

Creative Capital is only able to receive information through the application portal as this is what reviewers use to access and score submissions. Applications are only shared with select Creative Capital staff and the reviewers who will evaluate the project. You can make note of any sensitive information in the materials or in the title of your work.

State of the Art Prize

• How are State of the Art Prize recipients selected?

The State of the Art Prize recipients will be selected from the Creative Capital Award applicants, following the same guidelines and criteria. There is no separate application process. A multi-disciplinary cohort of artists will be selected for as many states and territories as Creative Capital receives applications from. They represent the strongest applications per state.

• How many artists will receive the State of the Art Prize?

One artist will be selected for the Prize from each state and territory that Creative Capital receives applications from.

• What is the Prize amount?

Prize recipients will receive $10,000.

• Are collaboratives eligible for the State of the Art Prize? Do all members of the collaborative have to live in the same state to be eligible?

For Collaboratives, eligibility for State of the Art Prize is based on the state of residence of the Lead Applicant.

• If I receive the State of the Art Prize, am I required to complete my proposed project?

No, this is an unrestricted artist prize of $10,000.

• Can I apply for both the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize? If so, how?

The State of the Art Prize recipients will be selected from the Creative Capital Award applicants. There is no separate application process.

• Is it possible to receive both a Creative Capital Award and State of the Art Prize in the same year?

No. State of the Art Prize recipients are welcome to apply for the Creative Capital Award in future grant cycles. Past recipients of the Creative Capital Award are not eligible to apply for the State of the Art Prize. Recipients of the State of the Art Prize may apply again for the Creative Capital Award, but will not receive the State of Art Prize a second time.

More questions? Email awards@creative-capital.org. No phone calls please.

creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award

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Call for Submissions: Incarcerated Writers & Families

Massachusetts Review

DEADLINE: April 4, 2024

INFO: INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES is a special Massachusetts Review issue that seeks to center and honor the literary art of incarcerated writers and their families. 

With INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES, a special issue, the Massachusetts Review intends to extend the definition of families and broaden the portrait of lives impacted by our justice system to include that most basic unit of our society, the family. We are interested in traditional families but also in alternative forms of caretaking, parenting, and kinship that have a long history in queer and/or BIPOC communities. 

The Massachusetts Review seeks writers who can reveal more about how the concept of family might be transformed by those who are on the inside. When the bonds with their loved ones outside are severed, what kind of familial care emerges between people who are still incarcerated, in spite of the carceral system's tactics for dividing and isolating them from one another? 

In the spirit of the stunning documentary Time, created by Garrett Bradley, the Massachusetts Review wants to publish stories, poems, essays, hybrids, and art that follow the struggles of families to confront, survive, and triumph over the challenges that incarceration creates for both prisoners and their families. We seek writing and art that traces the tragic aftermath and long-term effects on children and families that too often result from a system that we euphemistically call “correctional.” We are also interested in how communal caretaking that redefines what "family" means (and what justice means) contributes to the overall goal of prison abolition. In widening our focus to include family members as well as the incarcerated, we hope to give a more accurate portrait of the toll of our prison-industrial complex and also include readers who haven’t yet confronted the Kafka-esque dilemma of standing directly before the law.

INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES is a special MR issue that asks for your personal essays, stories, interviews, poems, hybrids and visual art about incarceration and its direct and indirect impacts. Your essays, stories, interviews, poems, and/or hybrids might (but do not have to) engage these questions:

1. How can a family persist in the face of incarceration’s barriers and obstacles?

2. What is the impact of incarceration on the radius of care beyond the individual imprisoned?

3. How do definitions of family shift, contract and/or widen in the carceral environment?

SUBMISSION INFO: Submissions should be no more than 7,000 words for prose (fiction, nonfiction), hybrids, up to 6 poems for poetry, or up to 3 pages of visual art. We are interested in submissions from people who are most marginalized by oppressive systems, to include trans, gender queer, poverty-born, incarcerated, justice-involved, system-impacted, disabled, neurodivergent, BIPOC, colonized, people living on the frontlines of climate crisis, and others. 

COMPENSATION: Published writers will receive $300 upon publication.

Please send work as a Word or PDF attachment to themassreview@gmail.com and indicate the special issue and genre in the subject line (i.e. "INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES: Fiction"). 

If online submission is not possible, please mail work to:

The Massachusetts Review
400 Venture Way

Hadley, MA 01035

PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS OF PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK.

themassachusettsreview.substack.com/p/mr-call-for-papers

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APPLY YOURSELF! Applying to Residencies, Grants, Workshops, and Other Writing Opportunities in Europe and Beyond

Black Women Writers in Europe

INFO: Are you looking for opportunities to support, develop or fund your writing? 

Join BWWE co-founders, Joy and Jeannetta, for a two-part class designed to help writers navigate the world of residencies, grants, fellowships, workshops, and other writing programs in Europe and beyond.

DATES:

• April 6, 2025 (Session 1 - Resources + Artist Statement DNA)

• April 20, 2025 (Live Feedback Session on Submitted Artist Statements)

TIME:: 7:30–9:30 PM CET

LOCATION: Zoom

PRICE: 50€

WHAT TO EXPECT:

In this hands-on workshop, we will explore:

• The different types of writing opportunities available, including residencies, fellowships, grants, workshops, mentorships, and MFA programs.

• How to find and research opportunities that align with your goals.

• How to craft a compelling artist statement—a key component of most applications.

• Writing prompts and exercises to help articulate your creative vision.

• During the second session, we will provide feedback and guidance on your artist statements, helping to refine applications for success.

 Whether you’re new to applying for opportunities or looking to strengthen your applications, this workshop will give you practical tools and confidence to take the next step in your writing journey.

Limited spots available! Sign up now to secure your place.

blackwomenwritersineurope.com/the-classes

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OPEN CALL - THIS QUEER ARAB FAMILY: AN ANTHOLOGY BY LGBTQ+ ARAB WRITERS

Saqi Books (UK)

DEADLINE: April 10, 2025 at Midnight GMT

ENTRY FEE: £0

INFO: Are you Queer and of Arab heritage? Do you have something to say about it? Would you like your work to be published alongside other ground-breaking writers, including Randa Jarrar and Elias Jahshan?

Whether you’re a published author or are looking to get your life writing down for the first time, we would love to read about your experiences.

Successful pieces from the open call will be included in a collection titled This Queer Arab Family, edited by Elias Jahshan and published by Saqi Books (September 2025). This intimate and hopeful collection celebrates the family we inherit and the friends we choose to become our family. It is a testament to the challenges and triumphs that bind us together.

You might want to write about:

• Finding kinship in unexpected places – at festivals, online, etc

• Parenting – rewriting the parenting ‘rule’ book

• Staying connected with extended family around the world – the wild etiquette of your family WhatsApp group, the rituals we hold dear to feel near to one another

The writing you submit can be funny, poignant, passionate, thoughtful, angry and every shade in between. We want to readers to understand how LGBTQ+ Arabs are redefining what traditional roles and relationships look like.

COMPENSATION: Successful writers whose work is selected will be notified in May 2025 and paid a fee of £400.

Please review the guidelines and submit your writing for consideration at submissions@saqibooks.com

saqibooks.com/2025/02/open-call-for-submissions-this-queer-arab-family/

FICTION / NONFICTION — FEBRUARY 2025

LITERATURE GRANT

Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC

DEADLINE: February 3, 2025 (or if we reach our limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first)

INFO: The world is a story and the writer, the story teller. In writing stories we are trying to make sense of our world by seeking what is real, by rejecting what is false, and by exercising the greatest of our mortal gifts in pursuit of the immortal.

DESCRIPTION: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction and poetry.  

SUBMISSIONS: To ensure that each submission receives the attention it deserves we will be only accepting 40 application for each of our categories.

AMOUNTS: Up to $10,000.00  

ELIGIBILITY:

• Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction and poetry.

• The applicant must be the originator of the written materialS.

• Grants will not be made for the purpose of research only. 

• Grants will not be made for equipment.

• Writers applying applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

Grants awarded in this category may fund costs associated with continuing the composition of work submitted. Such as:

• Course Reduction (if you're a Teacher/Professor)

• Salary Replacement

• Living Expenses

• Research Expenses

• Travel Research Expenses

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Up to and no more than a 15 page PDF of the work, for the Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection and Executive Committee to download and read. Please make sure your links are correct and not password protected. If they are not correct or have password protection your application will be declined and not reviewed by the Selection Committee.

• A short description of the project.

• A short author biography of the person(s) involved.

• Budget must not exceed the amount of $10,000.00.

• List of costs of how you plan to use the grant funds.
  (Please review our lists of Approved and Ineligible Budget Items for Literature Grant Funds, located below)

• Travel and Research costs within the United States must demonstrate a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.

• You may not apply for International Travel and Research Costs.

• If you are hiring fact checkers / editors / research assistants please be aware that we prefer that individuals providing these services are located in the NYC area.

• Writers applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

• We ask that the completion of your manuscript is no sooner than 90 days after this application's due date (no sooner than May 4, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than March 24, 2026).

• Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.

• You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.

REVIEW PROCEDURES: The Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection Committee Judges will review and score all applications. The top five scored applications will move to a next round and will be reviewed Executive Committees. In recognition of the time, effort, and professional expertise that our Selection Committee Judges devote to the grant selection process, Café Royal Cultural Foundation provides a stipend to honor their commitment.

The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant application:

• Creativity, originality, ideas and concepts, writing style

• Importance of the Project/Cultural Relevance

• Promise of future achievements in writing

  Please note you do not need to have a publisher to apply for this grant.

GRANT APPLICATIONS: 
We accept applications all year round, please view our submission dates in our Grant Schedule.

We ask that the completion of your manuscript is (no sooner than May 4, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than March 24, 2026).

caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page

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2025 TORCH RETREAT

Torch Literary Arts

APPLICATION PERIOD: February 3 - 17, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Torch Literary Arts is proud to provide our annual creative writing retreat. We welcome applications from Black women writers with works-in-progress across poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction (personal memoir or lyric essays), and script (plays or screenplays).

RETREAT LOCATION: Austin, TX

ABOUT THE RETREAT:

• Dedicated Writing Time - Fellows receive plenty of time for dedicated writing devoted to their works in progress. We gently support you in your writing goals for the week by providing group check-ins and the opportunity to share your progress in a nurturing environment.

• Comfortable Accommodations - Retreat fellows will stay at the beautiful Colton House Hotel. Accommodations include a private bedroom and bathroom in a two-bedroom suite with a shared living room and full kitchen. During your week-long retreat, you will receive dedicated writing time each morning, catered breakfast and lunch, and ample time during the afternoons and evenings to rest, recharge, enjoy the hotel amenities, or explore the city. The retreat will also include guest speakers and a public reading by fellows at the end of the week. 

• Financial Support - There is no fee to apply or attend the retreat. Each fellow will receive a $1,000 stipend to assist with travel, supplies, childcare, or anything else that helps make it possible for fellows to attend regardless of financial ability.

torchliteraryarts.org/retreat

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MACDOWELL FELLOWSHIP: FALL/WINTER 2025-2026

MacDowell

DEADLINE: February 10, 2025

INFO: The Fellowship application period for Fall/Winter 2025-2026 residencies at MacDowell will open on January 15, 2025.

MacDowell encourages artists to apply in any stage of their career, and from all backgrounds and countries. We invite applications in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. If your proposed project does not fall clearly within one of these artistic disciplines, contact the admissions department for guidance at admissions@macdowell.org.

MacDowell has no residency fees, and to defray expenses that accrue during an artist’s stay, we provide need-based stipends to cover rent, utilities, childcare, and lost income from taking time off from employment, as well as reimbursements for travel to and from the residency.

Fall/Winter residencies will take place between September 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

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Writing in Color Fellowship for BIPOC+ Writers

Lighthouse Writers Workshop

DEADLINE: February 10, 2025 at 11:59 pm MST

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: The Writing In Color Fellowship for Emerging Writers is awarded annually to a writer of color who demonstrates a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their craft, and a dedication to community service. 

This fellowship provides financial support for writers who would benefit from a year of involvement at Lighthouse but would not be able to do so without financial support. The goal is to support emerging writers of color who have limited access to traditional literary opportunities. BIPOC+* writers who reside in the United States and have participated in Lighthouse programming in the past or are planning to participate in the near future are eligible to apply.

In order to support the skills and creative passion of emerging writers in the Lighthouse community, this fellowship is intended for emerging writers of color who have not had significant access to or experience with traditional opportunities to learn and grow in the literary world. 

While Lighthouse has always emphasized accessibility, this award offers a depth and consistency of engagement to the fellowship recipient. The year-long award period not only engages the writer in directed literary activities, but also allows for full immersion in a project or body of work.

The Fellowship will provide access to:  

• Four multi-week courses 

• Participation in the annual Writing in Color Fest including a featured reading

• Up to 5 hours access to a Lighthouse faculty member for mentorship 

• One-year membership at Lighthouse Writers Workshop 

• Opportunity to support a Lighthouse community outreach program, helping to facilitate, administrate, or teach in the program. 

*BIPOC+ includes but is not limited to: African, Indigenous, Native, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Arab, and Multiracial heritage.

FELLOWSHIP DATES:  April 2025–April 2026

NOTIFICATION: Applicants will be notified of submission status via email in the beginning of April 2025.

WHO’S ELIGIBLE:

• Writers identifying as BIPOC+* who reside in the United States and have participated in Lighthouse programming in the past or are planning to participate in the near future.

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older

APPLICATION GUIDELINES: Please read these guidelines carefully. Submissions that do not meet the requirements below will not be considered.

Your submission should comprise a cover letter including your name, the name of the genre you are applying for, and your contact information. Your cover letter is the only place where your name should appear. Paginate your document, and use legible, 12-point font and standard margins. Upload your writing sample as a single .pdf, .doc, or .docx document. 

Recommendation letters are not required.

WRITING SAMPLE FORMAT: 

• Poetry: Six-to-eight pages of poems. Only one poem per page is permitted, though you may submit multi-paged poems. Insert hard page breaks between every page.

• Prose: Excerpt or combination of pieces to equal no more than 2500 words. More is not necessarily better. Please use standard manuscript format, double-spacing and ensuring page numbers are visible.

To complete your application via Submittable you will answer fellowship specific questions, submit your writing sample, cover letter, and pay the application fee of $25. If the application fee is prohibitive, please e-mail us at info@lighthousewriters.org to discuss alternatives.

Cover letters should be typed into the corresponding box on Submittable. Include your full name, address, email address and telephone number.

Please respond to each question in the corresponding text box explaining why you wish to apply for the fellowship and what you expect to accomplish over the course of the year.

One application per candidate. Please do not wait until the last day to apply in case you have technical difficulties submitting your application. Please note that we will not be able to respond to inquiries regarding applications that are not accepted, nor will we be able to provide feedback on those entries. 

Lighthouse Mission: The mission of Lighthouse Writers Workshop is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education, support, and community for writers and readers in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond. We strive to ensure that literature maintains its proper prominence in the culture, and that individuals achieve their fullest potential as artists and human beings.

QUESTIONS? 
Email our Community Engagement Program Manager, Marissa Morrow at marissa@lighthousewriters.org

lighthousewriters.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Native Writing Intensive

We Need Diverse Books

DEADLINE: February 14, 2025

INFO: The Native Writing Intensive offers an opportunity for reflection, conversation, celebration, and manuscript and career development.

Applications are now open for the 2025 We Need Diverse Books Native Children’s-YA Writing Intensive which will take place from Thursday, June 12 to Sunday, June 15 at the Texican Court Hotel in Irving, Texas.

If you have any questions about the application, please contact info@diversebooks.org.

WHO SHOULD APPLY FOR THE NATIVE CHILDREN’S AND YA WRITING INTENSIVE?

• Native/First Nations/Indigenous writers seeking a weekend devoted to deep study, craft and conversation, manuscript feedback, and career mentorship.

• Apprentice/beginner, agented, and/or published children’s and YA writers who are Native/First Nations/Tribal citizens/members or recent descendants who are connected to their community. (Priority will be given to those still in their pre-publishing apprenticeship and new voices with three books or fewer.)

• Native/FN/Indigenous writers, including those who are Elders, 2SLGBT+, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, Métis, Black Natives, Five SE Tribes Freedmen, Indigenous folks who’re urban/rez/’burbs/rural/small-town, veterans, etc.

• Native/First Nations/Indigenous writer-illustrators are welcome to apply and will receive feedback on their work, though the program emphasis will be on writing rather than illustration.

It is not required that your children’s or YA writing be centered on Native characters or topics. Please feel free to bring your mainstream nonfiction about, say, the history of roller skates or fiction about, say, robots from outer space.

WRITING INTENSIVE INCLUDES:

• Presentations and Q&A sessions with agent, author and editor faculty members.

• A 10-page critique (on one long project or no more than two picture books) in standard manuscript format or a career consultation with faculty. (Typically, you’ll chat one-on-one with one of the authors and either the agent or editor. For assignment purposes, you’ll indicate on the application whether you’re already agented, etc.)

• The opportunity to read and participate in the discussion about the creative submissions of your peers.

APPLICATION:

To apply for the Intensive, please fill out this application AND email a five-page writing sample to wndb.native.writing.retreat@gmail.com. 

• This writing sample is not part of your critique submission (it’s for broader participation consideration). Critique submissions will take place after participants are selected.

• Writing sample tips: The sample should be aimed at young readers - not at grown-up readers. The piece does not have to be Native-centered, it can be fiction or nonfiction, on any topic appropriate for young people.

• Please use standard manuscript format (double-spaced, 1" margins). Don't try to squeeze in extra text.

• For past participants, it's better to send new work than a piece that's been submitted before.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning Jan. 6, 2025 at 10 am EST. The deadline to apply is Feb. 14, 2025.

If you have any questions about the application, please contact info@diversebooks.org.

diversebooks.org/programs/native-writing-intensive/

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call for submissions: Issue 24: Pride

FeelZine

DEADLINE: February 14, 2025 at 11:59pm

INFO: The relationship between our 2SLGBTQQIA+ identities and pride is deeply personal, storied, and nuanced. Between ourselves as individual beautiful beings and the social discourse of pride and queerness exists a multidimensional and complex expanse. What does it mean to feel pride in who we are? In our communities? How do we show it? How do we grapple with the vast spectrum of safety and unsafety we exist in? In issue 24, we witness each other’s journeys, honour our experiences, and celebrate queer joy, whatever that looks like for us.

Please send all submissions to submittofeels@gmail.com with a short bio and description of your work. Thanks to the Ontario Arts Council this is a paid opportunity! Each contributor will receive a $60 honorarium.

We accept:

• Writing: poetry, personal essays, fictional stories, interview proposals.

• Visual Art: photography, illustration, art, typography.

• Have an idea for a submission not listed above? Send us an email with your proposal, we’re eager to read it.

Before submitting, please read our COMMUNITY GUIDELINES.

We welcome (and encourage) people of all diverse experiences, abilities and communities to submit their work. Your voice is important, and we would like to support it. The more voices we hear, the more we can learn from one another.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1. Please title your email submissions using the following: "FEELS Submission - Issue ___ - [Your name as it should appear in the issue if accepted] - Title of Submission"

2. If submitting a collection of works, please submit all in one email with the name of the collection as the title.

3. If submitting multiple separate works for the same issue, please submit each individually.

4. Art submissions: FEELS is 7.5" x 9.5" with a 0.125" bleed. Please be advised that we will recolour or ask you to recolour your artwork as we print in specific risograph ink colours.

5. Longform written submissions: the maximum word count for submissions is 1200 words. Please submit as a word document or using Google Docs.

6. A short bio about yourself and description of your work, including the country you are submitting from, as we publish a majority Canadian content as a Canadian publication, but do include global contributors as well. 

Please send all submissions to submittofeels@gmail.com. If you do not receive a reply to your email confirming it has reached us, please follow up with our main email, hellofeelszine@gmail.com.

We kindly request submissions are limited to one or two works due to the high volume of submissions we receive, and please have patience with us in responding to new emails--we promise to reply to each and every one.

feelszine.com/pages/submissions

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FORGE PROJECT FELLOWSHIP

Forge Project (Taghkanic, NY)

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025 by 11:59 PM ET

INFO: Forge Project is seeking a 2025 cohort of six Indigenous individuals that represent a broad diversity of cultural practices, participatory research, organizing models, and geographical contexts that honor Indigenous pasts as well as build Native futures.

Two of the six fellowships are awarded to enrolled tribal members, First- and Second-Line Descendants of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians in recognition of the peoples on whose homelands Forge Project is situated and to encourage site-specific and relational projects.

Each Forge Project Fellow receives a total of $25,000 toward their practice and will have access to the Forge Project site, libraries, and lending collection of living Indigenous artists during a residency stay of up to three weeks.

ABOUT THE JURY:

The Forge Project Fellowship 2025 applications will be reviewed by a juried panel of four distinguished Native cultural practitioners, artists, writers, scholars and former Fellows. The two Fellows from the Stockbridge-Munsee Community will be selected in a parallel process by a separate juried panel of three Native experts in their fields including a former Fellow.

General Fellowship Jury

• Angela Ferguson (Onondaga): food sovereignty practitioner, educator

• Julian Lang (Karuk): multidisciplinary artist, writer, language and culture teacher

• Wanda Nanibush (Anishinaabekwe): curator, writer, organizer 

• Mikayla Patton (Oglala Sioux Lakota): interdisciplinary visual artist, 2024 Forge Project Fellow

Stockbridge-Munsee Fellowship Jury

• Donna Hogerhuis (Stockbridge-Munsee): basketweaver, archivist, and 2024 SMC Fellow 

• Zack Khalil (Ojibway): filmmaker and artist

• Marie Watt (Seneca): interdisciplinary artist

APPLICATION + ELIGIBILITY:

Interested individuals can learn more about the application and how to apply via Forge Project’s Submittable page. Applicants must be an enrolled member, citizen, or descendant with verification from the enrollment office of a state or federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native corporation, or of Native Hawaiian ancestry, a Canadian First Nations (status or non-status), Métis or Inuit to apply for the 2025 Forge Project Fellowship. At least two Fellows will come from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians.

• Stockbridge-Munsee Community Fellowship Informational webinar, Wednesday, December 4 from 6-7:30 PM ET. Register here.

• General Fellowship Informational Webinar, Wednesday, December 11 from 6 - 7:30 PM ET. Register here. 

• Applications are due Saturday, February 15, 2025 by 11:59 PM ET

• The 6 individuals will be announced in Spring 2025

forgeproject.com/fellowship/how-to-apply

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editorial fellowship

A Public Space

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

INFO: The Editorial Fellowship is a program for aspiring editors. It is our hope to support the next generation of editors who will offer a more diverse publishing community—culturally, aesthetically, economically.

This is a 6-month working fellowship, and is designed to provide practical, hands-on experience as well as mentorship and education in editing and independent publishing. A Public Space is an independent, nonprofit publisher, and the Editorial Fellows will be an integral part of the staff and involved with all programs, which include a literary and arts magazine, A Public Space Books, an academy, and APS Together, a series of virtual book clubs.

The Editorial Fellows' responsibilities will include assisting with management of submissions; reading and reporting on incoming manuscripts; research; proofreading; assisting with marketing and publicity; and general office work, including filing, responding to emails, newsletters, website updates, and database maintenance.

Additionally, the Editorial Fellows will participate in editorial meetings; receive training in all aspects of editing, from evaluating submissions through to publication of a piece; meet regularly with the senior editorial staff to discuss the role of the editor and publishing history; and serve as the lead editor for a piece to be published in the magazine.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

TIME PERIOD + COMPENSATION: The 2025 Editorial Fellowships period is approximately six months, from June 1, 2025 through November 30, 2025. The Fellows will work on their own schedule, and will have responsibilities of approximately fifteen hours weekly. They must be able to attend up to two weekly meetings (virtual and in person) during regular office hours. The Fellows will receive compensation of $6,000.

ELIGIBILITY: A strong interest in contemporary literature and a career in publishing. The ability to work independently, and to bring curiosity and initiative to their work. Excellent verbal and written English-language communication skills. A commitment to meeting deadlines. Individuals who bring diverse experiences and new perspectives to our work are especially encouraged to apply. Some experience in editorial work is preferred but not required. Preference will be given to aspiring editors who have not worked extensively in literary publishing, and who may have limited access to career opportunities in the industry. The Editorial Fellows must be residents of New York City for the duration of the Fellowship. Proof of residency will be required. A Public Space reserves the right to invite candidates to apply. Unfortunately, A Public Space is unable to sponsor work visas.

TIMELINE: Applications for the 2025 Editorial Fellowships will be accepted via Submittable from January 15, 2025–February 15, 2025. Submissions for the Fellowships close at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on February 15, 2025. Successful applicants will be informed no later than April 5, 2025. The Fellowships will begin June 1, 2025.

GUIDELINES:

Please submit the following:

• —A résumé

• —As one file:

A statement describing your interest in editing and independent publishing; the influences and experience that you will bring to your work as an Editorial Fellow; and your goals for the fellowship and beyond. Please also include where you heard about the Editorial Fellowships.

A short excerpt from a work by an under-recognized writer; and a brief statement (250 words max.) on the writer and why you feel work such as this should be championed by editors.

A statement (250 words max.) about one author published by A Public Space, either in the magazine or A Public Space Books, and how their work resonates with your editorial interests.

Each Editorial Fellow serves as the lead editor for a portfolio that will appear in the winter issue of the magazine. This project starts with developing an idea for an Open Call for submissions. Please submit a short paragraph outlining two potential ideas for an Open Call, and your interest in these topics.

Note that only PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx) are accepted. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

QUESTIONS? Contact us at office@apublicspace.org.

apublicspace.org/about/fellowships/editorial-fellowship

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OPEN CALL: The Artist Publishing Cohort 

at Louis Place

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

INFO: at Louis Place is a community for artists and writers. Through an accessible, collaborative online platform, at Louis Place is an ecosystem for artistic practice that values liberation, experimentation, cooperation, and shared leadership. Daily co-writing, weekly writing groups, monthly guest workshops, peer exchange, and other offerings connect participants to peers around the world. at Louis Place was created by and for writers marginalized by conventional writing communities, including Black, Indigenous, immigrant, disabled, and over-50 writers, as well as writers outside urban centers; it is open to everyone who shares our values.

The Artist Publishing Cohort is a new initiative offering personalized support for eight artists with publishing projects in progress. Selected artists receive a $1,000 stipend, coaching and staff support, optional weekly workshop, and access to aLP resources.

The Artist Publishing Cohort at Louis Place is made possible by the generous support of Wagner Foundation.

WHO IS THIS FOR: 

The Artist Publishing Cohort is right for:

• Visual artists, choreographers and performing artists, and other interdisciplinary artists whose primary training is outside of the field of creative writing

• Artists preparing a publishing project featuring their own creative work, such as a novel, memoir, monograph, or book of poems

• Artists looking for regular practical and creative support on their publishing project

• Artists looking to build their work in fellowship with other artists and writers

• Artists preparing work for digital publication, self-publication, or traditional publication

• Artists with projects actively and urgently in progress and ready for support

We love all writers, but this particular program is not suited for:

• Academically-trained writers preparing academic manuscripts in any field 

• Playwrights and other trained writers preparing projects for performance rather than publication

• Published authors with access to extensive writing networks 

• Artists preparing print editions that won’t require an editorial process

• Artists preparing projects that will be distributed in editions less than 50

Current and past aLP writers are eligible for this opportunity, along with those who are new to our community.

Not eligible?

Artists curious about publishing who do not have a specific project in mind are invited to join our Artist Publishing Practicum in Spring 2025 to learn more about pathways to publication for artists and nontraditional writers.

The creative community at Louis Place welcomes artists and writers who share our values, even if they are not eligible for the Artist Publishing Cohort. We review registrations in September, January, and May.

WHAT DO PARTICIPATING ARTISTS RECEIVE? 

Participating artists receive:

• Financial support: A stipend of $1,000 to support their creative work—use it to offset childcare, research, rent, groceries, supplies, or anything else connected to life as an artist.

• Mentorship: A supporting coaching session by an external mentor aligned with the artist’s creative goals, scheduled early in the cohort session

• Peer support: Monthly cohort meetings to share project progress and identify opportunities and connections, facilitated by aLP staff

• Workshop: Participate in a weekly workshop for creative feedback and accountability (this is an optional offering)

• Practicums: In March and October 2025, aLP will offer two comprehensive practicums designed to demystify the pathway to publication for visual artists featuring a network of special guests. aLP Cohort artists are encouraged to join these special retreats.

• Resources: Benefit from monthly writing workshops by guest lecturers, our archive of past events, our prompt and resource libraries, our extended network of writers of all kinds, and all other aLP offerings.

Artist Publishing Cohort artists should be prepared to participate fully in program offerings. Cohort artists are not required to attend every event, but should be able to make a meaningful commitment to regular participation.
 
HOW DO I APPLY: 

The application requests biographical information, a CV, information about your project, and a work sample.

Have questions? Join us for the information session January 23 at 4pm Pacific / 7pm Eastern time. Register for the information session HERE.

Artists registered for the information session also receive access to the information session recording.

HOW ARE ARTISTS SELECTED?

After an internal review for eligibility, cohort artists are selected by an independent jury of artist-writers.

Applications are reviewed according to the following criteria: 

• Is this the publication the world needs now? Is the work innovative, excellent, and exciting to the jurors? 

• Is the project feasible; is the opportunity timely? Can this project be realized with the capacity you have and according to the plans you described? Is the opportunity a good fit with your current stage in career as well as the stage of the project? 

• Is the project aligned with aLP values and priorities? Is this project under-supported by traditional publishing pathways—would it benefit from the specific resources we offer at Louis Place?

IMPORTANT DATES: 

• Applicants notified: Early March, 2025

• Program dates: March 22, 2025 - September 30, 2025

atlouisplace.com/cohort

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Indigenous Writer in Residency

Cranberry Lake Biological Station (Syracuse, NY)

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Cranberry Lake Biological Station (CLBS) is located in the heart of the Adirondack Park, on the lands of the Mohawk Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The biological station is a satellite campus of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), in Syracuse, NY.

For over 100 years CLBS has served as a source of ecological knowledge and inspiration. Generations of students have learned from the land, explored their interests, and built lasting bonds with other students. CLBS is a place where student aspirations take root and career paths are launched. It is also a hub of research with over 115 peer reviewed publications crediting CLBS. Building on this tradition our mission is to provide learners with exceptional field experiences, further ecological understanding of the Adirondacks, engage with the broader scientific community, ensure diverse communities are supported in field studies, and to engage with local communities.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY:

Three, three-week residency slots are: May 18 - June 6, June 8 – June 27, July 13 - August 1. Housing, a private room with shared living space, three meals a day are provided at the station dining hall, and a workspace will be provided. The resident will also have access to all facilities including canoes, classroom spaces, microscopes, and the ability to join classes if desired. Additional needs and requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Eligibility: The residency is open to Indigenous writers over 21 years of age whowrite poetry, plays/screenplays, fiction/short stories, and/or nonfiction.

• Funding: The residency is fully subsidized and provides housing, food, and workspace space at no cost. In addition, the selected artist will receive a stipend/travel allowance of $1,000.

• Expectations: It is expected that each resident will offer two evening readings/discussion during the residency, one for students at the station and one for local residents, these programs will be planned in conjunction with CLBS staff. In the fall writers are asked to participate either virtually or in person in an event on the SUNY ESF main campus in Syracuse, NY alongside the other residents. Past residents are also asked to serve on the selection committee for the next year.

• Support: The residency is jointly supported by the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment and the Cranberry Lake Biological Station

APPLICATION DETAILS:

The application is hosted through an online form. The required information for the application is provided below. You may be unable to save your application, so please be prepared to submit all information at one time. Please submit all materials as a single PDF or word document.

• Brief Biography - In 500 words or less, please share your professional trajectory, skills, and any relevant background you would like to share

• Applicant Proposal - A 500-word proposal that addresses the concept and direction of planned work

• Importance of Cranberry Lake Biological Station

  • In 500 words or less, please explain how CLBS is suited to your work and how you will utilize the station and its resources.

• Résumé/CV - Please include educational background, teaching, publications, awards, honors, and other pertinent experiences.

• Preferred Residency Dates - You will be asked to submit your ranked choice of residency dates.

• Work Samples - Please submit a work sample no longer than 10 pages.

EVAULATION: Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of past recipients, Indigenous and non-Indigenous professional writers, and other qualified individuals.

This committee will make the final decision on who will be awarded residencies. The residencies can be awarded to writers at all career stages, from those who have never been published and without formal writing education to established writers with extensive education. Selection will be based on the strength of the application package.

NOTIFICATION:

Writers will be notified in mid-March whether they have been offered residency. All applicants will be notified about the final status of their application.

For questions, please reach out to Terrance Caviness at tcaviness@esf.edu

esf.edu/clbs/iwr.php

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Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $34

INFO: The Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of literary fiction: short stories, flash fiction, or novellas in any combination. The prize includes $2,000, publication of the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge.

GUEST JUDGE: Ed Park

ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open to any short fiction writer of English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. Individual pieces from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. To avoid conflicts of interest, close friends of a judge or current students in a degree-granting program with a judge are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Manuscript must be anonymous

• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. 

• Manuscript must be between approximately 150 and 250 pages 

• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents 

• Cover letter should include acknowledgements list (a list of publications in which poems in the manuscript have appeared)

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication. 

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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Sarabande Prize in the Essay

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $34

INFO: The Sarabande Prize in the Essay is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of literary nonfiction: an essay collection or book-length essay. The prize includes $2,000, publication of the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge.

GUEST JUDGE: Leslie Jamison

ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open to any nonfiction writing in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Individual essays from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. To avoid conflict of interest, close friends of a judge or current students in a degree-granting program with a judge are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Manuscript must be anonymous

• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. 

• Manuscript must be between 150 and 250 pages 

• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents 

• Cover letter should include acknowledgements list (a list of publications in which poems in the manuscript have appeared)

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication. 

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

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summer editorial fellowship

Boston Review

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

INFO: Boston Review’s summer editorial fellowship program is designed to prepare the next generation of editors by offering intensive training in editing and producing long-form, ideas-driven magazine writing for a general audience.

Each summer program offers hands-on training for one editorial fellow, touching on all aspects of editorial work: fact checking, proofreading, production, and engagement as well as acquisitions, pitch and draft evaluation, and developmental, line, and copy editing. The program also offers opportunities to network with industry professionals. Fellows work full time, five days a week, in person at our offices in Cambridge, MA.

The fellowship runs from June 1 to around August 31, with some flexibility around exact start and end dates. Fellows are paid $20 per hour. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, especially those not well-represented in journalism and the publishing industry.

DETAILS: Fellows work closely with Boston Review’s small team to gain hands-on experience with the nuts and bolts of editorial work. 

Beyond workshops and trainings with Boston Review staff, most fellowship time is spent proofreading and fact checking essays for print and web publication, assisting with web production, helping to evaluate pitches and drafts, and taking part in all-staff meetings. Fellows may also gain experience with newsletter production, art research, events planning, and website and calendar maintenance.

ELIGIBILITY: The program is designed for those ready to step into an editorial career, so a bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience is required. (Currently enrolled students, except those who will graduate before the program begins, should not apply.) Regrettably, we are not able to sponsor visas for applicants from outside the United States.

Prior editorial experience is less important than a strong interest in an editorial career and a commitment to learning the editorial craft that goes on behind the scenes. We seek fellows who are curious about ideas and open to feedback, excited about engaging and evaluating alternative views, and comfortable discussing complex, often controversial issues in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment. 

Perhaps most important, applicants should be familiar with magazine writing of the sort that Boston Reviewpublishes: primarily ideas-driven feature essays, long-form nonfiction book reviews, and political and social analysis (as opposed to op-eds, personal essays, and reportage). Please note that the program does not provide training or mentorship in fellows’ own writing projects.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please submit the following materials in a single PDF file:

1. A cover letter of no more than one single-spaced page. This is by far the most important element of your application. Please give us some sense of the ideas and issues that are most important to you, your academic or research background, and how the fellowship would help to advance your career goals.

2. A résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your educational and professional background, no more than two pages.

3. The names, phone numbers, and email addresses of two references. Please specify their relationships to you. We prefer that at least one reference be a past or current employer.

4. Responses to the following two questions:

• In no more than 250 words, say what you liked about an essay of at least 3,000 words, published in a magazine comparable to Boston Review.

• In no more than 300 words, describe what you take to be the best possible objection to a view you are deeply committed to, and then defend your position by responding to the objection.

If you have any questions, please contact us at fellowships@bostonreview.net.

bostonreview.submittable.com/submit

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WORKSHOP: “Power to the Pen: Writing for Revolution”

Blue Stoop (Philadelphia, PA)

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: February 23, 2025 by 11:59 pm ET

INFO: “Power to the Pen: Writing for Revolution” is an opportunity for new and returning Blue Stoop students to build their storytelling skills in a supportive environment. Applicants will choose from two 3-week classes, one in poetry and the other in essay-writing, and will be invited to participate in other community-building activities. Classes will be held in-person at 1315 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. 

Due to limited space, we require a brief application. We’re looking for local students who are eager to learn and form connections with other writers. No experience or prior training is required — you only need a solid grasp of the English language and the willingness to show up and try!

TUITION: Full-price tuition is $225. Thanks to a grant from PECO, Power to the Pen participants earning less than $20,000/year will receive full scholarships and pay $0 for tuition. Participants earning $20,000 – $39,999/year, and those impacted by the closure of The University of the Arts (i.e. former staff, faculty, and students), will receive half scholarships and pay $112.50 for tuition. Payment plans are available upon request.

Selected participants will be notified by March 10, 2025. 

HOW TO APPLY:

Read the descriptions below and decide which class you’d like to take. You can choose poetry, essay-writing, or “either.”

Complete the application by February 23, 2025, 11:59 pm ET. You’ll need approximately 20-30 minutes and a brief statement (up to 3000 characters, which is roughly 500 words maximum) about your interest in the program.

Wait to hear back from us. We’ll notify those selected by March 10, 2025. If you are not selected, we encourage you to check out our other spring classes and financial aid options.

ABOUT BLUE STOOP

Founded in 2018, Blue Stoop provides high quality classes, inspiring events, and transformative professional opportunities to creative writers in the greater Philadelphia area. Blue Stoop envisions a radically inclusive literary community where Philadelphia readers and writers are thriving and supported. Blue Stoop is a fiscally sponsored 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization through CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia. Learn more about our work here.

bluestoop.org/power

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2025 fiction prize

Autumn House Press

DEADLINE: February 28, 2025

READING FEE: $35 (We will waive the submission fee for those undergoing financial hardship or living with limited means. Before you reach out to request a waived fee, please read our full statement and instructions here. If the guidelines are not followed, we will not be able to offer a waived fee.

INFO: For the 2025 prize, the Autumn House staff as well as select outsider readers serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is Alexandra Kleeman.

AWARD: The winner receives publication of their full-length manuscript and $2,500. We will announce the finalists and the winner by June 1, 2025.

GUIDELINES:

• The winner will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book

• All finalists will be considered for publication

• Fiction submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (37,500- 75,000 words)

• All fiction sub-genres (short stories, short-shorts, novellas, or novels) or any combination of sub-genres are eligible

• The book must be previously unpublished as a whole. However, individual pieces may have been published in journals, magazines, or anthologies.

• We only accept original manuscripts; AI-generated or AI-supported works are not accepted.

• Do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript

• You may include a brief bio in the “cover letter” section of Submittable

• Do not include a bio or an acknowledgments page in the manuscript

• Feel free to include a table of contents (This does not count as part of your final page count)

• Simultaneous submissions permitted

• Friends, family members, and former students of judges or Autumn House editors may not submit to the contest. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships.

• Former employees of Autumn House, including interns, may not submit to the contest.

autumnhouse.org/submissions/fiction/

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AWP AWARD SERIES

AWP

DEADLINE: February 28, 2025

ENTRY FEES:

• Non-members: $30

• AWP Members: $20

INFO: The 2025 AWP Award Series is open for submissions. AWP welcomes your book-length manuscripts in poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and the novel.

This year, Cheryl Strayed, R. O. Kwon, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, and Kevin Wilson will judge the Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction, the James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel, the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry, and the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, respectively.

Judges will select one winning manuscript in each genre by late summer 2025. Winning authors receive a cash prize and publication by one of our partner presses

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. The AWP Award Series defines “book-length” as follows:

• poetry: 48 pages minimum text;

• short story collection or creative nonfiction: 150–300 manuscript pages; and

• novel: at least 60,000 and no more than 110,000 words.

Poems, stories, and essays previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion in submissions, but manuscripts previously published in their entirety, including self-published manuscripts, are not eligible. As the series is judged anonymously, no list of acknowledgments should accompany your manuscript.

The AWP Award Series is open to all authors writing original works primarily in English for adult readers. Mixed-genre manuscripts cannot be accepted. Criticism and scholarly monographs are not acceptable for creative nonfiction, which the AWP Award Series defines as factual and literary writing that has the narrative, dramatic, meditative, and lyrical elements of novels, plays, poetry, and memoir.

To avoid conflicts of interest, friends and former students of a judge (former students who studied with a judge in an academic degree-conferring program or its equivalent) are ineligible to enter the competition in the genre for which their former teacher is serving as judge.

Current staff of AWP and members of the AWP Board of Directors may not enter the AWP Award Series, and previous staff and board members may not enter for a minimum of three years after leaving AWP or rotating off the board, respectively.

AWP makes every effort to vary the judges by region, aesthetic, and institution so that writers, if ineligible one year, will certainly be eligible other years. If contestants win in any genre, they may not enter the competition again in the same genre for the next five consecutive years.

PRIZES:

• Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction: $2,500 and publication by the University of Georgia Press

• James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel: $5,500 and publication by the University of Nebraska Press

• Donald Hall Prize for Poetry: $5,500 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press

• Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction: $5,500 and publication by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press

awpwriter.org/AWP/AWP/Contests/AWP-Award-Series/Overview.aspx

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women’s prose prize

Ren Hen Press

DEADLINE: February 28, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through an annual competition which is open to all writers who identify as women.

AWARD:

• $1000

• Book publication by Red Hen Press

• Final Judge: TBD

GUIDELINES: 25,000-word minimum (approximately 150 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font) to 80,000-word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only.

INELIGIBILITY:

The award is open to all women writers with the following exceptions:

• Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press

• Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press

• Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors

• Relatives or individuals having a personal or professional relationship with any of the final judges where they have taken any part whatsoever in shaping the manuscript, or where, for whatever reason, selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety

PROCEDURES + ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material.

Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.

Red Hen Press is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

redhen.org/awards/womens-prose-prize/

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Fiction & Poetry Contest

Hayden's Ferry Review

DEADLINE: February 28, 2025

INFO: Hayden’s Ferry Review is accepting submissions for its Fiction & Poetry Contest.

AWARD: There will be two prizes of $1000 each and publication in HFR (online in summer 2025 and in the fall/winter 2025 print issue) for a poem or a group of poems and a work of fiction. A runner-up in each category will receive $250 and publication. All entries are considered for publication.

JUDGES:

• This year’s fiction judge is Gwen Kirby, author of Shit Cassandra Saw.

• Our poetry judge is Hieu Minh Nguyen, author of Not Here.

GUIDELINES + ENTRY FEE:

Submit 1-3 poems totaling up to 10 pages or a short story or novel excerpt of up to 20 pages with a contest entry fee. 

You can choose between a $15 entry fee, which comes with a 1-year digital subscription or a $23 entry fee, which comes with a 1-year print subscription. For international addresses outside of the US, please select a digital subscription. Your 1-year subscription will begin with our spring/summer 2025 issue. Current subscribers will receive a 1-year renewal. Writers may submit multiple entries, but each entry must include its own entry fee.

*If you have an international shipping address and are interested in a 1-year print subscription, we are happy to accommodate this with an additional shipping fee. Please get in touch before submitting and no later than February 20th to discuss details at haydensferryreview (at) gmail (dot) com. 

We will accept free submissions during a short free submissions window or until we hit our cap of 50 in each genre. *Please subscribe to our free newsletter by February 3rd. We’ll let our subscribers know via newsletter when our free submissions period will take place.* All will be able to submit for free during the free submission period or until we hit our cap; however, only newsletter subscribers will know in advance exactly when the free submission period will take place. Free submissions do not come with a 1-year subscription.

Judges will pick the winners and runner-ups from a list of finalists chosen by HFR editors. All entries are considered for publication in the fall/winter 2025 print issue. We do not read submissions anonymously. 

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Between Feb 1-28, 2025 submit your work to the appropriate genre at https://hfr.submittable.com/ 

Submitted work must be original work by the writer and unpublished. If your work is accepted elsewhere for publication, please withdraw your submission. If only a part of your poetry submission has been accepted elsewhere, please leave a note in Submittable.

ELIGIBILITY:

Close friends, family, or former and current students of the judges should refrain from submitting. We define a "former or current student" as someone who has done a semester-length course with the judge or who the judge has served as a thesis advisor. If you attended a one- or two-week-long workshop or similar with the judge, you are still eligible.

If you were published in one of HFR's print journals or web issues in the past two years, you CAN submit to this contest. (See our "general notes on submission" for specific guidelines for our print and web issues, which may differ from contest guidelines.)

Anyone affiliated with ASU (staff, faculty, and graduate/undergraduate students) is not eligible to submit to this contest and should refrain from submitting to HFR until they have been unaffiliated from ASU for three years.

All individuals are able to submit without regard to sex, race, national origin, religion, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

haydensferryreview.com/haydens-ferry-review-contest

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Book Art Research Fellowship

Center for Book Arts

DEADLINE: February 28, 2025

INFO: Researchers and scholars in art history, literature, book history, library science, or museum studies, conservation studies, or other relevant fields are invited to submit research proposals that draw upon CBA’s unique collections of materials related to book art.

CBA’s Permanent Collection consists of three parts:

1. Fine Arts Collection of artists’ books, prints, and objects

2. Reference Library focused on the practice, theory, and history of book arts

3. CBA’s Archives containing records of original exhibitions presented at CBA and the history of CBA’s programmatic activities.

Taken as a whole, CBA’s collections serve as a historical record of book art as a creative medium and a framework for critical research into book art practice.

You can browse the collections online or make an appointment to visit in-person by emailing collections@centerforbookarts.org.

The individual(s) selected for the Fellowship will have access to CBA’s collections, provided institutional support during the research process, and receive a $1,200 stipend.

Fellows are expected to spend a total of 2-3 weeks conducting research on-site at Center for Book Arts. Research periods can take place any time in the calendar year of 2025 outside of holidays and other planned closures. Please note that this fellowship is intended for scholarly research projects rather than the creation of artworks.

At the culmination of the Fellowship, the selected individual(s) will present their research in a public talk. CBA will subsequently have the first right of refusal to publish their research in our Book Art Review journal.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Applications must include all of the following:

1. A resume or CV

2. A 500 to 1000 word proposal outlining the research project, including:

   1. How holdings from the Center for Book Arts relate to the project

   2. A short bibliography listing individual resources from the collection to be consulted (5 or more works)

   3. A proposed timeline for residency at the Center for Book Arts. Please note that due to the application timeline, research will take place April-December, 2025.

Please note that this fellowship is intended for scholarly research projects rather than the creation of artworks.

centerforbookarts.org/book-art-research-fellowship

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Self-Publishing Literary Awards

Black Caucus of the American Library Association

DEADLINE: February 28, 2025

INFO: The Black Caucus of ALA’s Self-Publishing Literary Awards honors the best self-published ebooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres.

These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans. The judging committee will be comprised of a BCALA-appointed panel, which will select one winner in each genre.

AWARD: Each genre prize winner shall receive: $2,500, formal recognition at the NCAAL conference, and a BCALA Literary Award Seal to use in their marketing.

ADDITIONAL INFO: The awards will be presented during the National Conference Of African American Librarians (NCAAL) in summer of 2025. Authors will be advised of the Literary Award Committee’s decision in advance of the conference.

This contest is free and open to all self-published authors who meet the requirements. The submission process only takes about 10 minutes, and you are welcome to submit as many of your ebooks as you would like. All ebooks submitted to the contest must be:

• In the poetry or fiction genres

• A PDF or an ePUB file

• In the English language

• An original work that you own the rights to

• Written by an African American author born in the U.S.

FAQs:

• Will I lose the rights to my ebook when I submit?

  • No, the author retains full rights of their ebook after submitting, and their ebook may be removed from the contest at any time. 

• What happens if I include my ebook in the Indie Author Project?

  • If you choose to opt-in to the Indie Author Project, you will still retain full rights of your ebook, and you will have the opportunity to have it distributed in libraries across the United States and Canada, increasing visibility and discoverability for your work. If you choose to remove your ebook from the Indie Author Project at any time, simply contact us and it will be removed. 

• What happens if I choose not to include my ebook in the Indie Author Project?

  • If you choose to opt-out of the Indie Author Project, your ebook will only be distributed on the BiblioBoard platform so that the BCALA-appointed panel has access to judge your work. It will not be available to anyone outside of the BCALA-appointed panel and the technology support team, and once the contest has ended it will be removed. 

• Is there a minimum publication date required to submit to the contest?

  • No, as long as your book meets the other contest criteria, it can be submitted, regardless of when it was published. 

bcala.librariesshare.com/bcala-ebook-contest/#guidelines

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call for submissions: nonfiction, poetry + cover art

Yellow Arrow Journal

DEADLINE: February 28, 2025

INFO: Yellow Arrow Journal is excited to announce that submissions are open for the spring 2025 (Vol. X, No. 1) issue:

UNFURL

: to release from a furled, coiled, or wrapped state
: to open out from or as if from a furled state
: to unfold

This issue of Yellow Arrow Journal explores the process people go through when finding and transforming into their authentic selves. UNFURL will be a survey of the unique journeys people take when experiencing and undergoing self-transformation, journeys that all start with a little fire, a desire, deep inside.

GUEST EDITOR: Sara J. Streeter, or 한혜숙 Hea Sook Han, is a writer and a Korean-American adoptee. Since starting her writing journey in 2021, Sara found her writing community through Adoptee Voices and developed a meaningful connection to readers, both within the adoption constellation and beyond. She mainly writes creative nonfiction prose and has been published in literary journals, such as Longleaf Review, Hippocampus Magazine, Peatsmoke Journal, The Rappahannock Review, GASHER Journal, Cutleaf Journal, and others. Sara has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Microfiction, and Best Small Fiction. She joined the Yellow Arrow community when her piece “Bitter / Sweet” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal kitalo Vol. IX, No. 2. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her family and is an interior designer for a small hospitality firm. You can find her at sarajstreeter.com. You can also find the video above on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Accepted submissions include creative nonfiction and poetry by authors identifying as women (cover art guidelines follow below).

• Submissions must relate to the theme UNFURL, as interpreted by the author, using provided guiding questions (these will change for each theme).

  • What role did community play in finding yourself?

  • How has your sense of self changed due to your transformation? What about your relationships?

  • What did you find along the way?

  • What do you still need to be authentically you?

  • Was there something that forced you to be a different version of yourself? How did you internalize it?

• Creative nonfiction (1 submission per author per issue) must be between 100 and 2,000 words. Poetry (up to 2 poems per author per issue, grouped into a single document) may be any length.

• Submissions do not need to be in English but must include an English translation.

• No previously published work will be accepted at this time—this includes all printed and online material; simultaneous submissions are okay but please let us know when you send in your submission(s) and if a submission is published elsewhere in the interim, email submissions@yellowarrowpublishing.com immediately.

COVER ART SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Cover art (1 submission per artist per issue) can be a painting, drawing, print, photo, graphic design, comic, or anything else that can be dreamed up by artists identifying as women, as related to the theme/guiding questions.

• Artists must own all rights to the work submitted—if published or shown previously, artists must be able to list where and when.

• If chosen, the artist must be able to supply the artwork at a resolution no lower than 300 dpi and at a size of 8 ½ x 11 cm, as a .jpeg/.jpg or .tiff/.tif.

ARE YOU READY TO SUBMIT?

To submit to UNFURL (Vol. X, No. 1, spring 2025), send an email to submissions@yellowarrowpublishing.com and include:

• Subject: Vol. #, No. # Theme – type of submission [nonfiction, poetry, or cover art] (required)

• Your full name (and name you would want Yellow Arrow to use), nationality, and current city/state/country of residence (required)

• Our writers and readers come from all walks of life and so do we. We are taking steps across our portfolio to increase representation and give greater visibility to the voices of underrepresented women-identifying storytellers. If you are comfortable doing so, please share with us which underrepresented communities you identify with that may make you uniquely positioned to connect with a particular group of readers (optional)

• Your pronouns and age (optional)

• Where you heard about us (optional)

• For cover art submissions, a list of past publications/exhibits for the artwork you are submitting (required, if applicable).

Authors/artists should only submit one type of submission per issue; no agents.

Note that submissions are anonymously reviewed in-house; the information you provide above is used only to better understand the composition of our audience.

Attach your submission to your email. Accepted files for creative nonfiction and poetry submissions include .doc/.docx, .rtf, or .pdf (.doc/.docx preferred)—use minimal document styling and do not include identifying information (only within your email). Accepted files for cover art include .jpeg/.jpg, .tiff/.tif, .gif, .eps, or .psd—a low resolution is preferable at this time.

By sending your submission you agree to the following statements:

• You are a writer or artist who identifies as a woman

• You have completely read and submitted within the guidelines.

Due to the volume of submissions and the nature of our submission process, authors/artists will not receive an email confirming receipt of submission. Rather, all who submit within the guidelines, whether accepted to the next issue or not, will receive an email after submissions have closed—please do not email us to inquire about a submission. Submissions for UNFURL (Vol. X, No. 1, spring 2025) are open February 1-28.

yellowarrowpublishing.com/submissions

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2025 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award (for writers + poets living in north dakota or south dakota)

Poets & Writers

DEADLINE: March 1, 2025 by 11:59pm

INFO: Established in 1984, the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community. The prestigious award, which aims to provide promising writers a network for professional advancement, has helped to launch the careers of Sue Monk Kidd (The Invention of Wings, The Secret Life of Bees), David Mura (Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei), Craig Santos Perez (from unincorporated territory [åmot]), Mona Simpson (Case), Lidia Yuknavitch (Thrust), and others.

Since Poets & Writers began the Writers Exchange in 1984, 114 writers from forty-four states or jurisdictions have been selected to participate. The award is generously supported by Maureen Mahon Egen, a member of the Poets & Writers Emeritus Board.

Writers from the states of North and South Dakota are invited to apply for the 2025 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. One fiction writer and one poet will be selected. Winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with top literary professionals, including editors, agents, publishers, and prominent writers. This year’s judges are Kali Fajardo-Anstine for fiction and Chet'la Sebree for poetry.

ELIGIBLE WRITERS

Poets and fiction writers who are residents of North Dakota or South Dakota are eligible to apply if they: 

1. Reside in North Dakota or South Dakota presently and for at least two years prior to the application deadline, which is March 1, 2025.

2. Have never published a book or have published no more than one full-length book in the genre in which they are applying. 

Winners and runners-up will be asked to submit verification of residency, as well as publication history. 

Writers may apply in poetry and/or fiction (only one manuscript per category).

Employees of Poets & Writers, Inc. are not eligible. 

AWARDS:

One poet and one fiction writer will be selected as winners. Winners will be announced in summer 2025. Each will receive: 

• A $500 honorarium.

• An all-expenses-paid trip to New York City in fall 2025 to meet with editors, agents, publishers, and other writers, and to give a public reading, hosted by Poets & Writers.

• A one-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming.

Manuscript Submission Requirements

• Poetry manuscripts should not exceed ten pages, single or double-spaced (minimum of 7 pages). 

• Fiction manuscripts should not exceed 25 pages and must be double-spaced. Fiction manuscripts may include stories and/or excerpts from novels. 

Published work may be included; however, photocopies of previously published work from a book or a magazine will not be accepted. Published work submitted for this award must conform to the above manuscript requirements and should not be identified as published work. 

All work must be the applicant’s original work and written in English; translations are not eligible. There are no restrictions on style or subject matter.

pw.smapply.us/prog/wex/

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2025 Rooted and Relational Summer Research Fellowships

Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO)

DEADLINE:  March 1, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) invites applications from scholars, writers, and faculty for the 2025 Rooted and Relational Summer Research Fellowships. The fellowship tenure is three months during the summer of 2025 (June-August 2025) and proposals should be aligned with our annual theme, Archives: Memory & the Present Past of Puerto Rico and should explicitly engage with CENTRO’s available archival collections. For this round, we will be awarding two summer research fellowships of $5,000 each. For one of these fellowships, priority will be given to researchers interested in working with the Jesús Colón Papers. The other fellowship is open to any area of study or collection housed at the CENTRO Library & Archives. 

Theme description: Archives: Memory & the Present Past of Puerto Rico

The CENTRO library and archive of the Puerto Rican Diaspora is the only archival repository in the United States committed to documenting Puerto Rican communities in the United States. From this standpoint, we are uniquely positioned to invite scholars to reflect on how archives, archival theory and practice allow us to reframe the present past of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican communities as well as help us imagine and build Boricua futures.

The theme: Archives: Memory & the Present Past of Puerto Rico, invites researchers to engage with the word “archives” as concept,  practice, and theory by bringing together some of the most important framings of historically inflected research. The theme contends with the material and theoretical importance of the archive in contemporary scholarship and research practices while opening a space to engage with contestation, archival reckoning, archival architecture, facilities, and accessibility, and quotidian interventions and forms of archival refusal. 

At a time when Puerto Rican Studies is seeing a resurgence in the United States, this is an opportunity to examine the roots of the field as we also contemplate what lies ahead. Both archival studies and archival structures in the Puerto Rican context, can be contentious and precarious. Thinking about the promises, betrayals, and possibilities of the archive in material and theoretical contexts opens a space for us to consider questions such as: How do we engage with institutional archives that continue to uphold colonial fantasies of race and gender? What are the material and theoretical relations between archives, memory, and temporality (e.g. notions of past, present, future)? What do we gain from challenges to various prominent historical archival practices like reading “archives against the grain,” which challenge the dominant historical consciousness and praxis of European empires? How do we approach memory and cultural preservation in times of austerity and natural disasters? These questions, and others will guide our discussions during this year-long seminar, where we will be considering different uses of the archive and explore how these spaces, collections, and practices can be transformed through a decolonial, feminist, and queer lens. 

Possible Topics:

• Archival Silences

• Memory and preservation

• Archives and Affect

• Embodiment 

• Afro-Boricua archives 

• Feminist Archives and archival practices

• Queer Archives

• Community Archives

• Family Archives

• Oral Histories

• Archiving performance

• Archives and Accessibility

• Archiving through disaster

• Tropical Archives 

• Born digital archives

• Archiving social media

• Information/Right to Information (FOIA and other types of access to public information)

• Archives and Accountability

• Processing and new archival technologies

• Metadata and Algorithms

• Archival Engineering and Structures

ELIGIBILITY:

This call requires that fellows be over 21 years of age and can be faculty, graduate students, or independent scholars. The fellow must work in the field of Puerto Rican Studies and should be able to work at the CENTRO Library & Archives location (2180 3rd Ave, 1st Floor, Rm. 120 New York, NY 10035) during weekdays between June 1st and August 31st 2025 for a minimum of 10 days within the three month tenure of the summer fellowship. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

The application form will ask you to provide the following:

1. CV (maximum 3 pages) 

2. Proposal:

1. Project Description (approx 500-1000 words)

2. Collection(s) to be used (approx 250-500 words)

3. Overall Timeline of your final project (approx 250 words)

4. Timeline of the fellowship residency (month/dates you plan to visit)

TERMS:

1. This is a three month long residency and will start on June 1st  and will end by August 31st. The fellow agrees to conduct research at the Library and Archives of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, with the intention of informing the development of their research project.The fellow must register at least 10 visits to the Library and Archives as part of the residency. 

2. The Center for Puerto Rican Studies will provide a work space for the fellows to carry out their research and will offer personalized support.

3. At the end of the residency, the fellows will share their works-in-progress at a CENTRO event or panel organized by CENTRO (date to be announced in fall 2025). 

4. The fellows will receive an amount of $5,000 ($2,500 at the start of the residency and $2,500 after completing the full number of visits to the CENTRO Library & Archives).  

5. CENTRO will not be able to provide lodging or meals during the research residency. 

Sending the application implies acceptance of all the conditions established in this call.

centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/rooted-relational-summer-2025-research-fellowship-open-call/

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KHN Residency

Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts (Nebraska City, NE)

DEADLINE: March 1, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts awards up to seventy juried residencies per year to established and emerging visual artists, writers, composers, and interdisciplinary artists from across the country and around the world. Residencies are 2 to 8 weeks in length. Each resident receives a $175 stipend per week, housing, and a private studio. 

2025 SESSIONS: July 7 - December 19, 2025

GUIDELINES: Each item will be presented as a separate form within our online application portal. Before beginning your application, download the WORK SAMPLES guidelines specific to your discipline (file links located bottom of page) and follow the directions to help prepare files. Application sections include:

• General Application Information including your preferred dates and length of residency.

• 2 ANONYMOUS Statements: An anonymous Statement of Submitted Works that clarifies the work and/or its relevance within contemporary or historical creative practices, contemporary society/issues, or the evolution of your personal creative practice; and an anonymous Statement of Intent regarding how you intend to utilize your time and why a residency at KHN is important to you at this point in your career. 

  • KHN utilizes a blind jury process. The ONLY items seen and reviewed by jurors are ANONYMOUS WORK SAMPLES and ANONYMOUS STATEMENTS. Jurors rate applications based solely on the quality and relevance of the submitted work and the statements' effectiveness in clarifying the work and the applicant’s intentions for a residency.

  • Do NOT include your NAME, CREDITS, AWARDS, UNIVERSITIES, EMPLOYERS, COLLABORATORS, COMMISSIONING OR PUBLISHING AGENTS, GALLERY OR VENUE NAMES, or any other identifying information within the statements.

• ANONYMOUS Work Samples: See the guidelines PDF specific to your discipline (file links located bottom of page) to help you prepare your materials.

  • KHN utilizes a blind jury process. The ONLY items seen and reviewed by jurors are ANONYMOUS WORK SAMPLES and ANONYMOUS STATEMENTS. Jurors rate applications based solely on the quality and relevance of the submitted work and the statements' effectiveness in clarifying the work and the applicant’s intentions for a residency.

  • Do NOT include your NAME, CREDITS, AWARDS, UNIVERSITIES, EMPLOYERS, COLLABORATORS, COMMISSIONING OR PUBLISHING AGENTS, GALLERY OR VENUE NAMES within any uploaded work samples, file names, or descriptions.

• References: Contact information for two professional references that are familiar with your work and your potential to be a positive member of our small community of residents. 

• Professional History from your current resume or CV. Your name MAY appear in the contents of this information.

• Application Fee of $35 paid via credit card through the online portal. All fees must be paid through the online portal. We are unable to waive the application fee.

STIPEND, HOUSING, + TRAVEL: Residency awards come with a weekly $175 stipend. All residents are provided housing that includes a private bedroom, bathroom, and studio space. Writers and visual artists generally share an apartment with one other resident, with shared kitchen, living room, and balcony space. Composers are generally housed in a garden-level studio apartment.

All travel expenses are the responsibility of the awardee, with the exception of cab fare from Omaha or Lincoln on the day of arrival and/or departure.

There are two airports about an hour away: Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA) and the Lincoln Airport (LNK). To get from either airport to Nebraska City, residents can arrange for transportation with Nebraska City's Tree City Cab at least 24 hours prior to their arrival or departure. The taxi fare ($100 per trip) will be paid for by the Kimmel Foundation.

Residents can also consider traveling by train or bus to Lincoln or Omaha. The same arrangement with the taxi service applies. The Kansas City Airport (KCI) is two hours away. However, taxi service will not be paid for from Kansas City to Nebraska City.

WORK SAMPLE GUIDELINES FOR WRITER + POET (LITERARY) SUBMISSIONS:

Upload one PDF that contains all writing samples (up to 10MB).

• Previously published or non-published material is eligible.

• Only writing submitted in English will be considered.

Fiction: Submit no more than 2 short stories or novel chapters, not to exceed 7500 words in length. If a portion of a novel is submitted, a brief (100-200 word) synopsis may be included and does not count toward the 7500-word limit.

Non-fiction: Submit no more than 2 essays or chapters, not to exceed 7500 words in length. If a portion of a manuscript or book is submitted, a brief (100-200 word) synopsis may be included and does not count toward the 7500-word limit. If the work submitted is memoir or biography, the requirement to remove your name from the writing sample may be disregarded.

Poetry: Submit up to 10 poems, combined length not to exceed 30 pages.

Drama: Submit up to 2 one-act plays or up to 2 excerpts (monologues, acts, scenes) from a longer work. Include a character list and brief synopsis. Total number of pages may not exceed 30.

Screenplays: Submit no more than 2 screenplays. Include a brief synopsis. Total number of pages may not exceed 30.

Combination of Genres/Non-traditional applications: If submitting samples from more than one genre, total submission should not exceed 7500 words or thirty pages in length.

All work samples MUST be ANONYMOUS. Do NOT include your NAME, CREDITS, AWARDS, UNIVERSITIES, EMPLOYERS, COLLABORATORS, COMMISSIONING OR PUBLISHING AGENTS, or GALLERY or VENUE NAMES within any work samples or in the title/description area within Slideroom.

*If your application includes a combination of visual and literary works, please consider applying under the interdisciplinary category.

Contact us at info@khncenterforthearts.org or 402-874-9600 with any questions regarding applications or submission materials.

khncenterforthearts.org/residency

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Open Call for SUSPECT Journal’s Themed Portfolio: Eco-

SUSPECT (Singapore Unbound)

DEADLINE: March 1, 2025

INFO: Wouldn’t you like a four-day work week, or to work from home? While economy and ecology both come from the root word oikos – for home – housework is excluded from GDPs; so too are the bat flights that pollinate a durian orchard, the citizen science surveys for salamanders, and the sea-spanning carbon capture projects of phytoplankton. The economy works through, not above or beyond, nature. “Economy is ecology,” as political theorist Jason Moore highlights. When supply chains and investments (re)move or (re)place things around the home that is Earth, that home changes. Whose work is prevented on developing land? Whose land is used up for the work, and whose isn’t? What kind of home is this building, and is it the kind we want?

We invite writing that engages with the powerful tensions and dimensions within the word “eco-”. We want nature writing grounded in physical and social contexts; writing that imagines how economies could center ecologies; writing on the work of becoming and belonging together with others. Works might highlight unappreciated labour (both human and otherwise), demand labour, address land and labour issues; might delve into ecological concepts from edge effects to metabolic rifts; might address houses, homes, displacement, and “homing” back to places like pigeons or salmon.

SUSPECT invites submissions exploring the theme of “Eco-” for our special portfolio, which is scheduled for publication starting 5th June 2025 to commemorate World Environment Day.

• We accept fiction and essays (maximum 6,500 words) or poetry (maximum 10 pages). Authors may submit to multiple categories.

• As our mission is to publish Asian authors, submitters must identify as Asian. In collaborative works, the work must involve at least one Asian author.

• Any translated work will be submitted by the translator; any editing of the translated work will take place between SUSPECT and the translator. We expect translators to have received permission from the writers of the original works, if still living, to publish their translations.

• Each accepted contribution is paid USD100.00. For translations or collaborative works, payment is made to the translator or submitter only.

We look forward to reading your submissions. Submit your work to Sharmini Aphrodite at suspect@singaporeunbound.org. Direct your questions to her as well.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/eco

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manuscript call: short story + flash fiction collections

Split/Lip Press

DEADLINE: March 1, 2025

READING FEE: $15**

INFO: We are currently looking for short story or flash fiction full-length book manuscripts (combinations of flash and longer short stories in the manuscript are welcome as well). Individually published pieces within the manuscript are absolutely fine (and expected!) but the book should not have been published as a BOOK before. We won't define "full-length" (our only hard limit is the lower end: minimum of 100pg), but 150-250 pages tends to be the sweet spot. If your book is shorter than 100pg, keep our chapbook reading period in mind this April! 

We're looking for manuscripts that question boundaries (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional—you get the gist). Dazzle us with your version(s) of truth! 

To get an idea of what we love, please check out our current short story/flash fiction offerings: Hayden Casey's forthcoming story collection Show Me Where the Hurt Is, Midwatch by Jillian Danback-McGhan, Phantom Advances by Mary Lynn Reed, My Share of the Body by Devon Capizzi, 48 Blitz by Brett Biebel, This. This. This. Is. Love. Love. Love. by Jennifer Wortman, Hungry People by Tasha Coryell, Felt in the Jaw by Kristen Arnett, and The Hook and the Haymaker and I Am the Oil of the Engine of the World, both by Jared Yates Sexton. We'd love it if you'd add a copy of any (/all) of our books to your submission, and we'll happily throw in free shipping (to US/Canada only) as a thanks!

Historically under-represented perspectives are WELCOME and ENCOURAGED and HIGHLY SOUGHT—we want to help bring your voice to the world!

OUR PRESS MISSION:

We publish boundary-breaking fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid books, lifting the transition boards that prevent fluidity and smashing those we cannot pry up. We love work that questions the concept of truth, and work that reinterprets what we think we know. We prize experimentation (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional); we welcome the unanswerable. We want to see the dark and the light side of the moon—or we want to see it obliterated. If your book is a wedge in a crack, Split/Lip Press is the hammer helping you split the wall apart.

All books published at Split/Lip Press have been discovered during our open reading periods—we do not solicit manuscripts and do not accept manuscripts sent outside of our reading periods. Every author has the same opportunity to join us! However, Split/Lip Press does not tolerate manuscripts celebrating racist, homophobic, or misogynistic perspectives, and will discard such manuscripts unread. We believe in breaking boundaries at Split/Lip, but we will not assist agendas of hate.

BASIC FORMATTING DETAILS:

TNR 12 (or similar), double-spaced (unless you are specifically using special formatting—which we'd love to see), and PLEASE remove your name from the manuscript and file name—our readers want to review your manuscripts without names attached. There is a box on the submission form where, if you choose, you may indicate any information about positionality which may be helpful for the readers to know.

Please note that while we love and welcome work which includes images/diagrams/etc, they would need to appear as black-and-white images within a 6" x 9" printed book, so keep that in mind when submitting.

HUGS + THANKS

We work closely with our authors on all elements of their book from editing to design to promotion. We are engaged in the literary community and as writers ourselves, we know how important it is to have your book supported by a press that cares about more than the bottom line. We'd love for you to be part of the Split/Lip Press family.

Simultaneous submissions are obviously welcome. Our reading process is a process and we move quickly and efficiently, but we also don't interrupt it prematurely. So if another publisher snags you first, we just ask that you withdraw your submission (and congrats to you!).

We intend to reply to all submissions by May 15, 2025, so please do not query about the status of your manuscript before that date. If you haven't seen anything from us by 5/15/25, check your status in Submittable and double-check your email spam filter because Submittable's messages sometimes get stuck there—we will definitely respond!

Thank you for considering Split/Lip Press as the home for your book.

** The reading fee helps cover our costs as a press, and our SS/FF reading team splits 25% of the submission fees collected during this reading period as compensation for their hard work. But we don't want a fee to keep us from finding the best work out there. If you can't afford the reading fee, please send an email to splitlipthepress@gmail.com before submitting to receive a manuscript fee waiver, no questions asked.

splitlippress.submittable.com/submit

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Rumpus Prize for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction

The Rumpus

DEADLINE: March 2, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $20 per entry

INFO: The Rumpus has a long history of championing emerging and established poets, fiction writers, and essayists, and we’re pleased to announce a new way the magazine will bring attention to great writing. 

All submissions will be read by The Rumpus‘s editorial team, and our final judges will be Kaveh Akbar (Poetry), Rachel Khong (Fiction), and Megan Stielstra (Creative Nonfiction).

AWARD:

• $3,600 in prizes:

• $1,000 first-place prize and publication in three genres: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction

• Honorable mentions receive $200 and publication in each of the three genres

All submitters can opt in if they’d like to be considered for publication by The Rumpus, regardless of whether they’re named a winner or finalist.

Finalists will be contacted in May 2025. Winners will be announced publicly and published by June 2025.

therumpus.net/2024/12/05/the-rumpus-prize/

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call for submissions: historical fiction BY AFRICAN WRITERS

Lọún Lọún

DEADLINE: March 2, 2025

INFO: Lọún Lọún is a literary journal focused on historical fiction based on historical events that have shaped and defined places and times in Africa and the experiences of those who lived through the events—or didn’t—no matter how minute. They’re interested in a car crash in 2004 published in the local newspapers as much as they are in the Rwandan and Biafran genocides of 1994 and 1967, respectively.

We are interested in speculative or factual tellings of African history centred on themes across Economics, Society & Politics, Gender & Feminism, Hope & Healing, Identity & Belonging, and War, Conflicts, & Disaster. We strongly recommend reading a few stories from past issues before submitting.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

African writers, and those of African descent, home and abroad.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Before submitting your work, please carefully read and adhere to the following guidelines:

We accept only submissions in fiction.

Fiction: 2000 – 4000 word range.

1. Only original pieces will be considered. Previously published pieces and excepts from a larger body of work are not accepted.

2. Submissions should be in EB Garamond, size 12, 1.5-spaced, and submitted in Word document format with word count included.

3. Submissions should be in English or translated into English. Writers are, however, allowed creative freedom with the expression of their languages.

4. Submissions must be based on an event that has happened on or affected the continent, regardless of where characters in the telling are located.

5. Submissions must contain a brief historical setting description (max. two sentences) formally describing the historical events in telling.

6. Submissions must have at least two reference links to the historical events in telling.

7. We accept simultaneous submissions, but let us know promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.

8. Ensure your submissions are meticulously reviewed for correct formatting, grammar, and punctuation. Significant mistakes in these areas can hinder the likelihood of your work being considered for publication.

COMPENSATION:

As of now, we cannot appropriately compensate our writers but stick around.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

To submit your work, send an email to submissions@lounloun.com with the subject ‘Fiction Submission.’ In the body of the email, include your third-person bio and theme, and attach the story. Please ensure the story has references and is in Word document format.

REVIEW PROCESS:

Our editorial team carefully reviews each submission. We strive to provide feedback and appreciate the time and effort you put into your work. Please be patient; the review process may take 3-8 weeks after the deadline.

We look forward to reading your work!

CONTACT:

If you have questions or encounter issues during submission, please contact our editorial team at lounlounjournal@gmail.com.

lounloun.com/submissions/

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research fellowships

The Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: March 3, 2025

INFO: The Boston Public Library is proud to announce two new research fellowships to support the use of special collections:

I - Telling Boston Stories Fellowship:

The Boston Public Library's Special Collections Department is offering a four-week fellowship intended to support research projects whose focus is on the people and communities of Boston that are often left out of the historical narrative.

This fellowship can support a wide variety of projects, both academic and artistic. Successful topics for this fellowship could include projects looking at Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood and its history of community activism, the rise of Boston’s Little Syria neighborhood, the campaign from Villa Victoria residents to save their community from urban renewal displacement, or other projects that applicants may be interested in researching further.

Fellows will receive a $4,500 stipend, with the first half dispensed at the start of the fellowship and the second at the completion of the fellowship. Fellows will be expected to spend four weeks working with collections, primarily at the Boston Public Library and Northeastern University, though trips to other Boston cultural heritage institution or research centers may be included in the four weeks. The weeks do not have to be consecutive.

In addition to their research time, fellows will be asked to:

• Write a blog post on their research topic and collections utilized, to be published on the Boston Public Library’s website

• Work with the Community History Department at the Boston Public Library to create a workshop or program based on their research experience

Fellows will work with the Community History Department to run a program at a neighborhood branch of the Boston Public Library within four months of completing their research time. This program will use the fellow’s research experience as a launching point to encourage other community members to delve into their own research. Suggested formats include a short talk paired with a community discussion or story sharing session. The Programming & Outreach Librarian for Community History will support the fellow in developing a program.

Artists, independent scholars, graduate, and doctoral students are all encouraged to apply, as well as academics, community activists, and library, archives, and museum professionals. We particularly welcome applications from artists, scholars, and researchers who belong to the community or neighborhood they wish to study.

II - Surfacing Overlooked Stories Fellowship:

The Boston Public Library's Special Collections Department is offering an eight-to-ten-week fellowship intended to highlight often overlooked voices and narratives in our collections.

The theme for the 2025-2026 fellowship will be looking into Black Bostonians from Boston’s founding through Boston’s incorporation as a city in 1822. Suggested collections for research include the Boston Town Records, Elijah Adlow Collection of Boston Legal History, Mellen Chamberlain Autograph Collection, and Boston Tax Records, 1780-1821, as well as city directories and newspapers held in our research collections.

Fellows will receive a $9,500 stipend, with the first half dispensed at the start of the fellowship and the second at the completion of the fellowship. Fellows are expected to research at the Boston Public Library's Special Collections Department for eight to ten weeks within their fellowship year, though these do not have to be consecutive weeks. Supplementary research with the Boston Public Library’s Research Collections will also count towards the research time.

In addition to their research time, fellows will be asked to:

• Give an informal talk to Research & Special Collections staff midway through their fellowship about their research

• Give a public talk at the Central Library in Copley Square on their research topic and collections they utilized at the end of their research time

• Create a narrative guide to identifying the voices of Black Bostonians in the collections they utilized

Fellows will work with the Special Collections Public Services Supervisor to create this narrative guide within four months of completing the research residency, to be published digitally by the Boston Public Library on a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license. Fellows are welcome to publish, present with, or otherwise use their written work elsewhere and retain the copyright for their work. The fellow will not be processing collections or creating archival description or finding aids for materials. Staff may choose to augment collection description based on findings from this fellowship at a later date.

Masters and doctoral students, post-doctoral, academic, and independent scholars, and artists as well as curators and other library, archive, and museum professionals are welcome to apply. We particularly welcome applications from students and scholars who identify in groups that have been historically unrepresented in academia. We will look for fellows whose expertise and research interests align with our chosen theme of the year and whose research projects would be supported and informed by the collections they utilize during their research at the Boston Public Library.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A FELLOWSHIP:

Fellowship applications are due on Monday, March 3, 2025. To apply for this fellowship, please email specialcollections@bpl.org. Please include in the subject line which fellowship you are applying to. Please also include the following documents:

• Cover letter

• Curriculum vitae or resume

• Writing sample (maximum 400 words, preferably public-facing; excerpts from larger works are fine)

• Project proposal, including explanation of how this fellowship would support and inform the project

• Proposed research dates and collection materials

  • For the Telling Boston Stories Fellowship include any other institutions and collections you would hope to use during the fellowship

If you have any questions about the fellowship or application process, please write to Special Collections Public Services Supervisor Kathleen Monahan at specialcollections@bpl.org. Please identify yourself as an applicant for a fellowship in your email.

bpl.org/blogs/post/apply-for-a-research-fellowship-with-the-bpls-special-collections-department/

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2025 Summer Institute on Environmental Justice

Black Midwest Initiative (University of Illinois Chicago)

DEADLINE: March 7, 2025

INFO: The Black Midwest Initiative (BMI) at the University of Illinois Chicago invites applications from early-career scholars, artists, and community organizers to its 2025 Summer Institute on Environmental Justice. This convening will bring together 15 participants, designated as BMI Fellows, who are doing work around environmental justice issues affecting Black people and communities within the Midwest and Rust Belt regions of the United States for a week-long series of discussions, presentations, and workshops with leading figures in the field. In alignment with environmental sociologist and Institute facilitator David Pellow, we conceive of environmental racism as a “form of violent control over bodies, space, and knowledge systems.” Accordingly, we define the parameters of the environmental justice issues applicants might propose to address broadly—from urban agriculture, toxic emissions, natural disasters, and climate change to carcerality, housing instability, residential segregation, community health and wellness, and beyond.

After the conclusion of the Institute, each Fellow will also work to develop a project, individually or in collaboration with one or more other Fellows, that will be incorporated into the Black Midwest Justice Hub (the HUB)—a digital platform we will launch in the fall of 2026 that will serve as a resource repository for the BMI Environmental Justice Collaboratory, a set of environmental justice courses that will be taught across multiple midwestern colleges and universities during the 2026-27 academic year. HUB projects may ultimately take any number of forms that can be accessed digitally, including but not limited to short films, virtual exhibits, traditional academic papers, storymaps, graphic notes, sound recordings, oral histories, interviews, and introductory essays or lectures.

INSTITUTE FACILITATORS:

• Erika Allen, Urban Growers Collective

• Adrienne Brown, University of Chicago

• Lydia Marie Hicks, Black Eden Arts Alliance

• Fayola Jacobs, University of Minnesota

• Tonika Lewis Johnson, UnBlocked Englewood

• David Pellow, UC Santa Barbara

• LaShawnda Crowe Storm, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Monica M. White, University of Wisconsin-Madison

ELIGIBILITY:

Emerging artists of all genres (including filmmakers, dancers, poets, and other literary, visual, sound, and performance artists), community organizers and activists, graduate students, junior faculty, adjunct and non-tenure track faculty, independent scholars, and postdoctoral scholars whose work deeply engages with environmental justice issues affecting Black communities in the Midwest or Rust Belt regions of the United States (ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, SOUTH DAKOTA, WISCONSIN).

DETAILS OF PARTICIPATION:

Fellows from outside of the Chicago area will be expected to arrive in Chicago on Sunday, July 20, with departure scheduled for the morning of Saturday, July 26. Most days of the Institute will feature a morning session during which facilitators will discuss their work with the Fellows and an afternoon session during which the Fellows will present their work to the group. There will also be a site visit during the week to a location TBA that is engaging critical EJ work in the Chicago metro area. Fellows will be expected to attend all sessions, including the site visit and final group dinner, to complete any readings or screenings assigned by the facilitators, and to prepare a presentation of their work to be shared during one of the afternoon sessions. The Summer Institute will be hosted at the UIC Institute for the Humanities, and all sessions will be held in person.

Each Fellow will receive up to $500 toward their travel expenses to attend the Summer Institute. Lodging will be provided in UIC campus housing for all Fellows coming from outside of the Chicago area. Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day of the Institute, as well as dinner on Friday. After the conclusion of the Summer Institute, each participant will receive a $1000 stipend to be used toward the costs associated with their HUB project.

APPLICATION:

The BMI Summer Institute Application requires a 500-word project statement and a 5-page cv or resume.

Applicants will be notified of decisions by April 10.

QUESTIONS?

Please feel free to email theblackmidwest@gmail.com with any questions.

theblackmidwest.com/summer-institute

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2025-2026 emerging writer fellowship

GrubStreet (Boston, MA)

DEADLINE: March 10, 2025

INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship aims to develop new, exciting voices by providing three writers per year tuition-free access to GrubStreet’s classes and several key publishing/industry events. Over the course of one year, each Emerging Writer Fellow will attend a combination of seminars and multi-week courses of their choosing, along with a wide selection of other topical programming, in order to enhance their understanding of craft and the publishing industry.

We hope that this year's fellows will be able to join us in-person for classes and events. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston.

OVERVIEW: The Emerging Writer Fellowship will be awarded to three writers who demonstrate a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their writing abilities, and financial need. Any person 18 and older who demonstrates ability and passion for writing is eligible.

The Emerging Writer Fellowship will provide access to each of the following:

• 5 multi-week courses

• 5 three-hour seminars

• Access to key annual industry events and other craft-related programs.

• Access to GrubStreet's Artistic Director and/or other program staff members for quarterly (or as-needed) office hours for personalized mentorship. (Optional)

• At the end of the program, fellows will also receive a complimentary one-year GrubStreet membership so they can continue enjoying extra community perks even after their program year ends.

The fellowship year begins in May.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: This fellowship is open to anyone 18 and older with a passion for writing. The fellowship specifically aims to assist writers in need of financial assistance in reaching their writing goals. We particularly encourage writers of color, ethnic minorities, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by the literary community to apply.

WHY WE CREATED THIS FELLOWSHIP: Over the years, GrubStreet encountered more and more people who loved to write but didn't have the money to invest in a creative writing education that would help advance their craft or give them a thoughtful introduction to the publishing world. As part of its mission to make sure that voices of every type and talent are heard, GrubStreet developed the Emerging Writer Fellowship to eliminate some of the financial barriers to entry. Through this program, we hope to connect writers to a literary world – a world made richer and more relevant with the contribution of these voices.

In the program's first year, we were able to offer one fellowship to one student. As of the 2018-2019 cycle, we were able to begin offering a second fellowship in memory of novelist Anita Shreve, longtime board member and dear friend of GrubStreet. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we now offer three fellowships each year.

HOW TO APPLY:

The Emerging Writer Fellowship Application Form will require the following:

A sample of your writing that demonstrates your artistic style and voice. 5-10 pages for prose, screenwriting, or playwriting. 3-7 pages for poetry.

A personal statement—no more than 500 words please!—which should include the following:

• How you envision using the fellowship.

• A description of your relationship to writing. By this we mean: what excites you about it? What does it mean to you personally?

• How the fellowship will help you in your growth and success as a writer.

• Your writing and workshop history (Note: Prior workshop experience at GrubStreet is not required).

• The Fellowship year begins in May.

• All applicants can expect to hear back by early May.

grubstreet.org/write/emerging-writer-fellowship

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LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grants

Georgia Writers

DEADLINE: March 10, 2025 BY 11:59 pm ET

INFO: Georgia Writers’ LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grants, modeled on our John Lewis Grants, are designed to encourage and amplify the voices of LGBTQIA+ youth (18-24) in Georgia. At a time when the country possesses a record number of anti-LGBTQ legislation (400+ bills and counting), we believe it is our responsibility to promote positive stories of queer life in the South. By promoting young queer voices state- and nationwide, we offer models for success that all young queer people in the state of Georgia can aspire to.

Generously supported by the Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA), the LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grants will be awarded annually in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenwriting. The purpose of the grants is to elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of young queer writers in Georgia.

THE GRANTS:

Winners in each genre will receive:

• A grant of $500 to give a reading at our Red Clay Writers Conference

• A scholarship to the next annual Red Clay Writers Conference

QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants must be 18 - 24 years of age and emerging writers who are queer residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award.

• Applicants are ineligible if they have published more than one traditionally published book. Promising writers without publication will be considered. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win a grant once. There is no submission fee to enter.

• Applications will be reviewed anonymously.

• Applicants are ineligible if they are of relations to any of the Georgia Writers staff or board of directors.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Writers may apply in only one genre and must submit the following:

• A completed grant application

• An essay of no more tha 500 words as a concise description of your work and goals as a writer. Please tell us what inspires or challenges your writing career.

• No more than a ten-page writing sample of a published or unpublished piece in the genre in which you are applying--fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or screenwriting. If submitting poetry, one poem per page please.

• Please format your manuscript: 12 pt. font, double-spaced, name and page number on each page.

georgiawriters.org/literarysuccess

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CALL FOR PAPERS - CHRONIC: LIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS

WSQ (Spring 2026)

DEADLINE: March 14, 2025

INFO: In late December 2023, Giorgia Lupi, an information designer, published a long illustrated essay in the New York Times Opinion section titled “1, 380 Days: My Life With Long COVID.” “Long COVID,” she writes, “is a physical affliction, but chronic illness, stretching over months and years, has a way of picking apart your mind and breaking your heart. It is a constant deluge of pain that slowly strips you of everything you used to be by taking away everything you used to do . . . and, eventually . . . the ability to imagine a future without harsh physical limits.” The reported suffering of those like Giorgia Lupi who live with long COVID has brought into the spotlight the many chronic illnesses Americans endure—notably ME, myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome), from which primarily women suffer. Thanks to innovative treatments, especially over the last decade, some cancers have also become manageable chronic illnesses.

In contrast to acute or terminal disease, chronic illness—which includes mental illness—takes many forms over a lifetime: chronic with pain, chronic without pain, chronic with a medical diagnosis or without one (conditions that resist clinical documentation), chronic that is life-limiting or life-threatening, with progression, progression free, or stable, visible or invisible. There is not one chronic experience.  

This special issue of WSQ takes this contemporary phenomenon as our point of departure to consider the social, affective, and political consequences of living with chronic illness. We are soliciting essays, personal and researched, that reflect this variety and that map the critical and scholarly intersections of chronic illness with disability and critical race studies, notably in relation to lupus, but also related to health and healthcare issues. These might include, for example, issues primarily affecting Black women, including access to diagnosis and treatment of various cancers, notably gynecological ones. Though we will consider all approaches, we welcome work theorizing from the first person, whether in poetry, essay, comic, or hybrid form. Questions about chronic illness align as well with care, affect, and feminist eco-theory, which help illuminate the literary, social, and philosophical implications of what it means to be living one’s life in an ill body. To document the surprising variety of expressions of the lived experiences of chronic illness, we hope to include pieces that in some way grapple or experiment with the visual, whether through data visualizations, graphic representations, photography, or other media. (See guidelines below for more details.)

We see this project, in the spirit of the journal’s history, as transdisciplinary in conception, accessible and experimental at a variety of levels, and committed to the public good.

At the same time, we want specifically to explore new ways to live with and understand the challenges of chronic illness, and in the process, following activism and scholarship in the fields of health humanities and graphic medicine, we also hope to propose new paradigms of health and healthcare.

Submissions might attend to some of the following:

• definitions and themes of the chronic in the twenty-first century: diagnosis, disability, medical infrastructure, autoimmune disease, comorbidity, chronic and crisis (as in the case with COVID-19)

• discussions and/or representations of/discourse around chronic illnesses such as COVID/long COVID, HIV/AIDS, Lupus, ME (CFS), Lyme, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer

• advocacy and community: What are the challenges of living in relation to what philosopher Havi Carel calls “social architecture”? What different/alternative communities/illness mentorships exist? How do different illness communities advocate for their specific needs? What role(s) are played by factors like gender, race, religion, sexuality, etc.?

Other topics may include but are not limited to:

• individual experiences and their relation to community activism, advocacy, and social norms

• questions of gender expression, sexuality, and race

• economics and illness; economics and healthcare

• the physical (side effects, immunology)

• psychological/social/temporal frames: “scanxiety”; the scan-to-scan existence; recurrence

• relation to medical establishment

• literal and metaphorical space

• pain: its literary languages and visual representation

• American television drug promotion

• affect and chronicity (prolonged grief disorder, bipolar disorder, etc.)

ISSUE EDITORS:

• NANCY K. MILLER, The Graduate Center, CUNY

• TAHNEER OKSMAN, Marymount Manhattan College

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Scholarly articles should be submitted to WSQ.submittable.com. Upload one Word document that includes the anonymized, complete article. Directly in Submittable, not as an attachment, please write a cover page that includes the article title, abstract, keywords, and a short author bio. Remove all identifying authorial information from the file uploaded to Submittable. Scholarly submissions must not exceed 6,000 words (including un-embedded notes and works cited) and must comply with formatting guidelines at feministpress.org/submission-guidelines. For questions, email the guest issue editors at WSQEditorial@gmail.com.

Artistic works (whose content relates clearly to the issue theme) such as creative prose (fiction, essay, memoir, and translation submissions between 2,000 and 2,500 words), poetry (3 poems maximum per submitter), and other forms of visual art or documentation of performative artistry should be submitted to WSQ.submittable.com. Note that creative submissions may be held for six months or longer. We do not accept work that has been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable if the editors are notified immediately of acceptance elsewhere. Visual artists are also asked to submit a document containing captions for all works (including title, date, and materials), an artist’s statement and a short bio, each 100 words or less. For questions, email the guest issue editors at WSQEditorial@gmail.com.

For works that are difficult to categorize, including those that fall between academic articles and personal narratives or creative essays, please choose the hybrid works option on Submittable, and explain the nature of the work in your cover page. Please especially indicate whether the work requires academic peer review.

All submitters please note that if your submission contains images (including images embedded into a larger article or essay) please include them as separate attachments of 300dpi or more. Please also include a short bio and current email address [all submitters, directly onto the Submittable form, not as an attachment] as well as an artist’s statement and image caption [visual artists] or an abstract and keywords [academic submissions].

ABOUT WSQ:

Since 1972, WSQ has been an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of emerging perspectives on women, gender, and sexuality. Its peer-reviewed interdisciplinary thematic issues focus on such topics as Unbearable Being(s), Pandemonium, Nonbinary, State/Power, Black Love, Solidão, Asian Diasporas, Protest, Beauty, Precarious Work, At Sea, Solidarity, Queer Methods, Activisms, The Global and the Intimate, and Trans-, combining legal, queer, cultural, technological, and historical work to present the most exciting new scholarship, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, and visual arts on ideas that engage popular and academic readers alike. WSQ is edited by Shereen Inayatulla (York College, CUNY) and Andie Silva (York College and the Graduate Center, CUNY), and published by the Feminist Press at the City University of New York. Visit feministpress.org/wsq.

feministpress.org/current-call-for-papers

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BAYARD RUSTIN RESIDENCY

Penington Friends House (New York City)

DEADLINE: March 15, 2025

INFO: Building on the social activist history of Penington’s founders, original board, and later residents, the Bayard Rustin Residency at Penington Friends House (PFH) is envisioned as an ongoing ladder to empowerment for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) working to end Systemic Racism and to create a culture of anti-Racism and intersectional equality in the United States of America. It is also intended to extend and strengthen the wider Quaker witness to equality.

Beginning in September of 2025, this residency will provide up to one year of room and board to a person who demonstrates a strong project that addresses ending Systemic Racism and who has a necessity to be in New York City for up to one year. They will reside at the Penington Friends House located in New York City’s Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Bayard Rustin Resident will demonstrate a need to live in Manhattan. Areas of focus of their work can include activism in the arts, policy change, human rights, community organizing, and other areas of activism focusing on ending racism and strengthening equality. Residents will meet regularly with the Residency Manager and will be expected to share their progress with the New York City community in the form of presentations or workshops.

The resident does not have to be Quaker but their work should be shaped by and in harmony with our tenets of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. The resident will be expected to be a full-time resident of PFH and be participating member of this intentional community. This includes eating chef prepared dinners with the other residents and participating in shared light house chores. ( 1 1/2 hour commitment per week on average.) The Penington Friends House’s approach to living collaboratively may be new to you. We encourage to look at our website and instagram account (@Penington_friends_house) to gain a better understanding of what we are. Feel free to call us as well with questions. We are LGBTQ embracing community. We believe Black Lives Matter. We are always working to be a safe space and an anti-racist community.

Resident selection is made through a BIPOC committee of Quakers and non-Quakers and is based on the strength of the applicants work and proposed project. Final approval of the Bayard Rustin resident is made by the Penington Friends House Residents and staff, in the same interview process that all other residents are approved to live at the Penington. Applicants should note that the Bayard Rustin Resident bedroom is on the 4th floor of an historic Brownstone. An elevator is not available. Bathrooms are shared with other floor residents. This residency covers the cost of rent, boarding (food) provided 5 nights a week, internet, cable, and heat/AC. Limited access ( starting at 3:30PM weekedays) to a studio space may be available. A stipend is NOT currently provided by this residency.

Here are a few types of artists and activists activities that we would be interested in considering. Please contact us before applying if you are not sure your project would fit our call. Questions can be directed to Todd Drake at outreach at penington dot org.

• An artist working on a body of art that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A writer working on a new book, play, screenplay, or collection that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A performer creating a new dance piece that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A community based artist designing or carrying out a community based project that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.

• An activist organizing communities to address racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A social entrepreneur that is starting a non-profit focused on addressing racism and/or intersectional issues.

• An inventor or designer working on solving a problem associated with systemic racism and/or intersectional issues.

• A graduate student that has a strong and well defined anti-racism project that needs support and time to launch.

BACKGROUND: The residency is named after Bayard Rustin who was a Quaker and an attender at 15th Street Monthly Meeting in New York City. This meeting (Quaker house of worship) is next to the Penington Friends House. Rustin worked commitedly for the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He was an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on nonviolence. Rustin was also a chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and a founding member of the Freedom Riders. He was an early advocate for gay rights. Rustin’s later work included a heavy focus on refugee affairs. Rustin served as Vice Chairman of the International Rescue Committee, helped to found the National Emergency Coalition for Haitian Refugees, and was Chairman of the Executive Committee of Freedom House. He died in 1987. In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ( Source rustinfund.org)

We are currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Bayard Rustin Residency. This is our 5th Bayard Residency.

The Bayard Rustin Residency is supported with funds from the Society of Friends (Quakers) New York Yearly Meeting, the New York Quarterly Meeting, the Brooklyn Monthly Meeting, the Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and the Board of Penington Friends House. Donations are currently being accepted.

penington.org/rustin-residency/

FICTION / NONFICTION — JANUARY 2025

ANN FRIEDMAN WEEKLY FELLOWSHIP

Ann Friedman

DEADLINE: January 3, 2025 by 11:59pm PST

INFO: The Ann Friedman Weekly Fellowship is an annual program for nonfiction writers who are not yet established in their careers. It includes mentorship and editing; a $5,000 stipend; regular check-ins to provide structure and accountability; and space in my newsletter where fellows can publish and promote their work. This program is funded by paying members of the Ann Friedman Weekly.

For the 2025 fellowship, I will provide support and accountability to two writers, who will each write and publish a newsletter of their own. Each fellow will come up with an editorial focus (or hone an existing one), create a workflow, and integrate feedback as they build a body of self-published work. I will, of course, welcome conversation about other writing projects and offer broader advice throughout the year. But the newsletter will be their main fellowship focus.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• Who I’m looking for: Nonfiction writers who don’t have (m)any published clips, who aren’t well-connected to editors, who don’t have a substantial social media following. I’m looking for people who are already writing and developing their skills. I invite people from populations that are underrepresented in media to apply. (I know most job listings have a line like this, but I really and truly mean it. Please apply!) For reasons related to scheduling calls and time zones, I am limiting this to writers who live in the United States.

• Compensation: A stipend of $5,000. This fellowship is not a full-time job and will not provide any health insurance benefits. Think of it more like a year-long, highly personalized workshop with steady mentorship.

• Commitment: We’ll do a monthly Zoom check-in, and you will have space in my newsletter at least once a month, too. Your time commitment will be variable, but I think it’s safe to say a few hours per week. I expect you to engage with your fellow fellow (lol) and with me, and to meet the deadlines we set together.

• Why I’m doing this: I’m eager to share what I know about the craft and profession of writing, and I love having colleagues. For more context, read this.

• How to apply: Write me a letter, no longer than one page. In it,

• Tell me a little bit about who you are and the writing you’re currently doing.

• Then tell me about the newsletter you’d like to publish in 2025. It could be a limited series, or an ongoing project you hope to keep up after the fellowship ends. It could be just the germ of an idea, or something you’ve been working on for awhile that needs a refresh. Be as specific as you can.

• Tell me about the nonfiction writing skills you’re most eager to develop in the coming year. (Examples: Conducting great interviews, writing compelling titles/headlines, making the personal resonate more universally.) Put another way: How do you hope to improve over the course of the fellowship year?

• If you have a little space left, briefly tell me about the last thing you read and loved. What was so good about it?

• Title the document “[Your Name] AF WKLY 2025”

• Fill out this form and upload the letter. I will only consider applications submitted through the form.

• TIMELINE: Applications are due by 11:59pm PST on January 3, 2025. This deadline is strict. I will be in touch with all applicants by February 15. Fellowships begin March 3, 2025 and run through the end of the calendar year.

annfriedman.com/fellowship

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SHORT-TERM FELLOWSHIPS FOR WRITERS, ARTISTS, AND OTHER HUMANISTS

Newberry Library

DEADLINE: January 3, 2025

INFO: Newberry fellowships give researchers the time, space, and community required to pursue innovative and ground-breaking projects. Fellows advance scholarship in various fields, develop new interpretations, and expand our understanding of the past.

The Jan and Frank Cicero Fellowship - Offering one month of support for a person working in the visual and performing arts who wishes to advance their artistic practice through the use of the Newberry collection.

• Stipend: $3,000/month

• Length: 1 month

• Who can apply: Artists and performers including (but not limited to) painters, sculptors, choreographers, dramaturgs, creative writers, composers, and others in artistic fields.

The Arthur and Lila Weinberg Fellowship for Independent Researchers - This fellowship is for writers, journalists, filmmakers, visual and performing artists, and other humanists who wish to use the Newberry’s collection to further their creative work. Preference is given to individuals working on projects that focus on social justice or reform.

• Stipend: $3,000/month

• Length: 1 month

• Who can apply: Applicants must be individuals working outside of traditional academic settings.

The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship - Offering one month of support for a person working in the area of historical fiction. We encourage applications relating to a wide range of historical fiction including novels, short stories, plays and theatrical works, or poetry.

• Stipend: $3,000/month

• Length: 1 month

• Who can apply: Writers of historical fiction.

newberry.org/research/fellowships/short-term-fellowships

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: UNTHEMED SUMMER ISSUE

Mizna

DEADLINE: January 6, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: We write this call as the ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza has passed its one year mark. In the midst of catastrophe and on the brink of new waves of fascism, we look towards cultural work— art, writing, music, film, and criticism— as the generative space in which our communities can come together in grief, rage, and solidarity as we redefine and upend our current world order. For this unthemed issue, we continue to encourage work that affirms the necessity of resistance and steadfastness against imposed structures of catastrophe; work that imagines new collectivities, new forms of struggle, new worlds.

We welcome writing which centers Palestine, Armenia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Morocco, Libya, and beyond, places directly affected by the worst of recent imperial devastations. As solidarity with Palestine continues to be met with harsher forms of censorship, doxxing, cancellation of awards and events, expulsion from universities, and firing from professional positions, we also encourage writing from our anti-Zionist comrades as well as those who have been subjected to the aforementioned silencing. While we welcome submissions from former contributors seeking a space for their work in this urgent moment, we also especially encourage submissions from writers who have never been published by us before. 

Mizna has long been a home for literature with innovative, experimental forms, as well as visual art that is published with high quality print production practices. As such, we especially encourage ongoing submissions of visual poetry work, or hybrid works that cross the arbitrary boundaries of genre. In general, literary works of poetry, visual poetry, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, comics, collage, invented forms, and any forms of mixed print or hybrid work will all be considered. 

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Submitters do not need to be SWANA or Arab identified, but work submitted should be considerate of Mizna’s ethos and the social realities of our audiences, as well as aim to contribute to ongoing conversations in and beyond our communities. Submitters may also decide to expand these social realities altogether. We encourage submitters to read back issues of Mizna before submitting work for consideration.

Mizna focuses on debut writing; please submit previously unpublished work. We do not accept visual art submissions. Simultaneous submissions are permissible, though we ask to be notified as soon as possible if the submission is accepted elsewhere. There are no submission fees. Selected contributors receive a $200 honorarium, a one-year subscription to Mizna, and five copies of the issue.

Please include a short cover letter (200 words or less), with a brief overview of the work you are submitting and why you are submitting to Mizna. Include a note disclosing any simultaneously submitted works.

1. Poets should list the poems they are submitting. 

2. Prose submissions should include a brief, 1–2 sentence overview of the submission (e.g., a synopsis if it is a story or narrative essay, or an overview of the argument for more expository essays). Keep in mind that we are a literary magazine.

3. Include a brief (50 words or less) author bio. 

4. Add a maximum of one sentence for any additional information you would like the editorial team to know about the work. 

5. Include contact information: email, phone number, and mailing address.

Please submit as .doc or .docx files. Submitting pdfs is allowable only for pieces with complex layouts. We do not accept other file formats (e.g., .pages). Prose submissions should be double spaced and limited to 5000 words. Please do not send us your term papers or thesis manuscripts for consideration. Poetry submissions should be limited to four poems of any length. Verses exceeding our page width will be treated with a run-over indent.

Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will NOT be considered. Unsolicited submissions sent to our email will be discarded.

COMPENSATION: Selected contributors receive a $200 honorarium, a 1-year subscription to Mizna, and 5 copies of the issue.

mizna.org/journal/submissions/

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WHAT CAN WE DO?

Asian American Arts Alliance (A4)

DEADLINE: January 7, 2024

INFO: What Can We Do? (WCWD?), presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4), is a grant opportunity for artists looking to support the Asian and AAPI communities in NYC with engaging, creative projects rooted in care.

The lingering effects of the pandemics of COVID and anti-Asian and anti-Arab hate – including Islamophobia – continue to be felt today. In response, many mutual aid groups, direct service organizations, and community and business leaders have stepped in to take care of elders and other vulnerable Asian and AAPI community members across the city.

In addition, the ongoing genocide in Gaza has left Palestinian communities feeling unsafe and unsupported. AAPI artists, organizers, and care workers have come together to demand a ceasefire, raise awareness around the conflict in Gaza, and organize campaigns in support of Palestinian American artists and cultural workers who have been censored and banned from opportunities.

WCWD? gives artists a chance to find their place in the care ecosystem either by complementing existing services and offerings, or creating their own.

PROGRAM GOALS: For this program, a minimum of 15 NYC-based artists will be selected as project awardees by A4. Each artist will receive $1,500 to create and carry out ideas to engage, aid, and care for the Asian New Yorker community with a focus on Chinatown, Manhattan; Flushing, Queens; and/or social justice projects focused on the support of NYC-based Palestinian creators and their communities.

The project engagements must be completed within a four-month period (February 4–June 3, 2025).

Projects may take many forms such as performing music for seniors waiting in line at food pantries, leading workshops with youth to create ‘zines that reinforce positive aspects of AAPI culture, or organizing creative activities in support of the Palestinian community. While we prefer projects to be in-person activities, we understand that for safety reasons, projects might need to be virtual. You can review past projects here.

INFORMATION SESSION: An information session for those interested in applying will be held on Tuesday, November 19 from 12:00-1:00 pm ET via Zoom. You can RSVP for the information session here.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Are you a NYC-based artist, community leader, or social justice organizer interested in exploring and/or developing a creative project with the aim to offer care for the Asian community in New York? Do you feel you want to do something about anti-Asian and anti-Arab hate and violence and its effects on the community, but don’t know how to get started? Your skills and talents can make a difference, and we want to hear from you.

What Can We Do? is seeking 15 participants with a range of artistic expression, social justice/social impact expertise, organizing frameworks, and lived experiences.

REQUIREMENTS:

• A resident of New York City & primarily based in New York City during the program period

• Must be at least 21 years of age

• The project must benefit communities in Chinatown, Manhattan (District 1); Flushing, Queens (District 20); and/or social justice projects focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities.

• All disciplines and stages of artistic exploration/developments, activism, community organizing, educational practice, and thought leadership are welcome; No prior organizing experience required

• Demonstrate a willingness or an interest in community work and care for vulnerable populations

• Create or develop an existing or new project that centers community building, healing, reflection, and joy, and not limited to being solely reactionary to moments of crisis or protest

• Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate an intention to build an ongoing relationship and engagement with the community

• Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received the award, but anyone can apply

• The event(s) or project engagement(s) must take place within the four-month period between February 4–June 3, 2025

SELECTION CRITERIA:

After an eligibility screening, the A4 Team will be evaluating and selecting the awardees based on the following criteria:

• Community Impact: Will your proposed project have an impact, and show support, and care to AAPI communities? If your project is focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities, how does it impact the groups most affected by the issue? Do you have existing relationships or a desire to build/deepen relationships with residents of the communities on a long-term basis? Do you have an understanding of issues facing AAPI communities?

• Outreach Strategy: Do you have a clear plan to conduct outreach to community members? If you plan to work with a community organization, does your outreach strategy align with the scope and contents of your project? If your project is focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities, does your outreach strategy align with the goals and values of the movement and focus on local needs?

• Project Development and Creativity: Does your project contain a clear display of innovation, imagination, and/or creativity? Will participation in the WCWD program help you realize or shape your project?

• Ability to Commit and Viability: Is your project achievable given the proposed engagement dates and four-month timeline?

We strive for a balance of geography, populations served, and disciplines. These factors will also be taken into account when the applications are evaluated.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE + TIMELINE:

As part of the program, participants will:

• Carry out their event(s) or project engagement(s) anytime between February 4–June 3, 2025, providing periodical progress updates to A4

• Write and submit a simple, one-page report of their work including 2 photographs, the community they served, its impact, and any next steps

• Present their final project in-person or virtually at the end of the program in a public share out

• Receive an honorarium of $1,500 per awardee; please note that awardees will receive the first half of the honorarium ($750) upon signing the agreement and the second half of the honorarium ($750) upon completion of the final report

The program schedule is as follows:

• November 12, 2024 – Application opens

• November 19, 2024 – Pre-submission Information Session via Zoom (12-1pm ET)

• January 7, 2025 – Deadline for all submissions (by 11:59 pm ET)

• January 21, 2025 – Awardees selected and notified

• February 4–June 3, 2025 – Awardees carry out their projects

• June 5, 2025 – Final reports due

• June 12, 2025 (Tentative) – Public Share Out

This program is presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Special thanks to Council Members Christopher Marte and Sandra Ung. Projects focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities are supported by the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice.

aaartsalliance.org/opportunities/what-can-we-do

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Emerging Boston Art Writing Fellowship

Boston Art Review / Praise Shadows Art Gallery

DEADLINE: January 9, 2025 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: Now accepting applications for the 2025 art writing fellowship!

Presented in partnership with Praise Shadows Art Gallery, the program supports three individuals based in Boston ages eighteen through twenty-one who are interested in expanding their knowledge of the city’s contemporary art community through hands-on experience writing reviews, artist interviews, and exhibition texts while deepening their understanding of the operations behind a commercial gallery. This fellowship is not a traditional internship, but rather a curriculum-based program with learning at the center.

The program is a five-month commitment that begins with a crash course in art writing led by the team at Boston Art Review. In this part of the program (February–March), individuals participate in weekly workshops and field trips to cultivate their writing practices and relationships within Boston’s art community. Fellows will pitch, develop, and complete a project that is published with Boston Art Review in summer 2025.

For the second half of the program (April–May), fellows participate in paid, part-time internships at Praise Shadows Art Gallery in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner. Here, they learn the inner workings of a contemporary art gallery, including marketing and press release writing and engaging with the general public about the work on view.

In addition to workshops with local writers and arts leaders, past fellows have participated in sessions with editors from Triple Canopy and Book Art Review (part of Center for Book Arts) and met with an executive at Higher Ground (the Obamas’ media company). They also heard from Dr. Jovonna Jones, Nakia Hill, Jackie Houton, Jessica Shearer, and visited exhibitions at ICA / Boston, Boston Center for the Arts, and Northeastern’s Gallery 360.

Selected applicants must be available for virtual interviews January 21–23, 2025. The program will begin on February 4, 2025.

If you have questions about the fellowship program please contact Camila Bohan Insaurralde, programs and partnerships manager at camila@bostonartreview.com.

bostonartreview.com/writing-fellowship

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2025 BECHTEL PRIZE 

Teachers & Writers Magazine

DEADLINE: January 10, 2025

INFO: Each year Teachers & Writers Magazine awards the Bechtel Prize and a $1,000 honorarium for an essay describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction. 

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.

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 creative writing 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.

PRIZE: 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. They should include a cover page with the essay title, author’s name, e-mail address, phone number, and a brief bio (no more than 150 words).

• Send submissions in Word or PDF format via Submittable.

• Submissions will be judged anonymously. The author’s name and address must not appear anywhere on the essay.

• Authors of the Bechtel Prize-winning essay and finalists must permit T&W to publish their essays in Teachers & Writers Magazine. T&W reserves the right to edit essays for publication.

• Submissions are only accepted through Submittable.com. Please do not email submissions.

• All submissions that conform to the above guidelines will be considered for general publication. Submissions that do not conform to the above guidelines will not be reviewed for 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. 

Questions regarding these guidelines may be sent to editors@twc.org. Please do not send submissions by email. 

teachersandwritersmagazine.org/bechtel-prize/

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Investigative Reporting Summer Internship

Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting

DEADLINE: January 10, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting is proud to announce that it will partner with news organizations across the country to offer 17 investigative reporting internships to collegiate journalists and recent college graduates during the summer of 2025.

This reflects an increase of six internships from 2024, and that number could grow before the selection process concludes. Two of the internships will be exclusively remote.

The internship places students in paid 10-12 week assignments working alongside investigative reporters and editors at some of the nation’s top news organizations. Students from traditionally underrepresented groups and those attending HBCUs and MSIs are especially encouraged to apply.

The Society will enjoy partnerships with eight returning news organizations and nine new ones.

The 2025 internship sites include renewed partnerships with:

• The Associated Press

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution

• Indianapolis Star

• Los Angeles Times

• Miami Herald

• The New York Times

• USA TODAY

• The Washington Post

New partnerships include:

• The New York Amsterdam News, the first Black Press partner in the internship program’s history.

• Bloomberg News, one of the largest business news organizations on earth with more than 2,700 journalists in more than 100 global bureaus and headquartered in New York, NY.

• The Current, a nonprofit accountability news organization serving the coastal region of Georgia, including Savannah, Brunswick and other communities. It is a part of the Scripps Howard Fund nonprofit newsroom internship program in partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News.

• Dallas Morning News, one of the nation’s top paid-circulation and award-winning newspapers.

• The Kansas City Star, an award-winning daily that is part of the McClatchy news group. 

• Louisville Courier-Journal, a celebrated award-winning newspaper in Kentucky, which is part of the Gannett/USA TODAY Network.

• The Maine Monitor, an independent digital publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, which focuses on investigative and explanatory journalism that impacts residents of that state. It is a part of the Scripps Howard Fund nonprofit newsroom internship program in partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Two internships will be remote:

• The Examination, a globally based independent nonprofit news organization that investigates preventable health threats and seeks to empower communities adversely impacted by harmful industrial products and practices. Its team of journalists is dispersed in such locations as Houston, New York City, Chicago, Mexico City, London, Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and parts of California and the Midwest. 

• Snopes, a fact-checking digital site and internet reference source that researches urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must be members of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting. Join for free at this link.

Rising college juniors, seniors and graduate students, as well as individuals who graduated from college within the past three years with multimedia journalism skills, including print and broadcasting are welcome to apply.

Candidates should be actively involved in campus media or have other news reporting experience and a demonstrated desire to incorporate investigative reporting techniques into their work as they aspire to advance their careers.

The application requires a cover letter, a resume, five work samples and two letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak about your journalistic abilities and would be willing to answer any follow-up questions from the selection committee.

idabwellssociety.org/news/2025-internship-applications-are-now-open/

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Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color

Center for Black Literature

DEADLINE: January 10, 2025

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.

COST: Tuition is $400 for this VIRTUAL retreat. A limited number of scholarships are available, with a written rationale required upon applying.

DATES: The Online Retreat will take place February 20 – 23, 2025, from 10am-3pm each day.

FACILITATORS:

• Ladee Hubbard (Fiction)

• Phill Branch (Creative/Non-Fiction Memoir)

APPLICATION INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS:

The applicant’s submission packet must include a cover letter of introduction that includes:

1. The reason you want to participate in the Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers ofColor.

2. A statement about how you would benefit from this experience.

3. Background information about you as a writer.

4. Brief description of the project you are presently working on (if applicable).

5. A writing sample (up to five pages).

6. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your writing. This will also be a separate upload in the application below.

7. A rationale for a scholarship if you are requesting one. Scholarships are very limited.

OUR BACKGROUND: The Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color (formerly the North Country Institute & Retreat for Writers of Color), began in 2004 as a collaboration with the Center for Black Literature, the English Department at SUNY, Plattsburgh, and the Paden Institute and Retreat for Writers. Today it continues to provide a writing community where established and emerging writers can focus on the craft of writing and create cross-cultural conversations around the literature created by writers of the African diaspora.

Writing fellows have an opportunity to draw upon their experiences as writers in a racialized society; to become knowledgeable about the issues facing other writers of color; and to study with a professional in the genres of fiction, memoir, and poetry.

Recognizing that the Writers Retreat should not be limited to a specific geographical region, the Center renamed the Retreat in honor of Octavia E. Butler, a speculative fiction writer known globally for blending science fiction with African American spiritualism. Butler's writing crossed many boundaries and represented varying diverse voices.

centerforblackliterature.org/wild-seeds-retreat/

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Call for debut novels

Tin House

SUBMISSION PERIOD: January 11 - 12, 2025

INFO: Tin House offers a two-day submission period for writers to submit their work. Eligible writers must not currently have an agent, and must not have previously published a book (chapbooks are okay). Per our schedule below, we accept works of fiction and poetry, both originally in English and in translation (please only submit translation projects which the translator has already been granted formal permission to translate), and ask that you do not send us a project unless you have a completed draft.

In particular, we are looking to engage with work by writers from historically underrepresented communities, including—but not limited to—those who are Black, Indigenous, POC, disabled, neurodivergent, trans and LGBTQIA+, debuting after 40, and without an MFA.

tinhouse.com/book-submissions

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2025 Memoir and Autobiographical Writing Workshop

Lewis Latimer House Museum

APPLICATIONS DUE: January 13, 2025 (Participants will be notified by January 27, 2025)

INFO: Queens, New York is known as the most diverse county in the United States. As our country grapples with issues of race and immigration in real time, the stories from our borough have an important role to play. The Lewis Latimer House Museum is pleased to present this fully funded opportunity to the writers of Queens!

Join our six-session writing workshop on memoir and autobiographical writing focusing on themes of race and immigration. We will dive into student work from day one, finding our voices, developing characters, creating context and backdrop, and honing our narratives. Everyone will have the opportunity to have their pieces reviewed in workshop three times, and will leave the course with a refined, voice-driven piece of personal writing.

Open to writers of all levels of experience.

INSTRUCTOR: Abeer Hoque

CLASS SIZE: 8 writers

COST: Free--All participants in the workshop will receive a scholarship from Lewis Latimer House Museum

WHEN:

*Participants must commit to all dates listed below.

• Pre-workshop meet-up (in-person): Saturday, February 8, 12:00 p.m. -- 1:00 p.m.

• Six Saturdays (virtual): March 8, March 22, April 5, April 19, May 3, May 17, 2:00 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m.

• Public reading (in-person): Saturday, May 31, 2:00 p.m. -- 4:00 p.m.

WHERE:

• Six workshop sessions via Zoom. Links will be shared with participants.

• In-person meet-up and public reading at Lewis Latimer House Museum.

lewislatimerhouse.org/events/2025memoirwritingapplication

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2025 EARLY CAREER ARTIST RESIDENCY - FOR MN + NY ARTISTS

Anderson Center at Tower View

DEADLINE: January 14, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency Program offers month-long residency-fellowships at Tower View to a cohort of emerging artists from Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City for concentrated, uninterrupted creative time to advance their personal artistic goals and projects.

Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency is an ideal fit for early-career artists in need of focused time and dedicated space in an inspiring residency work environment that empowers them take risks, embrace challenges, and utilize unconventional approaches to problem-solving.

Thanks to generous support from the Jerome Foundation, selected emerging artists receive a $625/week artist stipend, documentation support, art-making resources, lodging & studio space, a travel honorarium, groceries, and chef-prepared communal dinners.

Anderson Center is an artist community founded in 1995 on the Tower View estate, a venerable research-and-development lab for the arts rooted in an expansive natural setting in rural Red Wing, MN (approximately 1-hour outside the Twin Cities metro).

The Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency is geared toward generative art making, as well as exchange across an interdisciplinary cohort. The program is well suited for vocational early-career artists in pursuit of time, space, and resources to truly commit to a project and explore new creative territories. Critiques, studio visits, and formal professional development are not offered.

The Anderson Center seeks to support emerging writers and artists with an uncompromising drive to create new work at Tower View in September 2025 that demonstrates significant potential for cultural and community impact, is technically accomplished, and engages diverse communities. The organization also believes that the environment and resources of Tower View, along with an exchange of ideas between artists working across disciplines, can serve as a catalyst for new inspiration and innovative directions for the work emerging artists create while in residence.

TO APPLY:

The application deadline for the Anderson Center's 2024 Early Career Artist Residency Program is Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 12 p.m. Noon, Central Standard Time. Applications must be submitted on or before the deadline in order to be considered in the jury review period. There is no fee for applying to this residency program.

Jury review will take place in late January and early February. Applicants will be notified by Feb. 7 as to the status of their application. A phone interview process with finalists will take place in late February following a second round of jury review. Selected artist residents, wait-list and runners-up will be notified by March 4, 2024.

ABOUT ANDERSON CENTER: Anderson Center nurtures a vibrant artist community based at Tower View, an expansive Historic Site and natural area in Red Wing, Minnesota. Founded in 1995, the Anderson Center has renovated and restored Tower View's historic buildings to support working artists and the creative process, including developing twenty-two active studio spaces and three galleries. A renovated barn serves as a performance and event venue, the historic main residence houses artists-in-residence, and fifteen acres support a sculpture garden. 

Anderson's signature Artist Residency Program, together with the Studio Artist Program, forms the core of the organization's artistic community. The Residency Program provides artists, writers, musicians, and performers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment with dedicated time and space to create, advance, or complete new work. In addition to community engagement activities through the artist residency program, the organization's additional outreach programs create connections and integrate the arts into community life through local partnerships, hosting annual arts events, and participating in other community-based initiatives.

ABOUT JEROME FOUNDATION: The Jerome Foundation, founded in 1964 by artist and philanthropist Jerome Hill (1905-1972), honors his legacy through multi-year grants to support the creation, development, and presentation of new works by early career artists. The Foundation makes grants to vocational early career artists, and those nonprofit arts organizations that serve them, in all disciplines in the state of Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City. The Jerome Foundation is generously providing support for the Anderson Center’s Emerging Artist Residency Program.

LOCATION: Anderson Center is located on the 350-acre historic Tower View campus, built by scientist & farmer Dr. Alexander Pierce Anderson between 1915 and 1921, on the western edge of Red Wing, Minnesota, and its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center features a large sculpture garden, and is adjacent to the Cannon Valley Trail, a 20-mile biking and walking trail that runs from Cannon Falls to Red Wing. The Center is 45-60 minutes southeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Transportation is provided between the Center and the Twin Cities airport on the first and last day of residencies only. Artist Residents that choose to drive will have access to private parking on the property.

The community of Red Wing, Minn., (pop. 16,000) is nestled amidst the scenic bluffs of the upper Mississippi River.

DEFINITION OF “EARLY CAREER”: While Anderson Center’s general Artist Residency Program hosts artists with a wide range of talent and experience, its Early Career Artist Residency Program exclusively focuses on meeting the specific needs of artists who are in the early stages of their artistic development and career.

Anderson Center’s goal is to support artists early in their careers who create work that is and/or has the potential to be:

• Compelling—offering distinctive vision and authentic voice;

• Deeply considered, imaginative, and executed with attention to craft and with technical proficiency, providing artistic experiences that communicate unique perspective/s, and invite viewers to question, discover, explore new ideas in new ways;

• Innovative and risk-taking—engaging, questioning, challenging or re-imagining conventional artistic forms.

Anderson Center defines an early career artist as someone in the early stages of their creative development with 2-10 years of generative experience, and:

• have a focused direction and goals, even while still developing their artistic “voice”

• have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field, the media, funding circles or the public at large

• are vocational (as opposed to avocational, academic, amateur or educational) artists

Artists who have been in the field for longer than 10 years (excluding any time in a degree-granting program; as a dancer in work created by others; remounting the work of other choreographers; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances–e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized. Age is not a factor in determining emerging artist status.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES:

The four primary eligibility guidelines for Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency are:

1. Legal residency in the State of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City.

2. Not enrolled in any degree-granting program from time of application through residency period.

3. Self-identification as an “early career artist” with 2-10 years of generative experience in the field

4. An artistic practice centered in generating and creating entirely new work.

Minnesota or New York City artists - Artists must currently be legal residents of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City and have been residents for at least one year prior to the submission of an application. Artist did (or will) file US federal taxes as a resident of Minnesota or New York City. Account address in Submittable must be within MN or NYC. Selected artists will be required to provide proof of Minnesota or New York City residency before a residency is formally offered. Artists must have a US Social Security Number or US Tax ID.

No students - Students enrolled in any degree-granting program from the time of application through the residency period are not eligible to apply for an Early Career Artist Residency at the Anderson Center (this includes any and all K-12, technical school, college, graduate, postgraduate, ABD studies). There are no exceptions to this eligibility criterion. If an artist is pursuing a degree-granting program in some form, they are not eligible. Please do not contact Anderson Center staff regarding technical situations or special edge cases around student status. This program supports vocational artists, not students. No matter the specifics or details, if an artist can be considered a student of a degree-granting program in any way, they are simply not eligible.

“Early Career Artist” Status – Eligible artists self-identify as an “early career artist” and are in the early stages of their creative development with 2-10 years of generative experience. The Anderson Center’s goal is to serve a spectrum of artists typically in their 2nd to 10th year of creative practice, post-student status (if applicable). This spectrum is framed by artists with some track record of creating and presenting full work (not beginning artists), and artists who are NOT at a point in their careers where they receive consistent development and production opportunities and significant recognition, awards, and acclaim (not mid-career or established artists).

Artists who have been in the field for longer than 10 years (excluding any time in a degree-granting program; as a dancer in work created by others; remounting the work of other choreographers; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances–e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized.

Age is not a determining factor. Career stage is assessed by the cumulative number of years an artist has been generating their own work. Mid-career or established artists shifting from one artistic discipline to another will not be considered early career. For example, a composer with a substantial career in music who is now moving into film will not be considered early career.

Anderson Center has defined the 2–10 year span recognizing that some artists may experience enormous success and move past early career status well before their 5th year or 10th year. The organization recognizes that the number of opportunities afforded to artists may differ significantly based on discipline, race/ethnicity, class, gender, physical ability, and geography among other factors. Consequently, some artists may be past their 10th year and still be on the spectrum of early career status due to taking time out of active artistic practice for school or other circumstances. The Anderson Center understands that the lack of an absolute or rigid definition leaves room for interpretation but embraces this flexibility out of our value around diversity and in recognition of the many variables that impact artists’ careers.

New Work – Eligible artists are generating and creating entirely new work (rather than interpreting, translating, arranging, copying, remounting pre-existing work or the work of others). Generative artists are those who conceive and create new original work (e.g., choreographers, composers, playwrights and devisers, filmmakers, writers, visual artists, etc.). This program does not support artists who solely perform or develop/produce the work of others (e.g., dancers, musicians, actors, editors, journalists, etc.).

Collaboratives - Artists that are part of an artistic collective, partnership, or collaborative are welcome to apply, but collaborative residencies are also rare. The program is extremely competitive, and space is simply limited. Each artist must also complete their own application form. Obviously, each application will repeat things and have much overlap. That is OK. In the work plan for in each application, highlight that artist's contribution / skills, while making clear the collaborative nature of the project.

Notes - Artists of all disciplines are eligible and are encouraged to apply. Applications must be submitted through the Anderson Center’s online webform via Submittable.

Please direct any questions regarding early career artist status and eligibility requirements directly to Anderson Center at Tower View staff at 651-388-2009 or info@andersoncenter.org.

APPLICATION: A completed application form includes a brief artist statement, a work plan, an early career statement, work samples, and a resume or CV. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the panel. You may begin your application, leave and return as many times as necessary to complete the form PRIOR to clicking the submit button at the bottom of the completed form. Important: do not submit your application form until you are completely finished editing as your application will be finalized at that time.

If you are a prior resident of the Anderson Center, you must wait one year from the time of your residency to apply again.

The Artist Statement, provides an opportunity for you to share, in 100 words or less, a brief statement or summary about your past and current work.

The Resume, CV, or Biographical Statement is a Word or PDF document that shows education, work experience, publications, awards, and previous residency experience. 3 pages maximum.

The Work Plan is a one page Word or PDF document that clearly and concisely describes what you are working on and what you’d like to accomplish at the Anderson Center. Successful applicants address how the timing, location, and cohort-based model of the residency would benefit their practice. Artists may also mention how specific amenities or resources at the Anderson Center (such as the surrounding natural environment, specific studio spaces or equipment) would advance their work. The statement can be single-spaced.

An Early Career Statement addresses, in 250 words or less, your status as an emerging artist or early-career artist. How would participating in this program impact or advance your practice as an early career artist? In what ways would this program meet your needs as an early career artist? Why is this residency important to this stage of your career path? How do you identify as an early career artist? 

Work Samples should be of recent work and should include:
     · For composers and musicians: 3 recordings
     · For visual artists: At least 5 images of work (300 dpi or larger)
     · For nonfiction and fiction writers: 10 pages of double-spaced prose
     · For playwrights & screenwriters: 10-page excerpt (does not need to be from the beginning)
     · For poets: 10 pages of poetry
     · For translators: 10 pages of translation and original text
     · For performance artists: 3 short video excerpts of performances (no videos longer than 5 minutes)
     · For filmmakers: at least 3 short film clips (no videos longer than 5 minutes)
     · For Scholars: 10 pages of work, including research abstracts and relevant diagrams

If you are an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary artist, you may "split the difference" on the work sample guidelines above at your own discretion. For example, including 5 pages of writing and 3 images, etc. 

Likewise you may also choose to simply submit a PDF or Word Doc with hyperlinks to work samples that meet the guidelines outlined above.

Regarding work samples, please put yourself in the shoes of a jury panel member. Make it easy for them to review your best work first. Yes, give the jury various ways to go deeper or experience more if they are motivated but focus first on presenting only your strongest work samples in the most compelling way possible. Please contact staff if you have questions about work samples, but reflecting on the jury and the many applications they have to review & score can serve as a helpful guide in deciding what to include, how much to share, how long it can be, and how to present it.

DURATION OF RESIDENCY: The Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency Program is a 4-week residency-fellowship the month of September 2025. Selected artists must commit to arriving on September 2 and departing on September 29. September is the only month the program takes place.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Each artist-in-residence receives:

• $625/week artist stipend

• Travel honorarium ($550 for New Yorkers and $150 for Minnesotans)

• $450 documentation budget (services for photography, video, audio, etc.)

Evening dinners are prepared and presented by the Anderson Center chef Monday through Friday. The chef also shops for meal items for artist residents, and residents are responsible for preparing their own breakfasts and lunches, and meals over the weekends. There are also housekeepers who clean and maintain the historic facilities.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Each resident is provided room, board, and workspace for the length of the residency period in the historic Tower View residence. Visual artists are provided a 15' x 26' studio and are responsible for supplying their own materials.  Other workspaces on site include a dark room, and a print studio (with a Vandercook 219 letterpress and a Charles Brand-like etching press) for printmakers with demonstrated experience. Practice space is also available for dancers, choreographers, and musicians. Composers are provided with access to a 1904 Steinway piano and a Royale grand piano.

Residents have access to the many walking trails on campus and to the Cannon Valley Trail, which goes through the Anderson Center’s property. Bicycles are also provided. Residents have responded to many different aspects of the gorgeous Tower View campus through their work, including composers sampling natural sounds and visual artists harvesting plant materials to create site-specific natural inks.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The program is set-up to minimize distractions and other obligations so that artists have every opportunity to fully focus on their work. However, the Anderson Center was one of the first artist residency programs in the country to require that residents give back to the local community and connect with area residents & organizations through community engagement activities.

Staff work with artists to facilitate and customize at least one hour of mutually beneficial exchange with the Red Wing community that helps foster connection and greater a sense of place.

Within the last few years, Anderson Center residents have connected with schools in five area communities (ranging from elementary through college), senior centers, correctional or detention facilities, community organizations serving children and families, and community organizations serving adults. Residents have also engaged individuals from all walks of life through public workshops, events, discussions, and artful interventions -- both at the Anderson Center or in the community of Red Wing.

PROGRAM MISSION & VALUES: As an interdisciplinary arts organization, the Anderson Center embraces artists who are diverse in every way. Since its inception, the organization has intentionally worked with artists representing a wide range of disciplines, with the belief that the exchange of ideas is generative. The residency program supports artists from around the world, representing a wide range of cultures, races, sexual identities and genders. The Center strives to bring people and ideas together and operates with a spirit of welcome for all.

SELECTION TIMELINE:

• January 14, 2025 (12:00 p.m. Noon CST) – application deadline

• February 7, 2025 – Jury has selected Round 2 applications. All artists are notified of the status of their application.

• February 25, 2025 – Jury has determined finalists. Phone interviews with finalists begin.  

• March 4, 2025 – Final notification to selected artists, wait-list and runners-up

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Selection criteria include (in order of importance):

1. Artistic excellence as demonstrated by work samples, resume and artist statement

2. Potential benefit and impact on career as demonstrated by work plan

3. Balance of artistic disciplines, identity, geography, etc within selected cohort

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Anderson Center provides equal opportunity for all people to participate in and benefit from the activities of the Center, regardless of race, national origin, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, in admission, access, or employment. The Anderson Center staff is willing to do what they can to accommodate residents with disabilities. Please call before applying to discuss special needs.

theandersoncenter.submittable.com/submit

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2025 ANDERSON CENTER RESIDENCY

Anderson Center at Tower View

DEADLINE: January 14, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: Anderson Center nurtures a vibrant artist community based at Tower View, an expansive Historic Site and natural area in Red Wing, Minnesota. Founded in 1995, the Anderson Center has renovated and restored Tower View's historic buildings to support working artists and the creative process, including developing twenty-two active studio spaces and three galleries. A renovated barn serves as a performance and event venue, the historic main residence houses artists-in-residence, and fifteen acres support a sculpture garden.

Anderson's signature Artist Residency Program, together with the Studio Artist Program, forms the core of the organization's artistic community. The Residency Program provides artists, writers, musicians, and performers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment with dedicated time and space to create, advance, or complete new work. In addition to community engagement activities through the artist residency program, the organization's additional outreach programs create connections and integrate the arts into community life through local partnerships, hosting annual arts events, and participating in other community-based initiatives.

ELIGIBILITY: The Anderson Residency Program is open to early career, mid-career, and established visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, multidisciplinary artists, musicians, performance artists, scholars, and translators from across the globe. The program is interdisciplinary and the organization welcomes applications from a wide range of creative and intellectual genres, including those that don't fit neatly into the above list.

To be considered, artists must submit an application through the Anderson Center’s online form via Submittable. Complete program details are below. Please contact the organization at 651-388-2009 or info@andersoncenter.org for any questions.

DURATION OF RESIDENCY: For the 2025 season, the Anderson Center is offering 2- or 4-week residency sessions during the months of August and October. Preference is generally given to 4-week residencies. That said, 2-weeks sessions are possible. There is a 48-hour turnover between residency sessions, no matter their duration, to allow time for housekeeping. Specific start and end dates are listed in the application form. Please plan your requested residency dates carefully. Provide as much detail as possible regarding your availability, as that information is incredibly helpful in assembling cohorts and organizing the waitlist.

September 2024 residencies are reserved for the organization’s Early Career Artist Residency.

2025 SCHEDULING & AVAILABILITY:

Each season the Anderson Center hosts a limited number of artists through its various exchanges, fellowships, and dedicated programs that reduce the number of spots available for artists submitting materials for this General Residency program opportunity. In 2025 exterior renovations to the residence limit the residency options to the months of August and October.

Availability as of September 2024:

• August 2025 - Four 4-week spots (or eight 2-week spots); space for 4-6 artists depending on duration. 

• October 2025 - Three 4-week spots (or 6 2-week spots); space for 3 – 5 artists depending on duration.

In general, for months that incorporate 2-week sessions, no fewer than four artists–and no more than six artists would be scheduled for 2-week residencies within that month.

Due to the competitiveness of the program, the organization's goal is to be upfront and transparent about the availability for the General Residency program in 2025 in an effort to help you make a decision about whether this year is the best time to submit an application. Again, please contact us if you have any questions or need further clarification here.

LOCATIONThe Anderson Center is located on the 350-acre historic Tower View campus, built by scientist & farmer Dr. Alexander Pierce Anderson between 1915 and 1921, on the western edge of Red Wing, Minnesota, and its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center features a large sculpture garden, and is adjacent to the Cannon Valley Trail, a 20-mile biking and walking trail that runs from Cannon Falls to Red Wing.

The Center is 45- 60 minutes southeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Transportation is provided between the Center and the Twin Cities airport on the first and last day of residencies only. Artist Residents that choose to drive will have access to private parking on the property. The community of Red Wing, Minn., (pop. 16,000) is nestled amidst the scenic bluffs of the upper Mississippi River.

APPLICATION: A completed application form includes a brief artist statement, a work plan, work samples, and a resume or CV. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the panel. You may begin your application, leave and return as many times as necessary to complete the form PRIOR to clicking the submit button at the bottom of the completed form. Important: do not submit your application form until you are completely finished editing as your application will be finalized at that time. If you are a prior resident of the Anderson Center, you must wait one year from the time of your residency to apply again.

The Artist Statement, provides an opportunity for you to share, in 100 words or less, a brief statement or summary about your past and current work.

The Resume, CV, or Biographical Statement is a Word or PDF document that shows education, work experience, publications, awards, and previous residency experience. 3 pages maximum.

The Work Plan is a one-page Word or PDF document that clearly and concisely describes what you are working on and what you’d like to accomplish at the Anderson Center. Successful applicants address how the timing, location, and cohort-based model of the residency would benefit their practice. Artists may also mention how specific amenities or resources at the Anderson Center (such as the surrounding natural environment, specific studio spaces or equipment) would advance their work. The statement can be single-spaced.

Work Samples should be of recent work and should include:

• For composers and musicians: 3 to 5 recordings

• For visual artists: At least 5 images of work (300 dpi or larger)

• For nonfiction and fiction writers: 10 pages of double-spaced prose

• For playwrights & screenwriters: 10-page excerpt (does not need to be from the beginning)

• For poets: 10 pages of poetry

• For translators: 10 pages of translation and original text

• For performance artists: 3 short video excerpts of performances (no videos longer than 5 minutes)

• For filmmakers: at least 3 short film clips (no videos longer than 5 minutes)

• For Scholars: 10 pages of work, including research abstracts and relevant diagrams

If you are an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary artist, you may "split the difference" on the work sample guidelines above at your own discretion. For example, including 5 pages of writing and 3 images, etc. 

Likewise you may also choose to simply submit a PDF or Word Doc with hyperlinks to work samples that meet the guidelines outlined above.

Regarding work samples, please put yourself in the shoes of a jury panel member. Make it easy for them to review your best work first. Yes, give the jury various ways to go deeper or experience more if they are motivated but focus first on presenting only your strongest work samples in the most compelling way possible. Please contact staff if you have questions about work samples, but reflecting on the jury and the many applications they have to review & score can serve as a helpful guide in deciding what to include, how much to share, how long it can be, and how to present it.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Each resident is provided room, board, and workspace for the length of the residency period in the historic Tower View residence. Visual artists will be provided a 15' x 26' studio and are responsible for supplying their own materials. Other workspaces on-site include a dark room and a print studio for professional printmakers (with a Vandercook 219 letterpress and a Charles Brand-like etching press). Practice space is also available for dancers, choreographers, and musicians. Composers are provided with access to a 1906 Steinway piano and a Royale grand piano.

Dinners are prepared and presented by the Anderson Center chef Monday through Friday. This chef also shops for groceries for artists-in-residence. Residents are responsible for preparing their own breakfasts and lunches, and meals over the weekends. There are also housekeepers who clean and maintain the historic facilities.

Residents have access to the many walking trails on campus and to the Cannon Valley Trail, which goes through the Anderson Center’s property. Bicycles are also provided. There is a very basic home gym in the residence. Residents have responded to many different aspects of the gorgeous Tower View campus through their work, including composers sampling natural sounds and visual artists harvesting plant materials to create site-specific natural inks.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The program is set-up to minimize distractions and other obligations so that artists have every opportunity to fully focus on their work. However, the Anderson Center was one of the first artist residency programs in the country to require that residents give back to the local community and connect with area residents & organizations through community engagement activities.

Staff work with artists to facilitate and customize at least one hour of mutually beneficial exchange with the Red Wing community that helps foster connection and greater a sense of place.

Within the last few years, Anderson Center residents have connected with schools in five area communities (ranging from elementary through college), senior centers, correctional or detention facilities, community organizations serving children and families, and community organizations serving adults. Residents have also engaged individuals from all walks of life through public workshops, events, discussions, and artful interventions -- both at the Anderson Center or in the community of Red Wing.

PROGRAM MISSION & VALUES:

"This stay is particularly suitable for artists who want to devote themselves intensively to the realization of a concept. Here you can devote yourself to artistic work undisturbed and far away from everyday worries." - Eva Möseneder, 2012 resident

Anderson Center’s goal is for connections participating artists make with one another, as well as connections made with other creatives and community members, to outlast the duration of their residency visit. The organization believes that the environment and resources of Tower View, along with an exchange of ideas across disciplines, can serve as a catalyst for new inspiration and innovative directions for the work artists create while in residence.

As an interdisciplinary arts organization, the Anderson Center embraces artists who are diverse in every way. Since its inception, the organization has intentionally worked with artists representing a wide range of disciplines, with the belief that the exchange of ideas is generative. The residency program supports artists from around the world, representing a wide range of cultures, races, sexual identities and genders. The Center strives to bring people and ideas together and operates with a spirit of welcome for all.

SELECTION TIMELINE:

• January 14, 2025 (12:00 p.m. Noon CST) – application deadline

• February 7, 2025 – Jury has selected Round 2 applications. All artists are notified of the status of their status.

• March 5, 2025 – Final notification to selected artists, wait-list and runners-up

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Selection criteria include (in order of importance):

1. Artistic excellence as demonstrated by work samples, resume and artist statement

2. Potential benefit and impact on career as demonstrated by work plan

3. Balance of artistic disciplines, identity, geography, etc within selected cohort

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Anderson Center provides equal opportunity for all people to participate in and benefit from the activities of the Center, regardless of race, national origin, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, in admission, access, or employment. The Anderson Center staff is willing to do what they can to accommodate residents with disabilities. Please call before applying to discuss special needs.

theandersoncenter.submittable.com/submit

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CALL FOR FICTION SUBMISSIONS

Shenandoah

SUBMISSIONS OPEN: January 15, 2024

INFO: Submissions will be considered by Editorial Fellow Anes Ahmed. Here’s what he’s looking for:

“For the curation of my issue, there will be no themed call, as I personally find themes somewhat restrictive. Rather I seek all types of fascinations, panoramas and menageries. But, if it is of any value, I find myself chronically obsessed and drawn towards subversion, lingual and historical experimentations, as well as certain archetypes within prose—the destructive despot, the vanishing artist, the beautiful revolutionary, the anti-flaneur employee, the lost citizen, the consequential progenitor, the animate insentience, & the brief lover. Additionally, stories whose settings, characters, and telling exists outside the mythological container that is America are particularly welcome. The ideal word count would be 3,000 to 4,000 words, but if you’re a rule breaker like me, you’ll break whatever rules necessary to tell the full truth of your story.”

www.instagram.com

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CAI EMMONS FICTION AWARD

Red Hen Press

DEADLINE: January 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: To honor the life and enduring legacy of beloved novelist Cai Emmons, who published three novels through Red Hen Press (Weather Woman, Sinking Islands, and Livid) and who passed away with dignity on January 2, 2023 after a hard-fought battle with ALS, Red Hen Press is proud to announce the Cai Emmons Fiction Award.

We are so grateful to Cai and her family for choosing to endow this award to keep Cai’s spirit and love of life-changing fiction alive.

We are looking for a fresh and original story of fiction with a minimum of 150 pages. The awarded fiction manuscript is selected through an annual submission process which is open to all authors.

AWARD DETAILS:

• $5000

• Book publication by Red Hen Press

• Judge: E.P. Tuazon

Notes: Name on cover sheet only, with a 25,000-word minimum (approximately 150 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font). Entries will be accepted via Submittable only.

GUIDELINES:

The award is open to all writers with the following exceptions:

• Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press;

• Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press;

• Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors;

• Relatives or individuals having a personal or professional relationship with any of the final judges where they have taken any part whatsoever in shaping the manuscript, or where, for whatever reason, selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety.

PROCEDURES + ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material.

Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.

Red Hen Press is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

For questions or to withdraw a submitted entry, please contact editorial@redhen.org.

redhen.org/awards/cai-emmons-fiction-award/

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OPEN CALL: 2025 BIPOC ART RESIDENCY

Ma’s House

DEADLINE: January 15, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Ma’s House’s Artist-In-Residency program is open to US-based creatives of color working in any genre of visual art, creative writing, and performance arts.

We encourage resident artists to pursue work that relates to or is inspired by Shinnecock’s history, the local landscape, community based work, and critical engagement in issues of diversity, race, and identity.

E:IGIBILITY - The Ma’s House Artist Residency is open to national and international BIPOC artists 21+ years of age. A variety of disciplines are accepted including, but not limited to: visual arts, media/new genre, performance, architecture, film/video, literature, interdisciplinary arts, and music composition. Solo artists are a eligible to apply. 

Applicants will be chosen based on project proposals, artistic merit, feasibility/logistics of the residency, and how the artist will benefit from working at Ma’s House and Shinnecock.

RESIDENCY LENGTH - Residencies will be scheduled by mutual agreement between accepted resident artists and Ma’s House year-round.

Residencies can be a minimum of a weekend and a maximum of two weeks. Artists from federally recognized tribes may apply for up to six months.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS - Residents will be required to participate in a minimum of one public program during their stay (open rehearsals, workshops, studio visits, lectures, or artist talks).

Engaging with or researching Shinnecock artists, east-end artists, and local art institutions  is strongly recommended before arrival.

RESIDENCY COSTS - There is no fee to apply or fee to attend. Residents will be responsible for their own groceries and meals.

Thanks to the Creatives Rebuild New York grant, we are grateful to offer $250.00 per week honorariums for visiting artists. (Or about $35.70 per day if staying more or less than a week)

RESIDENCY EXPERIENCE - Ma’s House is located in a quiet and remote part of the Shinnecock Reservation. Applicant artists should expect a retreat-style residency.

The lead artist of Ma’s House (Jeremy Dennis) also lives at Ma’s House.

SHINNECOCK INDIAN NATION - Ma’s House & BIPOC Artist Residency is located on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation, a sovereign self-governing nation in Southampton, NY.

The residency presents a privilege of being a guest of the nation. We ask that you be respectful to our community by respecting the privacy and space of others on the reservation and to not wander alone through the territory. 

TRANSPORTATION, RESIDENCY CAR, & LOCATION - Ma’s House is located on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton, NY (about two hours from NYC).

Resident artists traveling from NYC have the option of using the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Hampton Jitney, or drive with their own vehicle. We can arrange for pickup and drop off at the train station or bus stop in Southampton.

As of 2023, we now have a donated vehicle dedicated to resident artist use. Resident artists may use public transit or drive their own car to Ma’s House and decide to use our vehicle. Resident artist will be asked to fill out an additional car usage form and car use is restricted to a one hour radius drive around Ma’s House and no overnight trips with the vehicle.

Uber, Lyft, and car rentals are available nearby.

FACILITIES - Ma’s House has an assortment of woodworking tools, basic art materials including tempera paints, brushes, scissors, colored pencils, crayons, glue sticks, hot glue guns, exacto knives, assortment of beads, and more.

At the moment we do not have a ceramic kiln, metal working tools, 3d printing, or a formal dance platform, but hope to one day!

THE HOMEBODY FELLOWSHIP - Announcing an open call fellowship for QTBIPOC artists based in the San Francisco Bay Area for the Artist Residency Program at Ma’s House! Two chosen artists will be awarded an unrestricted $750 during the residency which spans 2-4 weeks at Ma’s House on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton, NY.

This opportunity is made possible by the Homebody Fund, a small donor-advised fund at East Bay Community Foundation, resourcing POC—especially QTPOC—spiritual/healing spaces that support community leadership and cultural transformation in decolonial movements for liberation, especially in the East Bay Area.

.mashouse.studio/residency/

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REGULAR READING PERIOD

Ploughshares

DEADLINE: January 15, 2025 at noon EST

INFO: Ploughshares welcomes unsolicited submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction during our regular reading period. The literary journal is published four times a year: blended poetry and prose issues in the Winter and Spring, a prose issue in the Summer, and a special longform prose issue in the Fall. Our Spring and Summer issues are guest-edited by different writers of prominence.

Guest editors are invited to solicit up to half of their issues, with the other half selected from manuscripts submitted to the journal and screened for them by staff editors. This guest-editor policy, which we have used since our founding in 1971, is designed to introduce readers to different literary circles and tastes, and to offer a fuller representation of the range and diversity of contemporary letters than would be possible with a single editorship.

MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES:

We accept up to 6,500 words of prose, and 1-5 pages of poetry. 

If you are submitting to our Fall Longform issue, we accept up to 15,000 words. Please note that past Longform issue contributors may not be published again in a future Longform issue. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained, and translations are welcome if permission has been granted by the original author. 

Queries to the Look2 Critical Essay series are welcome (see guidelines here).

It would be much appreciated if you kept the following in mind when submitting your work:

• Typed, double-spaced pages. (Single-spacing is welcome for poetry).

• Numbered pages.

• If in hard copy, submit with text on one side of the page.

We do not consider:

• Unsolicited book reviews and criticism.

• Previously published work. If your submission is part of a forthcoming book, let us know in your cover letter and the expected publication date.

• Work written by individuals currently affiliated with Ploughshares or Emerson College as a volunteer screener, intern, student, staff member, or faculty member.

We cannot accommodate revisions, changes of return address, or forgotten SASEs. We cannot be responsible for delay, loss, or damage.

COVER LETTERS:

We encourage you to include a short cover letter with your submission. It should reference:

• Major publications and awards.

• Any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor.

• Past publication in Ploughshares.

CONTRIBUTOR HONORARIUM:

Payment is upon publication:

• $45/printed page, $90 minimum per title, $450 maximum per author.

• Two contributor copies of the issue.

• A discounted rate for additional contributor copies.

• A one-year subscription.

SIMULTANEOUS VS. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS:

We do not consider multiple submissions, so please send only one manuscript at a time, either by mail or online. Do not send a second submission until you have heard about the first. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are welcome as long as they are identified as such and we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. 

If you are working on submissions with an agent, or are an agent submitting work on behalf of an author, please read our note on simultaneous submissions with an agent.

SUBMIT ONLINE:

Submit via our online submission manager. 

If this is your first time submitting, please fill out the submission form first, then click “Add to Cart.” You will then be prompted to create an account on our website.

• There is a $3.75 service fee for online submissions (current subscribers may submit online without charge). This is not a reading fee.

• Upload your submission as a Word (.doc, .docx), rich-text format (.rtf) file, or PDF. No .Pages, .txt, or Open Office Documents.

• Upload only one file containing one prose piece or one to five pages of poems.

• Type or paste your cover letter into the provided “Cover Letter” field.

• From the drop-down genre menu, be sure to select the appropriate genre of the work you are submitting. Please select “Longform” for longform submissions, regardless of genre.

FREE ONLINE SUBMISSIONS:

Subscribe to Ploughshares and submit online for free. You may subscribe here. If you are a current subscriber, you will still be prompted to checkout, but you will not be required to enter your credit card information and will not be charged.

SUBMIT BY MAIL;

We greatly prefer digital submissions, but you may mail submissions to:

Ploughshares
Emerson College
120 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02116-4624

• Mail your manuscript in a page-size manila envelope with your full name and address written on the outside (at least an inch down from the top, to account for USPS barcodes).

• Identify the genre of your manuscript on the outside of the envelope.

• You must include your email address in your cover letter.  All manuscript replies will be sent via email, and we cannot process a mailed submission without a corresponding email address.

• If you are an incarcerated writer and do not have access to an email address, please provide the email address of a trusted individual or indicate in your cover letter that you do not have access to email. 

• If you would like your full manuscript to be returned, indicate this in your cover letter and ensure that you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with adequate postage.

• We cannot return manuscripts to international addresses, even with IRCs.

• There is no service charge for mail submissions.

Unsolicited work sent directly to a guest editor’s home or office will be ignored and discarded; guest editors are formally instructed not to read such work.

ACCESSING YOUR SUBMISSIONS:

You can view the status of your current submission as well as a list of your past submissions at any time by logging in to your account and clicking “My Submissions.”

NOTIFICATIONS + QUERIES:

Expect three to five months for a decision (our backlog is heaviest during the fall and spring). We receive well over a thousand manuscripts a month, so please be patient. We accept queries after five months have passed. Queries as well as withdrawal notifications should be sent via email or the mail. They should include:

• Your name.

• The date, genre, and title of the submission.

• Whether the submission was sent by mail or online.

• A SASE, if you send your query via mail.

pshares.org/submit/journal/

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Short Story Contest

Driftwood Press

DEADLINE: January 15, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

INFO: Driftwood Press is currently open for submissions to its Short Story Contest.

To alleviate wait times on your end, we will be declining and accepting submissions as we read them. All submissions accepted will initially be given runner-up status. In April or May, one of the runner-ups will be awarded the Grand Prize.

Winner and runner-ups will be published in our annual anthology.

​AWARDS: ​​

• The Grand Prize winner will receive $400 USD and five copies of the issue in which the story appears. The winner will also have the opportunity to be interviewed about their work; the interview will be published alongside the story.

• Runner-ups will be offered publication, an accompanying interview, $200 USD, and one copy of the issue in which their work appears.

GUIDELINES:

• Fiction only.

• 1,000-5,000 soft word limit.

• A standard, 12-point font and single-spacing is preferred.

• The work must not have been previously published.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please withdraw the work if the story has been accepted elsewhere.

• Submit works written in English only, no translations.

• Please submit your manuscript in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.

• We read submissions anonymously, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself. All work is considered by two editors.

• While AI may be useful as a researching tool, we do not accept AI generated submissions.

• Each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press fiction title of their choosing in the mail. 

driftwoodpress.com/storycontest

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MACDOWELL FELLOWSHIP: FALL/WINTER 2025-2026

MacDowell

APPLICATION PERIOD: January 15 - February 10, 2025

INFO: The Fellowship application period for Fall/Winter 2025-2026 residencies at MacDowell will open on January 15, 2025.

MacDowell encourages artists to apply in any stage of their career, and from all backgrounds and countries. We invite applications in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. If your proposed project does not fall clearly within one of these artistic disciplines, contact the admissions department for guidance at admissions@macdowell.org.

MacDowell has no residency fees, and to defray expenses that accrue during an artist’s stay, we provide need-based stipends to cover rent, utilities, childcare, and lost income from taking time off from employment, as well as reimbursements for travel to and from the residency.

Fall/Winter residencies will take place between September 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

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VCCA RESIDENCIES

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

DEADLINE: January 15, 2024

INFO: Residencies can be transformative to an artist’s process and the effect on an artist’s career profound. A residency at VCCA gives artists the time and space to explore and go deeper into their work. Away from the constraints of “the real world” and in an accepting environment of talented peers, one can dream and create with the feeling that anything is possible.

VCCA’s Mt. San Angelo location in Amherst, Virginia, typically hosts 360 artists each year in residencies of varying lengths (no minimum; up to six weeks) with flexible scheduling. A residency at Mt. San Angelo includes a private bedroom with private en-suite bath, a private individual studio, three prepared meals a day, and access to a community of more than 20 other artists in residence.

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, VCCA is surrounded by natural wonders and hiking trails. Many local sites and additional inspiration can be found in short drives to Lynchburg (20 minutes), Charlottesville (1 hour), Roanoke (1.5 hours), or Richmond (2 hours).

FULLY FUNDED RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIPS:

The following fully-funded fellowships are available for the Fall 2025 residency period at Mt. San Angelo.

50TH ANNIVERSARY FELLOWSHIPS FOR ARTISTS OF COLOR

Eligibility: Artists of color who have not previously been in residence at VCCA
Opportunity: Residency of up to two-week at Mt. San Angelo 
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

ALONZO DAVIS FELLOWSHIP

Eligibility: American writers, visual artists, and composers of African or Latin American descent
Opportunity: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo; $500 honorarium
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

EDITH LEONIAN WORDS AND MUSIC COLLABORATIVE FELLOWSHIP

Eligibility: Two artists working together on an artistic project combining words and music
Opportunity: Two-week collaborative residency at Mt. San Angelo; $500 honoraria
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

ALISON LURIE MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP

Eligibility: Female-identifying fiction writers
Opportunity: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

SARA PENNYPACKER FELLOWSHIP

Eligibility: Composers creating substantive work for children
Opportunity: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo; $500 stipend
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

STEVEN PETROW AND JULIE PETROW-COHEN LGBTQ+ FELLOWSHIP

Eligibility: Writers in any genre who self-identify as LGBTQ+
Opportunity: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

RICHARD S. AND JULIA LOUISE REYNOLDS POETRY FELLOWSHIP

Eligibility: Poets
Opportunity: Three-week residency at Mt. San Angelo
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

MARIAN TREGER FELLOWSHIP FOR ENDURING CREATIVITY

Eligibility: Female-identifying fiction writers, screenwriters, or visual artists, emerging in mid-life and beyond, whose creative paths may have been detoured or hindered by chronic health conditions or disabilities
Opportunity: Two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo; $400 stipend
Residency available: September 1 – December 31, 2025

LEARN MORE

vcca.com/apply/fully-funded-fellowships/

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TRANSLATION PROJECT FELLOWSHIPS

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

DEADLINE: January 16, 2025

INFO: Through fellowships to published translators, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) supports projects for the translation of specific works of prose, poetry, or drama from other languages into English. The work to be translated should be of interest for its literary excellence and merit. We encourage translation projects that feature languages, perspectives, and writers that are not well represented in English, as well as work that has not previously been translated into English. The NEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and fostering mutual support for the diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups.

Applying for a federal grant can be time consuming. We estimate that after registering, the process to draft and submit an application takes approximately 12 hours. Competition for fellowships is rigorous. Potential applicants should consider carefully whether their work will be competitive at the national level.

ELIGIBILITY: Individual U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who meet specific publication requirements are eligible to apply. To determine eligibility, review the complete list of requirements in the Grant Program Details document linked below.

An individual may submit only one application for FY 2026 Literature Fellowships funding. You may not apply for both a Translation Project at this deadline (January 16, 2025) and a Creative Writing Fellowship in Prose at the March 2025 deadline. See more information about the Creative Writing Fellowships program to determine which opportunity is the right fit for your literary work.

Funding is not available in this category for organizations.

FUNDING LEVEL: Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $25,000. Award amounts are determined by the National Endowment for the Arts.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Applications for Translation Fellowships are accepted annually.

• Panel Review - Spring/Summer 2025

• National Council on the Arts Meeting - Late October 2025

• Notifications - December 2025

• Earliest Project Start Date - January 1, 2026

GRANT PROGRAM DETAILS + INSTRUCTIONS:

• Grant Program Details: This document includes a detailed description of the grant program, eligibility information, award information, an application calendar, application review details, FAQs, and federal award administration information. Review this information before you decide to apply.

• Application Instructions: This document contains step-by-step instructions for assembling and submitting a complete application, including filling out the required Application for Federal Domestic Assistance—Individual form (SF-424), and creating the additional required application materials. Review this information while preparing your application.

HOW TO APPLY:

Submitting an application is a multi-step process. Detailed instructions on how to complete and submit the required application materials can be found in the Application Instructions PDF above.

1. REGISTER with Login.gov and Grants.gov, or renew/verify these registrations. See the Grant Program Details document linked above for more information about how to register.

2. SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

   Clicking the link below will take you directly to the pre-populated application package in Grants.gov. See the Application Instructions document linked above with detailed instructions for preparing and submitting your application materials.

arts.gov/grants/translation-project-fellowships

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Winter/Spring '25 Guest Residency

Woodward Residency

DEADLINE: January 10, 2025

INFO: Applications are now open for our Winter/Spring '25 Guest Residency in Ridgewood, Queens.

ELIGIBILITY: Established/emerging artists and creative professionals in the fields of literary arts, design, music, and multi-disciplinary arts are encouraged to apply.

Please note that art forms that generate fumes (such as oil painting) cannot be accommodated. Also, with the exception of our piano residents who can use headphones, our space is best suited to less cacophonous artistic pursuits.

AWARD BENEFITS:

• Access to the building from 9AM-5 PM, Monday through Friday for the duration of your Guest Residency.

• Guest Residents will work in the communal Great Room, with library etiquette.

• Open invite to weekly tea and cake gatherings, and occasional work shares and evening parties.

• A supportive and engaged community of working creatives.

WORK SAMPLES + PERSONAL STATEMENT: Recent work samples and your personal statement should reflect your commitment to your work and clarify how the residency would benefit your work at this time. Please see our application for specific guidelines.

REFERENCES: Please provide the contact info of at least one professional and one personal reference (excluding family members or significant others).

If you are new to your field of interest and don’t have a professional reference to speak to your current creative pursuits, you are welcome to provide a reference from someone in another field who has worked directly with you.

RESIDENCY SESSION: Feb 10— June 20, 2025

EVALUATION PROCESS: A rotating panel of arts professionals will review all applications with the intent of supporting both established and emerging artists. Panelists include novelists, filmmakers, performance artists, literary agents, film/theater producers.

Selection criteria includes originality, commitment to your proposed field of work, interest in community, and demonstrated need for a work space.

We have limited space for Guest Residents and encourage all applicants to reapply if they don’t get a spot in the upcoming session.

NOTIFICATION: All applicants will be notified at least two weeks in advance of the start of their requested residency session.

woodwardresidency.co/guestresidency

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MVICW Fellowships

Martha’s Vineyward Institute of Creative Writing

DEADLINE: January 19, 2025 at 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: MVICW is committed to providing financial support to writers through our fellowship program. Our fellowships offer parent-writers, writers of color, educators, queer-writers, vineyard writers, and authors/poets with financial needs the opportunity to attend our Summer Writers’ Conference every year. Through generous donations, we are able to offer a wide range of  full and partial registration fellowships!

VOICES OF COLOR FELLOWSHIPS:

We are proud to announce the Leonard A. Slade, Jr. Poetry Fellowships for Writers of Color (established 2018) to honor poets of color, and The Voices of Color Fellowships (established 2017) to honor prose writers of color. The fellowships assist MVICW with our commitment to expanding the American literary canon by promoting voices from a wide array of cultural backgrounds, and to increasing philanthropic support for writers of color in the arts. Application for these fellowships is open to all writers of color, ages 18 and older.

Two Full Fellowship Winners (one prose and one poetry) will receive the Full Attendance Package to the MVICW Summer Writers' Conference which includes registration, lodging, and a manuscript session.

Please note: We only announce the names of our first place winners on social media and in our public announcements. Finalists will not be announced.

PARENT-WRITER FELLOWSHIPS:

We are proud to announce the MVICW Parent-Writer Fellowships (est. in 2016 thanks to support from The Sustainable Arts Foundation). Writers who are also parents have increased difficulties in making time for their writing. Our Parent-Writer Fellowships are intended to give parents both the time and financial support to devote a week to themselves and their writing at MVICW. These fellowships offer funding to attend programs held by the Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. Application for these fellowships is open to anyone who has a child age 16 or younger living with them.

QUEER-WRITER FELLOWSHIPS:

Established in 2019, these fellowships assist with our commitment to increasing philanthropic support for LGBTQIA+ writers and expanding the American literary canon. Application for the fellowships is open to all queer-identified writers, ages 18 and older.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME IN THE TITLE, FILE NAME, SUBMISSION, OR LETTER OF INTEREST. Submissions will be judged anonymously.

• For Poetry Submissions: Letter of Interest (approx. 750 words): Please tell us about who you are as a person and an artist. We'd like to hear about your life, your artistic career, and your creative work. If you have specific needs (financial or creative) which would be met by this award please outline them in your letter.

Submit your single best poem (1-3 pages max)

• For Prose Submissions: Letter of Interest (approx. 750 words): Please tell us about who you are as a person and an artist. We'd like to hear about your life, your artistic career, and your creative work. If you have specific needs (financial or creative) which would be met by this award please outline them in your letter.

Submit one short story OR one flash fiction piece OR novel excerpt OR creative non-fiction entry. (The submission should not exceed 3,000 words)

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• You are welcome to submit more than one piece by submitting them separately and paying the submission fee for each entry.

• The entry must be submitted in English and must be your own original work.

• You may submit new or previously published material. As the manuscripts will not be published/reprinted, the author retains all rights to the work.

• There is no restriction to style, content, or genre.

• You must be a writer of color.

• You must be 18 years old or older on the day the retreat begins to enter.

• The submission must not include your real or pen name or any information that identifies you in any way.

• You must submit before midnight on the deadline date.

• Previous First Prize Fellowship & Contest Winners (who attended the in-person conference) are not eligible to apply. However, second-place winners and all virtual conference winners are eligible.

DETAILS ON AWARDS AND RULES:

Full fellowship recipients will receive registration, lodging, and a manuscript session for the MVICW Summer Writers’ Conference. The lodging for full fellowship recipients is a triple room with two other attendees at MVICW lodging. If a private room is preferred, the winning writer may choose to pay the difference. The prize does not include lodging outside of MVICW shared-lodging, but the winner may choose to forfeit the lodging stipend and arrange for their own accommodations on the island. The awards do not cover air/travel to the island or food/personal expenses.

You are not eligible to enter the competition if you are (a) our employee or independent contractor of MVICW; (b) a family member (spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren) of our employees; (c) a judge involved in the competition, including any reviewer who participates in selecting the nominees and finalists; (d) a close friend of the judge so that the judge can identify your work; (e) a previous MVICW full fellowship/first place contest winner. However, first place winners of our Virtual Conference Fellowships are eligible to apply in hopes of winning attendance to our in-person conference.

We will notify potential winners via telephone or email. If potential winners decline the prize or fail to respond within seven (7) days after the first contact, the winners will be deemed to forfeit the prize and MVICW has the right to select alternate potential winner(s) in their place.

mvicw.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Virtual Summer Retreat

Abode Press

DEADLINE: January 31, 2025

INFO: Starting June 8th, 2025, Abode Press is returning with our virtual retreat experience! With the success of our first retreat, we are coming back bigger and better than ever with more weekly offerings and two new cohorts: speculative fiction and one additional poetry cohort. We will also have workshops available in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, and attendees will also be able to attend 2-3 craft talks and lectures throughout the week (x2 as much than our first retreat).

Most retreat experiences are costly, tending to be upwards to $2000. At Abode, we are working tirelessly to increase accessibility for writers to attend much needed spaces to work on their craft and build connections without compromising their livelihood. This is why the retreat will only cost $250-$400 (sliding scale), but because of this low price, applicants will be selected based off the strength of their application and alignment with our press.

Applications will open via Submittable from December 15th to January 30th. It is FREE to apply (though we do appreciate donations!) and applicants will be notified of acceptance in mid-March. All funds will go towards paying our presenters, press operations, and paying Retreat admins.

FACULTY:

• Nonfiction Faculty Leader: KB Brookins is a Black queer and trans writer, cultural worker, and visual artist from Texas. KB’s chapbook How To Identify Yourself with a Wound won the Saguaro Poetry Prize, a Writer’s League of Texas Discovery Prize, and a Stonewall Honor Book Award. Their debut poetry collection Freedom House won the American Library Association Barbara Gittings Literature Award and the Texas Institute of Letters Award for the Best First Book of Poetry. KB’s debut memoir Pretty released in May 2024 with Alfred A. Knopf. Follow them online at @earthtokb.

• Speculative Fiction Faculty Leader: Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya is a lesbian writer of essays, short stories, and pop culture criticism living in Orlando. Her queer horror novelette Helen House (Burrow Press) was named one of the Best LGBTQ Books of 2022 by NBC News. She is the managing editor of Autostraddle and the former managing editor of TriQuarterly. Her short stories appear in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Catapult, The Offing, Joyland, Foglifter, and others. Some of her culture writing can be found in The Cut, The A.V. Club, Vulture, Refinery29, and Vice, and she previously worked as a restaurant reporter for Eater NY. She was a 2023-2024 Tin House Reading Fellow and a 2023 Lambda writer in residence. Her fiction will be featured in the upcoming anthology Be Gay, Do Crimes, out from Dzanc Books in 2025.

• Short Fiction Faculty Leader: Stephanie Macias is a musician, writer, and artist based in Austin, TX. She has been performing since 2000. From 2011 to 2018 she performed under the name Little Brave. She has an MFA from the New Writers Project at the University of Texas. Her stories have been a finalist for the Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction and longlisted for the DISQUIET Prize. Her work has appeared and is forthcoming in Brink, No Tokens, Southern Humanities Review, and more. Between the years of 2003 and 2016, she made her living as a touring singer-songwriter, an illustrator, a photographer, and a painter. She is the managing editor at American Short Fiction and is currently working on a novel and a collection of short stories.

• Poetry Faculty Leader: mónica teresa ortiz is a poet, memory worker, and critic born, raised, and based in Texas. Their work has appeared in Scalawag Magazine, The Tiny, Mizna, and the Brooklyn Rail. Their poetry collection, Book of Provocations (Host Publications) was published in 2024. Find them on Instagram @ridingwiththepoet. They call for the liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea, and believe empire will fall in our lifetime.

• Poetry Faculty Leader: Ariana Brown is a queer Black Mexican American writer and the author of We Are Owed. (Grieveland, 2021) and Sana Sana (Game Over Books, 2020). A national collegiate poetry slam champion, Ariana holds a B.A. in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies, an M.F.A. in Poetry, and M.S. in Library Science. She lives and works in Houston, TX, where she teaches creative writing to teens. She has been writing, performing, and teaching poetry for over a decade.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

• Since it is free to apply, we ask that applicants only apply to one genre to help lessen the reading load.

• ​For fiction/speculative fiction/nonfiction, only one story, 4,000 words max.

• For poetry, three to five poems, no more than 10 pages.

• ​Once admitted, you can workshop a manuscript different from the one you applied with.

• ​In addition to the writing sample, the application asks for an author bio and artist statement.

• ​Applicants must be 21 years of age by March 1st, 2025 to apply.

• International writers are welcome to apply as long as the dates/times for the workshops work for your schedule.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

One person from each cohort will be granted a partial scholarship. In order to apply for this, all you must do is click "Yes" to the scholarship question on the Submittable application.

COST + DATES:

At Abode Press, we work tirelessly to provide accessible and affordable opportunities to writers at all stages. This is why we are pricing our virtual retreat at a reasonable cost. Please note that this means that all applicants who apply should be able to pay the Retreat cost. One partial scholarship will be granted to one person from each cohort, but all applicants should only apply if they can attend the Retreat.

Application Fee: Free! (Though donations are appreciated.)

Cost: $250 - $400, sliding scale. $250 is recommended for writers in need, and if writers are able, they are encouraged to pay more on the scale as this allows for fair pay towards presenters, admins, increasing Retreat offerings, and so much more.

Dates:

Mandatory Workshop Dates from 11am-2pm CST

• Sunday, June 8th

• Sunday, June 15th

• Sunday, June 22nd

• Sunday, June 29th

Please note, throughout the week attendees will have access to 2-3 weekly lectures, craft talks, and more from workshop leaders and renowned writers. There will also be multiple open mic opportunities for attendees to read their works, and friends and family are encouraged to attend! A comprehensive guide of Retreat Programming will be provided to accepted attendees.

If you have additional questions, please email us at info@abodepress.com

abodepress.submittable.com/submit

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Money for Women: Nonfiction + Poetry

Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Inc.

DEADLINE: January 31, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: In 2025, Money for Women will award grants in the categories of Poetry and Nonfiction. We are delighted again to offer individual grants up to $2000 to individual feminist women in the arts with primary residence in the US and Canada.

WE WELCOME:

• Applications from feminist writers and visual artists who are women (cis, transgender, or nonbinary) and:

• Exhibit high quality and originality in their work.

• Use feminism as their central interpretive lens.

• Value both personal and political changes that promote freedom and agency for women.

• Validate differences that intersect with gender such as race, ethnicity, and class.

• Express an inclusive vision of social justice while focusing on justice for women.

WE ARE INTERESTED IN:

Projects that are well underway and for which you have substantial work to show. Translation projects are eligible. Please take time to carefully read the guidelines and application form on Submittable.

WE DO NOT AWARD:

Film, video, theatre, dance, music, or performance projects. Scripts and musical compositions are also not eligible. We do not award work which is or will be self-published, or work that is generated by AI without acknowledgment or artistic rationale. We do not give loans or provide money for educational assistance, work on dissertations, or research (except research to be used in writing a book). We do not provide funds for the cost of editing services, business projects, or emergency money for people in need. We rarely give money to groups.

Former grantees must wait three years before reapplying.

MATERIALS FOR YOUR APPLICATION:

Below are the materials you will need to submit:

• Project description (max. 400 words)

• Budget (Click here for sample budgets)

• Description explaining why you are applying to a feminist fund (max. 100 words)

• Resume (max. 2 pages)

PROJECT SAMPLES: Poetry and Nonfiction - Submit 10-15 pages, using 12-point type. Please paginate and include your name and project title in the top right corner of each page. Double-space for fiction and nonfiction submissions.

demingfund.org/apply-pd-11.php

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The Avery Review Essay Prize 2025

The Avery Review

DEADLINE: January 31, 2025

INFO: The Avery Review, a journal of critical essays on architecture published by the Office of Publications at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, invites submissions for its eighth annual Essay Prize. The call is open to current students (undergraduate and masters) and recent graduates, whether in schools of architecture or elsewhere (eligibility details below). In keeping with the mission of the journal, we hope to receive submissions that use the genres of the review and the critical essay to explore the urgent questions animating the field of architecture. We’re looking for essays that test and expand the author’s own intellectual commitments—theoretical, architectural, and political—through the work of others.

We plan to award one first-place prize ($4,000) and three second-place prizes ($2,000) across the various categories of eligible participants. The winning essays will be published in our June 2025 issue.

Submissions should use the Chicago Manual of Style’s note and shortened notefootnote formatting, with complete citation information. Images should be submitted separately from your Word file as jpegs. Whether a pitch for a review or a long-form think piece, we welcome your thoughts—with the simple request that they critically engage the work of someone else. Please send all submissions, queries, and comments to editors@averyreview.com.

averyreview.com/submissions

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VERMONT WEEK

Vermont Studio Center

DEADLINE: January 31, 2024

INFO: For one week in May, 30 talented, Vermont-based, artists and writers are the recipients of a week-long, fully funded fellowship to be in residence at Vermont Studio Center. In addition to a studio, private lodging, and wonderful, locally sourced meals, residents have access to Vermont Studio Center’s renowned Visiting Artist and Writer program which provides residents with studio visits, consultations, and manuscript reviews.

Vermont Week is for artists and writers who have been a resident of Vermont for a minimum of one year. For additional information visit VTWK FAQ.

Vermont Week 2025 - May 5 to May 12

• Monday, May 5 - Arrival Day

• Wednesday, May 7 - Visiting Writer Reading with Carolyn Kuebler

• Thursday, May 8 - Visiting Artist Talk with Misoo Bang

• Sunday, May 11 - Vermont Week Open Studios, 2 to 4pm

• Monday, May 12 - Departure Day

vermontstudiocenter.org/vermontweek2025

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Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing 2025–26

Stadler Center for Poetry & Literary Arts at Bucknell University

DEADLINE: February 1, 2025

INFO: Named for Bucknell's renowned literary alumnus and initiated in the fall of 1993, the Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing offers up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book in any literary genre. The residency provides lodging in Bucknell's "Poets' Cottage" and a stipend of $5,000.

In the spring semester of 2025, the Stadler Center will accept applications for the 2025–26 Roth Residences (Aug.–Dec. 2025 and Jan.–May 2026). The application deadline for both residencies is Feb. 1, 2025. Please note: The Roth Residency is now open to writers in ANY literary genre: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, hybrid works, graphic fiction, etc.

bucknell.edu/academics/beyond-classroom/academic-centers-institutes/stadler-center-poetry-literary-arts/programs-residencies/philip-roth-residence-creative-writing

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LITERATURE GRANT

Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC

DEADLINE: February 3, 2025 (or if we reach our limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first)

INFO: The world is a story and the writer, the story teller. In writing stories we are trying to make sense of our world by seeking what is real, by rejecting what is false, and by exercising the greatest of our mortal gifts in pursuit of the immortal.

DESCRIPTION: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction and poetry.  

SUBMISSIONS: To ensure that each submission receives the attention it deserves we will be only accepting 40 application for each of our categories.

AMOUNTS: Up to $10,000.00  

ELIGIBILITY:

• Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction and poetry.

• The applicant must be the originator of the written materialS.

• Grants will not be made for the purpose of research only. 

• Grants will not be made for equipment.

• Writers applying applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

Grants awarded in this category may fund costs associated with continuing the composition of work submitted. Such as:

• Course Reduction (if you're a Teacher/Professor)

• Salary Replacement

• Living Expenses

• Research Expenses

• Travel Research Expenses

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Up to and no more than a 15 page PDF of the work, for the Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection and Executive Committee to download and read. Please make sure your links are correct and not password protected. If they are not correct or have password protection your application will be declined and not reviewed by the Selection Committee.

• A short description of the project.

• A short author biography of the person(s) involved.

• Budget must not exceed the amount of $10,000.00.

• List of costs of how you plan to use the grant funds.
  (Please review our lists of Approved and Ineligible Budget Items for Literature Grant Funds, located below)

• Travel and Research costs within the United States must demonstrate a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.

• You may not apply for International Travel and Research Costs.

• If you are hiring fact checkers / editors / research assistants please be aware that we prefer that individuals providing these services are located in the NYC area.

• Writers applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

• We ask that the completion of your manuscript is no sooner than 90 days after this application's due date (no sooner than May 4, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than March 24, 2026).

• Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.

• You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.

REVIEW PROCEDURES: The Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection Committee Judges will review and score all applications. The top five scored applications will move to a next round and will be reviewed Executive Committees. In recognition of the time, effort, and professional expertise that our Selection Committee Judges devote to the grant selection process, Café Royal Cultural Foundation provides a stipend to honor their commitment.

The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant application:

• Creativity, originality, ideas and concepts, writing style

• Importance of the Project/Cultural Relevance

• Promise of future achievements in writing

  Please note you do not need to have a publisher to apply for this grant.

GRANT APPLICATIONS: 
We accept applications all year round, please view our submission dates in our Grant Schedule.

We ask that the completion of your manuscript is (no sooner than May 4, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than March 24, 2026).

caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page

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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: TRANSLATION COLUMN

The Margins / AAWW

DEADLINE: Rolling

INFO: The Margins seeks work from writers for an ongoing monthly column on language, culture, and translation from Asia. We consider Asia as an umbrella term that encompasses all of its regions (South, Southeast, East, Central, and North Asia, and SWANA) and the many diaspora communities of Asians all over the world.

We welcome essays, hybrid works, translations, and translator’s notes that engage with Asia’s literature, cultures, subcultures, languages, and diasporas. We are also interested in works that grapple with the concept of the Transpacific, colonialism, history, and empire, especially as they relate to language and translation.

We pay all writers and translators. Please refer to our rate sheet for more details.

Examples of work we’re interested in:

• Translator’s notes: Essays on the philosophy, craft, and art of translation

• Translator’s diaries: Writings about the experience and choices for a particular book in translation

• Essays and translations of essays on languages and multilingualism

• Essays on power and empire as they relate to translation

• New translations/re-translations of essays by important Asian scholars, thinkers, philosophers, and revolutionaries

• Reportage on the writing, reading, publishing, and translation culture of a particular place

• Photo essays about bookstores and literary salons in Asia or that feature Asian literature

• Interviews with independent publishers, writers, artists, and thinkers in Asia or the Asian diaspora

Some examples of what we’re looking for:

• I Make Myself a Channel

• Inside a Japanese Feminist Publishing House and Bookstore: An Interview with etc.books

• Van Runcit Putih | Neighborhood Sundry Van

• Two Rohingya Lullabies

• Sugar on the Gash

Send pitches of up to 500 words or finished pieces from 1,000-2,500 words to Soleil David, senior editor, at translation@aaww.org. For translations into English, translator must have already obtained permission from the copyright owner.

We read submissions year round and in all languages spoken and read in Asia. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know via email if your pitch/essay has been accepted elsewhere. Writers can expect a reply within three to four months.

aaww.org/submissions-translation-column/

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CALL FOR AUTHORS

Vanderbilt University Press

DEADLINE: Rolling

INFO: Vanderbilt University Press acquires books in the areas of Latin American and Hispanic studies; global and public health; human rights and civil rights; anthropology; history and postwar studies; and studies of race, class, gender, and sexuality. We also publish books with a regional focus on Tennessee and the South, including, for example, books on Nashville and country music.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Initial inquiries about potential book projects should be queried to the acquisitions department via email. We do not accept full manuscripts until requested. First, ensure that VUP publishes in the disciplinary area that your project represents.

If that is the case, please send a cover letter and book proposal that includes the following:

• A short book abstract

• A brief but detailed statement outlining the manuscript’s arguments, themes, and significance to the field

• A table of contents that clearly summarizes the content and structure of each chapter

• Assessment of the work’s fit with existing literature, comparison with published books on the topic, and discussion of the intended audiences and market for the book

• Statement of the anticipated word count of the manuscript; plans for tables, figures, or other illustrations; and schedule for completion

• Sample chapter (optional)

• Curriculum vitae

• If your manuscript is based on a dissertation, please discuss how the material and research has been developed, reframed, or otherwise revised. VUP does not publish unrevised dissertations.

• If your manuscript is an edited collection, please include information about each of the contributors and note if any of the chapters are previously published.

• If your manuscript is a translation, please describe why the author’s work warrants translation into English, as well as any and all information on rights to the work and the book’s history in its native language.

Keep a file or a copy of your proposal materials. We do not return proposals. Please do not call the Press to inquire about the status of your proposal or manuscript. We review all material received, and you will be contacted when a decision has been made. We aim to communicate whether a proposed project is being pursued further no more than eight weeks after the receipt of the proposal.

For more information about specific series initiatives, visit our Series page.

vanderbiltuniversitypress.com/resources/submission-guidelines-for-prospective-authors/

FICTION / NONFICTION — DECEMBER 2024

LITERARY ARTS GRANTS

South Arts

DEADLINE: December 4, 2024

INFO: As part of its Literary Arts Initiative, South Arts is excited to announce grants for literary arts projects for writers and publishers. These grants deepen our commitment to amplifying literary traditions and practices of the American South through directly funding the initiation, development, and completion of literary arts projects in poetry, fiction, creative or literary nonfiction, young readers’ literature, and drama (playwriting and screenwriting).

Literary Arts Grants will be made to writers, independent literary publishers, and small presses: 

• LITERARY ARTS GRANTS FOR WRITERS: South Arts will award literary grants up to $5,000. Applicants (writers or organizations) must apply through Salesforce and include writing samples and other required attachments specified in these Guidelines.

• LITERARY ARTS GRANTS FOR PUBLISHERS: South Arts will award literary arts grants up to $5,000 to support Southern independent publishers and small presses. Applicants must apply through Salesforce and include the publisher’s representative work samples and other required attachments as specified in these Guidelines. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Deadline to Apply: 12/4/2024

• Awards Announced: February 2025

• Funding Cycle: March 1, 2025 – August 30, 2026 (18 months)

The award announcement may be earlier or later than the date listed above, depending on the number of applications and judging process.

Applicants who are not selected for an award will receive notification via the email on their application form before the award announcement.  

South Arts reserves the right to not consider incomplete or improperly submitted applications without informing the applicant.  

Judges do not communicate any information or details of their review. Given the volume of applications received, South Arts cannot provide individual feedback on the application and from the panel.

Applicants who move from the South Arts Region after they submit their application are encouraged to notify South Arts and will not be eligible to receive a grant award. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

ELIGIBLE ENTITIES

• All applicants are eligible to receive only one grant award.

• Current, full-time resident or Headquartered in the South Arts Region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, The Carolinas, Tennessee) both at the time of application and at receipt of the award.

For Writers

• One application per artist or arts organization per funding cycle will be accepted.

• Applicant artists must be 18 years of age or older.

• Applicant artists must not be enrolled in a literary arts/writing academic program at time of application and at receipt of award.

• Current, full-time residents for at least the prior 12 months s of the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, The Carolinas, Tennessee) both at the time of application during the project period.

• Works authored by more than one person are ineligible.

For Literary Arts Organizations

• For Publishers: Independent nonprofit publishers and small presses including journals.

• Based in the South Arts Region for at least the prior 12 months (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, The Carolinas, Tennessee) both at the time of application and during the project period.

• Other non-profit organizations with a literary arts mission.

INELIGIBLE ENTITIES

• Units of government

• Colleges/Universities are ineligible to apply for this grant.

UNALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES

• General operating support. 

• Support for a full season of programming. 

• Courses or coursework in degree-granting or continuing education institutions. 

• Literary publishing that does not focus on contemporary literature and/or writers. 

• Publication of books, exhibition of works, or other projects by the applicant organization's board members, faculty, or trustees. 

• Projects for which no curatorial, juried, or editorial judgment has been applied to the selection of artists or art works. 

• Social activities such as receptions, parties, galas, community dinners, picnics, and potlucks. 

• Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any associated costs are unallowable; generally, this includes activities at venues such as bars, wineries, and breweries where the consumption of alcohol/social activity is the primary purpose of the venue. 

• Awards to individuals or organizations to honor or recognize achievement. 

• Commercial (for-profit) enterprises or activities, including arts markets, concessions, food, t-shirts, artwork, or other items for resale. This includes online or virtual sales/shops. 

• Construction, purchase, or renovation of facilities.

• Sub-granting or regranting.

UNALLOWABLE COSTS

• Cash reserves and endowments. 

• Startup costs or other costs associated with establishing new organizations. 

• Alcoholic beverages or other hospitality costs. 

• Purchase and/or use of gift cards and gift certificates to support project costs.

• Gifts and prizes, including cash prizes as well as other items with monetary value (e.g., electronic devices, gift certificates).

• Contributions and donations to other entities, including donation drives.

• General miscellaneous or contingency costs. 

• Fines and penalties, bad debt costs, deficit reduction.  

• Marketing expenses that are not directly related to the project.  

• Audit costs. 

• Rental costs for home office workspace owned by individuals or entities affiliated with the applicant.

• The purchase of vehicles.

• Costs incurred before the beginning or after the completion of the official project period. 

MATCHING REQUIREMENTS

All grants require a 2:1 cost share. South Arts matches $2 for every $1 the applicant contributes towards project costs.

Grants will pay up to 2/3 of the total cost of the opportunity, with a maximum award of $5,000. The applicant must cover remaining expenses, and South Arts requires a 2:1 match (2 South Arts: 1 grantee). Artists may include their own cash in the match. Examples:  

1. Total Project Cost- $6,000, the applicant can request up to $4,000 and contribute the remaining $2,000 of funds through a combination of their own cash and other contributions. 

2. Total Project Costs are $15,000:  The applicant can request up to $5,000 and contribute the remaining $10,000 of funds through a combination of their own cash and other contributions.

3. Toal Project Costs are $3,000:  The applicant can request up to $2,000 and contribute the remaining $1,000 of funds through a combination of their own cash and other contributions. 

Budget details should identify the source of funds (including self-funding, private contributions, institutional stipends, or additional grant funding) not requested from South Arts.

Total projected expenses must meet or exceed the request by 50%. 

Funds can be used for these eligible expenses directly related to participation in proposed activities:

• For Organizations:  Itemize project personnel costs 

• Travel (itemize air, ground, lodging, per diem, visa services) 

• Equipment rental (itemize all equipment rental expenses) 

• Office expenses (itemize supplies, and shipping/postage) 

• Services/professional fees (itemize editorial, graphic design, photography/videography, financial, publishing, production, and distribution services, etc.) 

• Marketing 

• Facility expenses (itemize rent, space rental, utilities) 

• Insurance 

• Childcare or elder caregiver service costs that arise as a result of applicant planning and executing the proposed project 

southarts.org/grants-opportunities/literary-arts-grant

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INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING FELLOWSHIP

Ida B. Wells Society

DEADLINE: December 6, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The Ida B. Wells Society is thrilled to launch its investigative reporting fellowship for 2025! 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. The fellowship is intended for journalists not presently assigned to investigative teams. Up to 12 fellowships will be awarded. 

During training, participants will work on projects they have proposed for publication in their respective newsrooms. Freelance journalists also are invited to apply. 

The selected journalists will join the Society in Atlanta for up to a week, once a month from February 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:  

• Applicants must have at least three years of professional news reporting experience. 

• The program is open to U.S.-based print, broadcast, online 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. 

REQUIREMENT 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/2025-investigative-reporting-fellowship/

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WRITERS RETREAT FOR EMERGING LGBTQ VOICES

Lambda Literary

DEADLINE: December 8, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices is the nation’s premier LGBTQ writing residency. It is the only multi-genre writing residency devoted exclusively to emerging LGBTQ+ writers. The Retreat is an unparalleled opportunity to develop one’s craft and find community.

Since 2007, the Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices has offered sophisticated instruction in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, young adult fiction, playwriting led by the most talented writers working today. In 2022, the Writers Retreat expanded to include instruction in screenwriting and speculative fiction, and in 2025, we will introduce the newest cohort serving writers working in both and between playwriting and screenwriting.

In 2025, as we did in 2024, we are holding our Writers Retreat online. This format allows for us as an organization to continue building our resources while offering the same high-quality programming that remains accessible to folks who may not otherwise be able to attend in-person programs.

We are excited to announce that this year, we will be lengthening the typically week-long program to a 10-day virtual retreat, from Thursday, July 31-Saturday, August 9. In this new model, we will use the first two evenings on Thursday and Friday to build community and hold additional programming. We hope that this new model will build relationships and community, offer more learning opportunities, but we also aim to allow those attending the retreat from home to continue to sustain the elements of their livelihood outside of the Retreat program.

Additionally, we will be adding a brand new cohort to our Writers Retreat: the screen/play/writing cohort. This cross-genre cohort is meant for performance writers who work outside of the stage/screen binary, those who waft between genres, and those who are working in adaptations. We invite all screenwriters and playwrights in this cohort to consider how their work can move between genres, between stage and screen, while centering writing for performance. Coming back for another year after an astounding stint as Playwriting Faculty in 2024, we welcome back Roger Q. Mason to lead this inaugural cohort!

SCHEDULE:

We’ve extended the typical length of the retreat from 7 days to 10:

• We will have a mix of synchronous programming and asynchronous programming, and on days when we offer all day programming, fellows can expect to have ample breaks and rest from screens.

• Thursday, July 31-Friday, August 1: Programming begins at ~7:00 pm EST/ 4:00 pm PST

• Saturday, August 2-Friday, August 8: All day programming

• Saturday, August 9: Programming ends at ~6:00 pm EST/3:00 pm PST
   

APPLICATION DETAILS:

Applications to attend the 2025 Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ* Voices open on November 1, 2024 and close at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on December 8, 2024. You may apply to more than one workshop, however, each application must be submitted separately and requires an additional fee.

We are offering a number of application fee waivers for the QTBIPOC** (Queer and Trans folks who are or identify as Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color) folks who would be attending the Retreat for the first time. Please email retreat@lambdaliterary.org to request an application fee waiver.

To Apply, Please Prepare

1. An artistic/biographical statement (max 500 words).

2. a writing sample matching the genre of the workshop you’re applying for:

• .DOC, .DOCX, or .PDF format.

• For prose, double spaced, 12 point font.

• For Fiction, Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction, and Young Adult Fiction: 15 pages maximum. This maximum applies to cross-genre samples as well as samples in verse.

• For Playwriting/Screenwriting and Play/Screen/Writing: 15 pages maximum from a full-length work, short play/script, or piece of theatre/film.

• For Poetry: 8 pages maximum.

• The sample you apply with does not have to be the same sample you plan to workshop at the Retreat.

3. Optional, not required for acceptance:

• Any publications of your work during the past two years, including anthologies, literary journals, magazines, websites, and books.

• Any other writing conferences, retreats, and workshops have you attended.

• If you're applying to scholarships, a scholarship statement (max 500 words).

TUITION + SCHOLARSHIPS:

Writers Retreat tuition is currently set at $1,625. However, we are working on raising funds to lower this price for fellows. This means there is a possibility that the price of tuition will go down, but it will not go any higher than $1,625.  All accepted/waitlisted applicants will be notified of the final price of tuition before accepting their fellowship.

Lambda Literary has a host of full and partial scholarships that are available for accepted applicants.

Ability to pay is in no way part of the decision-making process. We have a robust and ever-growing host of scholarships available thanks to our intensive fundraising efforts and generous donors. Lambda also supports fellows in their own fundraising efforts using our fundraising platform. Many fellows who used our peer-to-peer fundraising platform in 2024 raised their entire tuition fee.

The $30.00 application fee is processed through Submittable's online portal. If you wish to pay by cash or check please contact retreat@lambdaliterary.org.

APPLICATION STATUS NOTIFICATIONS:

Writers Retreat Faculty make the final determinations regarding accepted and waitlisted applicants. All applicants will be notified of their application status in April 2025.

lambdaliterary.org/emerging-writers-retreat/

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ANTON CHEKHOV AWARD FOR FLASH FICTION 

LitMag

DEADLINE: Extended to December 8, 2024

CONTEST FEE: $16

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Entries must be short stories between 500 and 1,500 words. Please use 12pt type, preferably Times New Roman, and submit your short story as either a Word doc or a PDF. Only previously unpublished short stories are eligible. Writers may submit multiple stories, each of which requires a separate submission. Submissions through Submittable only.  Notification: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. The winning short stories and finalists will be announced publicly on our Web site and social media as well as by email to all contestants in May 2023.

FIRST PRIZE: $1,250 + publication in LitMag + agency review by  Sarah Fuentes of UTA, Molly Glick of CAA, Erin Harris and Sonali Chanchani of Folio Literary Management, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency, David Forrer of Inkwell Management, Monika Woods of Triangle House, Emily Forland of Brandt & Hochman, and Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates

FINALISTS: Three finalists will receive $100 each. All finalists will be considered for possible agency review and publication.

litmag.submittable.com/submit

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FREE RESIDENCIES FOR TEACHERS

Saltonstall

DEADLINE: December 8, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Saltonstall is once again offering two special residencies in 2025 for local public school teachers. These 5-day, 4-night residencies are designed as an artistic retreat for teachers with a creative practice in the following disciplines:

• Creative writing (any genre)

• Photography / film / video

• Painting / Sculpture / Visual Art

The residencies are FREE to attend. Six teachers will be selected through a lottery system for each residency.

We have accessible accommodations! Our new accessible space includes a one-bedroom suite with a roll-in shower, a private studio (for artists or writers), and a kitchen.

Residency dates are:
February 17 - 21, 2025 (winter recess)
April 14 - 18, 2025 (spring recess)

Teachers working in the following districts are eligible: Dryden, Groton, Ithaca, Lansing, Newfield, and Trumansburg.

saltonstall.org/residencies/residency-for-teachers/

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2025 Open City Editorial Fellowship

Asian American Writers Workshop

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024

INFO: The Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW) is excited to announce the Open City Editorial Fellowship, a new iteration of AAWW’s long-standing Open City Fellowship. In 2025, the program will focus on editorial and journalistic development, offering one emerging writer and editor a unique opportunity to contribute to Open City, a section of The Margins devoted to the life, senses, and politics of immigrant and Muslim communities in the New York tristate area. 

The ideal fellow is passionate about telling the stories of immigrant communities in New York City and beyond. They will work directly with the Senior Editor of Open City and other members of the editorial team, gaining invaluable experience in researching, editing, and occasionally writing stories. The selected fellow will be based in New York City and will dedicate at least four hours per week to the fellowship from February 2025 to January 2026.

The fellow will be expected to occasionally meet in person at AAWW’s offices in Chelsea and will receive:

• A $5,000 stipend;

• Access to AAWW events, conferences, and workshops;

• Use of the AAWW office and library;

• Mentorship from The Margins editorial team.

FELLOWSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES:

The fellow will assist with the editorial operations of Open City by:

• Collaborating with the Senior Editor on story edits;

• Screening pitches and fact-checking articles;

• Writing original stories for Open City;

• Copyediting stories with a quick turnaround;

• Researching potential stories and writers;

• Meeting with the Senior Editor or AAWW staff every two weeks.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

We are looking for individuals with a passion for Asian, Asian American, and Asian diasporic literature, politics, and history, with a particular focus on the experiences of immigrant and Muslim communities in the tristate area. The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong writing and verbal communication skills;

• A firm grasp of journalistic standards and practices;

• Some experience in editing and fact-checking;

• A collaborative approach to writing and editing;

• Familiarity with The Chicago Manual of Style and copyediting (preferred);

• On-the-ground knowledge of immigrant and Muslim communities in the tristate area (preferred).

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested applicants should apply through submittable, and should submit:

• A cover letter;

• Résumé;

• A pitch for a story you would like to write for Open City;

• Two writing samples of journalistic work.

This fellowship offers an exciting opportunity to develop your editorial and writing skills while amplifying stories from underrepresented communities in New York City. We look forward to reviewing your applications!

aaww.org/fellowships/open-city/

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Developmental Editing Fellowship for Emerging Writers

The Kenyon Review

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $18 (If this fee poses a hardship, please contact us at kenyonreview@kenyon.edu)

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, 2024.

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 2025.

kenyonreview.org/fellowship/developmental-editing-fellowship/

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SHE WHO HAS NO MASTER(S) MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

She Who Has No Master(s)

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024 at 11:59pm PT

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: She Who Has No Master(s) offers creative writing mentorships uniquely designed for and led by women and nonbinary writers of the Vietnamese and SE Asian diaspora. The centering of this perspective is important because in most educational settings the focus on subject matter and perspectives of women/nonbinary SE Asian diasporic women is marginalized, if not totally unaddressed.

In offering one-on-one mentorships guided by established writers and artists in our collective, we create a uniquely nourishing experience where aspiring writers can explore, embrace their particularities, and create more expansively. Our mentorships are conducted remotely. The next mentorships cycle will take place in 2025.

FAQs:

Who are you, and what is this? 

She Who Has No Master(s), or SWHNM, is a collective of womxn and nonbinary writers of the Vietnamese diaspora who engage in collaborative, polyvocal, and hybrid-poetic works to enact a politics of connection across diasporic boundaries. Through a collaborative writing and art process, SWHNM explores multi-voiced collectivity, encounters, in-between spaces and (dis)places of the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian diaspora. SWHNM has a fluid and evolving membership.

She Who Has No Master(s) initiated a creative writing mentorship program in 2022 led by and designed for Vietnamese and SE Asian diasporic women and nonbinary writers through the Diasporic Vietnamese Artist Network (DVAN). SWHNM is now an independent collective and our own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and this mentorship program has no affiliation with DVAN. 

The centering of Vietnamese and SE Asian perspectives is important because in most educational settings the focus on subject matter and perspectives of women/nonbinary SE Asian diasporic women is marginal, if not totally unaddressed. In creating educational spaces that center those viewpoints, we create a nourishing space in which aspiring writers can see themselves, explore, and embrace their own particularities, and create more expansively. These mentorships will address both creative and professional aspects involved in the writing life. These offerings fulfill a dire contemporary need in our nation’s current environment for creative writing education.

Who are the mentors, and what do they do? 

The SWHNM mentors range depending on the cycle. During the inaugural mentorship program in 2022, there were 4 mentors (all members of the SWHNM collective) partnered with 4 writers and literary artists based out of the United States, Vietnam, and Switzerland. 

The mentors are writers who have benefited from belonging to supportive and inclusive writing and artist communities who wish to mentor promising writers of Vietnamese and/or SE Asian descent–folx who are at earlier stages in their writing careers than we are.

Our mentors compose poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, criticism, as well as hybrid and multimedia forms (including graphic forms, among others), and are looking to pair with mentees working in these forms. 

Our mentors are published authors and/or established artists who are members of or connected to SWHNM and thus experienced with the collaborative and creative ethos of our collective that also informs the spirit of our mentorships.

Past mentors include: Diana Khoi Nguyen, Hoa Nguyen, Lily Hoang, and Vi Khi Nao.

For our 2025 cycle, mentors will be: Cathy Linh Che, MyLoan Dinh, Abbigail Rosewood, Sophia Terazawa, Nhã Thuyên.

The SWHNM mentorship program in 2025 expands its concept and its community by reaching out to the writers who live inside Vietnam with writing practices in Vietnamese, with the hope to create a more open space for a plurality of Vietnamese literature. 

How does the mentorship work? 

The first year of mentorship took place in 2022. This year (2025) will be our second. Each mentor takes on one mentee. Mentors and mentees (fellows) will meet virtually for at least 30 minutes every month to discuss topics pertinent to each pair. These topics may range from: prompts for writing, feedback fellows’ writing, and craft elements to professional details such as submitting to publications, finding an agent, writing a book proposal, sending a manuscript out to contests/open reading periods, applying to graduate school, to name a few. Some of us, though not all, are willing to read and give feedback on fellows’ work—within certain limits, which mentors can specify. On your application you may specify what types of mentorship you are looking for. If you are selected for a mentorship, we will use the information in your application to make the best mentor match for your needs.

In addition, mentors may periodically arrange panels and events for the mentorship collective; we hope to host panels on topics helpful for fellows as a group, and will collaborate with fellows to determine these topics. We may also offer some events and panels that are open to the general public.

SWHNM is a collective and makes decisions as a group, as well as shares the labor of running both the collective and this mentorship. That said, the particulars of individual mentors’ engagement with fellows depends on their particular circumstances and on the nature of each pairing’s relationship. The only requirement of the mentorship is the monthly meetings.

Who are the Fellows, and what do they do? 

Mentees should be passionate and committed to exploring creative writing, ready to generate new creative work, engage in revision processes, and be capable of working both independently as well as from writing prompts given by mentors. Mentors will work with mentees to tailor creative writing guidance that meets the mentees’ specific interests and needs.

Past fellows have been promising writers and artists who are serious and dedicated to their journey as a writer/literary artist. Just like with the mentors, the depth of individual fellows’  involvement depends on their particular circumstances. The only requirement for fellows  is the monthly meeting with mentors. 

There may be opportunities for further engagement with the mentorship program and SWHNM collective such as planning panels and events, as well as participating in collective readings, performances, and exhibitions. We are interested in hearing what fellows think would be useful and beneficial for the program and collective.

What are you looking for in fellows? 

We’re so glad you’re reading this. We’re looking for fellows who identify as a woman or nonbinary person of Vietnamese and/or SE Asian descent, who live outside and/or inside Vietnam. There is no nationality requirement, and fellows must be at least 18 years of age. Fellows’ writing should show promise, and are relatively early in their (writing) careers.

In particular, we would especially like to award mentorships to those with limited past access to writing communities or writing guidance. We strive to equalize access so that writers can achieve their goals regardless of their background and affiliations.

Most of our mentors write predominantly in English. However, some of us are also fluent in Vietnamese and may also be willing to work across language barriers. Please indicate in your application what language (or languages) you write in and/or are interested in working in. 

If you are currently enrolled in a graduate program in creative writing, you are not eligible for mentorship. You are also not eligible if you have published a book (or have one under contract) with a major U.S. press in a genre in which we mentor. 

The SWHNM mentorship program is competitive; in our inaugural 2022 year, we received over 80 applications for only 4 mentorship spots. 

Our number of available mentorship spots will differ each year depending on the mentors. In 2025 we will offer 5 mentorship spots.

How can I apply? Is there an application fee?

Please find detailed guidelines on our “How To Apply” page.

When you are ready to apply, submit your materials via our Application Form (this link will take you to a Google form for uploading + submitting your application materials).

If you need the Application Form in Vietnamese, click here. Nếu bạn cần nộp đơn đăng ký bằng tiếng Việt, vui lòng nhấn vào đây.

There is an application fee of $25, which helps us to cover administrative costs. You may request a fee waiver. Applicants residing in Vietnam may also receive a fee waiver. 

If you have questions or issues regarding how to send us your application materials, or if you are in need of an application fee waiver, please DM us (with “Fee Waiver Request 2025” in the subject field) at: she.who.has.no.masters@gmail.com. 

Is any of the work paid? Is there a financial cost for anyone involved?

Mentors are paid a modest stipend for their time, while members of the SWHNM collective organize and facilitate the mentorship program on an unpaid basis since we are a collective of writers who want to, and are able to, participate in this vibrant community. 

We are committed to the idea of supporting Vietnamese and SE Asian diasporic women and nonbinary writers. This mentorship program is one that exists outside of any institutions. Some of the mentors may be affiliated with institutions such as universities but we don’t have outside funding or other institutional support for this project. It’s just us–a labor of care and love. 

Who assesses applications, and how are they assessed?

The mentors for each cycle, along with volunteer members of the collective, read and assess the applications based on promise and need. From there, a smaller committee determines which few candidates might benefit the most from a SWHNM mentorship based on their current access to writing resources and commitment to craft and career, their financial need, and other factors.

There are a few writers with whom I’d especially love to be matched. Can I specify that?

No, though we welcome for you to share what you’re looking for in a mentor.

How far along should a writing sample be?

You should submit your best work, whether it’s published or not. A sampling of different pieces—representing various genres or not—is fine.

I have a question that isn’t addressed here, or something else I want to get in touch about.

You can email us at she.who.has.no.masters@gmail.com. 

shewhohasnomasters.com

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Widening the Pipeline Fellowship:Year-Long Fellowship for U.S.-Based Journalists of Color

National Press Foundation

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024

INFO: U.S. journalism has an ongoing diversity crisis. There simply are not enough reporters and editors of color to inform, engage and accurately reflect our society.

To combat this, the National Press Foundation’s Widening the Pipeline Fellowship will provide trainings in Washington, D.C., as well as virtual workshops to support journalists of color staying in – and leading – the newsrooms of tomorrow.

NPF welcomes U.S.-based journalists from any medium with seven years or less of professional newsroom experience to participate in this career-defining cohort.

In Widening the Pipeline’s first two years, 45 journalists from across America received skills training, mentoring and peer support to help them navigate America’s newsrooms, where people of color comprise less than a quarter of positions. And too often, early career journalists of color leave the industry due to lack of support and mentorship–before they can build the strategies and skills that could help them make much-needed contributions to communities across the country.

Our fellows have learned from journalism veterans – including Ron Nixon, VP of News and Investigations with the Associated Press; Catalina Camia, Deputy Director at Bloomberg Law; Politico’s Senior Managing Editor Sudeep Reddy; and The Atlantic columnist and author Jemele Hill – and been paired with mentors, such as “CNN News Central” Anchor Boris Sanchez, PBS Newshour Deputy Editor Kenichi Serino and Reckon Editor R. L. Nave.

This support has helped nearly half of Widening the Pipeline fellows land new jobs or receive pay raises. All of the fellows say the program renewed their commitment to an industry that urgently needs their diverse lived experiences shaping coverage.

No one can describe the value of the training better than the fellows themselves:

This competitive fellowship is open to U.S.-based reporters and editors working in print, television, radio or online media. We greatly value diversity in all our programs and applicants from across the nation are encouraged to apply. Through its John C. and Ethel C. Eklund Scholarship Fund, the foundation will cover airfare, hotel, some ground transportation and most meals for the two in-person trainings in Washington, D.C., held in February and December 2025. A virtual training day will be held roughly every month, with the following schedule:

2025 session dates:

• Jan. 13 (virtual)

• Feb. 19-21 (Washington, D.C.)

• March 3 (virtual)

• April 7 (virtual)

• May 5 (virtual)

• June 2 (virtual)

• Sept. 8 (virtual)

• Oct. 6 (virtual)

• Nov. 3 (virtual)

• Dec. 8-11 (Washington, D.C).

nationalpress.org/training/apply-by-dec-15-widening-the-pipeline-fellowship-2025/

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Long-term Public Humanities Fellowships

Folger Institute

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024 by 11:59 pm ET

INFO: Folger Institute Long-term Public Humanities Fellowships, new for the 2025-26 year, are designed to support significant, full-time research and public humanities project implementation related to the histories, concepts, art, and objects of the early modern world (ca. 1400-1800) and its legacies. This fellowship is open to college and university faculty, independent scholars, artists, public scholars, writers, PhD candidates, postdocs, community leaders, cultural workers, educators and other knowledge holders. Applicants are not required to hold a terminal degree but should describe their equivalent training and industry-specific experience in their CV. 

For the 2025-26 year, the Folger Institute will offer one Long-term Public Humanities Fellowship at $70,000 for a standard period of 9 months (approximately $7,777 per month). 

FELLOWSHIP REQUIREMENTS:

The successful applicant will draw on the strengths of the Folger’s collections, exhibitions, and programming themes to devote 75% of their residency to research and 25% to implementing public humanities engagement for Folger audiences, in cooperation with Folger Institute staff. This can include–but is not limited to–onsite or virtual programs such as readings, talks, videos, podcasts, workshops, community activations, and performances, as well as digital humanities work hosted on non-Folger platforms such as games, interactives, and online resources. In their fellowship application, applicants must propose and detail one type of public humanities engagement they will develop and implement to take place during each of the Folger’s four program seasons: 

• Summer 2025: July 1 to August 31 

• Fall 2025: September 1 to November 30 

• Winter 2026: December 1 to February 28 

• Spring 2026: March 1 to May 30 

Please note that the Folger will not acquire or archive any materials, physical or digital, resulting from the Public Humanities Fellowship for our collections at this time. 

Long-term public humanities fellows can take up to 3 months of their 9-month fellowship virtually. This virtual time may be taken at any point in the fellowship and does not have to be taken concurrently. Applicants may propose any research schedule that best fits their project’s needs. 

In their proposals, applicants must describe how they will utilize the onsite and virtual (if applicable) portions of their fellowship. Applicants may propose virtual fellowship time to cover any combination of the following full-time work: research with online collections, writing, editing, creative work, and studio time as they relate to the proposed project. Please note, virtual months may also be used to support research for applicants who have dependent care responsibilities. 

folger.edu/research/the-folger-institute/fellowships/apply-for-a-fellowship/long-term-public-humanities-fellowships/

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FINE ARTS WORK CENTER FELLOWSHIP

Fine Arts Work Center

DEADLINE: December 16, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $65

INFO: Each year, the Work Center offers 20 seven-month residencies to a juried group of emerging visual artists, fiction writers, and poets. Each Fellow receives an apartment, a studio (for visual artists), and a monthly stipend of $1,250 plus an exit stipend of $1,000. Residencies run from October 1 through April 30. During this time, Fellows have the opportunity to pursue their work independently in a diverse and supportive community of peers.

THE RESIDENCY:

During the course of the Fellowship, each Writing Fellow is invited to give a public reading and each Visual Art Fellow is given a solo exhibition opportunity. Readings and openings are attended by current and past Fellows, local residents, visitors to Provincetown, leadership of the town’s numerous cultural institutions, and the many illustrious artists and writers who make their homes in Provincetown. Events take place in the beautifully renovated public spaces of the Work Center: the Stanley Kunitz Common Room and Hudson D. Walker Gallery.

VISITING ARTISTS + WRITERS

While in residence, Fellows also help select a series of visiting artists and writers. These visiting artists and writers meet with the Fellows for studio visits and manuscript reviews and give public readings and artist talks that draw thousands from Provincetown and beyond. Visiting guests have included presidential inaugural poet Elizabeth Alexander; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel; winner of the National Book Award for Poetry Mark Doty; Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress Robert Pinsky; artist and MacArthur Fellowship recipient Judy Pfaff; and Katherine Porter, whose work is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. 

The Work Center’s founders believed that seven months was the minimum amount of time needed for artists and writers in the crucial early stages of their careers to learn to structure their lives around their creative practice. Each generation of Fellows ideally moves on from the Work Center with a firm belief in their ability to pursue a life as a practicing artist or writer.

fawc.org/apply/

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Call for Papers: Katrina’s America

Southern Cultures

DEADLINE: December 16, 2024

GUEST EDITOR: Andy Horowitz (University of Connecticut)

INFO: Southern Cultures, the award-winning, peer-reviewed quarterly from UNC’s Center for the Study of the American South, encourages submissions from scholars, writers, and artists for a special issue, Katrina’s America, to be published Fall 2025. We will accept submissions for this issue through December 16, 2024.

Nearly twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina sent a storm surge into the Gulf of Mexico. When the levee system surrounding metropolitan New Orleans collapsed, hundreds of people died, tens of thousands of people lost their homes, and years of suffering and struggle followed. At the time, many people understood Katrina as an unprecedented disaster, or a catastrophe that could only occur on the underprivileged margins of American wealth and power. From today’s vantage, however, Katrina no longer looks like an exception. The two decades since the flood have brought more water, fire, and pandemic, surging racist violence, widening economic inequality, and seemingly irreconcilable political conflict. The past two decades have brought, too, emboldened community organizing, ambitious visions for addressing the climate crisis, and other creative efforts to build a more humane future. In all of these domains, Katrina does not appear to be retreating into the past so much as resounding in the future. It is increasingly clear that we live, today, in Katrina’s America. 

In the Fall 2025 issue, Southern Cultures explores Katrina as augur and author of the twenty-first century United States. We seek scholarly articles, personal essays, interviews, photography, and art that make sense of Katrina’s significance, and how its meaning has changed over time. We understand Katrina as an acute event that took place in the summer of 2005 in the attics of the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans East, Chalmette, and other flooded neighborhoods. We also understand Katrina as an ongoing process that continues on the Gulf Coast, in the places displaced people went, in the halls of power in Baton Rouge and Washington, DC, and in politics and culture across the country and around the world. We are interested in submissions that map Katrina’s America at any or all of these local, national, and global scales. We especially seek submissions that are informed by the time that has passed since the flood.

Submissions can explore any topic or theme, and we welcome investigations of the region in the forms Southern Cultures publishes: scholarly articles, creative nonfiction, memoir (first-person or collective), interviews, surveys, photo and art essays, and shorter feature essays. 

Topics and questions to explore might include:

• “where are they now?”

• accounts of contemporary New Orleans, its suburbs, the Alabama and Mississippi coasts, and other flooded places

• evacuation, displacement, resettlement, and the ongoing Katrina diaspora

• gentrification, and the intersection of economic and environmental change

• infrastructure, and the relationships between structural inequality and the built environment

• racism, poverty, and the construction of vulnerability 

• the legacy of Katrina among volunteers, Teach for America alumni, and others who spent time in New Orleans after the flood and then left

• Katrina and charter schools, policing, public housing, public health, and other reform movements

• Katrina and disaster policy, insurance policy, water infrastructure, and climate adaptation

• Katrina and George W. Bush’s presidency, Barack Obama’s election, Black Lives Matter, the Confederate Monuments debate, the Green New Deal, the COVID-19 pandemic, and etc.

• Katrina and the ways people experience or imagine race, class, and the climate crisis

• the significance of popular culture in shaping Katrina’s meaning, and responses to Katrina in music and art

• reflections on iconic images of the disaster

• efforts to memorialize Katrina

• Katrina and the meanings of justice and community

southerncultures.org/call-for-papers-katrinas-america/

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2024 Memoir Prize

Narratively

DEADLINE: December 19, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: Narratively is accepting entries for our 2024 Memoir Prize. We’re on the hunt for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. Entries will be judged on a rolling basis in four rounds: the first three by experienced Narratively readers and staff, and the final by our incredible and generous guest judge, critically acclaimed writer Jami Attenberg!

Jami Attenberg is the New York Times bestselling author of 10 books, including The Middlesteins, All Grown Up, the recently published A Reason to See You Again and a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home. She is also the creator of the annual online group writing accountability project #1000wordsofsummer, which inspired the USA Today bestseller 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. Jami has also written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times, The Guardian and others. Her work has been published in 16 languages. She lives in New Orleans.

We’ll award the top three writers the following cash prizes, as well as publication on Narratively.com and inclusion in a special Narratively 2024 Memoir Prize Digital Collection:

• Grand Prize: US$3,000

• Finalist: US$1,000

• Finalist: US$1,000

Further, Narratively editors will work with the finalists to potentially adapt their stories into larger projects in different mediums (TV, film, podcasts, etc.).

COMPETITION INFO:

• Prize period opens: 9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 28, 2024. 

• Prize period closes: 9 p.m. EDT on December 19, 2024. We will not accept entries once the prize period closes.

• Final decision announced: On or around February 27, 2025. Entrants will be notified via Submittable and/or email.

• Entry fee: US$20, nonrefundable and due at time of entry; free entry for paid subscribers (become one here!). If you’re already a paid subscriber, first of all, thank you for supporting indie journalism! Second of all, just email us at prizes@narratively.com to request the (paid) subscriber-only free submission link.

• Eligibility: Open to folks 18 years of age or older on or before 9 a.m. EDT on October 28, 2024, and who are not employed by, related to or sharing living quarters with Narratively staff or our guest judges. This competition is open to anyone, including past and current Narratively contributors. Current and former Narratively editors are ineligible.

What should my entry look like?

As with all Narratively stories, submissions should be composed of vivid, active scenes, unique characters and an engaging narrative arc. We have a few rules to follow, but encourage maximum creativity within these guidelines. The best way to get a sense of what we’re looking for is to read the stories on the list of examples we love below. 

Here are a few examples of first-person Narratively pieces we love:

• Welcome to America’s Most Elite Girls Boarding School. Let the Hazing Begin.

• My Childhood in an Apocalyptic Cult

• The Adventures of a Pakistani in Texas

• My Bizarre Reign as New York’s King of “Virgin Russian Hair”

• I Was Taught to Hate My Lesbian Neighbors. They Took Me In Anyway.

• Diary of a Bachelor Who Suddenly Became a Solo Dad to a Teenage Girl

• My Secret Life Tracking Down Debtors

• How I Wrote Myself into a Real-life Romantic Comedy — That Turned into a Survivalist Thriller

• My Coming Out Story, Starring a Priest, an Animal Sacrifice and Ricky Martin

Why do we charge a fee? Your entry fee will allow us to compensate the people who are helping us effectively and fairly evaluate every single Prize submission — from our freelance readers to our Prize editors, copy editors, fact-checkers, visual editors and producers. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Ready-to-publish pieces only — no pitches accepted

• Word count: 2,000 to 7,000

• Nonfiction, written in the first person and in English (translations permitted)

• Original and previously unpublished as a written work

• Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but must notify Narratively if entry is accepted elsewhere.

• Multiple submissions from a single author are permitted, but each must be submitted and paid for individually.

• Adaptations from other media (podcasts, scripts, etc.) are permitted with disclosure.

• Any citations should be in endnote form and listed at the end of the Submission.

• Please remove your name and contact information from your Submission.

• Narratively prefers common fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial, at 10-12-point size, double spaced, for ease of reading. Please do not include images or graphics.

To answer your questions: 

• This competition is open to anyone, including past and current Narratively contributors. (Current and former Narratively editors, however, are ineligible.)

• The Grand Prize Winner and Finalists will be required to sign our standard Contributor Agreement.

• These are a few of the key points in our agreement:    

• You retain print publication rights, should you pursue a book version of your story now or in the future.

• Narratively has the right to pursue TV and film projects based on the work. These projects could be either unscripted/documentary or fictional (inspired by your story).

• Revenue from any TV or film projects is shared with contributors.

• We publish Narratively Out Loud, which features read-aloud audio versions of all Narratively stories, so the contract also gives us the rights to produce those.

narratively.submittable.com/submit

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Call for Submissions: ‘Crashing Out’ Issue

Post No Bills Mag

DEADLINE: December 29, 2024

INFO: Post No Bills, a literary magazine showcasing and publishing writing, art, and photography centered around Black/brown/queer folxs of NYC, seeks art, photography, essays, poems, interviews, etc. for its “Crashing Out” issue.

{THEME} Quarterlife Crisis: Navigating the messy middle—where uncertainty and transitions collide with disillusionment and self-discovery. It’s all about figuring out who we are while everything else keeps changing.

Email all work to postnobillsmag@gmail.com

instagram.com/p/DDITH11y04p/

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The Anthony Veasna So Scholarships IN FICTION

The Adroit Journal

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

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.

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.

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. 

Writers are welcome to additionally submit enclosed work to the Adroit Prizes as well as through our general submission portal during those submission periods. We are also happy to consider revisions of work previously submitted to the Adroit Prizes, to the Veasna So opportunity, or through the general submissions portal (including work currently in progress or work that has recently received an editorial decision). Finally, please note that each writer may not send more than one entry per year for Veasna So Scholars.

As mentioned above, all emerging writers who have not published full-length collections are eligible (regardless of age, geographic location, or educational status), and Anthony Veasna So Scholars will receive $200 and publication in a future issue of the Adroit Journal.

We have set a non-refundable submission fee of $15. If you require financial assistance, you may submit a fee waiver with the Veasna So Scholars fee waiver request form. You can find both fee waiver request forms by clicking here.

Please direct any questions to editors@theadroitjournal.org.

adroit.submittable.com/submit

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18th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

Ernest J. Gaines Award

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

INFO: The Ernest J. Gaines Award serves to enhance the visibility of emerging African-American fiction writers while also expanding the audience for this literature.

CRITERIA + SUBMISSION:

• A work of fiction (novel or collection of short stories) that is published between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Galleys for a 2024 publication are also accepted.

• The nominee must be a rising author, not yet widely recognized for their work.

• Author must be an African-American U.S. citizen.

• Self-published books will not be accepted. Self-published defined as publishing one's work independently and at one's own expense.

• Emailed entries will not be accepted. 

• The winning author must be willing to attend the award ceremony in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2024 and participate in media and educational outreach activities during that week.

TO ENTER A PUBLISHED BOOK OR GALLEY FOR REVIEW, SEND THE COMPLETED REGISTRATION FORM AND EIGHT (8) COPIES TO:

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
c/o Baton Rouge Area Foundation
100 North St., Suite 900
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802

Non-winning entries will be donated to an area nonprofit. Ineligible entries will not be returned.

TIMELINE:

• May 1, 2024 – December, 2024  Eligible entries for the 18th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence will be accepted. See eligibility criteria and submission instructions above. All entries for the book award will receive written notification of receipt.

• Spring 2025 – The winner will be selected by a national panel of judges. The judges reserve the right not to issue the award if they feel the selection pool lacks an acceptable candidate. Once the winner is selected, written notification will be sent to all eligible entries.

• 2025 – The 18th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence Ceremony will take place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

For additional information, please email gainesaward@braf.org

ernestjgainesaward.org/criteria

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Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

INFO: The Michigan Quarterly Review has established this prize for fiction in honor of Helen Zell Writers’ Program alumna Jesmyn Ward and her significant contributions to the literary arts.

AWARD: One short story submitted for this prize will be awarded $2,000 and publication in MQR. All submissions for the prize will be considered for publication. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Please submit one unpublished short story of 1,500–7,000 words. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please withdraw your submission as soon as it is accepted elsewhere. We ask entrants not to include their names or contact information within the document they upload to Submittable, its title, or its file name. Affiliation with the judge, MQR, or the Helen Zell Writers Program may disqualify a submission; please consult the prize details on Submittable for more information about exclusions.

The 2025 judge is Ghassan Zeineddine.

Ghassan Zeineddine is the author of the story collection Dearborn and co-editor of the creative nonfiction anthology Hadha Baladuna: Arab American Narratives of Boundary and Belonging. Dearborn was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, a finalist for the CLMP Firecracker Award for Debut Fiction, shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, and longlisted for the Story Prize and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection. The story collection was also awarded the 2023 Khayrallah Book Prize and named a 2024 Michigan Notable Book, a 2024 American Library Association Notable Book, and a Best Fiction Book of 2023 by Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, the Chicago Public Library, Powell’s, and the Writer’s Bone, and a Good Housekeeping Best Book of Fall and a Washington Post Best Book of September, among other honors. Zeineddine lives with his wife and two daughters in Ohio, where he’s an assistant professor of creative writing at Oberlin College.

sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/submit/

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Pages in Progress 2025: An AAWW Fiction Contest

Asian American Writers’ Workshop

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW), Plympton, and Third State Books proudly present an open call/competition for fiction novels in progress.

AWARD:

Winners will receive:

• One-month residency with Writing Downtown in Las Vegas, Nevada; 

• One-hour virtual consultation with Third State Books, a new publishing house amplifying stories from Asian America; 

• One-hour virtual consultation with an AAPI literary agent;

• One complimentary seat to an AAWW workshop;

• One full-day pass to the AAWW’s 2025 Publishing Conference. 

Winners will also receive invaluable networking and mentorship through the AAWW, Plympton, and Third State communities. Please note that travel costs are not included for any of the prizes.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• All genres of fiction will be considered, including but not limited to: speculative fiction, fantasy/science-fiction, young adult, horror, mystery, thriller, and romance.

• All submissions should include a one-page synopsis or overview of the work

• Our ideal manuscript is a nearly-complete draft of 50,000-100,000 words – let us help you get your book over the finish line!

• Please attach manuscripts in either Word .doc, .docx, or PDF format

• All work must be original; translations will not be accepted

• Previously published or forthcoming manuscripts will not be considered

aaww.submittable.com/submit

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call for submissions: Issue 18: Radical Futurity

Seventh Wave Mag

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $7

INFO: We are now open for submissions to Issue 18: Radical Futurity. Below, you will find everything you need to know in order to submit a competitive piece for publication. We can't wait to read your work. Any questions, reach out: submit@seventhwavemag.com. 

IMPORTANT DATES. We are open for submissions until December 31, 2024. You will be notified of the status of your submission by end of February 2025.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS. You will submit three items: 1) a bio of 2-6 sentences, 2) a 250-500 word statement (addressing the four questions below), and 3) 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?  

FAQs: We highly recommend you read our Submit page and our FAQ page. There is plenty of information there: why we don't read "blind," why we charge a $7 fee, why we require a cover letter/statement, the type of work we're (not) looking for, etc. You should also read this post on our Well-Crafted bulletin: 7 tips on submitting work to the Seventh Wave. 

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. 

SUBMISSION FORMATS: For prose and poetry, you'll upload a Word Doc or PDF. For art, send whatever format you think will help our selection committee get the best understanding of your work.  

FEE WAIVER: If our $7 submission fee is prohibitive, no problem. Just email your full submission to submit@seventhwavemag.com by the deadline, no questions asked. Please write "Issue 18 • [Last Name] [Genre]" in the subject line. Our submission fee helps us honor our team's time and labor in reviewing submissions.

NOTE ON EDITING STYLE: Our editorial process is intimate. We host an orientation session for all contributors once selected; you work with two editors toward publication; and you'll get to know others in your cohort. If you are just looking to get your work published, our magazine likely isn't for you. Everything we do is rooted in community, conversation, and collaboration.

MULTIPLE / SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Multiple submissions are not accepted. Please only submit once for each open call. We do, however, accept simultaneous submissions. Please just let us know if any of the poems/pieces you submit get picked up by another magazine/platform.

PAYMENT: We are committed to paying our contributors. While it can vary by submission, generally speaking, we offer $100 for prose, film, plays, multiple poems, and multiple pieces of artwork; for individual poems, images, and artwork, we offer $75.

seventhwavemag.submittable.com/submit

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Fiction and Poetry Contests

Third Coast 

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $10

INFO: Submissions to the 2024-2025 Third Coast Fiction and Poetry Contests are open. This year’s judges will be Misha Rai (Fiction) and Jamaal May (Poetry). 

AWARD: Winners receive $1,000 and publication in Third Coast. All contest entries will be considered for publication in Third Coast.

GUIDELINES: Submit one previously unpublished story of up to 9,000 words or up to three previously unpublished poems at a time, in one file. All manuscripts should be typed and fiction manuscripts should be double-spaced. Please include entry title and page numbers on all manuscript pages. Because judging is blind, the author’s name and identifying information (address, email, phone number, and bio) should appear only in the “cover letter” section of the Submittable form; identifying information must not appear anywhere on the manuscript itself. Manuscripts including identifying information will be disqualified.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted, though if work is accepted elsewhere, we ask that it be withdrawn from the contest immediately. If a piece is chosen as a finalist, we ask that it be withdrawn from other publications’ consideration until our judge selects a winner. Multiple entries are permitted, but each entry must be submitted separately.

Writers associated with the judges, WMU, or Third Coast are not eligible to submit.

thirdcoastmagazine.com/contests/

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2025 Plentitudes Prizes

The Plentitudes

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: Our 2025 Plentitudes Prizes is now open for submission!

JUDGES: Guest judges Annell Lopez, Melody Nixon, Dana Isokawa, and Celine Aenlle-Rocha will select winners in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Flash, respectively.

AWARD:

• First-place winners in each genre will receive $1,000

• Second-place winners will receive $300

• Third-place winners receive $200

• The winning entries will be published in our Spring 2025 issue.

GUIDELINES:

• Multiple submissions by the same writer is permitted, though each must be submitted under a separate entry. You may retain your name on the submission but you may not submit if you are personally connected to any of the guest judges and/or the editors. Simultaneous submissions are fine, as long as you contact us if the work is accepted elsewhere.

• All writers who enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. Winners will have seven days upon the receipt of email to confirm their publication agreement; otherwise, the offer is considered rescinded. Submissions must be must be an original, unpublished work, written by the submitter. Submissions also must be primarily in English, though we welcome writers to leverage their linguistic diversity. 

• The Plentitudes acquires First Rights for accepted works for publication. Upon acceptance of publication, The Plentitudes Journal retains the right to be the sole publisher of the works for the first year from the initial date of publication. Thereafter, contributors may republish their works, with The Plentitudes Journal credited as the initial publisher. The Plentitudes Journal retains the right to re-publish works designated for print publication in an anthology and on our social media platforms. 

• Marginalized voices, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Disability writers, are particularly encouraged to submit.

theplentitudes.com/prizes

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OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature

Bocas Lit Fest

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

ENTRY FEE: US$45 (TT$300) per title

INFO: The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature is an annual award for literary books by Caribbean writers, first presented in 2011. Books are judged in three categories: poetry; fiction — both novels and collections of short stories; and literary nonfiction — including books of essays, biography and autobiography, history, current affairs, travel, and other genres, which demonstrate literary qualities and use literary techniques, regardless of subject matter.

There is a panel of three judges for each genre category, who determine category shortlists and winners. 

The three category winners are then judged by a panel of four judges — consisting of the chairs of the category panels and the prize chair — who determine the overall winner. 

The author of the book judged the overall winner will receive an award of US$10,000. The other category winners will receive US$3,000

ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for entry for the 2025 prize, a book must: 

1. Have been first published in the calendar year 2024 (1 January to 31 December); 

2. Have been written by a single author who either holds Caribbean citizenship or was born in the Caribbean (this must be verified by the publisher), regardless of current place of residence; 

3. Have been written by an author who is living on 31 December, 2024; 

4. Have been written and first published in English originally (i.e. translations are not eligible); 

5. Be a new work, previously unpublished in book form (though collections including poems, stories, essays, or other short pieces that have individually appeared in print in periodicals or anthologies are eligible). 

bocaslitfest.com/awards/ocm/

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Kevin McIlvoy Book Prize

WTAW Press

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $30

INFO: We welcome submissions of full-length books of prose (novels, memoirs, narrative nonfiction, essay and story collections, and hybrid works) from new, emerging, and established voices and from writers of all backgrounds.

Manuscript Anonymity - Identifying information for the author must not be included anywhere in the manuscript, including in the file name or title field in the submission manager. Manuscripts containing identifying information in any way will be automatically disqualified, and the entry fee forfeited.

Previously Published Material - The manuscript, in its entirety, must be previously unpublished. It may contain some previously published portions, but the majority of the work should be new. Any previously published material in the manuscript must be credited in the cover letter (see cover letter guidelines below). Acknowledgements of previously published material may not be included in the manuscript file. Manuscripts containing acknowledgements will be automatically disqualified.

Originality and AI Restrictions - All material must be the author’s own, original composition and free from copyright restrictions. Submissions generated by AI tools or language models are not accepted.

Simultaneous Submissions - Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but by submitting a manuscript, the author agrees to notify WTAW immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere for publication and to withdraw it from Submittable.

Multiple Submissions - Multiple submissions are accepted, provided each is accompanied by a separate entry fee. Each submission must be unique.

Submission Finality - Submissions cannot be edited once submitted. Manuscripts selected for publication will undergo an editing process with the editors.

Manuscript Formatting - Manuscripts should be submitted as a .doc or .docx file, in a 12-point standard font such as Times New Roman, double-spaced, with at least 1-inch margins, and paginated. Include a title page with the total word count and, if applicable, a table of contents.

Cover Letter Guidelines - Cover letters must be entered into the appropriate field in the submission manager. They may not be included in the manuscript file. Submission files that contain a cover letter will be automatically disqualified.

Cover letters must include the following information:

• Author contact information (address, phone, email)

• The work’s title, genre, and word count

• A list of credits for any previously published portions

• A brief synopsis of the work (short paragraph)

• A brief author biography, including author website address and social media handles, and, if applicable, publishing history

• An indication if the manuscript is submitted simultaneously, with acknowledgment of the requirement to withdraw it if accepted elsewhere

• Where you heard about the Kevin McIlvoy Book Prize

Disqualification - Any submission that doesn’t follow the guidelines will be disqualified, and the submission fee forfeited.

Responses - WTAW responds to every submission through the submission manager at the email address provided with the submission.

Thank you for considering the Kevin McIlvoy Book Prize. We look forward to reading your work.

wtaw-press.submittable.com/submit

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Ann Friedman Weekly Fellowship

Ann Friedman

DEADLINE: January 3, 2025 by 11:59pm PST

INFO: The Ann Friedman Weekly Fellowship is an annual program for nonfiction writers who are not yet established in their careers. It includes mentorship and editing; a $5,000 stipend; regular check-ins to provide structure and accountability; and space in my newsletter where fellows can publish and promote their work. This program is funded by paying members of the Ann Friedman Weekly.

For the 2025 fellowship, I will provide support and accountability to two writers, who will each write and publish a newsletter of their own. Each fellow will come up with an editorial focus (or hone an existing one), create a workflow, and integrate feedback as they build a body of self-published work. I will, of course, welcome conversation about other writing projects and offer broader advice throughout the year. But the newsletter will be their main fellowship focus.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• Who I’m looking for: Nonfiction writers who don’t have (m)any published clips, who aren’t well-connected to editors, who don’t have a substantial social media following. I’m looking for people who are already writing and developing their skills. I invite people from populations that are underrepresented in media to apply. (I know most job listings have a line like this, but I really and truly mean it. Please apply!) For reasons related to scheduling calls and time zones, I am limiting this to writers who live in the United States.

• Compensation: A stipend of $5,000. This fellowship is not a full-time job and will not provide any health insurance benefits. Think of it more like a year-long, highly personalized workshop with steady mentorship.

• Commitment: We’ll do a monthly Zoom check-in, and you will have space in my newsletter at least once a month, too. Your time commitment will be variable, but I think it’s safe to say a few hours per week. I expect you to engage with your fellow fellow (lol) and with me, and to meet the deadlines we set together.

• Why I’m doing this: I’m eager to share what I know about the craft and profession of writing, and I love having colleagues. For more context, read this.

• How to apply: Write me a letter, no longer than one page. In it,

• Tell me a little bit about who you are and the writing you’re currently doing.

• Then tell me about the newsletter you’d like to publish in 2025. It could be a limited series, or an ongoing project you hope to keep up after the fellowship ends. It could be just the germ of an idea, or something you’ve been working on for awhile that needs a refresh. Be as specific as you can.

• Tell me about the nonfiction writing skills you’re most eager to develop in the coming year. (Examples: Conducting great interviews, writing compelling titles/headlines, making the personal resonate more universally.) Put another way: How do you hope to improve over the course of the fellowship year?

• If you have a little space left, briefly tell me about the last thing you read and loved. What was so good about it?

• Title the document “[Your Name] AF WKLY 2025”

• Fill out this form and upload the letter. I will only consider applications submitted through the form.

• TIMELINE: Applications are due by 11:59pm PST on January 3, 2025. This deadline is strict. I will be in touch with all applicants by February 15. Fellowships begin March 3, 2025 and run through the end of the calendar year.

annfriedman.com/fellowship

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Short-Term Fellowships for Writers, Artists, and Other Humanists

Newberry Library

DEADLINE: January 3, 2025

INFO: Newberry fellowships give researchers the time, space, and community required to pursue innovative and ground-breaking projects. Fellows advance scholarship in various fields, develop new interpretations, and expand our understanding of the past.

The Jan and Frank Cicero Fellowship - Offering one month of support for a person working in the visual and performing arts who wishes to advance their artistic practice through the use of the Newberry collection.

• Stipend: $3,000/month

• Length: 1 month

• Who can apply: Artists and performers including (but not limited to) painters, sculptors, choreographers, dramaturgs, creative writers, composers, and others in artistic fields.

The Arthur and Lila Weinberg Fellowship for Independent Researchers - This fellowship is for writers, journalists, filmmakers, visual and performing artists, and other humanists who wish to use the Newberry’s collection to further their creative work. Preference is given to individuals working on projects that focus on social justice or reform.

• Stipend: $3,000/month

• Length: 1 month

• Who can apply: Applicants must be individuals working outside of traditional academic settings.

The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship - Offering one month of support for a person working in the area of historical fiction. We encourage applications relating to a wide range of historical fiction including novels, short stories, plays and theatrical works, or poetry.

• Stipend: $3,000/month

• Length: 1 month

• Who can apply: Writers of historical fiction.

newberry.org/research/fellowships/short-term-fellowships

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WHAT CAN WE DO?

Asian American Arts Alliance (A4)

DEADLINE: January 7, 2024

INFO: What Can We Do? (WCWD?), presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4), is a grant opportunity for artists looking to support the Asian and AAPI communities in NYC with engaging, creative projects rooted in care.

The lingering effects of the pandemics of COVID and anti-Asian and anti-Arab hate – including Islamophobia – continue to be felt today. In response, many mutual aid groups, direct service organizations, and community and business leaders have stepped in to take care of elders and other vulnerable Asian and AAPI community members across the city.

In addition, the ongoing genocide in Gaza has left Palestinian communities feeling unsafe and unsupported. AAPI artists, organizers, and care workers have come together to demand a ceasefire, raise awareness around the conflict in Gaza, and organize campaigns in support of Palestinian American artists and cultural workers who have been censored and banned from opportunities.

WCWD? gives artists a chance to find their place in the care ecosystem either by complementing existing services and offerings, or creating their own.

PROGRAM GOALS: For this program, a minimum of 15 NYC-based artists will be selected as project awardees by A4. Each artist will receive $1,500 to create and carry out ideas to engage, aid, and care for the Asian New Yorker community with a focus on Chinatown, Manhattan; Flushing, Queens; and/or social justice projects focused on the support of NYC-based Palestinian creators and their communities.

The project engagements must be completed within a four-month period (February 4–June 3, 2025).

Projects may take many forms such as performing music for seniors waiting in line at food pantries, leading workshops with youth to create ‘zines that reinforce positive aspects of AAPI culture, or organizing creative activities in support of the Palestinian community. While we prefer projects to be in-person activities, we understand that for safety reasons, projects might need to be virtual. You can review past projects here.

INFORMATION SESSION: An information session for those interested in applying will be held on Tuesday, November 19 from 12:00-1:00 pm ET via Zoom. You can RSVP for the information session here.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Are you a NYC-based artist, community leader, or social justice organizer interested in exploring and/or developing a creative project with the aim to offer care for the Asian community in New York? Do you feel you want to do something about anti-Asian and anti-Arab hate and violence and its effects on the community, but don’t know how to get started? Your skills and talents can make a difference, and we want to hear from you.

What Can We Do? is seeking 15 participants with a range of artistic expression, social justice/social impact expertise, organizing frameworks, and lived experiences.

REQUIREMENTS:

• A resident of New York City & primarily based in New York City during the program period

• Must be at least 21 years of age

• The project must benefit communities in Chinatown, Manhattan (District 1); Flushing, Queens (District 20); and/or social justice projects focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities.

• All disciplines and stages of artistic exploration/developments, activism, community organizing, educational practice, and thought leadership are welcome; No prior organizing experience required

• Demonstrate a willingness or an interest in community work and care for vulnerable populations

• Create or develop an existing or new project that centers community building, healing, reflection, and joy, and not limited to being solely reactionary to moments of crisis or protest

• Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate an intention to build an ongoing relationship and engagement with the community

• Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received the award, but anyone can apply

• The event(s) or project engagement(s) must take place within the four-month period between February 4–June 3, 2025

SELECTION CRITERIA:

After an eligibility screening, the A4 Team will be evaluating and selecting the awardees based on the following criteria:

• Community Impact: Will your proposed project have an impact, and show support, and care to AAPI communities? If your project is focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities, how does it impact the groups most affected by the issue? Do you have existing relationships or a desire to build/deepen relationships with residents of the communities on a long-term basis? Do you have an understanding of issues facing AAPI communities?

• Outreach Strategy: Do you have a clear plan to conduct outreach to community members? If you plan to work with a community organization, does your outreach strategy align with the scope and contents of your project? If your project is focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities, does your outreach strategy align with the goals and values of the movement and focus on local needs?

• Project Development and Creativity: Does your project contain a clear display of innovation, imagination, and/or creativity? Will participation in the WCWD program help you realize or shape your project?

• Ability to Commit and Viability: Is your project achievable given the proposed engagement dates and four-month timeline?

We strive for a balance of geography, populations served, and disciplines. These factors will also be taken into account when the applications are evaluated.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE + TIMELINE:

As part of the program, participants will:

• Carry out their event(s) or project engagement(s) anytime between February 4–June 3, 2025, providing periodical progress updates to A4

• Write and submit a simple, one-page report of their work including 2 photographs, the community they served, its impact, and any next steps

• Present their final project in-person or virtually at the end of the program in a public share out

• Receive an honorarium of $1,500 per awardee; please note that awardees will receive the first half of the honorarium ($750) upon signing the agreement and the second half of the honorarium ($750) upon completion of the final report

The program schedule is as follows:

• November 12, 2024 – Application opens

• November 19, 2024 – Pre-submission Information Session via Zoom (12-1pm ET)

• January 7, 2025 – Deadline for all submissions (by 11:59 pm ET)

• January 21, 2025 – Awardees selected and notified

• February 4–June 3, 2025 – Awardees carry out their projects

• June 5, 2025 – Final reports due

• June 12, 2025 (Tentative) – Public Share Out

This program is presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Special thanks to Council Members Christopher Marte and Sandra Ung. Projects focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities are supported by the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice.

aaartsalliance.org/opportunities/what-can-we-do

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2025 Bechtel Prize 

Teachers & Writers Magazine

DEADLINE: January 10, 2025

INFO: Each year Teachers & Writers Magazine awards the Bechtel Prize and a $1,000 honorarium for an essay describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction. 

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.

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 creative writing 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.

PRIZE: 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. They should include a cover page with the essay title, author’s name, e-mail address, phone number, and a brief bio (no more than 150 words).

• Send submissions in Word or PDF format via Submittable.

• Submissions will be judged anonymously. The author’s name and address must not appear anywhere on the essay.

• Authors of the Bechtel Prize-winning essay and finalists must permit T&W to publish their essays in Teachers & Writers Magazine. T&W reserves the right to edit essays for publication.

• Submissions are only accepted through Submittable.com. Please do not email submissions.

• All submissions that conform to the above guidelines will be considered for general publication. Submissions that do not conform to the above guidelines will not be reviewed for 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. 

Questions regarding these guidelines may be sent to editors@twc.org. Please do not send submissions by email. 

teachersandwritersmagazine.org/bechtel-prize/

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2025 Early Career Artist Residency - For MN + NY artists

Anderson Center at Tower View

DEADLINE: January 14, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency Program offers month-long residency-fellowships at Tower View to a cohort of emerging artists from Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City for concentrated, uninterrupted creative time to advance their personal artistic goals and projects.

Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency is an ideal fit for early-career artists in need of focused time and dedicated space in an inspiring residency work environment that empowers them take risks, embrace challenges, and utilize unconventional approaches to problem-solving.

Thanks to generous support from the Jerome Foundation, selected emerging artists receive a $625/week artist stipend, documentation support, art-making resources, lodging & studio space, a travel honorarium, groceries, and chef-prepared communal dinners.

Anderson Center is an artist community founded in 1995 on the Tower View estate, a venerable research-and-development lab for the arts rooted in an expansive natural setting in rural Red Wing, MN (approximately 1-hour outside the Twin Cities metro).

The Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency is geared toward generative art making, as well as exchange across an interdisciplinary cohort. The program is well suited for vocational early-career artists in pursuit of time, space, and resources to truly commit to a project and explore new creative territories. Critiques, studio visits, and formal professional development are not offered.

The Anderson Center seeks to support emerging writers and artists with an uncompromising drive to create new work at Tower View in September 2025 that demonstrates significant potential for cultural and community impact, is technically accomplished, and engages diverse communities. The organization also believes that the environment and resources of Tower View, along with an exchange of ideas between artists working across disciplines, can serve as a catalyst for new inspiration and innovative directions for the work emerging artists create while in residence.

TO APPLY:

The application deadline for the Anderson Center's 2024 Early Career Artist Residency Program is Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 12 p.m. Noon, Central Standard Time. Applications must be submitted on or before the deadline in order to be considered in the jury review period. There is no fee for applying to this residency program.

Jury review will take place in late January and early February. Applicants will be notified by Feb. 7 as to the status of their application. A phone interview process with finalists will take place in late February following a second round of jury review. Selected artist residents, wait-list and runners-up will be notified by March 4, 2024.

ABOUT ANDERSON CENTER: Anderson Center nurtures a vibrant artist community based at Tower View, an expansive Historic Site and natural area in Red Wing, Minnesota. Founded in 1995, the Anderson Center has renovated and restored Tower View's historic buildings to support working artists and the creative process, including developing twenty-two active studio spaces and three galleries. A renovated barn serves as a performance and event venue, the historic main residence houses artists-in-residence, and fifteen acres support a sculpture garden. 

Anderson's signature Artist Residency Program, together with the Studio Artist Program, forms the core of the organization's artistic community. The Residency Program provides artists, writers, musicians, and performers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment with dedicated time and space to create, advance, or complete new work. In addition to community engagement activities through the artist residency program, the organization's additional outreach programs create connections and integrate the arts into community life through local partnerships, hosting annual arts events, and participating in other community-based initiatives.

ABOUT JEROME FOUNDATION: The Jerome Foundation, founded in 1964 by artist and philanthropist Jerome Hill (1905-1972), honors his legacy through multi-year grants to support the creation, development, and presentation of new works by early career artists. The Foundation makes grants to vocational early career artists, and those nonprofit arts organizations that serve them, in all disciplines in the state of Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City. The Jerome Foundation is generously providing support for the Anderson Center’s Emerging Artist Residency Program.

LOCATION: Anderson Center is located on the 350-acre historic Tower View campus, built by scientist & farmer Dr. Alexander Pierce Anderson between 1915 and 1921, on the western edge of Red Wing, Minnesota, and its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center features a large sculpture garden, and is adjacent to the Cannon Valley Trail, a 20-mile biking and walking trail that runs from Cannon Falls to Red Wing. The Center is 45-60 minutes southeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Transportation is provided between the Center and the Twin Cities airport on the first and last day of residencies only. Artist Residents that choose to drive will have access to private parking on the property.

The community of Red Wing, Minn., (pop. 16,000) is nestled amidst the scenic bluffs of the upper Mississippi River.

DEFINITION OF “EARLY CAREER”: While Anderson Center’s general Artist Residency Program hosts artists with a wide range of talent and experience, its Early Career Artist Residency Program exclusively focuses on meeting the specific needs of artists who are in the early stages of their artistic development and career.

Anderson Center’s goal is to support artists early in their careers who create work that is and/or has the potential to be:

• Compelling—offering distinctive vision and authentic voice;

• Deeply considered, imaginative, and executed with attention to craft and with technical proficiency, providing artistic experiences that communicate unique perspective/s, and invite viewers to question, discover, explore new ideas in new ways;

• Innovative and risk-taking—engaging, questioning, challenging or re-imagining conventional artistic forms.

Anderson Center defines an early career artist as someone in the early stages of their creative development with 2-10 years of generative experience, and:

• have a focused direction and goals, even while still developing their artistic “voice”

• have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field, the media, funding circles or the public at large

• are vocational (as opposed to avocational, academic, amateur or educational) artists

Artists who have been in the field for longer than 10 years (excluding any time in a degree-granting program; as a dancer in work created by others; remounting the work of other choreographers; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances–e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized. Age is not a factor in determining emerging artist status.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES:

The four primary eligibility guidelines for Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency are:

1. Legal residency in the State of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City.

2. Not enrolled in any degree-granting program from time of application through residency period.

3. Self-identification as an “early career artist” with 2-10 years of generative experience in the field

4. An artistic practice centered in generating and creating entirely new work.

Minnesota or New York City artists - Artists must currently be legal residents of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City and have been residents for at least one year prior to the submission of an application. Artist did (or will) file US federal taxes as a resident of Minnesota or New York City. Account address in Submittable must be within MN or NYC. Selected artists will be required to provide proof of Minnesota or New York City residency before a residency is formally offered. Artists must have a US Social Security Number or US Tax ID.

No students - Students enrolled in any degree-granting program from the time of application through the residency period are not eligible to apply for an Early Career Artist Residency at the Anderson Center (this includes any and all K-12, technical school, college, graduate, postgraduate, ABD studies). There are no exceptions to this eligibility criterion. If an artist is pursuing a degree-granting program in some form, they are not eligible. Please do not contact Anderson Center staff regarding technical situations or special edge cases around student status. This program supports vocational artists, not students. No matter the specifics or details, if an artist can be considered a student of a degree-granting program in any way, they are simply not eligible.

“Early Career Artist” Status – Eligible artists self-identify as an “early career artist” and are in the early stages of their creative development with 2-10 years of generative experience. The Anderson Center’s goal is to serve a spectrum of artists typically in their 2nd to 10th year of creative practice, post-student status (if applicable). This spectrum is framed by artists with some track record of creating and presenting full work (not beginning artists), and artists who are NOT at a point in their careers where they receive consistent development and production opportunities and significant recognition, awards, and acclaim (not mid-career or established artists).

Artists who have been in the field for longer than 10 years (excluding any time in a degree-granting program; as a dancer in work created by others; remounting the work of other choreographers; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances–e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized.

Age is not a determining factor. Career stage is assessed by the cumulative number of years an artist has been generating their own work. Mid-career or established artists shifting from one artistic discipline to another will not be considered early career. For example, a composer with a substantial career in music who is now moving into film will not be considered early career.

Anderson Center has defined the 2–10 year span recognizing that some artists may experience enormous success and move past early career status well before their 5th year or 10th year. The organization recognizes that the number of opportunities afforded to artists may differ significantly based on discipline, race/ethnicity, class, gender, physical ability, and geography among other factors. Consequently, some artists may be past their 10th year and still be on the spectrum of early career status due to taking time out of active artistic practice for school or other circumstances. The Anderson Center understands that the lack of an absolute or rigid definition leaves room for interpretation but embraces this flexibility out of our value around diversity and in recognition of the many variables that impact artists’ careers.

New Work – Eligible artists are generating and creating entirely new work (rather than interpreting, translating, arranging, copying, remounting pre-existing work or the work of others). Generative artists are those who conceive and create new original work (e.g., choreographers, composers, playwrights and devisers, filmmakers, writers, visual artists, etc.). This program does not support artists who solely perform or develop/produce the work of others (e.g., dancers, musicians, actors, editors, journalists, etc.).

Collaboratives - Artists that are part of an artistic collective, partnership, or collaborative are welcome to apply, but collaborative residencies are also rare. The program is extremely competitive, and space is simply limited. Each artist must also complete their own application form. Obviously, each application will repeat things and have much overlap. That is OK. In the work plan for in each application, highlight that artist's contribution / skills, while making clear the collaborative nature of the project.

Notes - Artists of all disciplines are eligible and are encouraged to apply. Applications must be submitted through the Anderson Center’s online webform via Submittable.

Please direct any questions regarding early career artist status and eligibility requirements directly to Anderson Center at Tower View staff at 651-388-2009 or info@andersoncenter.org.

APPLICATION: A completed application form includes a brief artist statement, a work plan, an early career statement, work samples, and a resume or CV. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the panel. You may begin your application, leave and return as many times as necessary to complete the form PRIOR to clicking the submit button at the bottom of the completed form. Important: do not submit your application form until you are completely finished editing as your application will be finalized at that time.

If you are a prior resident of the Anderson Center, you must wait one year from the time of your residency to apply again.

The Artist Statement, provides an opportunity for you to share, in 100 words or less, a brief statement or summary about your past and current work.

The Resume, CV, or Biographical Statement is a Word or PDF document that shows education, work experience, publications, awards, and previous residency experience. 3 pages maximum.

The Work Plan is a one page Word or PDF document that clearly and concisely describes what you are working on and what you’d like to accomplish at the Anderson Center. Successful applicants address how the timing, location, and cohort-based model of the residency would benefit their practice. Artists may also mention how specific amenities or resources at the Anderson Center (such as the surrounding natural environment, specific studio spaces or equipment) would advance their work. The statement can be single-spaced.

An Early Career Statement addresses, in 250 words or less, your status as an emerging artist or early-career artist. How would participating in this program impact or advance your practice as an early career artist? In what ways would this program meet your needs as an early career artist? Why is this residency important to this stage of your career path? How do you identify as an early career artist? 

Work Samples should be of recent work and should include:
     · For composers and musicians: 3 recordings
     · For visual artists: At least 5 images of work (300 dpi or larger)
     · For nonfiction and fiction writers: 10 pages of double-spaced prose
     · For playwrights & screenwriters: 10-page excerpt (does not need to be from the beginning)
     · For poets: 10 pages of poetry
     · For translators: 10 pages of translation and original text
     · For performance artists: 3 short video excerpts of performances (no videos longer than 5 minutes)
     · For filmmakers: at least 3 short film clips (no videos longer than 5 minutes)
     · For Scholars: 10 pages of work, including research abstracts and relevant diagrams

If you are an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary artist, you may "split the difference" on the work sample guidelines above at your own discretion. For example, including 5 pages of writing and 3 images, etc. 

Likewise you may also choose to simply submit a PDF or Word Doc with hyperlinks to work samples that meet the guidelines outlined above.

Regarding work samples, please put yourself in the shoes of a jury panel member. Make it easy for them to review your best work first. Yes, give the jury various ways to go deeper or experience more if they are motivated but focus first on presenting only your strongest work samples in the most compelling way possible. Please contact staff if you have questions about work samples, but reflecting on the jury and the many applications they have to review & score can serve as a helpful guide in deciding what to include, how much to share, how long it can be, and how to present it.

DURATION OF RESIDENCY: The Anderson Center’s Early Career Artist Residency Program is a 4-week residency-fellowship the month of September 2025. Selected artists must commit to arriving on September 2 and departing on September 29. September is the only month the program takes place.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Each artist-in-residence receives:

• $625/week artist stipend

• Travel honorarium ($550 for New Yorkers and $150 for Minnesotans)

• $450 documentation budget (services for photography, video, audio, etc.)

Evening dinners are prepared and presented by the Anderson Center chef Monday through Friday. The chef also shops for meal items for artist residents, and residents are responsible for preparing their own breakfasts and lunches, and meals over the weekends. There are also housekeepers who clean and maintain the historic facilities.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Each resident is provided room, board, and workspace for the length of the residency period in the historic Tower View residence. Visual artists are provided a 15' x 26' studio and are responsible for supplying their own materials.  Other workspaces on site include a dark room, and a print studio (with a Vandercook 219 letterpress and a Charles Brand-like etching press) for printmakers with demonstrated experience. Practice space is also available for dancers, choreographers, and musicians. Composers are provided with access to a 1904 Steinway piano and a Royale grand piano.

Residents have access to the many walking trails on campus and to the Cannon Valley Trail, which goes through the Anderson Center’s property. Bicycles are also provided. Residents have responded to many different aspects of the gorgeous Tower View campus through their work, including composers sampling natural sounds and visual artists harvesting plant materials to create site-specific natural inks.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The program is set-up to minimize distractions and other obligations so that artists have every opportunity to fully focus on their work. However, the Anderson Center was one of the first artist residency programs in the country to require that residents give back to the local community and connect with area residents & organizations through community engagement activities.

Staff work with artists to facilitate and customize at least one hour of mutually beneficial exchange with the Red Wing community that helps foster connection and greater a sense of place.

Within the last few years, Anderson Center residents have connected with schools in five area communities (ranging from elementary through college), senior centers, correctional or detention facilities, community organizations serving children and families, and community organizations serving adults. Residents have also engaged individuals from all walks of life through public workshops, events, discussions, and artful interventions -- both at the Anderson Center or in the community of Red Wing.

PROGRAM MISSION & VALUES: As an interdisciplinary arts organization, the Anderson Center embraces artists who are diverse in every way. Since its inception, the organization has intentionally worked with artists representing a wide range of disciplines, with the belief that the exchange of ideas is generative. The residency program supports artists from around the world, representing a wide range of cultures, races, sexual identities and genders. The Center strives to bring people and ideas together and operates with a spirit of welcome for all.

SELECTION TIMELINE:

• January 14, 2025 (12:00 p.m. Noon CST) – application deadline

• February 7, 2025 – Jury has selected Round 2 applications. All artists are notified of the status of their application.

• February 25, 2025 – Jury has determined finalists. Phone interviews with finalists begin.  

• March 4, 2025 – Final notification to selected artists, wait-list and runners-up

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Selection criteria include (in order of importance):

1. Artistic excellence as demonstrated by work samples, resume and artist statement

2. Potential benefit and impact on career as demonstrated by work plan

3. Balance of artistic disciplines, identity, geography, etc within selected cohort

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Anderson Center provides equal opportunity for all people to participate in and benefit from the activities of the Center, regardless of race, national origin, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, in admission, access, or employment. The Anderson Center staff is willing to do what they can to accommodate residents with disabilities. Please call before applying to discuss special needs.

theandersoncenter.submittable.com/submit

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2025 Anderson center residency

Anderson Center at Tower View

DEADLINE: January 14, 2025

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: Anderson Center nurtures a vibrant artist community based at Tower View, an expansive Historic Site and natural area in Red Wing, Minnesota. Founded in 1995, the Anderson Center has renovated and restored Tower View's historic buildings to support working artists and the creative process, including developing twenty-two active studio spaces and three galleries. A renovated barn serves as a performance and event venue, the historic main residence houses artists-in-residence, and fifteen acres support a sculpture garden.

Anderson's signature Artist Residency Program, together with the Studio Artist Program, forms the core of the organization's artistic community. The Residency Program provides artists, writers, musicians, and performers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment with dedicated time and space to create, advance, or complete new work. In addition to community engagement activities through the artist residency program, the organization's additional outreach programs create connections and integrate the arts into community life through local partnerships, hosting annual arts events, and participating in other community-based initiatives.

ELIGIBILITY: The Anderson Residency Program is open to early career, mid-career, and established visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, multidisciplinary artists, musicians, performance artists, scholars, and translators from across the globe. The program is interdisciplinary and the organization welcomes applications from a wide range of creative and intellectual genres, including those that don't fit neatly into the above list.

To be considered, artists must submit an application through the Anderson Center’s online form via Submittable. Complete program details are below. Please contact the organization at 651-388-2009 or info@andersoncenter.org for any questions.

DURATION OF RESIDENCY: For the 2025 season, the Anderson Center is offering 2- or 4-week residency sessions during the months of August and October. Preference is generally given to 4-week residencies. That said, 2-weeks sessions are possible. There is a 48-hour turnover between residency sessions, no matter their duration, to allow time for housekeeping. Specific start and end dates are listed in the application form. Please plan your requested residency dates carefully. Provide as much detail as possible regarding your availability, as that information is incredibly helpful in assembling cohorts and organizing the waitlist.

September 2024 residencies are reserved for the organization’s Early Career Artist Residency.

2025 SCHEDULING & AVAILABILITY:

Each season the Anderson Center hosts a limited number of artists through its various exchanges, fellowships, and dedicated programs that reduce the number of spots available for artists submitting materials for this General Residency program opportunity. In 2025 exterior renovations to the residence limit the residency options to the months of August and October.

Availability as of September 2024:

• August 2025 - Four 4-week spots (or eight 2-week spots); space for 4-6 artists depending on duration. 

• October 2025 - Three 4-week spots (or 6 2-week spots); space for 3 – 5 artists depending on duration.

In general, for months that incorporate 2-week sessions, no fewer than four artists–and no more than six artists would be scheduled for 2-week residencies within that month.

Due to the competitiveness of the program, the organization's goal is to be upfront and transparent about the availability for the General Residency program in 2025 in an effort to help you make a decision about whether this year is the best time to submit an application. Again, please contact us if you have any questions or need further clarification here.

LOCATIONThe Anderson Center is located on the 350-acre historic Tower View campus, built by scientist & farmer Dr. Alexander Pierce Anderson between 1915 and 1921, on the western edge of Red Wing, Minnesota, and its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center features a large sculpture garden, and is adjacent to the Cannon Valley Trail, a 20-mile biking and walking trail that runs from Cannon Falls to Red Wing.

The Center is 45- 60 minutes southeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Transportation is provided between the Center and the Twin Cities airport on the first and last day of residencies only. Artist Residents that choose to drive will have access to private parking on the property. The community of Red Wing, Minn., (pop. 16,000) is nestled amidst the scenic bluffs of the upper Mississippi River.

APPLICATION: A completed application form includes a brief artist statement, a work plan, work samples, and a resume or CV. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the panel. You may begin your application, leave and return as many times as necessary to complete the form PRIOR to clicking the submit button at the bottom of the completed form. Important: do not submit your application form until you are completely finished editing as your application will be finalized at that time. If you are a prior resident of the Anderson Center, you must wait one year from the time of your residency to apply again.

The Artist Statement, provides an opportunity for you to share, in 100 words or less, a brief statement or summary about your past and current work.

The Resume, CV, or Biographical Statement is a Word or PDF document that shows education, work experience, publications, awards, and previous residency experience. 3 pages maximum.

The Work Plan is a one-page Word or PDF document that clearly and concisely describes what you are working on and what you’d like to accomplish at the Anderson Center. Successful applicants address how the timing, location, and cohort-based model of the residency would benefit their practice. Artists may also mention how specific amenities or resources at the Anderson Center (such as the surrounding natural environment, specific studio spaces or equipment) would advance their work. The statement can be single-spaced.

Work Samples should be of recent work and should include:

• For composers and musicians: 3 to 5 recordings

• For visual artists: At least 5 images of work (300 dpi or larger)

• For nonfiction and fiction writers: 10 pages of double-spaced prose

• For playwrights & screenwriters: 10-page excerpt (does not need to be from the beginning)

• For poets: 10 pages of poetry

• For translators: 10 pages of translation and original text

• For performance artists: 3 short video excerpts of performances (no videos longer than 5 minutes)

• For filmmakers: at least 3 short film clips (no videos longer than 5 minutes)

• For Scholars: 10 pages of work, including research abstracts and relevant diagrams

If you are an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary artist, you may "split the difference" on the work sample guidelines above at your own discretion. For example, including 5 pages of writing and 3 images, etc. 

Likewise you may also choose to simply submit a PDF or Word Doc with hyperlinks to work samples that meet the guidelines outlined above.

Regarding work samples, please put yourself in the shoes of a jury panel member. Make it easy for them to review your best work first. Yes, give the jury various ways to go deeper or experience more if they are motivated but focus first on presenting only your strongest work samples in the most compelling way possible. Please contact staff if you have questions about work samples, but reflecting on the jury and the many applications they have to review & score can serve as a helpful guide in deciding what to include, how much to share, how long it can be, and how to present it.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Each resident is provided room, board, and workspace for the length of the residency period in the historic Tower View residence. Visual artists will be provided a 15' x 26' studio and are responsible for supplying their own materials. Other workspaces on-site include a dark room and a print studio for professional printmakers (with a Vandercook 219 letterpress and a Charles Brand-like etching press). Practice space is also available for dancers, choreographers, and musicians. Composers are provided with access to a 1906 Steinway piano and a Royale grand piano.

Dinners are prepared and presented by the Anderson Center chef Monday through Friday. This chef also shops for groceries for artists-in-residence. Residents are responsible for preparing their own breakfasts and lunches, and meals over the weekends. There are also housekeepers who clean and maintain the historic facilities.

Residents have access to the many walking trails on campus and to the Cannon Valley Trail, which goes through the Anderson Center’s property. Bicycles are also provided. There is a very basic home gym in the residence. Residents have responded to many different aspects of the gorgeous Tower View campus through their work, including composers sampling natural sounds and visual artists harvesting plant materials to create site-specific natural inks.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The program is set-up to minimize distractions and other obligations so that artists have every opportunity to fully focus on their work. However, the Anderson Center was one of the first artist residency programs in the country to require that residents give back to the local community and connect with area residents & organizations through community engagement activities.

Staff work with artists to facilitate and customize at least one hour of mutually beneficial exchange with the Red Wing community that helps foster connection and greater a sense of place.

Within the last few years, Anderson Center residents have connected with schools in five area communities (ranging from elementary through college), senior centers, correctional or detention facilities, community organizations serving children and families, and community organizations serving adults. Residents have also engaged individuals from all walks of life through public workshops, events, discussions, and artful interventions -- both at the Anderson Center or in the community of Red Wing.

PROGRAM MISSION & VALUES:

"This stay is particularly suitable for artists who want to devote themselves intensively to the realization of a concept. Here you can devote yourself to artistic work undisturbed and far away from everyday worries." - Eva Möseneder, 2012 resident

Anderson Center’s goal is for connections participating artists make with one another, as well as connections made with other creatives and community members, to outlast the duration of their residency visit. The organization believes that the environment and resources of Tower View, along with an exchange of ideas across disciplines, can serve as a catalyst for new inspiration and innovative directions for the work artists create while in residence.

As an interdisciplinary arts organization, the Anderson Center embraces artists who are diverse in every way. Since its inception, the organization has intentionally worked with artists representing a wide range of disciplines, with the belief that the exchange of ideas is generative. The residency program supports artists from around the world, representing a wide range of cultures, races, sexual identities and genders. The Center strives to bring people and ideas together and operates with a spirit of welcome for all.

SELECTION TIMELINE:

• January 14, 2025 (12:00 p.m. Noon CST) – application deadline

• February 7, 2025 – Jury has selected Round 2 applications. All artists are notified of the status of their status.

• March 5, 2025 – Final notification to selected artists, wait-list and runners-up

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Selection criteria include (in order of importance):

1. Artistic excellence as demonstrated by work samples, resume and artist statement

2. Potential benefit and impact on career as demonstrated by work plan

3. Balance of artistic disciplines, identity, geography, etc within selected cohort

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Anderson Center provides equal opportunity for all people to participate in and benefit from the activities of the Center, regardless of race, national origin, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, in admission, access, or employment. The Anderson Center staff is willing to do what they can to accommodate residents with disabilities. Please call before applying to discuss special needs.

theandersoncenter.submittable.com/submit

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Cai Emmons Fiction Award

Red Hen Press

DEADLINE: January 15, 2025

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: To honor the life and enduring legacy of beloved novelist Cai Emmons, who published three novels through Red Hen Press (Weather Woman, Sinking Islands, and Livid) and who passed away with dignity on January 2, 2023 after a hard-fought battle with ALS, Red Hen Press is proud to announce the Cai Emmons Fiction Award.

We are so grateful to Cai and her family for choosing to endow this award to keep Cai’s spirit and love of life-changing fiction alive.

We are looking for a fresh and original story of fiction with a minimum of 150 pages. The awarded fiction manuscript is selected through an annual submission process which is open to all authors.

AWARD DETAILS:

• $5000

• Book publication by Red Hen Press

• Judge: E.P. Tuazon

Notes: Name on cover sheet only, with a 25,000-word minimum (approximately 150 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font). Entries will be accepted via Submittable only.

GUIDELINES:

The award is open to all writers with the following exceptions:

• Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press;

• Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press;

• Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors;

• Relatives or individuals having a personal or professional relationship with any of the final judges where they have taken any part whatsoever in shaping the manuscript, or where, for whatever reason, selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety.

PROCEDURES + ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material.

Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.

Red Hen Press is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

For questions or to withdraw a submitted entry, please contact editorial@redhen.org.

redhen.org/awards/cai-emmons-fiction-award/

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Regular Reading period

Ploughshares

DEADLINE: January 15, 2025 at noon EST

INFO: Ploughshares welcomes unsolicited submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction during our regular reading period. The literary journal is published four times a year: blended poetry and prose issues in the Winter and Spring, a prose issue in the Summer, and a special longform prose issue in the Fall. Our Spring and Summer issues are guest-edited by different writers of prominence.

Guest editors are invited to solicit up to half of their issues, with the other half selected from manuscripts submitted to the journal and screened for them by staff editors. This guest-editor policy, which we have used since our founding in 1971, is designed to introduce readers to different literary circles and tastes, and to offer a fuller representation of the range and diversity of contemporary letters than would be possible with a single editorship.

MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES:

We accept up to 6,500 words of prose, and 1-5 pages of poetry. 

If you are submitting to our Fall Longform issue, we accept up to 15,000 words. Please note that past Longform issue contributors may not be published again in a future Longform issue. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained, and translations are welcome if permission has been granted by the original author. 

Queries to the Look2 Critical Essay series are welcome (see guidelines here).

It would be much appreciated if you kept the following in mind when submitting your work:

• Typed, double-spaced pages. (Single-spacing is welcome for poetry).

• Numbered pages.

• If in hard copy, submit with text on one side of the page.

We do not consider:

• Unsolicited book reviews and criticism.

• Previously published work. If your submission is part of a forthcoming book, let us know in your cover letter and the expected publication date.

• Work written by individuals currently affiliated with Ploughshares or Emerson College as a volunteer screener, intern, student, staff member, or faculty member.

We cannot accommodate revisions, changes of return address, or forgotten SASEs. We cannot be responsible for delay, loss, or damage.

COVER LETTERS:

We encourage you to include a short cover letter with your submission. It should reference:

• Major publications and awards.

• Any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor.

• Past publication in Ploughshares.

CONTRIBUTOR HONORARIUM:

Payment is upon publication:

• $45/printed page, $90 minimum per title, $450 maximum per author.

• Two contributor copies of the issue.

• A discounted rate for additional contributor copies.

• A one-year subscription.

SIMULTANEOUS VS. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS:

We do not consider multiple submissions, so please send only one manuscript at a time, either by mail or online. Do not send a second submission until you have heard about the first. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are welcome as long as they are identified as such and we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. 

If you are working on submissions with an agent, or are an agent submitting work on behalf of an author, please read our note on simultaneous submissions with an agent.

SUBMIT ONLINE:

Submit via our online submission manager. 

If this is your first time submitting, please fill out the submission form first, then click “Add to Cart.” You will then be prompted to create an account on our website.

• There is a $3.75 service fee for online submissions (current subscribers may submit online without charge). This is not a reading fee.

• Upload your submission as a Word (.doc, .docx), rich-text format (.rtf) file, or PDF. No .Pages, .txt, or Open Office Documents.

• Upload only one file containing one prose piece or one to five pages of poems.

• Type or paste your cover letter into the provided “Cover Letter” field.

• From the drop-down genre menu, be sure to select the appropriate genre of the work you are submitting. Please select “Longform” for longform submissions, regardless of genre.

FREE ONLINE SUBMISSIONS:

Subscribe to Ploughshares and submit online for free. You may subscribe here. If you are a current subscriber, you will still be prompted to checkout, but you will not be required to enter your credit card information and will not be charged.

SUBMIT BY MAIL;

We greatly prefer digital submissions, but you may mail submissions to:

Ploughshares
Emerson College
120 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02116-4624

• Mail your manuscript in a page-size manila envelope with your full name and address written on the outside (at least an inch down from the top, to account for USPS barcodes).

• Identify the genre of your manuscript on the outside of the envelope.

• You must include your email address in your cover letter.  All manuscript replies will be sent via email, and we cannot process a mailed submission without a corresponding email address.

• If you are an incarcerated writer and do not have access to an email address, please provide the email address of a trusted individual or indicate in your cover letter that you do not have access to email. 

• If you would like your full manuscript to be returned, indicate this in your cover letter and ensure that you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with adequate postage.

• We cannot return manuscripts to international addresses, even with IRCs.

• There is no service charge for mail submissions.

Unsolicited work sent directly to a guest editor’s home or office will be ignored and discarded; guest editors are formally instructed not to read such work.

ACCESSING YOUR SUBMISSIONS:

You can view the status of your current submission as well as a list of your past submissions at any time by logging in to your account and clicking “My Submissions.”

NOTIFICATIONS + QUERIES:

Expect three to five months for a decision (our backlog is heaviest during the fall and spring). We receive well over a thousand manuscripts a month, so please be patient. We accept queries after five months have passed. Queries as well as withdrawal notifications should be sent via email or the mail. They should include:

• Your name.

• The date, genre, and title of the submission.

• Whether the submission was sent by mail or online.

• A SASE, if you send your query via mail.

pshares.org/submit/journal/

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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: TRANSLATION COLUMN

The Margins / AAWW

DEADLINE: Rolling

INFO: The Margins seeks work from writers for an ongoing monthly column on language, culture, and translation from Asia. We consider Asia as an umbrella term that encompasses all of its regions (South, Southeast, East, Central, and North Asia, and SWANA) and the many diaspora communities of Asians all over the world.

We welcome essays, hybrid works, translations, and translator’s notes that engage with Asia’s literature, cultures, subcultures, languages, and diasporas. We are also interested in works that grapple with the concept of the Transpacific, colonialism, history, and empire, especially as they relate to language and translation.

We pay all writers and translators. Please refer to our rate sheet for more details.

Examples of work we’re interested in:

• Translator’s notes: Essays on the philosophy, craft, and art of translation

• Translator’s diaries: Writings about the experience and choices for a particular book in translation

• Essays and translations of essays on languages and multilingualism

• Essays on power and empire as they relate to translation

• New translations/re-translations of essays by important Asian scholars, thinkers, philosophers, and revolutionaries

• Reportage on the writing, reading, publishing, and translation culture of a particular place

• Photo essays about bookstores and literary salons in Asia or that feature Asian literature

• Interviews with independent publishers, writers, artists, and thinkers in Asia or the Asian diaspora

Some examples of what we’re looking for:

• I Make Myself a Channel

• Inside a Japanese Feminist Publishing House and Bookstore: An Interview with etc.books

• Van Runcit Putih | Neighborhood Sundry Van

• Two Rohingya Lullabies

• Sugar on the Gash

Send pitches of up to 500 words or finished pieces from 1,000-2,500 words to Soleil David, senior editor, at translation@aaww.org. For translations into English, translator must have already obtained permission from the copyright owner.

We read submissions year round and in all languages spoken and read in Asia. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know via email if your pitch/essay has been accepted elsewhere. Writers can expect a reply within three to four months.

aaww.org/submissions-translation-column/

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CALL FOR AUTHORS

Vanderbilt University Press

DEADLINE: Rolling

INFO: Vanderbilt University Press acquires books in the areas of Latin American and Hispanic studies; global and public health; human rights and civil rights; anthropology; history and postwar studies; and studies of race, class, gender, and sexuality. We also publish books with a regional focus on Tennessee and the South, including, for example, books on Nashville and country music.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Initial inquiries about potential book projects should be queried to the acquisitions department via email. We do not accept full manuscripts until requested. First, ensure that VUP publishes in the disciplinary area that your project represents.

If that is the case, please send a cover letter and book proposal that includes the following:

• A short book abstract

• A brief but detailed statement outlining the manuscript’s arguments, themes, and significance to the field

• A table of contents that clearly summarizes the content and structure of each chapter

• Assessment of the work’s fit with existing literature, comparison with published books on the topic, and discussion of the intended audiences and market for the book

• Statement of the anticipated word count of the manuscript; plans for tables, figures, or other illustrations; and schedule for completion

• Sample chapter (optional)

• Curriculum vitae

• If your manuscript is based on a dissertation, please discuss how the material and research has been developed, reframed, or otherwise revised. VUP does not publish unrevised dissertations.

• If your manuscript is an edited collection, please include information about each of the contributors and note if any of the chapters are previously published.

• If your manuscript is a translation, please describe why the author’s work warrants translation into English, as well as any and all information on rights to the work and the book’s history in its native language.

Keep a file or a copy of your proposal materials. We do not return proposals. Please do not call the Press to inquire about the status of your proposal or manuscript. We review all material received, and you will be contacted when a decision has been made. We aim to communicate whether a proposed project is being pursued further no more than eight weeks after the receipt of the proposal.

For more information about specific series initiatives, visit our Series page.

vanderbiltuniversitypress.com/resources/submission-guidelines-for-prospective-authors/