POETRY — 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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

Guest Editor’s Call For Submissions

Poet Lore

DEADLINE: February 11, 2025

INFO: For our Winter/Spring 2025 issue, Guest Editor Kenzie Allen will curate a folio centered on “The More-Than-Human World.”

From Kenzie Allen: I’ve been thinking about “the more-than-human world”** — so, our nonhuman animal and plant and even mineral cousins—all those and all that with which we share this earth. And all the ways we intersect with and impact them, and vice versa. Our responsibilities to each other. Our dreams of each other. Our love songs. Our missteps and misrepresentations and pressures toward extinction and ruin, and also the ways we can learn from and protect and honor the world around us. Their languages. Their constellations and ancestors. The songs they sing.

Lately, I’ve been writing love songs to skunks and alpacas and to the land itself. I’m in the mood to read animal poems, and rock poems, and water poems, and cloud poems (and did I mention animal poems?), geographic poems, ecology poems, volcanic poems, star poems, poems that simmer and shine and soar, poems of longing and celebration, of connection and interconnection. I want us to get outside ourselves, even as we might locate ourselves within that array.

**The “more-than-human world” as a term comes from David Abram, who writes:

“The phrase was intended, first and foremost, to indicate that the realm of humankind (with our culture and technology) is a subset within a larger set—that the human world is necessarily embedded within, permeated by, and indeed dependent upon the more-than-human world that exceeds it. Yet by this new phrase I also meant to encourage a new humility on the part of humankind, since the ‘more’ could be taken not just in a quantitative but also in a qualitative sense.”

He goes on to say, “of course, the recognition of our human embedment within a more-than-human biosphere brimming with its own intelligence is hardly a new insight. On the contrary, this understanding has been common to Indigenous or First Nations peoples on every inhabited continent and archipelago for numberless generations.” (Abram, “On the Origin of the Phrase, ‘more-than-human’”)

Poet Lore pays contributors $50 per published poem. Contributors also receive one copy of their issue, plus a copy of the following printed issue of Poet Lore.

GUIDELINES:

You may submit up to 3 poems (maximum of 8 pages). If you currently have an open submission in our general submission queue, you are welcome to submit a separate submission to this themed call.

Submissions should be typed in a serif font (Times New Roman, Garamond, etc.), 12pt font, and include a cover letter with the poet’s name, contact information, and titles of the poems.

• Include all poems in 1 single document and please only submit once per submission call.

• Include the titles of all poems in your cover letter (bullet points or numbers are easiest).

• If a poem is more than one page, please indicate if the second page begins with a new stanza (occasionally, Submittable shifts page formatting so this helps us ensure we are seeing the poem as you intend).

• We accept simultaneous submissions, however, let us know in your cover letter if poems are simultaneously submitted, and please inform us immediately if a poem is accepted elsewhere.

• We do not accept work that has been previously published. This includes on personal blogs and social media.

• Upon acceptance, we ask for first serial rights, with rights reverting back to the author upon publication.

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity and highly encourage submissions from marginalized voices. We do not tolerate racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, or any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and viewpoints.

poetlore.com/guest-editors-call-for-submissions/

_____

SOUTHERN PRIZE AND STATE FELLOWSHIPS FOR LITERARY ARTS: POETRY

South Arts

DEADLINE: February 12, 2025 by 11:59 p.m. ET

APPLICATION FEE: $25 (If the application fee creates a barrier, the applicant may request a waiver from South Arts by contacting southernprize@southarts.org).

INFO: South Arts’ Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts acknowledge, support, and celebrate the highest quality literary work being created in the American South. The State Fellowships for Literary Arts are awarded to artists with a commitment to artistic excellence as evidenced by the quality of their work.

The Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts will be awarded to writers of one creative literary arts genre each year. The genre for the 2025 cycle is Poetry.

WHO MAY APPLY:

The program is open to individual artists who meet all eligibility criteria and live in the South Arts region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  Please refer to the eligibility and guidelines section below for full details on who may apply for the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts.

Applicants are required to submit (through South Arts’ online application portal-currently SlideRoom): an application, a writing sample, an artist’s statement and Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) as outlined in the Guidelines. Writers at all stages of their career are eligible to apply; successful applications show evidence of outstanding talent and commitment to the creation of new work.

AWARD:

The State Fellowship for Literary Arts is awarded to artists whose work reflects the best of the literary arts in the South. A national panel will select one awardee per state, for a group of nine State Fellows based on artistic excellence that reflects the diversity of artistic expression of the region, each of whom will receive a $5,000 award. The nine awarded State Fellows will compete for the Southern Prize for Literary Arts. Each of the nine state fellowship recipients will be required to attend the awards ceremony. The $25,000 Southern Prize will be awarded to the literary artist whose work demonstrates the highest artistic excellence, and a finalist will be awarded a $10,000 Prize. Additionally, both Southern Prize awardees will receive a two-week residency at The Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences.  

The cohort of nine State Fellows is selected through a two-tiered selection process by a national panel. A separately appointed national panel will select the Southern Prize winner and finalist. Panelists will make their selections based on artistic excellence as reflected in the application package (writing sample and artist’s statement) that reflects and represents the diversity of artistic expression of the region.  

South Arts is committed to practices and funding that create greater cultural equity, represent the diversity of artistic expression of our region, are inclusive of diverse voices and artistic expression, and are accessible to everyone.

TIMELINE + OTHER INFO:

• Award Notification: on or before April 2025  

• Please note that the fellowship awards announcement may be earlier or later than the date listed above.

• Applicants who are not awarded a fellowship will receive notification via email (email of record within the SlideRoom application portal) in advance of the fellowship awards announcement.

• South Arts reserves the right not to consider incomplete or improperly submitted applications.

• Inform applicants of incomplete or improperly submitted applications.

• Panelists will not provide comment on any applications.

• 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 fellowship.

• Southern Prize for Literary Arts Awards Ceremony: TBD 

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants to the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Only one application per artist per grant cycle will be accepted. Writers who are awarded a State fellowships for Literary Arts are ineligible to apply for this program for six years (not earlier than 2031). Southern Prize for Literary Arts recipients are ineligible to apply to this program for a period of 10 years (not earlier than 2035).

• Be a writer at any stage of a creative literary arts career.

• The applicant must be the writer whose original work is represented in the submitted work samples.

• Age 18 or Older.

• Artists must be a legal US citizen or have permission from the Department of Homeland Security to work permanently in the U.S.

• A permanent legal resident of the South Arts’ nine-state region for at least the prior two years (January 2023). The applicant must be a current resident of the State they are applying in at the time of application and agree to maintain residency in that state until June 30, 2026. Applicant must be able to prove current state residency as requested by South Arts staff.

• Cannot be a matriculated student in a graduate, undergraduate program of study. Works cannot be submitted if created while applicant was a matriculated student.

• Submit a complete, accurate and properly prepared application through the SlideRoom application portal.

• Actively practicing writer of Poetry.

• Please note: Collaborations are ineligible for the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts.

WORK SAMPLES:

Your writing sample must be:

• Your writing samples must be:

• No more than 10 pages of material, with a maximum of 5 poems per packet

• One synopsis page is optional. Include it as the first page of your work sample. This page can be used to position the work samples in your body of work. It is counted in the total 10 pages allowed.

• No more than one poem per page or one narrative poem or section not to exceed 10 pages.

• Work created no earlier than January 2020 for which you have sole artistic responsibility. You may submit published works, unpublished works, or works in progress. Do not indicate whether the material has been published. Awarded authors will need to clear permission to reprint any previously published work in an anthology of awarded fellows to be printed summer 2025 by Hub City Press).

• In the header of every page, include the title (only Poetry works will be accepted for the 2025 application cycle) of the writing sample and the page number in the upper right corner.

• Only submit up to the maximum number of pages allowed; excess pages beyond page 10 will be removed and not reviewed.

• Save and submit your writing sample as a PDF file observing above requirements.

INELIGIBLE WORK SAMPLES:

Please note the following work samples are ineligible and should not be submitted:

• Collaborative work samples

• Works created while the applicant was a student. 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants to the South Arts State Fellowship for Literary Arts program are required to complete an online application via SlideRoom. The application will be open to receive submissions beginning October 15, 2024. The online submittal process will include the following items:

• Online application

• Scanned or photographed copy of either applicant’s state-issued identification or driver’s license must be submitted with application.
  WORK SAMPLE (Please note: The 2025 application cycle will accept application for Poetry only)

• Your writing sample must be:

  • Up to 10 typewritten pages of poetry

  • One synopsis page is optional. Include it as the first page of your work sample. It is counted in the total 10 pages allowed.  

  • No more than one poem per page or one narrative poem or section not to exceed 10 pages.

  • Work created from as early as January 2020 for which you have sole artistic responsibility. You may submit published works, unpublished works, or works in progress. Do not indicate whether the material has been published.

  • Labeled to indicate title and genre of the sample. In the header of every page, include the title and genre (only Poetry works will be accepted for the 2025 application cycle) of the writing sample and the page number in the upper right corner.  

  • Submit your writing sample in typewritten, manuscript form: 12-point standard font, double-spaced and margins of at least one inch at the top, bottom, and sides of all pages.  

  • Only submit up to the maximum number of pages allowed; excess pages beyond 10 will be removed and not reviewed.

  • Save and submit your writing sample as a PDF file observing above requirements.

• Please note collaborative work samples or works created as a student should not be submitted.

• Documentation and Demographic Information  

  • Birth Year

  • Gender Identity

  • Race/Ethnicity

• An artist statement of up to 250 words (up to 1,250 characters) is required. If you have not yet developed an artist statement, this article may be helpful.

• Professional Resumé or Curriculum Vitae  

  • This summary should include educational background, arts-related employment, residencies, awards, honors, teaching, publications, and/or other pertinent experience. The resumé can be as brief as one page and up to five pages and should be saved as a pdf file. 

southarts.org/grants-opportunities/southern-prize-and-state-fellowships-literary-arts

_____

undocupoets FELLOWSHIP

Undocupoets

DEADLINE: February 14, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: The annual Undocupoets Fellowship grants three unrestricted $500 fellowships to poets who are currently or who were formerly undocumented in the United States. 

Fellows also receive a scholarship from the Fine Arts Work Center to attend the 2025 Summer Workshop Program in Provincetown, MA. The dates of their classes run from June 15 to August 16, 2025. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and housing for a one-week residency, as well as a $500 stipend to help cover transportation and food costs. Selected Fellows are not required to attend and this will not impact final decisions.

Honoring our foundational, five-year partnership with Sibling Rivalry Press, Undocupoets remains committed to reserving at least one of the fellowships to LGBTQ poets who are currently or who were formerly undocumented in the United States. ​

APPLICATION:

In a single PDF, upload:

• A cover letter with a  bio and a brief description of your current work or work-in-progress; which can be the poems in your submission or others not presented.

• Up to ten pages of poetry, with no more than one poem per page. Previously published work is permitted.

One submission per individual, please. We trust in the accountability of writers to submit in good faith per the mission statement of Undocupoets.

QUESTIONS?

For questions, email undocupoets@gmail.com or via the undocupoets.org contact page.

undocupoets.org/fellowship

_____

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

_____

2024 CAAPP BOOK PRIZE

University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry + Poetics / Autumn House Press

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

INFO: Founded in 2020, the CAAPP Book Prize is a publishing partnership between the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and Autumn House Press with the goal of publishing and promoting a writer of African descent. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African, African American, and African diasporic experiences.

The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000. Previous winners include Carly Inghram's The Animal Indoors, Jacqui Germain's Bittering the Wound, Richard Hamilton's Discordant, Okwudili Nebeolisa's Terminal Maladies, and Jasmine Reid's forthcoming Interlocutor Goddess.

GUIDELINES:

• Please submit a manuscript between 48-168 pages.

• Please submit your manuscript as a doc, docx, or pdf file.

• Only one manuscript submission is permitted per person.

FINAL JUDGE: Cameron Awkward-Rich is the author of two collections of poetry—Sympathetic Little Monster (Ricochet Editions, 2016) andDispatch (Persea Books, 2019)—as well asThe Terrible We: Thinking with Trans Maladjustment (Duke University Press, 2022). His writing has appeared, in various forms, in American Quarterly, Transgender Studies Quarterly, Signs, Kenyon Review, Poetry, and elsewhere, and has been supported by fellowships from Cave Canem, the Lannan Foundation, and the ACLS. Presently, he is an associate professor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

caapp.submittable.com/submit

_____

2025 FURIOUS FLOWER POETRY PRIZE

Furious Flower

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

INFO: Furious Flower invites submissions from emerging writers for its annual poetry prize. Poets with no more than one published book are invited to submit up to three poems (no more than a total of 6 pages) for consideration. The winner and honorable mention receive $1500 and $750 respectively and will be invited to read James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va in September 2025. The winner, honorable mention, and finalists will also be published in Obsidian. Winners are announced in April. Submission fee: $15.

2025 Judge: aracelis girmay

aracelis girmay is the author of three books of poems for which she was a finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Her most recent work is the chapbook and was a flower, made in collaboration with book artist Valentina Améstica. Her newest full-length collection will be out with BOA Editions in the fall. Other recent work has been published in Astra, The Paris Review online, and e-flux. girmay curated How to Carry Water: Selected Poems of Lucille Clifton and served as the editor of So We Can Know: Writers of Color on Pregnancy, Loss, Abortion, and Birth (Haymarket, 2023). She is currently completing her last year in her editor-at-large role for the Blessing the Boats Selections. girmay is on the editorial board of the African Poetry Book Fund.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK:

Go to Submittable

• Make a free Submittable account

• Read eligibility requirements

• Fill out the form and pay the non-refundable $15 submission fee

• Attach a pdf of your poems (no more than 6 pages) and ensure no identifying information is in the manuscript or the filena

jmu.edu/furiousflower/poetryprize/index.shtml

_____

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

_____

latinx poets Retreat

CantoMundo

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

INFO: Our 2025 annual CantoMundo retreat will be hosted by the Virginia G. Piper Center for

Creative Writing at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona June 18-22, 2025. Retreat faculty include Raina J. León and Yesenia Montilla. Our keynote speaker is George Abraham. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• CantoMundo is open to Latinx poets aged 18+.

• CantoMundo is dedicated to serving Latinx poets and poetry across regional, aesthetic, ethnic, racial (e.g. Afro-Latinx/Caribbean/Indigenous) linguistic, generational, and LGBTQIA+ spectrums. Our work is motivated by the understanding that Latinx voices, despite historic silencing, have always resounded within the chorus of American poetry.

cantomundo.org/upcoming-retreat

_____

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

_____

Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $34

INFO: The Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of poetry. The prize includes $2,000, publication of a the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge. Kathryn A. Morton was an author and devotee of fine literature, especially poetry.

GUEST JUDGE: Diane Seuss

ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open to any poet writing in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Individual poems 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. 

• Minimum length 48 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

_____

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

The Academy of American Poets

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025 by 11:59pm

INFO: The 2025 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award is a $1,000 award recognizing a poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Established in 1976, it is given annually. A noted translator chooses the winning book.

Submissions are accepted from September 15, 2024 through February 15, 2025 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time). The 2025 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award will be judged by Roger Sedarat.

Please review the guidelines before sending your submission. For questions, please write to awards@poets.org.

GUIDELINES:

• Any translator who meets one of the below criteria on the date of the submission deadline, in any given year, is eligible: U.S. Citizen, or; resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States.

Please note: By law the Academy of American Poets must report cash prizes awarded to individuals to the Internal Revenue Service. If individuals have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), the individual will receive a 1099. If the individual does not have an SSN or ITIN, the individual will receive a 1042 and could be subject to a withholding of a percentage of the cash prize.

• Only books published in the United States during 2024 are eligible for the 2025 prize.

• Books must be published in a standard edition (48 pages or more).

• Collaborations by up to two translators are eligible.

• Self-published books will not be considered.

• Only online submissions are accepted for the award through Submittable: poets.submittable.com/submit.

• The Academy of American Poets agrees to purchase for distribution to its members copies of the winning book. The Academy of American Poets may purchase additional copies of the book for its own use, but not for resale. No royalties will be paid to the author on the copies purchased by the Academy of American Poets. The publisher agrees to make available to the Academy of American Poets the number of copies requested and to sell the books at a special discount based on a percentage markup of the PPB (printing, paper, and binding) costs.

• The winner of the 2025 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award will be announced in June 2025.

• All correspondence concerning the contest should be addressed to the Academy of American Poets and sent to awards@poets.org.

• The decisions of the Academy of American Poets as to eligibility are final.

Please note: It is the mission of the Academy of American Poets to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry. In furtherance of our mission, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and integrity in our publications and programs, and expect and require the same from the poets with whom we collaborate.

All applicants and selected award recipients agree that, as part of their eligibility to receive the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award, they will maintain the highest standards of fairness, decency and personal integrity, in the Academy’s sole discretion, including with adherence to all applicable laws and community values. The decisions of the Academy of American Poets regarding eligibility, both initial and throughout the award period, are final.

poets.submittable.com/submit

_____

Poet-in-Residence at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Academy of American Poets

DEADLINE: February 19, 2025 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Poet-in-Residence at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is an annual position created in collaboration with the Academy of American Poets that specifically focuses on poetry in the context of the museum space. The Poet-in-Residence will work with the Guggenheim and the Academy to design and create a unified project that takes poetry beyond the page and enlivens the museum experience for visitors. Through their residency, the selected candidate will explore how the Guggenheim can serve as an active public space for visionary ideas and community engagement. The residency runs through December 31, 2025.

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about poetry and art, both through and beyond traditional ekphrasis and typical literary events. We seek individuals who explore how abstraction can be processed or challenged through a wide range of artistic methods or media, with the goal of creating a sense of community and togetherness.

The Poet-in-Residence will: 

• Co-conceive and design a unified project of poetic experiences that enhance visitors’ engagement with the museum and its architecture.

• Contribute to the installation of the Aye Simon Reading Room by bringing poetry into focus alongside the museum’s current exhibitions. Located adjacent to the Guggenheim’s exhibition galleries, the Aye Simon Reading Room is a dynamic public engagement space, energizing the imagination and offering new ways of engaging with creative practice.

• Participate in public programs at the Guggenheim, co-presented by the museum and the Academy of American Poets.

• Participate in select programs or meetings hosted by the residency funder, Van Cleef & Arpels.

• Participate in the production of an audio track discussing their poetic practice and residency project, which may involve an in-person recording at the Guggenheim Museum or another mutually agreed-upon location. 

• Visit the Academy of American Poets to discuss their project, write a 1,000-word essay on the intersection of poetry and art, and participate in the recording of a poetry reading to be featured on Poets.org.

• Make themselves reasonably available for limited press interviews in advance of and throughout the residency.

• Attend project meetings and other residency events in person at the Guggenheim Museum.

The selected candidate will dedicate the first month of their residency to project development before transitioning to implementation, with an anticipated project launch in summer 2025. The Poet-in-Residence will receive a $20,000 honorarium from the Guggenheim Museum for their work through December 31, 2025, as well as one or more features in Academy of American Poets’ publications.

ELIGIBILITY:

Any poet who meets the following criteria as of January 1, 2025, is eligible to apply:

• 21 years of age or older;

• Currently authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer;

• Able to commute to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City throughout the residency;

• Published one or more collections of poetry (excluding books that are self-published and/or published with a subsidy press that requires payment from the author) or have a substantial history of public spoken word performances.

Please note that this is a hybrid residency; the Poet-in-Residence will be expected to commute regularly to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City throughout 2025. The successful candidate will be interested in initiating, encouraging, and sustaining a public dialogue with poetry through deep engagement with the Guggenheim, the Academy of American Poets, and the broader New York City community.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES + HOW TO APPLY:

Please upload to Submittable the following:

• A curriculum vitae (no more than three pages), which includes your full name and current contact information, and information such as your current and past employment, publication history, awards, performances and readings, past public poetry projects, and education;

• A list of full-length and chapbook-length poetry publications, with a link to publisher information; or a list detailing your performance history as a spoken word poet, including five performance highlights and information on venues;

• A five-page sample of original poems, new or previously published (including publication information). Spoken word poets should submit a document with links to audio and/or video recordings of their work sample. Please also include a short poem (approximately 6 lines) or an excerpt of a longer poem that the Guggenheim may reprint for advertising or educational purposes;

• A 250–500-word proposal for your desired project, including a description of the overall concept or theme your project explores. Please also include a description of how the project’s concept or theme aligns with the Guggenheim; details about the format, timeline, and/or frequency of your proposed project or project components; and any collaborators of interest, as relevant. Please note:                    

  • Successful projects will reach and engage a high volume of visitors, including the wider New York City community and those within and outside of the poetry community. 

  • Applicants should be aware that installations and exhibitions cannot be supported for the 2025 cycle.

Online submissions are accepted through the Academy of American Poets’ application portal Submittable. For questions about using Submittable, please visit https://submittable.help/en/articles/904856-how-do-i-submit. If you need accommodations for accessibility, please contact publicprograms@guggenheim.org.

The Guggenheim Museum and the Academy of American Poets assume no responsibility for applications not received due to user error. Applicants may verify the receipt of their materials by logging into Submittable.

The decisions of the Guggenheim Museum and the Academy of American Poets regarding eligibility are final.

SELECTION PROCESS + TIMELINE:

Applications will be accepted from January 8, 2025, until February 19, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST.

A panel of judges will review applications that successfully meet the submission guidelines outlined above. Panelists include (with others to be announced):

• Laili Amighi, Manager, Public Programs and Adult Learning, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• Nikay Paredes, Programs Director, Academy of American Poets

Following the panel’s review of the applications, the selected candidate will be notified in late March 2025 and announced publicly on the websites of the Guggenheim and Academy of American Poets in April 2025.

 All applicants will receive notification of their acceptance or declination by the beginning of April.

FAQs:

Does this residency include support for my writing?

The specific purpose and focus of the Poet-in-Residence position is public engagement.

Am I eligible to apply?

Please see the Eligibility section for full requirements.

If I applied for the Poet-in-Residence position in the past but was not accepted, am I eligible to reapply?

Yes. Candidates who applied for the Poet-in-Residence position during a previous cycle but were not accepted are eligible to reapply.

Is this residency only open to poets?

Yes. This residency is a position for a poet.

Am I eligible to apply if I don’t have a published full-length poetry collection but have a published poetry chapbook? 

Yes, as long as the poetry chapbook is not self-published.

How will I know if my application was received?

Applicants may verify the receipt of their materials by logging into Submittable. Please do not contact the Guggenheim Museum or the Academy of American Poets to confirm receipt, as we will be unable to respond.

Will all applicants be contacted?

All applicants will receive notification by April 2025 notifying them of their acceptance or declination.

Will my stipend be used to fund the programming?

No. You will work alongside the Guggenheim Education team with a separate dedicated programming budget.

I am willing to relocate if I am accepted to the residency. Will I be offered a relocation stipend?

The selected candidate will be asked to commute to the Guggenheim Museum in New York throughout the residency. We are unable to provide additional funding for travel, accommodation, or relocation.

How often will the resident need to commute to the Guggenheim Museum in New York?

The selected candidate will be asked to commute to the Guggenheim Museum in New York regularly for planning meetings and will be expected on-site for any live programs that take place. 

If I am the selected candidate, will my commute to and from the Guggenheim for Poet-in-Residence duties be covered by a stipend or reimbursed?

No. We are unable to cover or provide additional funding for travel or commuting.

Would the Guggenheim sponsor the selected candidate for a visa?

No. The Guggenheim is unable to sponsor a visa for this residency. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer.

Will the selected candidate be a Guggenheim employee?

No. The Poet-in-Residence position is a contract engagement. The selected candidate will be required to sign a residency agreement and provide an IRS Form W-9 or IRS Form W-8BEN, as applicable. If you are not a U.S. taxpayer, the honorarium may be subject to tax withholding.

I missed the deadline to apply. Will there be another Poet-in-Residence at the Guggenheim in 2026?

At this time, we are only offering the Poet-in-Residence position in 2025. If that changes, we will post information on our website.

With whom can I get in touch with questions?

Please review this page carefully for information about eligibility and how to apply. For questions about the status of your application, please log in to Submittable. For all other questions, please email publicprograms@guggenheim.org. Kindly note that this email account is only monitored Monday–Friday, 10 am–5 pm, and will not be checked during weekends.

poets.submittable.com/submit

_____

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

_____

2025 Poet Laureate Fellowships

The Academy of American Poets

DEADLINE: February 24, 2025. 

INFO: The Academy of American Poets has a long history of championing the role of poet laureate, including by being a resource listing local poets laureate and providing information to communities interested in creating new poets laureate positions.

In 2019, we expanded on this work, and our prizes and fellowships for poets, by launching the Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships. These $50,000 awards are given to honor poets of literary merit appointed to serve in civic positions and to support them in creating new work, as well as to enable them to undertake meaningful, impactful, and innovative projects that enrich the lives of their neighbors, including youth, through responsive and interactive poetry activities.

In addition to the other eligibility and application criteria, the concept, scope, components, depth, geographic reach, and community support of the proposed project will be considered by a panel of award-winning poets and leaders in poetry and civic engagement. The panelists who will recommend the recipients of the 2025 Poet Laureate Fellowships are poet, editor, and social justice advocate Diana Delgado; former Academy Chancellor and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Forrest Gander; Youth Speaks Executive Director Michelle Lee; Senior Program Officer at the Institute of Museum and Library Services Dennis Nangle; and, 2021–22 Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson. Final award decisions are finalized and approved by members of the Academy’s Board of Directors.

The fellowships were established in partnership with the Mellon Foundation. Read more about the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellows and their projects.

Review the eligibility requirements here: https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/laureate-fellowships-guidelines.

poets.submittable.com/submit

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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/

_____

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

_____

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/

_____

Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships

The Poetry Foundation

DEADLINE: March 3, 2025 at 5:00pm CST

INFO: The Poetry Foundation awards five Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships annually. Among the largest awards offered to young poets in the US, the $27,000 prize is intended to support exceptional US poets between 21 and 31 years of age.

The fellowships were established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly and expanded in 2013 with a gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants need to be between the ages of 21 and 31 in 2025. If you are turning 21 or are 31 at any time in 2025 you are eligible to apply.

• Applicants must be US citizens or currently reside in the US.

• Applicants should be able to demonstrate a clear commitment to poetry.

• One of the Poetry Foundation’s priorities when selecting the 2025 Fellows is to support poets who have not had substantial institutional support in their careers thus far.

HOW TO APPLY:

• All applicants will need to register and apply through the Poetry Foundation’s Grants and Awards Online Portal. To access the portal, applicants must submit an initial registration form. Registrations will be approved within 3-5 business days.

• If you registered for an account in 2022 or 2023, please do not register again. Your username is your email address and you can request a new password.

• After your registration is approved, applicants will be required to upload 10 pages of poetry as a single PDF and answer questions regarding their creative practices.

• The Poetry Foundation offers alternative application formats (e.g., audio format, video format, and interview with transcription). Please contact Grants@PoetryFoundation.org or call 312-799-8072 by February 14, 2025 to arrange a method of submitting the application that best meets your accessibility needs.

APPLICATION TIMELINE:

• February 5, 1:00-2:00PM (CST) - Virtual information session (see details below)

• February 14 – Deadline to request alternative application formats

• February 24 – Cut off to submit application portal registration for first time applicants

• March 3, 5:00PM (CST) – Deadline to submit application

• All applicants will be notified by mid-June 2025

INFORMATION SESSION:

Register for our virtual information session on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 from 1:00-2:00PM (CST) where we will discuss the application process and answer questions you have about the fellowship. ASL interpretation and CART captioning will be provided. If you have any questions or accessibility needs, please contact grants@poetryfoundation.org.

poetryfoundation.org/awards/prizes-fellowship

_____

Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism

The Poetry Foundation

DEADLINE: March 3, 2025 at 5:00pm CST

INFO: The Poetry Foundation annually awards one Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism. This $10,000 prize seeks to honor an outstanding book-length work of criticism published in the US in the prior calendar year. Eligible works for this prize include biographies, essay collections, and critical editions that consider the subject of poetry or poets.

ELIGIBILITY:

• A book-length work of poetry criticism, including critical editions, biographies of poets, and essay collections published in 2024.

• The work must have been published in English in the US in 2024. 

• Authors and editors are encouraged to nominate their own work.

HOW TO APPLY:

• All nominators will need to register and submit nominations through the Poetry Foundation’s Grants and Awards Online Portal. To access the portal, nominators must submit an initial registration form. Registrations will be approved within 3-5 business days.

• After approval, nominators will be required to complete a nomination form and upload 20 manuscript pages of the book they are nominating, or indicate a 20-page section of the book for consideration.

• Finalists and awardees will be determined by a paid external committee of reviewers.

• For any questions about the nomination process, please contact Grants@PoetryFoundation.org.

APPLICATION TIMELINE:

• February 24 – Cut off to submit portal registration for first time nominators

• March 3, 5:00PM (CST) – Deadline to submit nominations

• All applicants will be notified by mid-June 2025

poetryfoundation.org/awards/criticism-award

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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/

POETRY — JANUARY 2025

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

_____

2025 RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Saltonstall

DEADLINE: January 5, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Each year, the Saltonstall Foundation awards free, stipend-supported, accessible residencies to artists and writers who are residents of New York State and Indian Nations therein. We support artists and writers working in the following disciplines: 

• Poetry

• Playwriting & Screenwriting (NEW in 2025!)

• Photography (film or digital) & Filmmaking

• Painting | Sculpture | Visual Arts

A Saltonstall residency is a small community. We strive to provide a quiet, welcoming, respectful, and nurturing environment for creative individuals looking for uninterrupted time to focus on their craft. There is NO COST to attend Saltonstall or to apply. We welcome submissions from artists and writers living in New York State and Indian Nations therein.

There are five people in residence at a time: one poet, one playwright or screenwriter, one photographer or filmmaker, and two visual artists. Each group of five arrives and departs at the same time. Each Fellowship recipient is provided with a stipend, and a private live/work space with separate private studios for the two visual artists. There is also a darkroom built into the main house.

Since 2021, Saltonstall offers wheelchair friendly facilities with additional private space for a caregiver if needed.

DATES FOR 2025 RESIDENCIES:

Our fifth annual residencies for artist/writer parents -- now including full-time caregivers!

• Friday, May 30 – Friday, June 6

• Friday, October 17 – Friday, October 24

Please note: this residency is strictly for artist/writer parents who have at least one dependent child (under 18) at home. NEW in 2025: this category now includes full-time caregivers with no restrictions related to the age of your dependent. Since the residency is designed to be a period of solitude and focus for artists and writers, we ask that children and other family members remain home.

Our four-week residencies: 

• Monday – Monday, June 9 – July 7

• Monday – Monday, July 14 – August 11

One (of two) two-week residency: 

• Thursday – Thursday, August 14 – 28

Our three-week residency:

• Tuesday – Tuesday, September 2 – 23

Our second two-week residency:

• Monday – Monday, September 29 – October 13

Applicants may apply for either our residency for parents/caregivers or the 3- or 4-week residencies or the 2-week residencies (not a combination). For those applying for the longer residencies, you will be given an opportunity to rank your choice of dates within the application. 

All applicants (including those applying for the residency for parents) may apply in more than one artistic or literary category, however a complete and separate application for each category is required.

Note: for our two-, three-, and four-week sessions, artists and  writers will be expected to participate in an open house at the end of  the residency.

saltonstall.submittable.com/submit

_____

2024 CHAPBOOK CONTEST 

Button Poetry

DEADLINE: January 7, 2025

INFO: Each year Button accepts full-length manuscripts from aspiring and accomplished poets from all over. Winning manuscripts become beautiful chapbooks, published by Button Poetry. In addition, winners receive 50 free author copies, and a $500 honorarium.

buttonpoetry.com/submissions/

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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 SUBMISSION:

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/

_____

POETRY Contest

Driftwood Press

DEADLINE: January 15, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $25

INFO: Driftwood Press is currently open for submissions to its Poetry Contest.

The winner will be announced in April or May. Winner & finalists will be published in our annual anthology.

​AWARDS: ​​

• The winning poet will receive $300 USD, five copies of the anthology they appear in, and the opportunity to participate in a standout interview about their work.

• Up to five finalist will be selected as well. Finalists will receive $50 USD, publication in Driftwood Press' annual anthology, and a free copy of the anthology they appear in.

GUIDELINES:

• Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration.

• Each poem must not exceed sixty lines.

• Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Collaborations are also welcome, just know that you will be required to evenly split the $300 USD reward money amongst however many contributors there are.

• We do not accept translations, and any submissions should be written primarily in English.

• We do not accept previously published poems.

• We read submissions anonymously, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself.

• You may include a cover letter/biography, but these are not read by editors and hold no sway in our selection process.

• While AI may be a useful tool for research, we do not accept AI generated works.

• Each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press fiction title of their choosing in the mail. 

driftwoodpress.com/poemcontest

_____

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/

_____

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/

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

THE DORSET PRIZE

Tupelo Press

DEADLINE: January 31, 2025

READING FEE: $30

INFO: The Dorset Prize is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books. Employees of Tupelo Press and authors with books previously published by Tupelo Press are not eligible. Poets submitting work for consideration may be published authors or writers without prior book publications.

Kindly note that poets who have close personal relationships, current or recent student-teacher or mentoring relationships with the contest judge are not eligible for this prize. Likewise, poets are ineligible where it is reasonably likely that the contest judge will recognize your work. 

We continue to be impressed by the quality of work we see and generally receive many, many more worthy manuscripts than we are able to publish. In addition, each of our contests and reading periods has a different team of editors, guest editors, esteemed readers, and final judge. And of course our tastes and needs evolve from year to year with each production schedule. For all of these reasons and more, please know you are welcome to submit your manuscript even if you have already entered it in one or more of our contests or reading periods in the past, and even if you have a manuscript pending in a recent submission opportunity. Thank you for honoring us with your work — we’re excited to see what wonders arrive over the transom.

AWARD: A cash prize and a 2 week-long residency in Port Angeles, WA, worth $1,500 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, 25 copies of the winning title, a book launch, and NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION THROUGH U. OF CHICAGO PRESS, with energetic publicity and promotion. Manuscripts are judged anonymously and all finalists will be considered for publication. Please read the complete guidelines before submitting your manuscript.

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS + ETHICAL GUIDELINES:

Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript with a table of contents. There is no mandatory page count. We suggest in the area of 48 to 88 pages of poems, but all manuscripts will be read and considered with full respect, regardless of length, and no manuscript will be rejected simply because it’s shorter or longer.

If you are submitting a manuscript online, within the document include a single cover page with the title of the manuscript only, so that your manuscript document remains anonymous. Submittable provides fields to fill in your contact information: name, address, telephone number, and email address.

If you are submitting a paper manuscript, include two cover pages: one with the title of the manuscript only, the other with title of manuscript, name, address, telephone number, and email address. Cover letters or biography notes are optional; if included, these will not be read until the conclusion of the contest.

Individual poems in a contest manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies, or chapbooks, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. If applicable, include with your manuscript an acknowledgments page for prior publications.

Simultaneous submissions to other publishers or contests are permitted, as long as you notify Tupelo Press promptly if a manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

Kindly note that poets who have personal relationships, current or recent student-teacher or mentoring relationships with the contest judge, or who have attended a program at the same time that the contest judge served on faculty, are not eligible for this prize. Likewise, poets are ineligible where it is reasonably likely that the contest judge will recognize your work. 

Before you submit a manuscript to a Tupelo Press competition, please consider exploring the work of the poets we have published. We’re drawn to technical virtuosity combined with abundant imagination; memorable, vivid imagery and strikingly musical approaches to language; willingness to take risks; and an ability to convey penetrating insights into human experience.

Tupelo Press endorses and abides by the Ethical Guidelines of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), which can be reviewed here, along with more about Tupelo Press’s ethical considerations for literary contests.

GUIDELINES FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) CONTENT:

We generally do not accept writing or translations generated with AI software because Tupelo Press and Tupelo Quarterly are venues for intentional and thoughtful human creativity. If your work quotes lines generated by AI software (for example, with a reference to another text or published work), you must clearly acknowledge any intellectual borrowing. We understand and appreciate that some interesting creative work is being done that explores and exploits these technologies, but we will only consider such work if it explicitly acknowledges the means by which it was generated.

NOTIFICATION OF RECEIPT:

To confirm receipt of your paper manuscript, include a self-addressed stamped postcard.

The online Submittable system automatically confirms receipt.

Beyond these notifications, kindly refrain from requesting an individual response to confirm receipt of your manuscript and/or payment. We receive thousands of manuscripts each year and cannot offer individual acknowledgments. Thank you for your understanding.

Please do not enclose a SASE for return of manuscript. All paper manuscripts will be recycled at the conclusion of the competition, except those under consideration for future publication.

NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS:

To receive mailed notification of the winner and finalists, send a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Results will be announced in Spring 2025. We notify all entrants in three ways:

• Via postal mail to those who included a SASE with their manuscript.

• Via email to those who included an email address with their contact information.

• We post the results on our website.

• All entries must be postmarked or certified by Submittable by midnight (EST) of January 31st, 2025.

FEES:

A reading fee of $30 (U.S.) must accompany each submission. Multiple submissions are accepted, so long as each submission is accompanied by a separate reading fee. Why a reading fee? We are an independent, nonprofit literary press. Reading fees help defray, but do not entirely cover, the cost of reviewing manuscripts and publishing the many books we select outside of our competitions.

Entry fees to our contests support community outreach, mentorship programs, the creation of new opportunities for diverse writers, and many other important ongoing initiatives:  the National Tupelo Teen Writing Program; the creation of free, downloadable readers’ guides and teaching materials for all new books; scholarships to attend Tupelo Press Seminars; and funded writing retreats for prize-winners.

If you are submitting your manuscript online, you will be prompted to pay via Submittable.

If you are mailing your manuscript to us, please enclose a check or money order for the reading fee, payable to Tupelo Press.

SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT NOW:

There are two ways to submit your manuscript:

• Via Submittable: Submit Beginning on October 1.  Click here to submit.
  Be sure that your document is complete and formatted correctly before uploading.

• Via postal mail. Tupelo Press encourages online submissions to save paper but we still welcome mailed manuscripts.
  Be sure to include your check or money order.

Mail your domestic submission to:

Tupelo Press Dorset Prize, PO Box 1767, North Adams, MA 01247

Mail your international submission to:

Tupelo Press Dorset Prize, 60 Roberts Drive, Suite 307, North Adams MA 01247 USA

tupelopress.org/dorset-prize/

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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

_____

2024 CAAPP BOOK PRIZE

University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry + Poetics / Autumn House Press

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

INFO: Founded in 2020, the CAAPP Book Prize is a publishing partnership between the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and Autumn House Press with the goal of publishing and promoting a writer of African descent. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African, African American, and African diasporic experiences.

The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000. Previous winners include Carly Inghram's The Animal Indoors, Jacqui Germain's Bittering the Wound, Richard Hamilton's Discordant, Okwudili Nebeolisa's Terminal Maladies, and Jasmine Reid's forthcoming Interlocutor Goddess.

GUIDELINES:

• Please submit a manuscript between 48-168 pages.

• Please submit your manuscript as a doc, docx, or pdf file.

• Only one manuscript submission is permitted per person.

FINAL JUDGE: Cameron Awkward-Rich is the author of two collections of poetry—Sympathetic Little Monster (Ricochet Editions, 2016) andDispatch (Persea Books, 2019)—as well asThe Terrible We: Thinking with Trans Maladjustment (Duke University Press, 2022). His writing has appeared, in various forms, in American Quarterly, Transgender Studies Quarterly, Signs, Kenyon Review, Poetry, and elsewhere, and has been supported by fellowships from Cave Canem, the Lannan Foundation, and the ACLS. Presently, he is an associate professor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

caapp.submittable.com/submit

_____

2025 Furious Flower Poetry Prize

Furious Flower

DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

INFO: Furious Flower invites submissions from emerging writers for its annual poetry prize. Poets with no more than one published book are invited to submit up to three poems (no more than a total of 6 pages) for consideration. The winner and honorable mention receive $1500 and $750 respectively and will be invited to read James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va in September 2025. The winner, honorable mention, and finalists will also be published in Obsidian. Winners are announced in April. Submission fee: $15.

2025 Judge: aracelis girmay

aracelis girmay is the author of three books of poems for which she was a finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Her most recent work is the chapbook and was a flower, made in collaboration with book artist Valentina Améstica. Her newest full-length collection will be out with BOA Editions in the fall. Other recent work has been published in Astra, The Paris Review online, and e-flux. girmay curated How to Carry Water: Selected Poems of Lucille Clifton and served as the editor of So We Can Know: Writers of Color on Pregnancy, Loss, Abortion, and Birth (Haymarket, 2023). She is currently completing her last year in her editor-at-large role for the Blessing the Boats Selections. girmay is on the editorial board of the African Poetry Book Fund.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK:

Go to Submittable

• Make a free Submittable account

• Read eligibility requirements

• Fill out the form and pay the non-refundable $15 submission fee

• Attach a pdf of your poems (no more than 6 pages) and ensure no identifying information is in the manuscript or the filena

jmu.edu/furiousflower/poetryprize/index.shtml

POETRY — 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

_____

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/

_____

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

_____

poetry Tuesday: open reading period

The Margins

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024

INFO: Every Tuesday, The Margins publishes the work of emerging and established Asian American and diasporic poets. We publish English-language poems and translations of poems.

We pay contributors $50 to $90 (USD) for original and translated poetry; the fee varies based on the number and length of poems we publish. We may offer additional payment to the author of translated poems, depending on the work’s publication status. We do not pay for reprints.

Please allow four to six months for a response.

We are open to all styles, forms, and subjects. We’re drawn to poetry that:

• Transforms the mundane into the magical with unexpected imagery

• Reflects on personal and/or cultural history

• Responds to or reshapes the view on current events and issues

• Introduces or reimagines historical and literary figures

• Illuminates through translation the work of an Asian author who is not known or read (widely) by a general Anglophone audience

• Challenges, subverts, or expands formal, linguistic, and genre conventions

• Explores humorous, abject, or profane languages and/or themes

GUIDELINES:

• Submissions should be no longer than 5 pages total. Each poem must start on a new page. Though we do consider longer poems, we tend to select poems no longer than 3 pages.

• If you are submitting translations, please acquire translation and publication permission from the author and/or press prior to submission.

• Please use a standard serif (e.g., Constantia, Garamond, Times New Roman) or sans-serif font (e.g. Arial, Calibri) in font size no smaller than 12, unless there is a specific formal and visual reason to do otherwise.

• We prefer submissions in the .docx form but also accept PDFs.

• We allow simultaneous submissions. If a part of your submitted manuscript has been accepted elsewhere, please send a message with the unavailable title(s) on Submittable. If your entire manuscript becomes unavailable, please withdraw the submission.

• Most of our submissions are individual works. However, collaborative work will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• We do not require any preliminary information in the cover letter, though you are welcome to include pertinent or necessary details about yourself or the submission. We will collect your updated bio upon acceptance. (Nice notes and hellos do not affect the decision, but we do appreciate them!)

• We accept previously published poems, as long as they have not appeared digitally in other venues. Please note any previously published works in your submission.

aaww.submittable.com/submit

_____

2025 Poetry Chapbook Contest

Center for Book Arts

DEADLINE: December 20, 2024 

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: Center for Book Arts invites submissions to its annual Poetry Chapbook Program by December 20, 2024.

The winning manuscript will be determined in May 2025 by our Guest Judge.

As part of the competition award package, CBA commissions artists to design and produce a limited-edition of 100 chapbooks for the competition winner's manuscript, a limited-edition of 100 chapbooks for a manuscript by the guest judge, and a limited-edition broadside of 100 for each runner-up featuring one poem from their respective manuscripts.

The competition winner receives ten copies of their chapbook, a $500 honorarium, a $500 stipend to participate in a competition reading public program, a week-long stay at Millay Arts during their Wintertide Rustic Retreat season (valued at $480), and one copy of the guest judge's chapbook as well as the runners-up's broadsides.

The two runners up each receive ten copies of their respective limited-edition broadside, a $250 honorarium to participate in the competition reading, and a copy of the winner’s chapbook as well as a copy of the guest judge’s chapbook.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Please submit a collection or sequence of original poems or a single long poem that does not exceed 450 lines or 21 pages. The author’s name should not appear anywhere in the manuscript or anywhere in the file as all submissions are kept anonymous to the panel of judges. Manuscripts should be typed, with pages numbered and formatted with easy-to-read font.

Translations of the author's own work are permitted. Translations of other writers' work will not be accepted unless the piece is specifically and consensually co-authored by both writer and translator.

This program only accepts text manuscripts. We are not receiving visual poems or illustrated manuscripts at this time.

Please provide a title page, table of contents, and a separate acknowledgments page containing prior magazine or anthology publication of individual poems at the end of the manuscript. Poems that have been published elsewhere are eligible for submission. Please note that the 450 lines or 21-page limit does not include the title or acknowledgements pages. The file name should match the title of the submitted manuscript. Only .PDF, .DOCX. and .DOC files accepted.

Writers will be notified of the status of their manuscript via email. Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to provide feedback at this time.

Questions can be directed to CBA Artist Programs Manager Camilo Otero at camilo@centerforbookarts.org

SUBMISSION AGREEMENT:

When you submit to our annual Chapbook Contest and/or publish with Center for Book Arts, you agree to:

1. Serial rights: we accept simultaneous submissions, but if your work is accepted elsewhere, we ask you to let us know as soon as possible so we can withdraw your application.

2. Rights reverting back to you if your body of work is accepted and published by CBA. You are free to republish or to give others permission to republish. We ask that if you do so, you use the credit as follows: [publication name] by [author] was first published with the Center for Book Arts in [year]. If you have any questions, do let us know!

3. Non-exclusive reprint rights: we may utilize parts of your work for promotional materials, for example, to market our next contest. If we intend on utilizing your work for something we intend to sell, you will be contacted about compensation before we move forward.

centerforbookarts.submittable.com/submit/301670/2025-poetry-chapbook-contest 

_____

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/

_____

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/

_____

The Gregory Djanikian Scholarships IN POETRY

The Adroit Journal

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

INFO: Gregory Djanikian was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and came to the United States when he was eight years old. He has published seven poetry collections, the latest of which is Sojourners of the In-Between (CMU Press). His work appears in American Poetry Review, Best American Poetry, Boulevard, Poetry, Southern Review, and TriQuarterly, among others. Until retiring, he was the longstanding Director of Creative Writing at the University of Pennsylvania, where he greatly enriched both the Adroit Journal as well as its staff of emerging writers.

We recognize and encourage the gift of such support by offering it ourselves; in honor of Greg's contribution to emerging student and non-student writers at Penn and around the world, we recognize six emerging poets as Gregory Djanikian Scholars in Poetry each year.

All emerging writers who have not published full-length collections 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.

Gregory Djanikian Scholars receive $200 and publication of their portfolios of poems in a future issue of the Adroit Journal. Finalists will be awarded copies of Greg's latest collection, Sojourners of the In-Between, and a list of semifinalists determined by the editors will be released with results.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Submissions may include up to six poems (max of ten single-spaced pages). Simultaneous submissions, previously published submissions, and submissions recognized by outside organizations are accepted, provided that a) a full catalogue of publication history for enclosed poems is included in the submission (please note publications at the top of your submission and in the cover letter) and b) at least one poem 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 unavailable, 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 Djanikian Scholars 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 Djanikian 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 Gregory Djanikian 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 Djanikian 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

_____

Get the Word Out: publicity incubator for early career authors

Poets & Writers

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

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.

There is no application fee and no cost to those who are invited to participate. Learn about past Get the Word Out fellows.

2025 POETRY PUBLICITY MENTOR: Morgan LaRocca is the publicist at Milkweed Editions. Prior to joining Milkweed in 2022 they worked as a freelance publicist, publicity associate at Graywolf Press and served as marketing and publicity intern at Tin House Books. They are a graduate of Towson University and a proud Baltimorean. 

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 BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or person of color), writers with disabilities, LGBTQ+ writers, writers from outside of New York City, 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.

• An excerpt from your forthcoming poetry collection (max: 10 pages, single or double-spaced, minimum of 7 pages).

• An author bio (max: 250 words).

pw.org/content/get_the_word_out

_____

Laurence Goldstein Prize in Poetry

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

INFO: The Goldstein Prize is awarded annually to a poem of exemplary quality submitted for consideration.

AWARD: One poem submitted for this prize will be awarded $1,000 and publication in MQR. All submissions for the prize will be considered for publication. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Please submit up to five (5) previously unpublished poems with a total page count of no more than ten (10) pages. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable but please leave us a note to withdraw individual poems if they are 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 Cyrus Cassells.

Is There Room for Another Horse on Your Horse Ranch? (Four Way Books: 2024) is Cyrus Cassells‘s ninth volume. Everything in Life is Resurrection: Selected Poems, 1982-2022 (TCU Press: 2025) and Lorca to the Umpteenth Power (3: A Taos Press: 2026) are forthcoming. Among his honors: a 2019 Guggenheim fellowship and a Lambda Literary Award.  His two books of Catalan translations, Still Life with Children: Selected Poems of Francesc Parcerisas and To The Cypress Again and Again: Tribute to Salvador Espriu, both received the Texas Institute of Letters’ biennial Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translated Book. The 2021 Poet Laureate of Texas, Cassells is a Regents’ and University Distinguished Professor of English at Texas State University.

sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/submit/

_____

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

_____

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/

_____

The Poetry Chapbook Prize 2024-25

The Headlight Review

DEADLINE: December 31, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $18

INFO: The winner of The Headlight Review’s 2024 Poetry Chapbook Prize Contest will receive publication (a perfectly bound book with a full color or black/white cover), an award of $500, and 25 copies of the book. 

A list of finalists will be announced sixty days after the close of submissions. All manuscripts will be judged anonymously. The finalists who make it through the first round will be judged by esteemed poet Olatunde Osinaike.

The winning manuscript will be published within six months after the results of the competition are announced in April of 2025. Finalist will have poems featured in an upcoming issue of The Headlight Review. 

JUDGE: Olatunde Osinaike

Originally from the West Side of Chicago, Olatunde Osinaike is a Nigerian-American poet, essayist, and software developer. Selected in 2024 as the Georgia Author of the Year in Poetry, he is the author of Tender Headed (Akashic Books), winner of the 2022 National Poetry Series, shortlisted for the Society of Midland Authors Award in Poetry and Nossrat Yassini Poetry Prize. He is also author of the limited edition chapbooks Speech Therapy (TAR) and The New Knew (Thirty West). Other honors include winner of the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize and Frontier Industry Prize, semifinalist for the Discovery Poetry Prize, and honorable mention for the Ploughshares Emerging Writer's Award in Poetry. His work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in Literary Hub, The Slowdown, Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, Best New Poets, 20.35 Africa, New Poetry from the Midwest, Obsidian, Wildness, and elsewhere. He lives in Atlanta and would like to thank you.

GUIDELINES:

Eligibility: Employees and students at Kennesaw State University, both former and current, are not eligible to enter. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age or older. 

Electronic submissions: The $18 entry fee is payable by debit/credit card via Submittable, which you may find at the “Submit Your Manuscript” button at the bottom of this page. 

For $25 you can submit your manuscript and receive copies of the 3 previous winners.

Manuscript Submission Details

Size: Manuscripts must be between 24-36 pages, including cover page, table of contents and any acknowledgements. 

• Format: 12 pt. standard typeface, PDF only. 

• Title page: Should include the title of the manuscript and nothing else. No. identifying name or address is permitted in the manuscript. 

• Poems: Poems that have been published elsewhere must be acknowledged. Overall, the manuscript should be original and previously unpublished. 

• Multiple submissions: Are acceptable. Each submission requires a separate entry fee. 

• Simultaneous submissions: Are acceptable. Please inform us immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Entry fees are nonrefundable. 

• Language: Entries must be written in the English language. 

• Illustrations: Are welcome.

• Translations: Are ineligible. 

• Comments: Will not be provided to non-winning entrants. 

• Editing: Will not be permitted once submitted. 

Kennesaw State’s MA in Professional Writing Program (MAPW) endorses and abides by the Ethical Guidelines of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP). Our system for judging is transparent and blind. The first-round judges will receive and rate their choices in order, and this will create a list of finalists. The manuscript finalists will go to the finalist judge, who will then select the best among the finalists. 

theheadlightreview.com/contest-submissions/chapbook-prize-2024

_____

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

_____

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/

_____

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

_____

2025 Residency Program

Saltonstall

DEADLINE: January 5, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Each year, the Saltonstall Foundation awards free, stipend-supported, accessible residencies to artists and writers who are residents of New York State and Indian Nations therein. We support artists and writers working in the following disciplines: 

• Poetry

• Playwriting & Screenwriting (NEW in 2025!)

• Photography (film or digital) & Filmmaking

• Painting | Sculpture | Visual Arts

A Saltonstall residency is a small community. We strive to provide a quiet, welcoming, respectful, and nurturing environment for creative individuals looking for uninterrupted time to focus on their craft. There is NO COST to attend Saltonstall or to apply. We welcome submissions from artists and writers living in New York State and Indian Nations therein.

There are five people in residence at a time: one poet, one playwright or screenwriter, one photographer or filmmaker, and two visual artists. Each group of five arrives and departs at the same time. Each Fellowship recipient is provided with a stipend, and a private live/work space with separate private studios for the two visual artists. There is also a darkroom built into the main house.

Since 2021, Saltonstall offers wheelchair friendly facilities with additional private space for a caregiver if needed.

DATES FOR 2025 RESIDENCIES:

Our fifth annual residencies for artist/writer parents -- now including full-time caregivers!

• Friday, May 30 – Friday, June 6

• Friday, October 17 – Friday, October 24

Please note: this residency is strictly for artist/writer parents who have at least one dependent child (under 18) at home. NEW in 2025: this category now includes full-time caregivers with no restrictions related to the age of your dependent. Since the residency is designed to be a period of solitude and focus for artists and writers, we ask that children and other family members remain home.

Our four-week residencies: 

• Monday – Monday, June 9 – July 7

• Monday – Monday, July 14 – August 11

One (of two) two-week residency: 

• Thursday – Thursday, August 14 – 28

Our three-week residency:

• Tuesday – Tuesday, September 2 – 23

Our second two-week residency:

• Monday – Monday, September 29 – October 13

Applicants may apply for either our residency for parents/caregivers or the 3- or 4-week residencies or the 2-week residencies (not a combination). For those applying for the longer residencies, you will be given an opportunity to rank your choice of dates within the application. 

All applicants (including those applying for the residency for parents) may apply in more than one artistic or literary category, however a complete and separate application for each category is required.

Note: for our two-, three-, and four-week sessions, artists and  writers will be expected to participate in an open house at the end of  the residency.

saltonstall.submittable.com/submit

_____

2024 Chapbook Contest 

Button Poetry

DEADLINE: January 7, 2025

INFO: Each year Button accepts full-length manuscripts from aspiring and accomplished poets from all over. Winning manuscripts become beautiful chapbooks, published by Button Poetry. In addition, winners receive 50 free author copies, and a $500 honorarium.

buttonpoetry.com/submissions/

_____

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

_____

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

_____

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 SUBMISSION:

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/

POETRY — NOVEMBER 2024

2025 DERRICOTTE/EADY PRIZE

Cave Canem

DEADLINE: November 6, 2024

INFO: The Derricotte/Eady Prize, named after Cave Canem co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, spotlights chapbook-length manuscripts.

Awarded to one poet annually, the Derricotte/Eady Prize recipient receives a monetary prize, the publication of their manuscript through O, Miami Books, a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach, and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival in April.

Cave Canem is honored to partner with O, Miami to produce the annual Derricotte/Eady Prize in collaboration with The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach.

AWARD: Winner receives $1,000; publication of their manuscript through O, Miami Books; 10 copies of the chapbook; a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach; and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival in April.

ELIGIBILITY: All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English. Please note that this is not a first-book award. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora.

Please note that in the event that an applicant has submitted the same manuscript to other book awards and received an award, they must disclose this information to Cave Canem.

EXCLUSIONS: Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the board of Cave Canem Foundation; O, Miami; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Jai-Alai Books are ineligible.

GUIDELINES:

• Submit manuscripts online via Submittable. Hard-copy submissions will not be considered

• One manuscript per poet is allowed

• Include a title page with the title only and a table of contents. The author’s name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document

• The manuscript must be paginated, with a font size of 11 or 12, and 25-30 pages in length, inclusive of the title page and table of contents. A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted

• Manuscripts not adhering to submission guidelines will not be considered

• Include a cover letter with a brief author’s bio and a list of acknowledgments of previously published poems. DO NOT include this information within the document of the manuscript

• Post-submission revisions or corrections are not permitted

• The cover letter should include the author’s brief bio (500 words, maximum) and a list of acknowledgments of previously published poems. 

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Brandon D. Johnson is the author of Love’s Skin, Man Burns Ant, The Strangers Between, and co-author of The Black Rooster Social Inn: This Is The Place. He is published in several print and online journals and anthologies. Brandon is also a photographer. Born in Gary, Indiana, he received a BA from Wabash College and his JD from Antioch School of Law. He lives with his wife and children in Washington, DC.

cavecanempoets.org/prizes/derricotte-eady-prize/

_____

open call for submissions: Contemporary Poetry in Translation

Graywolf Press

SUBMISSION PERIOD: November 11, 2024 (at 12:00am CT) to November 15, 2024 (at 11:59pm CT). Only the first 500 submissions will be considered, after which the submission period will close.

INFO: Graywolf Press is excited to offer an open submission period for contemporary poetry in translation.

We are open to translations of poetry by living poets from any language, but we are especially eager to receive work from languages and countries of origin that are traditionally underrepresented in the literary landscape. We also encourage submissions from emerging BIPOC translators. 

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Interested translators should include the following materials in their Submittable submission:

• A one-page cover letter that describes the vision for the translation, the cultural and historical context of the original work, and how this work would contribute to Graywolf’s poetry list.

• Brief biographies of the poet and the translator(s), including previously published works. Note that we are looking for contemporary poetry by living poets and translators.

• A sample translation of 10-15 pages with the corresponding 10-15 pages of the poems in the original language. If you have a complete manuscript, please indicate so in your cover letter. Do not send a complete manuscript unless specifically requested.

• Details about the original publication(s) (including each publisher’s name and contact information and the year and country of each publication), along with evidence that authorization has been granted by the rights holder to the translator(s) for translation of the work into English and publication of the original text.

MORE INFO:

Please note the following: 

• We will only consider one project from each translator or translator team.

• Submissions outside this period will not be accepted, and submissions that are not translations of living poets will not be considered. 

• Please do not contact Graywolf’s staff directly. Graywolf’s editorial team will contact translators with further interest and information. 

• This is not a prize; Graywolf is not required to publish any submitted work.

• We hope to find innovative book-length works of poetry in translation, for which we will make an offer for publication, including an advance against standard royalties for the author and the translator. We expect that initial publication will be in 2026 or later.

graywolfpress.org/about-us/submissions#open-call-for-submissions-contemporary-poetry-in-translation

_____

ALTA CALIFORNIA CHAPBOOK PRIZE FOR LATINX POETS

Gunpowder Press

DEADLINE: November 11, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $20

INFO: Gunpowder Press invites all Latinx poets who are current residents of the United States (age 18+)  to submit to the Alta California Chapbook Prize contest.

• Poems may be submitted in English or Spanish (Spanglish is welcome!)

• The selected manuscript will be published in both English and Spanish.

This contest is open to poets of all levels, published or unpublished, who self-identify as Latinx.

The winning manuscript will be published in a bilingual edition. The winning poet will receive $500.00, publication, and 10 copies of their published chapbook.

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Richard Blanco was selected by President Obama as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet in U.S. history—the youngest, first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person to serve in that role. In 2023, Blanco was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is the author of many collections of poetry, including his most recent, Homeland of My Body: New & Selected Poems (Penguin Random House, 2023). He has also authored the memoirs For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey and The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood.  He has received numerous awards, including the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize, the PEN American Beyond Margins Award, the Paterson Prize, and a Lambda Prize for memoir. He serves as Education Ambassador for The Academy of American Poets and is an Associate Professor at Florida International University. In April 2022, Blanco was appointed the first-ever Poet Laureate of Miami-Dade County.

ABOUT THE SERIES EDITOR: Emma Trelles is the 9th poet laureate of Santa Barbara and the daughter of Cuban immigrants. She is the author of Tropicalia (University of Notre Dame Press), winner of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize. Emma is an Established Artist Fellow at the California Arts Council and a Poet Laureate Fellow at the Academy of American Poets. For more, visit emmatrelles.com

ABOUT THE SERIES TRANSLATOR: Alexandra Lytton Regalado is a Salvadoran-American author, editor, and translator. She is the author of Relinquenda, winner of the National Poetry Series (Beacon Press, 2022) and Matria (Black Lawrence Press, 2017). Alexandra is the translator of Efímero by heidi restrepo rhodesand Family or Oblivion by Elena Salamanca. Her poetry translations have been published or will appear in New England Review,Poetry International, FENCE, and Tupelo Quarterly. www.alexandralyttonregalado.com

HOW TO SUBMIT: Entry fee is $20 and includes a copy of the winning chapbook ($15 option for entry only). Submit 8-12 pages of poetry (no more than one poem per page) in Word .doc or .docx or .pdf format. Entries must be sent through Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, and please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. Please include a table of contents and a page which acknowledges previous publication of individual poems. Gunpowder Press will provide translation for the manuscripts selected for publication. This contest is open to US residents only.

If the entry fee at Submittable presents a financial hardship, please email us at gunpowderpoetry@gmail.com.

ABOUT GUNPOWDER PRESS: Founded in 2013 by David Starkey and co-edited by David Starkey and Chryss Yost, Gunpowder Press is part of Gunpowder Poetry, a literary 501(c)(3) located in Santa Barbara, California. Our name honors our city's namesake, Saint Barbara, patron saint of gunpowder. For more information about the press, visit https://gunpowderpress.com.

gunpowderpress.submittable.com/submit/304125/alta-california-chapbook-prize

_____

2025 "Miss Sarah" Fellowship for Black Women Writers

Trillium Arts

DEADLINE: November 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

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 2025 the Fellowship will focus on the genre of Poetry.

REQUIREMENTS:

Please upload and submit all of the following documents, either as PDF or Word documents. Files should not exceed 10 MB each.

• CV or resume (not to exceed 5 pages)

• A one-page Fellowship Proposal Statement outlining the proposed project. Include information about the project context and what you plan to accomplish during the Fellowship period.

• A one-page statement that addresses the question of, “Why Trillium Arts?” Be specific in how a Fellowship at Trillium Arts will benefit your creative work.

• One letter of recommendation. The letter should be submitted separately by an outside recommender. The letter should specifically refer to your writing project. Be sure to choose someone who can speak specifically about your project, and we suggest you share your work sample with your recommender so they can be informed about your writing.

In your letter, we request that the recommender address the following four questions:

• How do you know the applicant? Are you their teacher, colleague, editor, etc.

• What makes the applicant's project significant?

• Who do you imagine would be most served by this project?

• What do you find inspiring about the applicant's project?

Provide an email address for your recommender in the online Submittable application form and your recommender will receive an automatic link to use to submit their letter on your behalf. Please remind the recommender that they need to reply to the automatic email and submit their letter by no later than Monday, November 18, 2024 at 11:59pm EST, which is a three day grace period for the recommenders, following your application completion deadline of Friday, November 15 at 11:59pm EST. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your recommender has enough time to submit.

· A writing sample of your proposed project. The writing sample should be of work you intend to further develop during the Fellowship. Work-in-progress is therefore highly recommended. Writing samples should be in English.

• MA and MFA theses, PhD dissertations, and edited collections are not eligible and will be disqualified. Your work sample must be original.

• ·Your name and the title of your written piece should appear on the top of each uploaded file.

• Please submit your writing sample in ONE PDF document. The sample should be a minimum of 10 pages not exceed 15 pages. All submitted documents should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and in an easily readable 12-point font.

AWARD: The selected writer will receive a ten-day solo residency in July 2025 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 2025 are July 10-20. However, the panel will consider other dates.

ELIGIBILITY: 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 will be at the expense of the applicant. There is no application fee.

TIMELINE: Applications will be reviewed by a panel and applicants will be notified by April 1, 2025.

https://www.trilliumartsnc.org/writing-fellowships-guidelines

_____

call for entries: 2024 Poetry PrizE

Nightboat Books

DEADLINE: November 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

ENTRY FEE: A $28 entry fee. In the event that the judges do not select a manuscript for publication, reading fees will be returned to all entrants. This year’s fee waivers have been given out on a first-come-first-served basis and are no longer available.

INFO: Any poet writing in English, including international Anglophone writers, are eligible for the prize. Previous book publication is not a consideration for eligibility. Poems published in print or on-line periodicals, anthologies, or chapbooks may be included, but the manuscript itself must be unpublished. Original work only; translations are not eligible for the prize.

JUDGES: EMILY BARK BROWN, LINA BERGAMINI, LINDSEY BOLDT, JAYE ELIZABETH ELIJAH, GIA GONZALES, STEPHEN MOTIKA, KIT SCHLUTER, NAIMA YAEL TOKUNOW & SANTIAGO VALENCIA

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Family members and former students of Nightboat editors may not submit to the contest. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships. Former employees of Nightboat Books, including interns, may not submit to the contest.

FORMAT: Minimum of 48 pages, paginated, no more than one poem per page. Please include a title page (we do not read submissions anonymously, so it’s fine to include your name), a table of contents, and an acknowledgments page if applicable. You’re welcome to include images in your manuscript, but please note that we are not able to print in full-color.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please notify Nightboat Books immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: Submission of more than one manuscript is acceptable. Each manuscript must be submitted separately, each with a separate entry fee.

INTERNATIONAL SUBMISSIONS: We accept international submissions.

REVISIONS: The winner will have the opportunity to revise the manuscript before publication. No revisions will be considered during the reading period.

Winner(s) will be announced by April 2025. Winning collection(s) to be published Fall 2026-Spring 2027.

MORE INFO: Email questions/comments to info AT nightboat.org, but please do not send your manuscript to this email address.

nightboat.org/poetry-prize/?mc_cid=d92b8313c3

_____

Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship

Fine Arts Work Center

DEADLINE: November 15, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $40

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/

_____

Emily Dickinson Award for Poetry

LitMag

DEADLINE: November 15, 2024

CONTEST FEE: $18

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Entries must be 1 to 3 poems. Please use 12pt type, preferably Times New Roman, and submit your poems in one single Word document. Only previously unpublished poems are eligible. Writers may submit multiple entries, each of which requires a separate submission fee. 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 January 2025.

FIRST PRIZE: $1,500 + publication in LitMag + agency review by  Amy Bishop-Wycisk of Trellis Literary Management, Emily Wescott of CAA,  Hailey Hedemann of William Morris Endeavor, Kelsey Day of Aragi, PJ Mark of Janklow & Nesbit, and Rayhane Sanders of Massie & McQuilken.

FINALISTS: Three finalists will receive $100 each.  All finalists will be considered for possible agency review and publication.  Deadline: September 30, 2024

litmag.submittable.com/submit

_____

THE 2024 KWELI EMERGING WRITER FELLOWS

Kweli Journal

DEADLINE: November 19, 2024

INFO: Kweli has been mentoring underrepresented writers since December 2009. Designed to help emerging Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) writers hone their craft, this fellowship provides 11 months of editorial support from Kweli editors along with the following benefits:

• a $2,000 stipend,

• free enrollment in our annual International Literary Festival and Color of Children’s Literature Conference,

• publication in Kweli Journal,

• all-expense paid writing retreat,

• admission-free enrollment in three professionally led writing workshops on literary fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry, and

• participation in four public readings

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, Native/First Nations, POC, and/or Arab American.  

Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply.  

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

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 if you are a resident of one of New York City's five boroughs.

• 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, creative nonfiction, and cross-genre writing, whether written for adults, young adults, or children.

kwelijournal.submittable.com/submit

_____

CALL FOR PITCHES: ISSUE 8: DREAMING 

sweet-thang

Deadline: November 29, 2024, 23:59 GMT

INFO: Welcome! Thank you for your interest in contributing to sweet-thang Issue 8. 

Please fill out all sections marked with an asterisk (*). If you have any questions or if anything is unclear, feel free to email us at sweetthanginfo@gmail.com.

Remember, this is just a pitch. We’re not looking for finished work (though if your piece is already complete, that’s cool too). The pitching process helps us understand your idea, your creative vision, and whether it’s the right fit for the issue.

UNDERSTANDING THE FORM:

"Title of Your Pitch" = A working title of what you want to submit. This can be the actual artistic title or a literal description, for example: "A short story discussing freedom and hope."

"Short Description of Your Pitch" = A short explanation of what the piece of work is, for example: "Speculative fiction about a character unpacking what it means to find hope in the face of life's challenges. The story follows x y z and touches on themes of x y z. This relates to the theme of dreaming because..."

Please note: the work must be original and not published elsewhere within the past three years.

We’re looking for:

• Photography

• Collages

• Poetry

• Illustrations

• Journal scans

• Long + short-form creative writing

• Speculative fiction

• Personal essays

& more - as long as it can be expressed in print form. 

ACCESSIBILITY:

You can also submit your pitch in video format by recording your responses to each section and emailing it to sweetthanginfo@gmail.com with the subject line: “Video Submission: Issue 8 Pitch - [Your Name].”

If you have any questions about accessibility or require this form in another format, please send us an email.

As we only have space to accept 20 pitches, please don’t be disheartened if your pitch isn’t selected. We will get back to everyone regardless of the outcome and will do our best to provide feedback.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwmRk9xCUpavqJRVRPi3wq_SQF3rymxn-1uTMYu6AKsS16Wg/viewform

_____

Long Form Mentorship

Diaspora Dialogues

DEADLINE: November 29, 2024 by 11:59pm

INFO: Diaspora Dialogues invites submissions from emerging writers in both the GTA and across Canada who currently have a full or near-full draft of a manuscript. We accept novels, short story collections, creative non-fiction/memoir, works intended for young adults and poetry. Complete or near complete means that the writer has up to 85,000 words or 300 double-spaced pages of prose; or up to 25 poems (50 pages maximum). Submissions will consist only of excerpts from these works (see guidelines below).

Diaspora Dialogues is committed to supporting a literature that is as diverse as Canada itself. Writers are encouraged to keep this mandate in mind, but addressing this theme directly is not essential in the submission.

Notifications will be made at the end of December. The mentorships will begin in early 2025 and run for six months. Assigned mentors are at the discretion of Diaspora Dialogues.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Work from which the excerpt is submitted must be in a full draft or near-full draft stage.

• Excerpts submitted can be one chapter or one short story from the collection up to but not exceeding 5,000 words; poetry can include up to 10 poems but not exceed 15 pages.

• Submissions must include a one-page description of the project.

• Submissions must include a short biography in paragraph form (no more than 250 words.)

• The work must be original and not previously published.

• Submissions must be in English.

• Each writer may submit only one manuscript.

• A completed submission form must be included.

• Submissions will be accepted by electronically.

• Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.

• Applicants who live in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area must submit to the GTA Long Form Program.

FORMATTING YOUR SUBMISSION:

• All prose submissions should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12.

• Please do not adjust the margins.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Writers must not have a previously published full-length manuscript (although appearances in magazines and/or anthologies are acceptable).

• Any writer of any age can apply.

• Writers must be citizens or permanent residents

diasporadialogues.com/mentorship/

_____

24th annual A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize

BOA Editions

DEADLINE: November 30, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $30

INFO: The A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize is awarded to honor a poet's first book, while also honoring the late founder of BOA Editions, Ltd., a not-for-profit publishing house of poetry and poetry in translation.

WINNER RECIEVES:

• Book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. in spring 2026

• $1,000 honorarium 

JUDGE: Maya C. Popa is most recently the author of Wound is the Origin of Wonder (W. W. Norton, 2022), a finalist for the 2023 Levis reading prize from VCU. Her first full-length collection, American Faith (Sarabande, 2019), was a recipient of the North American Book Prize and a runner-up in the Kathryn A. Morton Prize judged by Ocean Vuong. She holds a PhD on the role of wonder in poetry and her newsletter, Poetry Today, is one of Substack's best-selling featured publications. The Poetry Editor of Publishers Weekly, she teaches at NYU and elsewhere. 

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.

*Please note that, without the submission fee, we would not be able to accept contest submissions, or to offer a $1,000 prize to each winner. As BOA is a non-profit press with limited staff capacity, contest submission fees allow us to maintain sufficient editorial resources for careful review of each and every manuscript. We understand that submission fees can be difficult to accommodate, but rest assured that because of them, your submission will be carefully read, reviewed, and considered for this prestigious prize. Thank you for your understanding.

boaeditions.org/pages/a-poulin-jr-poetry-prize

_____

CALL FOR PAPERS: A FURIOUS FLOWER BLOOMS–HONORING THE INTELLECTUAL AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP OF DR. JOANNE V. GABBIN

Furious Flower

DEADLINE: December 1, 2024

INFO: This is an announcement to share a call for papers celebrating and honoring the intellectual and political contributions of Dr. Joanne V. Gabbin, founder of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, the nation's first academic center for Black poetry. The papers will be a part of an anthology on the contributions of Dr. Gabbin, which will be edited by Jaimee A. Swift, executive director and founder of Black Women Radicals and Assistant Professor of Black Politics in the Department of Political Science at James Madison University. 

Dr. Joanne Veal Gabbin has given so much to our world. An activist, educator, poet, scholar, and community organizer, Dr. Gabbin’s work spans the intellectual, political, and cultural gamut. A pioneering visionary, her leadership has and continues to inspire generations of poets, educators, activists, and more in the United States and beyond.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Gabbin earned her B.A. degree in English from Morgan State College in 1967 and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English and Literature from the University of Chicago in 1970 and 1980, respectively. Gabbin began her career as an instructor of English at Roosevelt University in Chicago in 1971, and later was hired as an Assistant Professor of English at Chicago State University in 1972. From 1973 to 1975, she was the program director and instructor of Catalyst for Youth, Inc., in Chicago, a non-profit organization created to help young people to become emotionally stable, socially responsible, and physically healthy contributing members of society.  

In 1977, Gabbin became an Assistant Professor of English at Lincoln University and was later promoted to Associate Professor of English in 1982. After serving in this position until 1985, she was hired as an Associate Professor of English at James Madison University (JMU). Despite her contending with the ills of racism, discrimination, and sexism in the Department of English at JMU, she refused to allow the ignorance of some to deter her from her mission of excelling as a professor, educator, and scholar. In the spirit of fortitude and resilience, Gabbin persevered and later became Director of the Honors College, a position she held until 2005. In 1987, she founded the Wintergreen Women Writers’ Collective, an intergenerational gathering, communion, and literary sisterhood of Black women writers.  

In 1994, Gabbin organized the first academic conference on Black poetry, titled, “Furious Flower: A Revolution in African American Poetry” at James Madison University. Named in honor of renowned Pulitzer-Prize winning poet and former U.S Poet Laureate, Gwendolyn Brooks, and an ode to her 1968 poem, “The Second Sermon on the Warpland”, the conference brought together over 400 attendees and featured prominent Black poets including Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, and Sonia Sanchez. The conference was hailed by The Washington Post as a “historic gathering.” After the successes of the first and second Furious Flower Poetry Conferences, Gabbin established the Furious Flower Poetry Center at JMU, the first academic center dedicated to Black poetry in the United States.  

Gabbin is also the author and editor of several works including Sterling A. Brown: Building the Black Aesthetic Tradition; Furious Flower: African American Poetry From the Black Arts Movement to the Present; and The Furious Flowering of African American Poetry. She is the executive producer of the Furious Flower video and DVD series. After 37 years at JMU, she retired in 2022 and JMU’s Gabbin Hall is named in her honor. 

We invite submissions of academic articles, reflective pieces, poetry, and review essays on Dr. Joanne Gabbin’s substantial and wide-ranging scholarship and community work.

Themes and topics include (but are not limited to):

• Impact of the Furious Flower Poetry Center and Furious Flower Poetry Conferences

• The Future of the Furious Flower Poetry Center 

• Wintergreen Women’s Writers’ Collective 

• Joanne Gabbin and Black Poetry

• Joanne Gabbin and Black Women’s Poetics 

• Joanne Gabbin and the Black Arts Movement 

• Joanne Gabbin and Community Organizing

• The World of Black Poetry 

• Black Feminist Thought and Politics 

• The Power of Black Women Writers

• Public scholarship and community-based organizing and interventions

• Black Poetics in the African Diaspora

• The Futurity of Black Poetry and Prose

• Black Women’s Sisterhood, Intimacies, and Solidarity 

• Reflections of African American Women Writers 

• Impact on Gwendolyn Brooks and Margaret Walker on Joanne Gabbin’s Leadership

• Black Women and Community Building 

• Black Poetry, Archives, and Memory Work

• Misogynoir and Black Women in Academia 

• Revolutionary Black Literature

Paper Submission

Authors are invited to submit papers for this anthology to gabbinanthology@gmail.com. 

When submitting, in the subject line, please put LAST NAME, FIRST NAME - GABBIN ANTHOLOGY. 

Submissions must be original and should not have been published previously or be under consideration for publication while being evaluated for this anthology. 

Important Dates

• Submission Deadline : December 1, 2024. 

• Notification of Acceptance : January 10, 2024

• Final Edited Manuscript Due: March 15, 2024

• Publication Date: Determined by the Editor. 

Manuscript Requirements

The final revised manuscript – in a Word document – should be double-spaced, in a 12-point font, must have a title, and must have a complete bibliography of all sources cited. Ensure the word count is between 2,500 - 3,000.

For poetry, please keep the word count between 1,000 - 2,000 words. 

Subheadings should be in bold typeface. Refer to the Chicago Manual of Style (latest edition) for grammatical guidance. Avoid page layout formatting. Please insert page numbers. 

Please make sure to add an author’s short bio at the end of the Word document.

Please direct any inquiries about the anthology to Jaimee Swift: (swiftja@jmu.edu).

blackwomenradicals.com/blog-feed/call-for-papers-dr-joanne-gabbin

_____

FALL 2024 BLACK FOX PRIZE

Black Fox

DEADLINE: December 1, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $12

INFO: Black Fox is accepting submissions for its Fall 2024 Black Fox Prize. The theme for this round is “Fragments of Time.” We are open to loose interpretations of the theme in any genre, as always.

When we think of time, we often think of a ticking clock. But time is more than merely seconds, minutes, hours, or measurements. Time also has the power to shape our lives. It can be a fleeting moment, a seemingly endless stretch, or a loop. Time can be a guardian of memories, the signal for change, and the constant that connects us to the world around us.

For this contest, we’re looking for writers to explore the intricacies of time: How does it mold us, ruin us, or set us free? Is time a friend or an enemy? Does time heal or wound? Whether it’s traveling through centuries, racing against the clock, or pausing in a single, spectacular moment, we want work that investigates the mysteries, difficulties, joy, or wonder of time.

Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner that we feel interprets the theme best. The prize is $325 and publication in the Winter 2025 issue. All submissions are considered for publication in the Winter 2025 issue. The contest entry fee is $12, and submissions must be submitted before midnight (EST) on December 1, 2024.

Please make sure your manuscript is double-spaced with 12-point font. Submissions should be no more than 5,000 words. For poetry, send up to three poems in the same document. For flash fiction, send up to two stories in the same document. Author’s name and page number should appear in the top right-hand corner of every page. We also ask that you specify the category/genre of your work in the cover letter. Submissions are accepted through our submission manager, found here.

Please DO NOT submit work that isn’t ready. Take your time and polish your work to the best of your ability before sending it in. No changes can be made to your submission after we receive it.

We will select a winner by the end of January 2025, and each entrant will receive a response to their submission.

blackfoxlitmag.com/contests/

_____

Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry

African Poetry Book Fund

DEADLINE: December 1, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is awarded annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection of poetry. The winner receives USD $1000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion in Senegal.

The Sillerman Editorial Team, including Kwame Dawes, Chris Abani, Matthew Shenoda, John Keene, Gabeba Baderoon, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Aracelis Girmay, and Mahtem Shiferraw will judge.

A winner will be announced in early January, with notifications sent shortly thereafter.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets will only accept “first book” submissions from African writers who have not published a book-length poetry collection. This includes self-published books if they were sold online, in stores, or at readings. Writers who have edited and published an anthology or a similar collection of other writers’ work remain eligible.

An “African writer” is taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, who is a national or resident of an African country, or whose parents are African.

Only poetry submissions in English can be considered. Work translated from another language to English is accepted, but a percentage of the prize will be awarded to the translator.

No past or present paid employees of the University of Nebraska Press, Akashic Books, or Amalion Press, or current faculty, students, or employees at the University of Nebraska, are eligible for the prizes.

MANUSCRIPT:

Poetry manuscripts should be at least 50 pages long.

The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. All entries will be read anonymously. Please include a cover page listing only the title of the manuscript (not the author’s name, address, telephone number, or email address). An acknowledgements page listing the publication history of individual poems may be included, if desired. No application forms are necessary. Eligible writers may submit more than one manuscript.

While we have no specific formatting rules, we suggest sending your manuscript in Times New Roman or Arial, 12 point font, single-spaced. We also prefer one poem per page, meaning a new poem does not begin on the same page on which another ends.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets accepts electronic submissions ONLY. Click here to submit via Submittable.

To ensure confidentiality and fairness, all submissions to the Sillerman Prize are handled by our Book Prize Coordinator, Nicole Lachat. Please direct questions to her attention at psbookprize@unl.edu.

https://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/contest-prizes/sillerman-prize-for-african-poetry-winners/

_____

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

_____

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/

_____

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

POETRY — OCTOBER 2024

2025 Cave Canem Fellowship

Cave Canem

DEADLINE: October 15, 2024

INFO: Cave Canem supports the work of Black poets through a suite of core programs, namely an annual retreat consisting of intensive poetry workshops and readings, hosted at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg. The retreat offers an unparalleled opportunity for Cave Canem Fellows to study with esteemed faculty, and to join an expansive community of peers. Fellows write from a range of poetic traditions: blues; confessional; experimental; dramatic; lyric; narrative; performance; political; etc.

Cave Canem Fellows receive an unparalleled opportunity to study with a world-class faculty and join a community of peers at the retreat, a week-long series of intensive poetry workshops, thought-provoking presentations, both public & private readings, and creative discourse.

Due to our generous community of institutional funders and individual donors, there is no submission fee for the Fellowship application and the retreat is free to all Fellows.

GUIDELINES:

Please read all guidelines carefully. All Applications are managed through the online submission platform, Submittable.

• Applicants must submit a Cover Letter, and a six (6) page Writing Sample.

• Cover letters must be typed into the corresponding box.

• Writing samples must be submitted as a PDF attachment in the corresponding upload section.

Please direct any questions about the Submittable application to programs@ccpoets.org.

Writing samples that do not follow these guidelines will not be considered:

• A PDF of six (6) pages of poems.

• Poems must be in English

• The poet’s name should not be included on any page of the poetry attachment.

• Page breaks should be used to separate poems. Each poem should start on a new page and its title formatted in bold.

• The document should be paginated. Place page numbers in the footers of each page (Example: Page 2 of 6)

• Legible, 12-point font, serif should be used.

• One application per candidate.

Please direct any formatting queries to programs@ccpoets.org.

The Cave Canem Fellowship includes:

• Invitation to the Retreat

• Access to Fellows & Faculty Fund

• Access to exclusive scholarships for select writing residences

• Archival training

• Inclusion in public programming (readings, panels, multigenre collaborations, etc.)

• Subscription to a bimonthly Cave Canem resource containing community news and exclusive offers

EXCLUSIONS: Applicants must confirm that they will be 21 years or older at the time of the 2025 Cave Canem Retreat, which will take place June 8-15, 2025. Current or former employees and members of the board of Cave Canem Foundation are ineligible to apply.

cavecanempoets.org/retreat/

_____

Poetic Justice Institute Book Prize

Poetic Justice Institute

DEADLINE: October 15, 2024

INFO: This contest is open to poets with or without previous book-length publication.

FEE: $28 ($25 reading fee + $3 online processing)

PRIZE: The winning book will be published by Fordham Press and the winner will receive $1,000, a virtual launch with Poetic Justice Institute, and a one-on-one publicity consultation.

JUDGE: Meg Day

GUIDELINES:

Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be read. Reading fees are non-refundable. We accept manuscripts ONLINE ONLY.

1. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished, original and in English (no translations)

2. Manuscripts must be formatted for 8 ½ x 11 letter sized paper; pages must be numbered

3. Suggested length: 50-100 pages (approximate)

4. Manuscripts should include a table of contents and list of acknowledgments (if applicable)

5. Manuscripts may include images or graphic elements

6. The poet’s name should not appear anywhere in the manuscript; any ms. that includes the author’s information will be disqualified

7. The poet will be charged a non-refundable $28 fee ($25 reading fee + $3 online processing)

8. Manuscripts cannot be commented upon; no changes can be made after submission

9. Multiple entries are allowed, provided each submission complies with these guidelines (including paying a submission fee for each submission)

10. Notify us if another publisher accepts your manuscript after it is submitted via our online submissions manager or by contacting us at https://poetic-justice.org/contact

11. The PJI Prizes are not open to: students or employees of Fordham University; current or former students or friends of the prize judge or the series editor

12. Entries will be read anonymously

13. PJI complies with the CLMP code of ethics

JUDGING PROCESS: Manuscripts are read anonymously by a group of qualified poets/critics, selected by the series editor and final judge. If a reader recognizes a manuscript or knows its author, that manuscript is forwarded to a different reader or readers. Finalist submissions are read by the final judge and series editor over a period of weeks.

RESULTS: Results will be announced in Spring 2025. Please check Submittable or poetic-justice.org for notification of winners and finalists.

Questions? Contact us at: https://poetic-justice.org/contact

pol.submittable.com/submit

_____

PJI EDITOR'S PRIZE for a BIPOC author

Poetic Justice Institute

DEADLINE: October 15, 2024

INFO: This contest is open to BIPOC writers, with or without previous book-length publication

FEE: $0

PRIZE: The winning volume will be published by Fordham Press and the winning author will receive $1,000, a virtual launch with Poetic Justice Institute, and a one-on-one publicity consultation.

JUDGE: Elisabeth Frost

GUIDELINES:

Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be read. We accept manuscripts ONLINE ONLY.

1. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished, original and in English (no translations)

2. Manuscripts must be formatted for 8 ½ x 11 letter sized paper; pages must be numbered

3. Suggested length: 50-100 pages (approximate)

4. Manuscripts should include a table of contents and list of acknowledgments (if applicable)

5. Manuscripts may include images or graphic elements

6. The poet’s name should not appear anywhere in the manuscript; any ms. that includes the author’s information will be disqualified

7. There is no entry fee

8. Manuscripts cannot be commented upon; no changes can be made after submission

9. Multiple entries are allowed, provided each submission complies with these guidelines  

10. Notify us if another publisher accepts your manuscript after it is submitted via our online submissions manager or at: https://poetic-justice.org/contact

11. The PJI Prizes are not open to: students or employees of Fordham University; current or former students or friends of the Prize judge or the series editor

12. Entries will be read anonymously

13. PJI complies with the CLMP code of ethics (see below)

JUDGING PROCESS: Manuscripts are read anonymously by a group of qualified poets/critics, selected by the series editor. If a reader recognizes a manuscript or knows its author, that manuscript is forwarded to a different reader or readers. Finalist submissions are read by the series editor over a period of weeks.

RESULTS: Results will be announced in Spring 2025. Please check Submittable or poetic-justice.org for notification of winners and finalists.

Questions? Contact us at: https://poetic-justice.org/contact

pol.submittable.com/submit

_____

2025 RESIDENCIES

Vermont Studio Center

DEADLINE: October 15, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Vermont Studio Center invites applications for 2025. 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

_____

ART OMI: WRITERS RESIDENCY

Art Omi

DEADLINE: October 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: Art Omi, a not-for-profit arts center with a 120-acre sculpture and architecture park and gallery, offers residency programs for international artists, writers, translators, musicians, architects and dancers. Art Omi believes that exposure to internationally diverse creative voices fosters acceptance and respect, raises awareness, inspires innovation, and ignites change. By forming community with creative expression as its common denominator, Art Omi creates a sanctuary for the artistic community and the public to affirm the transformative quality of art.

Art Omi: Writers hosts authors and translators for two weeks to one month 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.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Each applicant is required to provide 4 (four) separate items in total:

1. A cover letter, which provides the following details: country of birth, country of residency, the language in which you write, your preferred residency dates. Please note we have two sessions per year: Spring (March 27 - May 28) and Fall (September 4 - November 5). Additionally, please let us know how you heard about Art Omi: Writers, why you want to come to Art Omi: Writers and what you expect to get from the experience.

2. A brief (2 pages, maximum) statement about your work history, referencing publications, performances and writing credits. This can be submitted in CV format.

3. A writing sample, no more than 25 pages. The work sample does not have to be published or related to your current project and can be a combination of multiple samples.

4. A one page description of the work to be undertaken while at Art Omi: Writers.

Your writing sample does NOT have to be an English translation; please submit your writing sample in your mother tongue. All other documentation must be submitted in English.

Your cover letter should be provided in the designated Cover Letter field. Items 2-4 should each be provided as separately uploaded files.

Alumni of the program are eligible to reapply after 5 years.

RESIDENCY DATES: 

Spring: 

• Thursday, March 27–Tuesday, April 22, 2025

• Thursday, May 8–Wednesday, May 28, 2025 

Autumn: 

• Thursday, September 4–Wednesday, October 1, 2025

• Thursday, October 9–Wednesday, November 5, 2025

DECISION NOTIFICATION: January, 2025

artomi.submittable.com/submit

_____

THE GRAYBEAL-GOWEN PRIZE FOR VIRGINIA POETS

Shenandoah Lit

SUBMISSION PERIOD: October 15 - 31, 2024 (or until they reach 500 submissions)

INFO: For the Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets, poets living in or born in Virginia, as well as those with long-term residency in the past, are eligible. Submit as many as three poems, each no longer than fifty lines, along with brief biographical note, which should confirm the basis for eligibility as a Virginian. 

2024 JUDGE: Tim Seibles.

PRIZE: One poem will be selected to receive the $1000 prize and will be published in Shenandoah. 

All submissions will be considered for publication. No Washington and Lee staff, faculty, or their families are eligible. 

The Graybeal-Gowen Prize was established to honor the memory of WLU graduate and lover of poetry, Howerton Gowen.

shenandoahliterary.org/submissions/

_____

Writers Mentorship Program

Latinx in Publishing

DEADLINE: October 16, 2024

INFO: The Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Program offers the opportunity for unpublished and unagented writers who identify as Latinx (mentees) to strengthen their craft, gain knowledge about the traditional publishing industry, and expand their professional connections through work with experienced Latinx authors (mentors).

WMP 2025 WILL ACCEPT MENTEES IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

• Adult Non-Fiction

• Adult Horror Fiction

• Adult Romance Fiction

• Poetry

• Young Adult Fiction

ABOUT THE WRITING MENTORSHIP PROGRAM:

• The next cycle of the program runs from February 2025 through October 2025.

• Mentees must complete an application, state which mentor they are applying to work with, and submit 20-30 pages of sample writing for their writing project in the appropriate genre/category. If you are applying in the picture book author-illustrator or graphic novel categories, please include a link to illustration samples along with your writing sample.

• Your application should be tailored to the mentor you would like to work with, meaning that your writing sample should be in the genre that mentor works in. You may submit applications for up to 3 different mentors, but in that case, each application form will likely require a different writing sample.

• Participants will be notified of Latinx in Publishing’s admission decisions in December 2024, and mentors and mentees will be formally connected in January 2025.

• Mentors and mentees will connect for a minimum of one hour per month over the course of ten months.

• The program will close in November 2025. If the mentor and mentee would like to continue their mentor relationship after that point, it is entirely at their discretion.

• Please be aware that the Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Program is a volunteer-run initiative. Latinx in Publishing will not be held responsible for mediating any relations between mentors and mentees once the program ends.

QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A MENTEE:

• Must identify as Latinx (does not include individuals of Spanish origin)

• Must be unagented and unpublished

• Must have an active interest in writing books and a project in mind to work on during the mentorship

• Must be located in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) and be at least 18 years of age

• Must be available to dedicate at least one hour per month for a minimum of ten months for a meeting with their mentor

• Must be available to attend mandatory program events that are scheduled with notice, about once a month or once every two months.

latinxinpublishing.com/mentorship

_____

Moondancer Fellowship For Environmental + Nature Writers

The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow

DEADLINE: October 21, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow (WCDH) is pleased to offer the 2024 Moondancer Fellowship for authors who express their passion for the natural world and concern for the environment through their writing. This fellowship is open to poets, fiction writers, playwrights, screenwriters, essayists, memoirists, and columnists.  Prior publication is not a requirement. The successful applicant will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and the likelihood of publication or production.

The fellowship winner will receive a two-week residency at WCDH to focus completely on their writing. Each writer’s suite has a bedroom, private bathroom, separate writing space, and wireless internet. We provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner prepared five nights a week and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when desired, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for other meals.

Fellowship applications must be accompanied by a writing sample and a non-refundable $35 application fee. Only one writing project may be proposed per application. Writers proposing more than one project must submit a separate application and fee for each one.

The winner will be announced no later than November 20, 2024. Residency must be completed by December 31, 2025.

writerscolony.org/fellowships

_____

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

Red Hen Press

DEADLINE: October 31, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927–1999), this award is for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry. The awarded collection is selected through an annual competition that is open to all poets.

AWARD DETAILS:

• $3000

• Book publication by Red Hen Press

• Final Judge: Jason Schneiderman

Name on cover sheet only, 48 page minimum, 96 page maximum. 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 refusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.

redhen.org/awards/benjamin-saltman-poetry-award

_____

The Helena Whitehill Book Award (FOR POETRY + CREATIVE NON-FICTION)

Tupelo Press

DEADLINE: October 31, 2024

INFO: The Helena Whitehill Book Award is a prestigious INTERNATIONAL prize for adult writers. This year we are beyond thrilled to announce it will be judged by the inimitable Ilya Kaminski, a decorated poet who in 2019 was named among “12 Artists who changed the world” by the BBC.

PRIZE: The Helena Whitehill Book Award includes a cash award of $1,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, a book launch, national and international distribution by the University of Chicago Press, a one-week residence at Gentle House on the Olympic Peninsula, and unlike our other prizes, open to submissions of poetry, chapbook or full length, no page limit, and also open to creative non-fiction, no page limit. Manuscripts are judged anonymously and all finalists will be considered for publication. Please read the complete guidelines before submitting your manuscript.

Sally Whitehill writes: “My mother, Helena Whitehill, loved words, and in particular, poetry. She believed creative expression should and could be for everybody, and passed this belief on to me and to my sisters. In Tupelo Press and Jeffrey Levine, I am excited to find partners who share this doctrine. The anonymous nature of the submission process for the Helena Whitehill Book Award is one way we have put this belief into action. I can think of no better way to honor my mother than to support this prize and other writers.”

tupelopress.org/helena-whitehill-book-award/

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: SPRING ISSUE 10.1

Foglifter

DEADLINE: November 1, 2024

INFO: Foglifter is now open for submissions for our Spring Issue 10.1.

GUEST EDITOR: This issue's guest poetry editor is Mandy Shunnarah (they/them), an Appalachian and Palestinian-American writer who calls Columbus, Ohio, home. Their first book, Midwest Shreds: Skating Through America’s Heartland, was released in July 2024 from Belt Publishing, and their poetry collection, We Had Mansions, is forthcoming from Diode Editions in 2025. Find them on Instagram @offthebeatenshelf, Twitter @fixedbaroque, and their website, mandyshunnarah.com.

GUIDELINES:

• Submit 3 to 5 poems (max 5 pages).

• Each new poem must start on its own separate page.

• Include all poems in a single Word document (and put the titles of your poems, separated by commas, in the title field).

• 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

_____

Mesa Refuge Residency

DEADLINE: November 1, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $50

INFO: Mesa Refuge welcomes a diverse community of writers—both emerging and established—who define and/or offer solutions to the pressing issues of our time. Particularly, it is our priority to support writers, activists and artists whose ideas are “on the edge,” taking on the pressing issues of our time including (but not limited to): nature, environment and climate crisis; economic, racial and gender equity; social justice and restorative justice; immigration; health care access; housing; and more. 

We especially want writers of nonfiction books, long-form journalism, audio and documentary film. Occasionally we accept poetry, fiction (Young Adult/Adult Literary), screenwriting and playwriting, photojournalism, personal memoirs (as a vehicle to tell a larger story) and graphic narrative. We tend not to accept academic writing. The potential impact and distribution of your project is also important.

We aim to support a diverse community of writers and welcome applicants that represent a broad spectrum of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, immigration status, religion or ability. Please see our DEI statement for more information about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

As a small nonprofit, our application fee of $50 helps underwrite the cost of application review. However, we do not want the application fee to be a barrier to apply. To request a fee waiver, please email us directly here.

GUIDELINES: The questions on our application are mostly short answer. We require one writing sample (max 2,000 words or 10 pages), a current resume, headshot photo and two references (we do not require letters of recommendation). Applicants will be contacted approximately 10 weeks after the application deadline.

Our residencies are two weeks long and there is no residency fee. Additional residency expenses like travel, transportation and food are your responsibility. Our facility accommodates three residents at a time.

When you click the button, below, you will be transferred to our application on Submittable. Our residency application will be available on June 1, 2024.

For more information, read our Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact us at info@mesarefuge.org.

mesarefuge.org/residencies/application/

_____

2025 Marvin Bell Memorial Poetry Prize

December Mag

DEADLINE: November 1, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $20 (per entry)

INFO: The entry period for the 2025 Marvin Bell Memorial Poetry Prize is open

This year’s judge is Maggie Smith. For more information about Ms. Smith click here.

PRIZE:

• 1st Prize: $1,500 and publication

• Honorable Mention: $500 and publication

• All finalists will be published in the Spring/Summer 2024 Awards issue. Finalists will be paid at regular contributor rates ($10/page with a $40 minimum and $200 maximum.)

GUIDELINES:

• You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry should include no more than three poems. Name and address on cover letter only. No identifying information on poems or in file name. $20 fee per entry includes a copy of the Awards issue. Each submission is carefully considered for publication. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Any size print run or online publication (including blogs and/or social networking) disqualifies an entry. 

• AUTHOR NAME OR OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION SHOULD NOT APPEAR IN YOUR TITLE OR ANYWHERE ON YOUR UPLOADED OR HARD COPY DOCUMENT. ENTRIES THAT IDENTIFY THE SUBMITTER/AUTHOR IN ANY WAY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED WITHOUT A REFUND.

• december does not accept simultaneous submissions. We respond as quickly as possible. (Contest submissions may not be responded to until after the close of the contest when all submissions have been considered.)

• december also accepts submissions through the U.S. mail. If submitting by mail, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient postage, your $20.00 entry fee (check or cash — NO MONEY ORDERS), and indicate if you would like your manuscript returned.

• december assumes no responsibility for delayed, lost, or damaged manuscripts.

• Address postal submissions and correspondence to:

december
P.O. Box 16130
St. Louis, MO 63105

decembermag.org/2025-marvin-bell-memorial-poetry-prize

_____

2025 Derricotte/Eady Prize

Cave Canem

DEADLINE: November 6, 2024

INFO: The Derricotte/Eady Prize, named after Cave Canem co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, spotlights chapbook-length manuscripts.

Awarded to one poet annually, the Derricotte/Eady Prize recipient receives a monetary prize, the publication of their manuscript through O, Miami Books, a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach, and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival in April.

Cave Canem is honored to partner with O, Miami to produce the annual Derricotte/Eady Prize in collaboration with The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach.

AWARD: Winner receives $1,000; publication of their manuscript through O, Miami Books; 10 copies of the chapbook; a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach; and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival in April.

ELIGIBILITY: All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English. Please note that this is not a first-book award. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora.

Please note that in the event that an applicant has submitted the same manuscript to other book awards and received an award, they must disclose this information to Cave Canem.

EXCLUSIONS: Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the board of Cave Canem Foundation; O, Miami; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Jai-Alai Books are ineligible.

GUIDELINES:

• Submit manuscripts online via Submittable. Hard-copy submissions will not be considered

• One manuscript per poet is allowed

• Include a title page with the title only and a table of contents. The author’s name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document

• The manuscript must be paginated, with a font size of 11 or 12, and 25-30 pages in length, inclusive of the title page and table of contents. A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted

• Manuscripts not adhering to submission guidelines will not be considered

• Include a cover letter with a brief author’s bio and a list of acknowledgments of previously published poems. DO NOT include this information within the document of the manuscript

• Post-submission revisions or corrections are not permitted

• The cover letter should include the author’s brief bio (500 words, maximum) and a list of acknowledgments of previously published poems. 

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Brandon D. Johnson is the author of Love’s Skin, Man Burns Ant, The Strangers Between, and co-author of The Black Rooster Social Inn: This Is The Place. He is published in several print and online journals and anthologies. Brandon is also a photographer. Born in Gary, Indiana, he received a BA from Wabash College and his JD from Antioch School of Law. He lives with his wife and children in Washington, DC.

cavecanempoets.org/prizes/derricotte-eady-prize/

POETRY — SEPTEMBER 2024

POETRY FOUNDATION GRANTS

Poetry Foundation

DEADLINE: September 4, 2024

INFO: Poetry Foundation’s grant application are now open

I - EQUITY IN VERSE - The Equity in Verse grant category was created in direct response to the June 6, 2020 community letter requesting that the Foundation examine its historic cultural debt to poets of color. These grants are intended to provide support for nonprofit poetry and literary organizations, which includes presses and publications, led and staffed by people of color.

The Poetry Foundation acknowledges that the art, ideas, and labor of BIPOC people are integral to its work and poetry as an art form and that those contributions have gone underrecognized. Honoring the legacy of past BIPOC poets and making space for living and future poets are critical to the Foundation’s evolution.

Grants range in size from $10,000-$100,000, and all grants are for a 12-month period. The Poetry Foundation accepts applications for Equity in Verse grants twice a year (the deadlines are March 1 and September 1).

II - POETRY RY PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIS, AND INNOVATION - Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation grants provide support to nonprofit organizations invested in at least one of the following priorities:

• Broadening the audiences for poetry;

• Increasing access to poetry;

• New collaborations and partnerships in poetry;

• Innovations in the field of poetry, including investment in new technologies.

Grants range in size from $10,000-$75,000 and all grants are for a 12-month period. The Poetry Foundation accepts applications for Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation grants twice a year (the deadlines are March 1 and September 1).

poetryfoundation.org/grants

_____

Winter Writers’ Retreat for Storytellers of Color

Roots. Wounds. Words.

DEADLINE: September 8, 2024

INFO: The Roots. Wounds. Words. Winter Writers’ Retreat for Storytellers of Color is a sacred space wherein BIPOC stories are celebrated, and BIPOC storytellers immersed in liberation. At the Writers’ Retreat, Storytellers receive literary arts instruction offered by award-winning BIPOC writers in the fields of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, speculative fiction, and young adult fiction.

In January 2025, Roots. Wounds. Words. Fellows will commune online where they will workshop their literary art, perform their work, participate in BIPOC-centered healing and liberation modalities, as well as receive literary arts pedagogy from renowned BIPOC storytellers.

To attend this offering, submit an application through our online system. Prior writing experience is insignificant. Whether you’ve attended a writing workshop before or not holds no weight. All applicants are judged on the merits of their full application, which includes an artistic statement, bio, and writing sample.

Our Writers’ Retreat provides BIPOC storytellers with a transformative opportunity to push your pen, strengthen your craft, access literary art professionals, rest and restore, and build the tribe you need to support your writing goals.

The Roots. Wounds. Words. Writers’ Retreat is for Us.

RETREAT LOCATION: Online / Virtual

RETREAT DATES: January 5 - January 11, 2025

TUITION: $1,500 (partial scholarships and payment plans are available)

2025 WINTER WRITERS’ RETREAT FACULTY:

• FICTION FACULTY - Jamil Jan Kochai (he/him) 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 and the 2023 Clark Fiction Prize. His debut novel 99 Nights in Logar was a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. His short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Ploughshares, Zoetrope, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and The Best American Short Stories. His essays have been published at The New Yorker, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. 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.

• NONFICTION FACULTY - Nadia Owusu (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based writer and urbanist. Her memoir, Aftershocks, was selected as a best book of 2021 by over a dozen publications, including Time, Vogue, Esquire, and the BBC, and has been translated into five languages. It was a New York Times Editors’ Choice pick, named one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year, and selected by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai for her Literati book club. Nadia is the winner of a Whiting Award in nonfiction. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Orion, Granta, The Paris Review Daily, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Travel + Leisure, and others. She teaches creative writing at Columbia University and at the Mountainview MFA program and is the Director of Storytelling at Frontline Solutions.

• POETRY FACULTY - porsha olayiwola is a native of chicago who writes, lives and organizes in boston, where she is the current poet laureate. olayiwola is a writer, performer, educator and curator who uses afro-futurism and surrealism to examine historical and current issues in the black, woman, and queer diasporas. she is an individual world poetry slam champion and the founder of the roxbury poetry festival. porsha olayiwola is currently teaching in her role as assistant professor of poetry at Emerson College. she is the author of i shimmer sometimes, too. her work can be found in or forthcoming from with triquarterly magazine, black warrior review, the boston globe, essence magazine, redivider, split this rock, the nba, the academy of american poets, netflix, wilderness press, the museum of fine arts and elsewhere.

• SPECULATIVE FICTION FACULTY - Andrea Hairston (she/her) is a novelist, playwright, and L. Wolff Kahn 1931 Professor Emerita of Theatre and Africana Studies at Smith College. Novels: Archangels of Funk; Will Do Magic For Small Change, a New York Times Editor’s pick and finalist for the Mythopoeic, Lambda, and Otherwise Awards; Redwood and Wildfire, Otherwise and Carl Brandon Award winner; Master of Poisons on the 2020 Kirkus Review’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy; and Mindscape, Carl Brandon Award winner. Her short fiction appears in So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Visions of the Future; New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color; Trouble the Waters and Lightspeed Magazine. Plays and essays appear in Lonely Stardust.

rootswoundswords.org/2025-winterretreat

_____

MACDOWELL FELLOWSHIP

MacDowell

DEADLINE: September 10, 2024

INFO: About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded Fellowships each year and the sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence. There are no residency fees, and need-based stipends and travel reimbursement grants are available to open the residency to the broadest possible community of artists. 

MacDowell encourages applications from artists of all backgrounds and all countries in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. Any applicant whose proposed project does not fall clearly within one of these artistic disciplines should contact the admissions department for guidance. We aim to be inclusive, not exclusive in our admissions process.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

_____

PRINCETON ARTS FELLOWSHIPS

Lewis Center for the Arts

DEADLINE: September 10, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Princeton Arts Fellowships, funded in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, David E. Kelley Society of Fellows in the Arts, and the Maurice R. Greenberg Scholarship Fund, 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.

A $92,000 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.

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 would hope to use the two years of the fellowship to develop your work, how you would contribute to Princeton’s arts community through teaching and/or production, and how you have encouraged diversity and inclusion and furthered accessibility in your artistic practice, teaching, and/or research.

Applicants can only apply for the Princeton Arts Fellowship twice in a lifetime.

arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/princeton-arts-fellowship/

_____

2025 Writer - Winter / Spring Residency

Jentel Artist Residency

DEADLINE: September 15, 2024 at noon MST

APPLICATION FEE: $30

ELIGIBILITY Residencies are intended as professional development opportunities for visual artists in all creative disciplines and writers in creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. Proposals for self-directed, creative residencies must be compatible with available working studio spaces, facilities, and resources. Artistic merit and promise are the basis for selections. Mature as well as emerging artists are encouraged to apply. Individuals enrolled in a degree program at the time of application are ineligible for residency. Artists and writers over age 25 residing in the United States and US citizens abroad are eligible. Four visual artists and two writer residencies are awarded each session. 

DURATION OF RESIDENCY All residencies start on the 15th of each month and end on the 7th of the next month. No exceptions, please.

CHARACTER STATEMENTS: During the application process, Jentel requests contact information for three (3) individuals who know them on a day-to-day personal basis, are familiar with their creative work habits, and have the ability to engage congenially in small groups. Jentel will be considering these applicants for a residency award. Submittable will generate an email to the three (3) individuals with a link to submit a brief character statement on behalf of the applicant. (Jentel does not accept statements from Inter-Folio.)

AWARDS A rotating panel of experts and professionals in the arts and humanities independently reviews applications and supporting materials. Final awards of residencies are at the discretion of Jentel. In some instances, artists and writers are invited to participate without submitting an application.

COUPLES Couples who are artists or writers may apply individually, understanding that one partner may be accepted and the other may not. Each artist or writer accepted for a residency will be offered a separate studio or workspace. Jentel is unable to invite spouses or partners to accompany artists in residence under any other circumstances.

COLLABORATORS Collaborators may be accepted for a residency; however, both need to submit separate applications along with a joint proposal. Please indicate in the proposal the requirements for the workspace.

REAPPLICATION After five years have lapsed, previous residents may reapply for a residency by submitting a new application with new work and new character statement contacts. Artists who have applied previously may reapply by submitting a new application and a new work sample.

LOCATION The Jentel Artist Residency Program is located on a working cattle ranch 20 miles southeast of Sheridan (Population nearing 20,000). Set in the rolling sage hills along Piney Creek, numerous buildings cluster one of the original ranch houses, which serve as a reception center.  Spectacular views of the Big Horn Mountains are set against an ever-changing backdrop of light and sky. 

FACILITIES Residencies provide time, space, and facilities for research, experimentation, and production of work and ideas in the visual and literary arts. Residents are at liberty to structure their own time and activity. They may choose to maintain their privacy or to engage with other residents and activities at Jentel. Each resident is offered separate living accommodations and workspace. Large, well-lighted studios are equipped with running water and adequate light for late work. Writers need to bring their own writing materials and laptops. Areas inside and outside are reserved for residents. Common spaces include a library, a recreation area, and a great room. A large kitchen adjacent to the living area may be used for food and meal preparation. A weekly stipend is provided to help defray personal expenses.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT A monthly stipend is distributed in three (3) separate installments of $100 at the end of each week in residence. Residents are responsible for their own personal living expenses, food and beverage, supplies, telephone charges, and any expenses related to the production of work during the residency. Travel and shipping expenses to and from the Jentel Artist Residency Program are also the responsibility of the resident.

FEES: There are no fees charged for the residency. The receipt of a $100 reservation deposit is due within two weeks of notification of the residency award and confirms the residency. The reservation deposit is returned during orientation at the residency. When an artist or writer cancels a residency reservation less than two months prior to the beginning of the residency, they waive the return of the reservation deposit. Application fees are non-refundable.

CHILDREN Accommodations for children and family members are not provided.

PETS Pets are not allowed at Jentel.

VISITORS Accommodations for visitors are available in Sheridan, 20 miles northwest of Jentel.

SMOKING/VAPING Jentel is a vape and smoke-free environment.

PRIVACY All application materials and work samples are confidential and retained for the use of the Jentel Artist Residency Program only.

COMMUNITY Although no services are expected of residents during their stay, interaction within the community is welcomed and graciously supported.

Questions?
Please see the Application/FAQs on the website: www.jentelarts.org.

jentelartistresidency.submittable.com/submit 

_____

VCCA RESIDENCY

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

DEADLINE: September 15, 2024

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).

SELECTION PROCESS: VCCA Fellows are selected by peer review on the basis of professional achievement or promise of achievement in their respective fields. Separate review panels are created for each category (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting/screenwriting, children’s literature, performance, film/video, book arts, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, installation art, music composition, etc.). Panelists undergo periodic review and rotate regularly to ensure VCCA admission decisions are guided by high caliber artists who represent a diversity of styles and tastes.

All VCCA residency and fellowship applications are accepted online via SlideRoom. The standard application fee is $30. If the application fee presents a significant barrier to application, artists should reach out to Artists Services at vcca@vcca.com to request an application fee waiver at least five days before the deadline.

FELLOWSHIPS / FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: A variety of fully-funded fellowship opportunities are available at each application deadline. In addition, significant financial assistance is available throughout the year.

vcca.com/apply/residencies-at-vcca/

_____

2025 Guggenheim Fellowships

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

DEADLINE: September 17, 2024 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: Guggenheim Fellowships are intended for mid-career individuals who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts and exhibit great promise for their future endeavors.

Fellowships are awarded through an annual competition open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada. Candidates must apply to the Guggenheim Foundation in order to be considered.

The Foundation receives approximately 3,000 applications each year. No one who applies is guaranteed success in the competition and there is no prescreening; all applications are reviewed. Approximately 175 Fellowships are awarded each year.

During the rigorous selection process, applicants will first be pooled with others working in the same field, and examined by experts in that field. The work of artists will be reviewed by artists, that of scientists by scientists, that of historians by historians, and so on. The Foundation has a network of several hundred advisers, who either meet at the Foundation offices to look at applicants’ work, or receive application materials to read offsite. These advisers, all of whom are Guggenheim Fellows from previous years, then submit reports critiquing and ranking the applications in their respective fields. Their recommendations are then forwarded to and weighed by a Committee of Selection, which then determines the number of awards to be made in each area. Occasionally, no application in a given area is considered strong enough to merit a Fellowship.

We guarantee our advisers and Committee of Selection members, as well as those who submit letters of reference, absolute confidentiality. Therefore, under no circumstances will the reasons for the rejection of an application be provided.

The Committee of Selection then forwards its recommendations to the Board of Trustees for final approval. The successful candidates in the United States and Canada competition are announced in early April.

FAQs:

What are Guggenheim Fellowships?

Guggenheim Fellowships are grants awarded to around 175 selected individuals every year. The purpose of the Guggenheim Fellowship program is to provide Fellows with blocks of time in which they can work with as much creative freedom as possible. As such, grants are made freely, without any special conditions attached to them; Fellows may spend their grant funds in any manner they deem necessary to their work. The United States Internal Revenue Service, however, does require the Foundation to ask for reports from its Fellows at the end of their Fellowship terms.

How does the Foundation define “advanced professional”?

The Foundation understands advanced professionals to be those who as writers, scholars, or scientists have a significant record of publication, or as artists, playwrights, filmmakers, photographers, composers, or the like, have a significant record of exhibition or performance of their work.

How does the Foundation define “performing arts”?

The Foundation understands the performing arts to be those in which an individual interprets work created by others. Accordingly, the Foundation will provide Fellowships to composers but not conductors, singers, or instrumentalists; choreographers but not dancers; filmmakers, playwrights, and performance artists who create their own work but not actors or theater directors.

What is the amount of a grant?

The amounts of grants vary, and the Foundation does not guarantee it will fully fund any project. Working with a fixed annual budget, the Foundation strives to allocate its funds as equitably as possible, taking into consideration the Fellows’ other resources and the purpose and scope of their plans. Members of the teaching profession receiving sabbatical leave on full or part salary are eligible for appointment, as are those holding other fellowships and appointments at research centers.

gf.org/how-to-apply/

_____

2025 Periplus Fellowship

Periplus Collective

DEADLINE: September 20, 2024, at 11:59 pm ET

INFO: Applications for the 2025 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

_____

Call For Artists; The Voodoo (Album) Experience

Black Girl Saturday School

DEADLINE: September 21, 2024

INFO: The Voodoo (Album) Experience is an immersive experience that honors D’Angelo’s second album, the era that gave birth to the album, and the sensual and transformative power of music. Spread across (1-3) venues, it features visual art installations, community conversations and reflections, a dinner party, panel discussions, film screening, and jam session, where attendees can participate in the collective act(s) of remembering, celebrating, reliving, and re-imagining D’Angelo’s Voodoo album, 25 years later.

Inspired by the 13 tracks on the Voodoo album, we invite your proposals for the artistic interpretation of a single song or the entire album to be exhibited at The Voodoo (Album) Experience in January 2025! Artists of all genders are encouraged to apply.

CRITERIA: As you listen to the album and craft your vision, please consider how your work will honor the album, the era that gave birth to the album, and/or the sensual and transformative power of D'Angelo's music.

TIMELINE:

• Announcement: October 2024

• Opening Ceremony: January 24th - 25th - 26th, 2025

LOCATION: Baltimore, MD

VENUE: TBA

SELECTION PROCESS:

1. Jury Panel: Comprising experienced artists and curators.

2. Criteria: Originality, thematic relevance, and technical skill.

Interested artists should submit an application as soon as possible, up to September 21, 2024.

ABOUT BLACK GIRL SATURDAY SCHOOL®:

Founded in 2020 as the place where the study of Black girls’ and women’s lives is valued, appreciated, cultivated, immersive, healing, restorative, grounding, available, continual, fun, and more. We host Jam Sessions, Studies, and Workshops using art and our lives as the study guide. Black Girl Saturday School® is a space for Black Women:

• to safely and with care, journey back to their Black Girlhood with the expectation of finding brilliance

• to freely explore and reflect on our sensual lives through language, history, art, music and culture

• to cultivate a personal wisdom that we can activate in our day-to-day lives

If you have any questions, please email: principal@blackgirlsaturdayschool.com

blackgirlsaturdayschool.com

_____

THE SARABANDE CHAPBOOK PRIZE

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: September 30, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $25

INFO: In celebration of Sarabande’s 30th anniversary, the inaugural Sarabande Chapbook Prize will be awarded to two winners from our 2024 submission period. The prize includes $1,000, publication, and a standard royalty contract.

GENRE: We’re looking for traditional poetry chapbooks and hybrid/experimental projects. (For examples of hybrid projects we’ve loved, see Hotel Almighty, Team Photograph, Thot, Bright, White Bull, A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause, and more.)

ELIGIBILITY: This Sarabande Chapbook Prize is open to any poet or writer of English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in part in magazines or in anthologies may be included.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Manuscript must be anonymous

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

• Between 20-30 pages, single spaced

• Must be accompanied by a $25 submission fee

• Must be submitted electronically through Submittable

• Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Edits to submissions will not be permitted, but any publications resulting from this contest will undergo a full editorial and copyedit. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw your manuscript if accepted elsewhere.

sarabandebooks.org/chapbook

_____

Gold Line Press Chapbook Contests

Gold Line Press

DEADLINE: September 30, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $15 (however, free submissions are availble for BIPOC writers and writers facing financial hardship)

INFO: Gold Line Press, a student-run press housed in the Creative Writing and Literature PhD program at the University of Southern California, seeks submissions for its annual contests.

They seek submissions for chapbook-length (30-page max for prose and 5000-15000 words for prose) projects in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The judges are 'Pemi Aguda (fiction), Jaquira Díaz (nonfiction), and Diannely Antigua (poetry).

PRIZE: The winner in each genre will be published by Gold Line Press, receive a $750 prize, and 50 author copies of their published chapbook.

goldlinepress.submittable.com/submit

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: A SPECIAL ISSUE ON MIGRATION

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: October 1, 2024

INFO: MQR is calling for submissions for a special issue on the theme of migration, with particular interest in texts that record, analyze, re-document/re-interpret, and ruminate on the various aspects of displacement and erasure at the convergence of global instabilities caused by war, economic pressures, political instability, racial/ethnic/religious/gender hostility, and/or climate change. 

We are particularly interested in more experimental or innovative writings that subvert and re-contextualize common understanding around themes of documentation, statelessness, migration, and/or asylum/refugee status as it pertains to the lived stories that detail the physical, emotional, and/or psychological consequences of those who are deported, denied: citizenship, permanent resident status, asylum, temporary protected status; and/or those forced to live in severe states of legal uncertainty after arrest such as indefinite detention without recourse for a trial. We are also looking for texts from the lived realities of people (or their descendents) displaced from their native countries such as Palestine, and/or who currently reside in their native country whose borders are the active sites of contestation; this includes indigenous people of the U.S and elsewhere whose land, citizenship, and autonomy has been stolen.  

We welcome texts in all genres (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, art, and researched essays). In addition to original, previously unpublished works in all genres, we also welcome collaborative works, translations, and visual works that can be presented in print or digitally on MQR Online. 

GUEST EDITOR: Marcelo Hernandez Castillo 

GUIDELINES:

• The issue will be published in Spring 2025.

• Maximum length for articles, essays and works of fiction is 7,000 words.

• Poetry submissions must not exceed 10 pages.

• If Submittable is not accessible to you, please email mqr@umich.edu with your concern.

sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/submit/

POETRY — AUGUST 2024

"MY TIME" FELLOWSHIP

Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow

DEADLINE: August 5, 2024 by midnight CST

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is pleased to announce the 2024 "My Time" fellowship funded by James Dean. Writers who are parents of dependent children under the age of 18 are invited to apply. Work may be any literary genre: poetry, fiction, plays, memoirs, screenplays, or nonfiction. The successful application will demonstrate literary merit and the likelihood of publication. Prior publication is not a requirement.

PRIZE: Four fellowship winners will receive a one-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. A $500 stipend will be provided to cover childcare and/or travel costs to each recipient.

Each writer’s suite has a bedroom, private bathroom, separate writing space, and wireless internet. We provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner prepared five nights a week, and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for other meals.

Fellowship applications must be accompanied by a writing sample and a non-refundable $35 application fee. There is a limit of one submission per application. The winner will be announced no later than September 9, 2024.

Residencies may be completed anytime before December 2025.

writerscolony.org/fellowships

_____

The Other Futures Award 2024

Futurepoem

DEADLINE: August 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $28. We also offer need-based reduced fees of $18 and $9; please select the fee that is most appropriate for you. You can also choose to partially sponsor someone else’s submission for $35. A fee waiver is available for anyone who may need it — if the lowest fee represents a hardship for you, please email ahana@futurepoem.com with subject line: 2024 OFA Fee Waiver.

INFO: The Other Futures Award is given annually to an innovative, adventurous full-length work that challenges conventions of genre and language, content and form. Send us writing that imagines new lived or literary possibilities, and questions established paradigms.

AWARD: The winner will receive publication with Futurepoem, an honorarium of $1000, a standard royalty contract, and 25 author copies. We will announce our decision in late 2024. The winning book will be published in 2026.

PROCESS: All submissions are read by at least two Futurepoem staff readers, who then recommend a limited group of manuscripts to the permanent editors. The winning manuscript is selected by Futurepoem's permanent editorial staff. Our process is identity-hidden, so please be sure that the author's name does not appear anywhere in the manuscript.

ELIGIBILITY: We welcome submissions by writers at any stage of their career. Manuscripts must be unpublished book-length works of prose, poetry, or multi-genre work. And though we are open to books with visuals, we have a limited capacity to support image-based projects. We publish poetry, first and foremost, and heavily image-based projects will be better served by a different publisher. Previously published poems or chapbooks may be included, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished. Writers who are not U.S. citizens are welcome to send work. Past or present students, colleagues, or close friends of Futurepoem editors are not eligible to submit.

TRANSLATIONS: We do not publish translations of works originally written in languages other than English. However, previously unpublished texts that engage bilingual or multilingual practices are welcome.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify Futurepoem as soon as possible if your book is accepted elsewhere.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: We accept multiple submissions from the same author. Each manuscript should be submitted separately including a separate entry fee.

FORMAT: Suggested length is 50 to 150 pages, though manuscripts may be slightly shorter or longer. The Other Futures Award is an anonymized contest. Please include a title page with title only, and a table of contents. The author’s name should NOT appear anywhere in the manuscript.

REVISIONS: While we are not able to accept revisions during the reading period, the winner will be able to revise their manuscript before publication.

HOW TO SUBMIT: Please submit online using our Submittable page (futurepoem.submittable.com/submit). We cannot accept hardcopy or emailed submissions. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our catalog before you submit.

futurepoem.submittable.com/submit/300464/the-other-futures-award-2024

_____

The Aggrey Prize for Poetry

Inverted Syntax

DEADLINE: August 15, 2024

INFO: This prize is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional first- or second-poetry collections written in English by a writer who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC) residing within the United States, regardless of citizenship. Named after the Aggrey family of Ghana, the prize seeks to identify, award, and honor those whose original work focuses on any aspect of life from the perspective of those within the BIPOC community. The poetry manuscript can be a hybrid, that is, it can intersect with any genre, including speculative prose and visual elements (note: we do not publish photographs and cannot print in color); essentially, we are looking for work that celebrates hybridity and resists genre specificity.

Judged by the editors of Inverted Syntax*, one winner will be selected with the possibility of runners-up.      

PRIZE:

• Publication with Inverted Syntax Press (using Bookmobile for printing and Itasca Books for distribution).

• 25 author copies.

• $500 prize money.

• 5%-10% standard royalties on net receipts. 

• Assistance in planning a reading launch with other writers within the winner's state and elsewhere when possible.

• Inverted Syntax-hosted online reading launch

• Weeklong writing retreat to a historic Victorian home located in Leadville, Colorado, with up to four members of your writing community.

NOTE: Inverted Syntax may also offer a runner-up publication of another manuscript in addition to the winner. This runner-up author will receive everything listed above with the exception of the $500 prize.

• ​All other submission entries are also considered for publication and long-listing. 

  • Any work published beyond the winner and runner-up will receive everything listed above with the exception of the prize money and the writing retreat. 

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• The Aggrey Prize for Poetry is open to writers who identify as BIPOC, of any citizenship residing in the United States who have published no more than one book in any genre.​

• Inclusion of other languages/ code-switching/meshing is very much welcome as long as the book is largely written in English.

• Theme:  We are looking  to amplify the myriad experiences, struggles, triumphs, and aspirations of  the diverse narratives within the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities through the power of poetry. We aim to create a space for solidarity, healing, and empowerment, showcasing the richness and complexity of BIPOC voices in contemporary poetry. While there is no specific theme for this book contest, we encourage submissions that reflect on intersectional perspectives, including those that delve into themes of identity, cultural heritage, social justice, resilience, and the nuanced complexities of lived experiences. We encourage genre-breaking writing--hybrid, speculative, and experimental submissions.

• We will accept submissions between June 5 and August 15. The winner will be announced 6 months after the submission window closes. 

• Please send a manuscript that is between 48-100 pages, not including front matter.

• The manuscript should be paginated and include a table of contents. 

• Do not put your name on any page within the manuscript or in the file name.

• Include an acknowledgements page, for example, list any previously published poems.

• We accept simultaneous submissions. Notify us immediately if your work is picked up elsewhere. 

• We accept multiple submissions, but each submission must be accompanied by its own fee.

• We will not accept changes to your manuscript during our review period. 

• Anyone affiliated with the editors or reading staff of Inverted Syntax is not eligible. 

• Any writer residing outside of the USA is not eligible.

• Submission Fee is $20 (Why we charge fees explained here)

• If the submission costs are a burden, please include an explanation of your situation and why you want to publish with Inverted Syntax, and we will send you a waiver for a reduced fee of $10.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• Inverted Syntax strongly encourages diverse and inclusive voices, especially those from under-represented and vulnerable communities, to consider submitting work to Inverted Syntax.

• ​Manuscripts are screened carefully by our aesthetically diverse volunteer editorial staff. If you are interested in being a reader for the Prize, contact us here.

• ​Before you submit, check that your work meets our standards. Work is automatically ignored, rejected, declined, dismissed if it contains any manner of abusive behavior and this extends to the creators of said work. To be clear: NO racism, NO misogyny, NO homophobia, NO sexism, NO transphobia, NO body-shaming, NO Islamophobia, NO Anti-semitism, NO xenophobia, absolutely no work that in any way perpetuate stereotypes. 

*INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT: We value and respect all volunteers, readers, subscribers, submitters, and participants, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, and/or disability. Inverted Syntax editors are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment where our community of contributors and supporters feel valued. 

​Inverted Syntax stands in solidarity with the Palestinian plight for liberation. Read our October 2023 letter for more information. 

invertedsyntax.com/poetry-book-contests.html

____

The Tabbikha Prize for Poetry  

Inverted Syntax

DEADLINE: August 15, 2024

INFO: This prize is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional first- or second-poetry works written in English by a writer of the S .W.A.N.A. diaspora. We invite all members of the South West Asian and North African region regardless of citizenship, residing within the United States to submit work. Named after the Tabbica (pronounced and sometimes spelled Tabbikha) family of Lebanon, the prize seeks to identify, award, and honor original work focused on any aspect of life within this particular diasporic experience. Diasporas can span up to several generations. The poetry manuscript can be a hybrid, that is, it can intersect with any genre, including speculative prose and visual elements (note: we do not publish photographs and cannot print in color); essentially, we are looking for work that celebrates hybridity and resists genre specificity.

SWANA is a decolonial word for the South West Asian/ North African (S.W.A.N.A.) region in place of Middle Eastern, Near Eastern, Arab World that typically have colonial, Eurocentric, and Orientalist origins. 

Judged by the editors of Inverted Syntax*, one winner will be selected with the possibility of runners-up.     

PRIZE:

• Publication with Inverted Syntax Press (using Bookmobile for printing and Itasca Books for distribution).

• 25 author copies.

• $500 prize money.

• 5%-10% standard royalties on net receipts. 

• Assistance in planning a reading launch with other writers within the winner's state and elsewhere when possible.

• Inverted Syntax-hosted online reading launch

• Weeklong writing retreat to a historic Victorian home located in Leadville, Colorado, with up to four members of your writing community.

NOTE: Inverted Syntax may also offer a runner-up publication of another manuscript in addition to the winner. This runner-up author will receive everything listed above with the exception of the $500 prize.

• ​All other submission entries are also considered for publication and long-listing. 

  • Any work published beyond the winner and runner-up will receive everything listed above with the exception of the prize money and the writing retreat. 

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• The Tabbikha Prize for Poetry is open to writers of the S.W.A.N.A diaspora, of any citizenship, residing in the United States who have published no more than one book in any genre.​

• Inclusion of other languages/ code-switching/meshing is very much welcome as long as the book is largely written in English.

• Theme: We strive to elevate the diverse narratives within the Southwest Asian and North African (S.W.A.N.A) diaspora, illuminating the myriad experiences, challenges, triumphs, and dreams. We invite all writers who identify with the South West Asian and North African region, residing within the United States, to submit work. We aim to create a space for solidarity, healing, and empowerment, spotlighting the richness and intricacy of voices within contemporary S .W.A.N.A. poetry. While there is no specific theme for this contest, we encourage writers to submit work that reflects on intersectional perspectives that explore the complexities of lived experiences, addressing themes such as diaspora, cultural heritage, tradition, displacement, and belonging--from navigating and negotiating aspects of identities, including ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, and socio-economic background. We encourage genre-breaking writing--hybrid, speculative, and experimental submissions.

• We will accept submissions between June 5 and August 15. The winner will be announced 6 months after the submission window closes. 

• Please send a manuscript that is between 48-100 pages, not including front matter.

• The manuscript should be paginated and include a table of contents. 

• Do not put your name on any page within the manuscript or in the file name.

• Include an acknowledgements page, for example, list any previously published poems.

• We accept simultaneous submissions. Notify us immediately if your work is picked up elsewhere. 

• We accept multiple submissions, but each submission must be accompanied by its own fee.

• We will not accept changes to your manuscript during our review period. 

• Anyone affiliated with the editors or reading staff of Inverted Syntax is not eligible. 

• Any writer residing outside of the USA is not eligible.

• Submission Fee is $20

• If the submission costs are a burden, please include an explanation of your situation and why you want to publish with Inverted Syntax, and we will send you a waiver for a reduced fee of $10.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• Inverted Syntax strongly encourages diverse and inclusive voices, especially those from under-represented and vulnerable communities, to consider submitting work to Inverted Syntax.

• ​Manuscripts are screened carefully by our aesthetically diverse volunteer editorial staff. If you are interested in being a reader for the Prize, contact us here.

• ​Before you submit, check that your work meets our standards. Work is automatically ignored, rejected, declined, dismissed if it contains any manner of abusive behavior and this extends to the creators of said work. To be clear: NO racism, NO misogyny, NO homophobia, NO sexism, NO transphobia, NO body-shaming, NO Islamophobia, NO Anti-semitism, NO xenophobia, absolutely no work that in any way perpetuate stereotypes. 

*INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT: We value and respect all volunteers, readers, subscribers, submitters, and participants, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, and/or disability. Inverted Syntax editors are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment where our community of contributors and supporters feel valued. 

​Inverted Syntax stands in solidarity with the Palestinian plight for liberation. Read our October 2023 letter for more information. 

invertedsyntax.com/poetry-book-contests.html

_____

The Sublingua Prize for Poetry 

Inverted Syntax

DEADLINE: August 15, 2024

INFO: In 2024 the Sublingua prize is dedicated to the discovery of an exceptional debut poetry collection written in English by a female-identifying writer of any citizenship residing in the United States who has not yet published or self-published a full-length manuscript in any genre nor a chapbook exceeding 25 pages. The poetry manuscript can be a hybrid, that is, it can intersect with any genre, including speculative prose and visual elements (note: we do not publish photographs and do not print in color); essentially, we are looking for work that celebrates hybridity and resists genre specificity.

Judged by the editors of Inverted Syntax*, one winner will be selected with the possibility of runners-up.

PRIZE:

• Publication with Inverted Syntax Press (using Bookmobile for printing and Itasca Books for distribution).

• 25 author copies.

• $500 prize money.

• 5%-10% standard royalties on net receipts. 

• Assistance in planning a reading launch with other writers within the winner's state and elsewhere when possible.

• Inverted Syntax-hosted online reading launch

• Weeklong writing retreat to a historic Victorian home located in Leadville, Colorado, with up to four members of your writing community.

NOTE: Inverted Syntax may also offer a runner-up publication of another manuscript in addition to the winner. This runner-up author will receive everything listed above with the exception of the $500 prize.

• ​All other submission entries are also considered for publication and long-listing. 

  • Any work published beyond the winner and runner-up will receive everything listed above with the exception of the prize money and the writing retreat. 

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• The Sublingua Prize for Poetry (1st Book Award) is open to female-identifying emerging writers of any citizenship residing in the United States who have not yet published or self-published a full-length manuscript in any genre, nor a chapbook exceeding 25 pages. ​

• We encourage genre-breaking writing--hybrid, speculative, and experimental submissions.

• Inclusion of other languages/ code-switching/meshing is very much welcome as long as the book is largely written in English.

• We will accept submissions between June 5 and August 15. The winner will be announced 6 months after the submission window closes. 

• Please send a manuscript that is between 48-100 pages, not including front matter.

• The manuscript should be paginated and include a table of contents. 

• Do not put your name on any page within the manuscript or in the file name.

• Include an acknowledgements page, for example, list any previously published poems.

• We accept simultaneous submissions. Notify us immediately if your work is picked up elsewhere. 

• We accept multiple submissions, but each submission must be accompanied by its own fee.

• We will not accept changes to your manuscript during our review period. 

• Anyone affiliated with the editors or reading staff of Inverted Syntax is not eligible. 

• Any writer residing outside of the USA is not eligible.

• Submission Fee is $20

• If the submission costs are a burden, please include an explanation of your situation and why you want to publish with Inverted Syntax, and we will send you a waiver for a reduced fee of $10.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• Inverted Syntax strongly encourages diverse and inclusive voices, especially those from under-represented and vulnerable communities, to consider submitting work to Inverted Syntax.

• ​Manuscripts are screened carefully by our aesthetically diverse volunteer editorial staff. If you are interested in being a reader for the Prize, contact us here.

• ​Before you submit, check that your work meets our standards. Work is automatically ignored, rejected, declined, dismissed if it contains any manner of abusive behavior and this extends to the creators of said work. To be clear: NO racism, NO misogyny, NO homophobia, NO sexism, NO transphobia, NO body-shaming, NO Islamophobia, NO Anti-semitism, NO xenophobia, absolutely no work that in any way perpetuate stereotypes. 

*​​​INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT: We value and respect all volunteers, readers, subscribers, submitters, and participants, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, and/or disability. Inverted Syntax editors are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment where our community of contributors and supporters feel valued. 

​Inverted Syntax stands in solidarity with the Palestinian plight for liberation. Read our October 2023 letter for more information. 

invertedsyntax.com/poetry-book-contests.html

_____

2024 1/2K Prize

Indiana Review

DEADLINE: August 15, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: Send us one to three pieces of 500 words (or fewer!) each, for a chance at $1000 + publication. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are all welcome, as long as each individual piece is 500 words or fewer. Each paid submission also gets you a year-long subscription to Indiana Review. 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. If you need to withdraw one piece from a packet with multiple, please leave a note on your submission.

• Do not include your name on or in your submission file.

• IR cannot consider work from anyone currently or recently affiliated with Indiana University or the prize judge(s). This includes people who have studied or taught at Indiana University in the past four years.

• All entries will be considered for regular publication in Indiana Review.

This year's prize will be judged by K. Iver, author of Short Film Starring My Beloved's Red Bronco.

indianareview.submittable.com/submit

_____

FALL ‘24 GUEST RESIDENCY

Woodward Residency

DEADLINE: August 16, 2024

INFO: Applications are now open for the Fall '24 Guest Residency in Ridgewood, Queens. This year we're offering two longer residencies (instead of our usual 3).

Established/emerging creatives in the fields of literary arts, design, film, and multi-disciplinary arts are all encouraged to apply. We also have two pianos in the space for musicians and composers.

FALL DATES: Sept 16, 2024 — Jan 31, 2025

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.

woodwardresidency.co

_____

Poetry and Prose 2024 Contest

Lucky Jefferson

DEADLINE: August 18, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Writers….stop paying for contests and enter ours instead!

• It’s free free freeeeee to submit
• Submit your favorite unpublished poems or prose
• Potentially get published and/or earn $100 + swag

This year’s judge is the Lisa Low, author of the chapbook Crown for the Girl Inside (YesYes Books, 2023), winner of the 2020 Vinyl 45 Chapbook Contest. Her work has appeared in Copper Nickel, Ecotone, The Massachusetts Review, Poetry, The Southern Review, and elsewhere, and was awarded the 2020 Gulf Coast Nonfiction Prize and a 2023 Pushcart Prize. Originally from Maryland, she lives in Chicago.

luckyjefferson.com/submit/

_____

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Afro-Latin@* Reader: Vol 2

Editors: Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez, Paul Joseph López Oro, and Omaris Z. Zamora 

DEADLINE: August 18, 2024

INFO: In July 2010, the watershed publication of The Afro-Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States edited by the late Miriam Jiménez Román and Juan Flores blazed a trail for the emerging field of Afro-Latinx* Studies. The reader continues to be a foundational and transformative text and in honor of the scholarly activist legacy of Miriam and Juan, we are announcing the development of The Afro-Latin@* Reader: Volume 2. We are using Afro-Latin@* with an asterisk as a way to respect the original title while making space for multiple identity pathways within Black Latinidad and to disrupt the normative gender politics embedded in the Spanish language. The asterisk, a mathematical symbol, represents multiplication, and underscores for the editors, a multiplicity of ways to engage, identify, or disidentify with the markers of Afro-Latinidad.

In this second volume, we envision expanding the discourses and provocations posed by the first volume and seek to cultivate and unearth new terrains of knowledge production by and for Black Latinx peoples in the United States, whose histories, politics, and cultures remain understudied and undertheorized. This volume highlights the directions in which Afro-Latinx Studies as a field has developed and made major contributions to Black and Latinx Studies, among other fields. This volume focuses on contemporary concerns and developments in Afro-Latinx* Studies that center Blackness and Indigeneity, gender, sexuality, queerness, history, community, spirituality, cultural productions, and politics through transdisciplinary dialogues. 

This volume centers the embodied knowledges, cultural productions, and epistemologies rooted in the memories and racialized gendered experiences of Afro-Latinx*s in the US. We seek to engage the politics and genre of testimonios, considering what Nancy Lopez calls “street race,” while expanding Flores’ notion of triple consciousness and Afro-Latinx identity. We open the volume with a meditation on the geographies and cartographies of Afro-Latinidad from slavery and cimarronaje to transnational migration and diasporas. We emphasize hemispheric approaches to Blackness and the role of the U.S. Census in shaping the language of identity formation. In this intellectual and communal gathering of scholars, activists, educators, and artists, the volume crafts directions, pathways, and futurities of Afro-Latinx studies, culture, and life. The collective exercise of this project is rooted in responsive community care, faithful witnessing, and fluidity that continues to center the African Diaspora in the Americas and Black life. 

Volume two will be edited by Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vasquez, Paul Joseph López Oro, and Omaris Z. Zamora, and is envisioned as also having a wide array of voices, a chorus, that represent disciplinary, creative, and activist scholars. Through this choral approach, we have invited a team of collaborating section editors, themselves leaders in the fields of thought and practice, to help curate each section of the volume.  Section editors include: Zaire Dinzey-Flores, Jessica Marie Johnson, Kaysha Corinealdi, Janel Martinez, Mary Peña, Alan Pelaez López, Petra R. Rivera-Rideau, Ashley Coleman Taylor, Guesnerth Josue Perea, and The Afro-Latin@ Forum. 

We invite researchers, educators, artists, activists, writers, and independent scholars, among others, to submit:

1. A 300-500 word abstract of a proposed critical, research, or personal essay (if critical or research please include a short bibliography of 5-10 selected sources)

 OR 

1. A compilation of 1-3 creative works (poetry, short story, visual works; accompanied by a short contextual introduction), for consideration for publication in this volume. 

The proposed work should fall within one of the following featured sections of the book, but may certainly go beyond these bounds: 

1. Early Black Américas: Slavery, Cimarronaje, Collective Beginnings 

2. Hemispheric Blackness: Contemporary Entangled Geographies 

3. Self-Making Politics: Race, Ethnicity, and the U.S. Census

4. Embodied Archives: Storytelling, Memoirs, Testimonios 

5. Poetics & Literary Landscapes

6. Spiritualities, Syncretisms, and Ritual Practice 

7. Arts, Culture, Performance & Curation 

8. Music & Sonic Technologies

9. Feminisms, Gender & Queerness

10. Digital Worlds of Afro-Latinidades

GUIDELINES:

• Please submit your abstract (including short bibliography for essays or contextual introduction for creative work) accompanied by your CV to the link below. 

• Final contributions should be 3-5k words for critical/research essays; 2-3k words for creative works; up to two poems; OR up to 2-3 visual works.  

• Initial decisions will be announced by September 15, 2024. Submission of the first draft of contributions will be November 15, 2024. 

• Questions can be directed to editorial manager Francheska Pierce: AfroLatinxReader[at]gmail.com Please allow up to two working days for response. 

yomairafigueroa.com/afrolatinx-reader-vol-2

_____

Small Press Incubator Program

Center for Book Arts

DEADLINE: August 18, 2024

INFO: We are thrilled to announce the open call for our Small Press Incubator Program, an opportunity for BIPOC writers and poets to explore book-making and publishing. This 8-week program, running from October 21, 2024, to December 12, 2024, offers studio access, a $2,000 stipend, a $1,000 materials budget, and 30 hours of workshops on Design, Riso Printing, and Bookbinding. Participants will also receive personalized mentorship from industry professionals and have the chance to present their publishing projects at a final public program.

Designed specifically for BIPOC writers, artists, and poets, this program fosters a supportive and inclusive environment. We aim to empower participants to turn their publishing ideas into reality, providing the skills, context, and community needed to start a small press.

The application period is open from June 26, 2024, to August 18, 2024, with an information session on August 2, 2024, from 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM ET. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by September 20, 2024. Apply now via centerforbookarts.org!

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

• This program is meant for BIPOC writers/poets interested in learning what it takes to create a long-term small publishing press.

• This program is for those who have a project connected to their community.

• This program is not meant for established publishing presses and is instead geared to those in the beginning stages of their small press activity.

• This program is meant for individuals only. Any collectives/groups would need to have a single representative for the program. 

• This program is meant for anyone who is 18 and older. 

• This program is for those who would be able to attend the Small Press Incubator program full-time in-person for eight weeks at Center for Book Arts. Please see dates below.

TIMELINE:

• Open Call: 06/24/2024 - 08/18/2024

• Information session: August 2nd, 2024, from 12:30PM to 1:00PM ET

• Notified of acceptance: 9/20/2024

• Start date of the Program: 10/21/2024

• Final Presentation: 12/13/2024

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for the Small Press Incubator Program, please submit the following materials:

• A brief statement of interest outlining why you are interested in participating in the program and what you hope to gain from it.

• Do you identify as a (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) BIPOC person? A participant’s self-declared identity at registration will be accepted at face value and there shall be no basis for, or tolerance of, a challenge to a participant’s self-declared identity.

• A brief bio or resume highlighting your background and connection to publishing

• Describe the small press that you would like to create. Please bear in mind the following; the feasibility of the project, the audience for this project, and the impact it would have in your community.

• What do you hope the life-span of this publishing project would be?

• Submit three publication ideas that you would potentially publish with your small press.

• Name three publishers that you admire and explain why.

• Would you be available to participate full-time in this eight-week in-person Small Press Incubator program from 10/21/24 - 12/13/24 at Center for Book Arts in New York?

centerforbookarts.submittable.com/submit/299342/small-press-incubator

_____

call for submissions: British Latinx special issue

Wasafiri

DEADLINE: August 25, 2024 by 11.59pm

INFO: Wasafari is seeking submissions for a British Latinx special issue of Wasafiri, to be guest co-edited by Leonardo Boix and Karina Lickorish Quinn, and published in winter 2025.

We are looking for:

• Unpublished short fiction or life writing (3,000-5,000 words)

• Poetry (up to 2 poems per submission)

We especially welcome submissions from unpublished writers, UK-based BIPOC and LGBTQ+ writers with heritage from Abya Yala, or the region known as Latin America, and writers who identify as Latinx in the UK.

We are especially interested in writing that embraces and incorporates the Indigenous languages of Abya Yala.

Submissions of poems may be written in any of the languages of Latin America/Abya Yala. Poems not written in English or Spanish need to be accompanied by a translation into English.

Send your submissions along with a 100 word bio to britishlatinxsubs@gmail.com

instagram.com/p/C9KJv3JojFe/?igsh=Z2V2anF0bWQ2M3Iw

_____

call for submissions

PREE

DEADLINE: August 31, 2024

INFO: PREE, an online magazine for new contemporary writing from and about the Caribbean, is accepting submissions for its next issue; PREE 13.

There’s no theme for this issue so show the best of the places your writing will take you. Send your best Essays, Memoir, Criticism, Fiction, Poetry, and Art.

Email your submissions to preelieditors@gmail.com

preelit.com/contact/

_____

call for creative nonfiction, poetry + cover art

Yellow Arrow Journal

DEADLINE: August 31, 2024

INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. IX, No. 2 (fall 2024) is open August 1-31, exploring the concept griefulness, an intertwining of grief and gratitude. Guest editor, Tramaine Suubi contemplated about the term and how “it feels deeply resonant for our current times. My life, my very body, feels full of grief. As I tried to find home on 15 wildly different streets, in five cities, across four nations, on three continents, my body certainly kept the score. . . . In my present season of life, I am reclaiming darkness and blackness as spaces of goodness—as spaces of rest, reflection, and revival. . . . Grief and gratitude are often intertwined in my findings.”

This issue’s theme is kitalo

: an empathetic Luganda term of solidarity offered when someone experiences a spectrum of loss

: directly translates to “this/that is tragic” but is far richer than that

Our hope is that this issue gives women-identifying creatives a place where they can meditate on communal grief and communal gratitude. Here are some guiding questions about the theme:

1) In the midst of grief, how have others cared for you, how do you care for others, and how do you care for yourself? What are the most striking or profound examples you have experienced or witnessed?

2) If your grief were to take the form of an animal (remember, humans are animals, too), which animal (fictional, nonfictional, or extinct) would it be and how would this animal behave? Be as specific as possible. Feel free to defy logic and science; grief often can.

3) Have you ever immigrated to or emigrated from a different nation than your current nation of residence? What potential life paths and livelihoods did you leave behind as a result? Which ones do you still yearn for and why, if any?

4) Have you ever experienced a platonic break-up (real or imaginary friend)? If so, how do you specifically navigate or ignore the gaps left by lost friendship?

5) Who (fictional or nonfictional) is no longer present in your life, whom you would like to offer your deepest gratitude to?

Yellow Arrow Journal is looking for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art submissions by writers/artists who identify as women, on the theme of kitalo. 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 2024.

Kitalo’s guest editor, Tramaine Suubi (she/they) is a multilingual writer who was born in Kampala. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Their forthcoming debut is a full-length poetry collection titled phases, which will be published in January 2025. Their forthcoming second book is also a full-length poetry collection titled stages, which will be published in January 2026. Both books will be published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins. Tramaine was one of our 2023 writers in residence and their poem "begin again" was included in Yellow Arrow Journal ELEVATE (IX/01). We appreciate all that she has done for Yellow Arrow and are excited to welcome Tramaine on this new venture.

yellowarrowpublishing.com/news/yaj-ix-02-submissions-open-kitalo

_____

Willapa Bay AiR residency

DEADLINE: August 31, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: Willapa Bay AiR, situated on 20 acres in coastal southwest Washington state, launched its residency program in March 2014. The Residency has been specifically designed, from the site selection to the architecturally specific building concepts, layouts, and materials, to combine the opportunity for solitude with the opportunity for daily community that fosters creative endeavor.

We offer month-long, self-directed residencies to emerging and established artists, filmmakers, writers, playwrights, scholars, singer/songwriters, and musical composers. The Residency provides lodging, meals, and work space, at no cost, to six residents each month from April 1 through October 28 of the year. Applications are evaluated by selection committees comprised of working artists and professionals in the applicants' respective fields of discipline.

SELECTION PROCESS: Applications are evaluated by selection committees comprised of working artists and professionals in the applicants' respective fields of discipline. Invitation to a Willapa Bay AiR residency is based on the merit of past work and the potential for creative evolution through the exploration and experimentation offered in the residency environment.

willapabayair.org/apply

_____

STORYKNIFE WRITERS RETREAT

Storyknife

DEADLINE: August 31, 2024 by midnight

APPLICATION FEE: $40.00 

INFO: Women’s stories are vital and important. Currently, those stories whether expressed in poems, plays, novels, essays, or memoirs are not published, reviewed, or promoted as often as the work of men. Storyknife provides women 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. 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. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.

Four week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 28th. Two week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 14th OR begin on the 15th and end on the 28th. Residencies are available April through October.

Applications for 2025 season is currently open and will close on August 31, 2024 at midnight. Please make sure that you subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must:

• Be woman-identified

• Be 21 years of age or older

• Apply as an individual artist, not a collaborative group or team

• Writers who have been in residency for a minimum of two-weeks at Storyknife must wait five years before they can re-apply for another residency.

• Please note that for the 2025 residency season, the Board of Directors of Storyknife strongly requests that all residents must be vaccinated and appropriately boosted against COVID-19.

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?

WRITING SAMPLE REQUIREMENTS:

• Writing samples should reflect work completed within the last two years. All writing samples must be uploaded through Submittable. Written work samples will be uploaded directly within the application.

• Applicants can submit published or unpublished writing samples.

• All writing 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.

• This is an anonymous jurying process. Any writing samples with identifying material will be disqualified (including in the file name). Do not include your full name, last name, address, or publication credits in your writing sample (including the file name). This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions.

DIVERSITY: Storyknife is committed to diversity and elevating 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.

Please contact executive director, Erin Hollowell, at ehollowell@storyknife.org to ask about accommodation or to speak further about your needs. Storyknife is welcoming to all and will work with you to meet your needs.

TRAVEL FUNDS: In 2025, there will be multiple opportunities for travel cost stipends. Those that want to be considered for travel funds will indicate so on their applications.

storyknife.org/how-to-apply/

_____

POETRY FOUNDATION GRANTS

Poetry Foundation

DEADLINE: September 4, 2024

INFO: Poetry Foundation’s grant application are now open

I - EQUITY IN VERSE - The Equity in Verse grant category was created in direct response to the June 6, 2020 community letter requesting that the Foundation examine its historic cultural debt to poets of color. These grants are intended to provide support for nonprofit poetry and literary organizations, which includes presses and publications, led and staffed by people of color.

The Poetry Foundation acknowledges that the art, ideas, and labor of BIPOC people are integral to its work and poetry as an art form and that those contributions have gone underrecognized. Honoring the legacy of past BIPOC poets and making space for living and future poets are critical to the Foundation’s evolution.

Grants range in size from $10,000-$100,000, and all grants are for a 12-month period. The Poetry Foundation accepts applications for Equity in Verse grants twice a year (the deadlines are March 1 and September 1).

II - POETRY RY PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIS, AND INNOVATION - Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation grants provide support to nonprofit organizations invested in at least one of the following priorities:

• Broadening the audiences for poetry;

• Increasing access to poetry;

• New collaborations and partnerships in poetry;

• Innovations in the field of poetry, including investment in new technologies.

Grants range in size from $10,000-$75,000 and all grants are for a 12-month period. The Poetry Foundation accepts applications for Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation grants twice a year (the deadlines are March 1 and September 1).

poetryfoundation.org/grants

_____

MacDowell Fellowship

MacDowell

DEADLINE: September 10, 2024

INFO: About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded Fellowships each year and the sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence. There are no residency fees, and need-based stipends and travel reimbursement grants are available to open the residency to the broadest possible community of artists. 

MacDowell encourages applications from artists of all backgrounds and all countries in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. Any applicant whose proposed project does not fall clearly within one of these artistic disciplines should contact the admissions department for guidance. We aim to be inclusive, not exclusive in our admissions process.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

_____

Princeton Arts Fellowships

Lewis Center for the Arts

DEADLINE: September 10, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Princeton Arts Fellowships, funded in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, David E. Kelley Society of Fellows in the Arts, and the Maurice R. Greenberg Scholarship Fund, 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.

A $92,000 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.

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 would hope to use the two years of the fellowship to develop your work, how you would contribute to Princeton’s arts community through teaching and/or production, and how you have encouraged diversity and inclusion and furthered accessibility in your artistic practice, teaching, and/or research.

Applicants can only apply for the Princeton Arts Fellowship twice in a lifetime.

arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/princeton-arts-fellowship/

POETRY — JULY 2024

call for submissions: 2024 Fall/Winter Print Issue

Epiphany

DEADLINE: July 8, 2024 at 11pm

INFO: We are pleased to announce Epiphany is open for submissions for our 2024 Fall/Winter print issue in the categories of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, translation, hybrid work, and art. We look forward to reading your best work—work that makes you excited and in turn will make us pause and wonder. Please click the link in our bio for more information and to read a selection of work from previous issues to get a sense of what we've published in the past.

We also offer everyone who submits a free digital subscription to Epiphany. The code for a free digital subscription will be included in our initial response letter.

GUIDELINES:

Prose submissions: submit one piece at a time, double-spaced

Poetry submissions: submit up to five poems

Translated Work: submit one piece at a time, double-spaced for prose; translations require rights permission from the original writer

• We accept simultaneous submissions but please inform us in your cover letter and withdraw promptly through Submittable should your work be accepted elsewhere.

• We only consider previously unpublished work.

• All work will be considered for online publication

• Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.

• Self-contained novel chapters/excerpts are welcome.

• Please include a short bio with your cover letter.

epiphanyzine.com/features/submissions-open-for-fallwinter-2024

_____

Blessing the Boats Selections

BOA Editions, LTD.

DEADLINE: July 14, 2024

INFO: Blessing the Boats Selections spotlights poetry collections by women of color. As the 2021-2023 Blessing the Boats Selections Editor-at-Large, Aracelis Girmay will read submissions and select the final manuscript for publication. Blessing the Boats Selections is named after Lucille Clifton’s National Book Award-winning collection, Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems (BOA, 2000), in honor and celebration of her enduring legacy.

Lucille Clifton's writings of Black life and Black female life have shaped a sense of what is possible for so many. In the poem that begins "won't you celebrate with me," she writes: "born in babylon / both nonwhite and woman / what did i see to be except myself?" Blessing the Boats Selections titles walk behind and grow out of the poetry of those lines. Submissions are thus open to all women poets of color in the U.S., including poets who identify as cis, trans, and non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers on women’s experiences, regardless of citizenship and publication history. Our hope is that the Blessing the Boats Selections will further facilitate encounters between readers and writers of some of the most extraordinary texts of our time.

AWARD:

One poet receives: 

• Book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. in Fall 2026

• $5,000 honorarium

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

We accept submissions via Submittable or by mail.

• There is no submission fee associated with this reading period.

• Submit only one book-length, complete manuscript at a time. If two manuscripts are sent, both will be removed from consideration.

• Manuscript should be a minimum of 65 pages, maximum of 120 pages of poetry.

• Manuscript text should be at least 12 pt. font. Manuscript pages should be one-sided.

• Include a cover letter. Do not include a résumé or vitae.

• Please include your phone number and/or email address on the cover letter.

• Simultaneous submissions are okay. Note simultaneous submissions in your cover letter and notify BOA immediately should your submission be accepted elsewhere.

• Include title, publisher, and publication year of previous full-length poetry collections you have published, if any. Feel free to include an acknowledgments page for any previously published poems in your manuscript. 

• Family members, or any students who have studied poetry or fiction or literature with Aracelis Girmay in the past four years, whether that be through a university, a community setting or a tutorial are prohibited from consideration.

• No AI-assisted submissions.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR PRINT SUBMISSIONS:

• Send the manuscript ATTN: BLESSING THE BOATS SELECTIONS.

• Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient return postage.

• Please note that manuscripts will be recycled, not returned.

• Submissions may be mailed to:

BOA Editions, Ltd.
ATTN: Blessing the Boats Selections
250 North Goodman Street, Suite 306
Rochester, NY 14607

ANSWERS TO FAQs:

• The winner will be announced in Fall 2025.

• The winning manuscript will be published in Fall 2026, in an original paperback edition and an e-book edition of the American Poets Continuum Series, with a standard royalties package.

• The winner will retain full copyright of their work.

• The paper from all manuscripts will be recycled after the winner is announced.

• BOA Editions assumes no responsibility for loss of manuscripts.

• As this is an open reading period rather than a contest, submissions are not read blind.

boaeditions.org/pages/blessing-the-boats-selections

_____

call for submissions: Issue One: Potential Energy

Notch

DEADLINE: July 15, 2024

INFO: At the root of each creative process is the mysterious stillness that precedes the conception of an idea, followed by the thrill of possibility. The moment in which a thousand futures fold into the present, neither true nor false.

While meditating on this shift from absence to presence–potential to kinetic–we discovered an inflection point that each artist has felt. It exists at the neck of an hourglass when ideas transform from the vague realm of the imaginary into something that can be shared in this world. The delightful metamorphosis that is invisible to all but the creator.

For this first issue, we ask our artists to meditate on the top half of the hourglass–the infinitude that potential energy holds before its whittling into reality.

GUIDELINES:

We are looking for new and strange, excellent and mystifying, sharp. Send us work that sparks imaginative discourse, ideas to take our breath away and mull over for days to come. 

• Literary - Previously unpublished fiction exploring the state of motionless vertigo, poetry from the precipice, essays that rescue excellent works from obscurity, comparative criticism stitching together unexpected forms, screenplays that capture the seismic potential between two souls...
  
  Currentness is overrated. A thoughtful connection to the theme is not. 
  
  Pieces up to 1500 words are preferred. Longer work is considered on occasion.
  
  Works in translation are welcome.

• Visual - Film negatives that show what light can invert, drawings with perspective that tumbles the viewer into the frame, sculptures that call upon the sediment from which they came, paintings that defamiliarize their objects, textiles that center the stitch... 
  
  Or something completely different. 
  
  Please send a high resolution image of your art. Artist statement optional.

• Other - Tattoo flash sheets that spark momentum, mathematical equations that illustrate the potential between two planets, set lists that build and build, nail art that activates a multiplicity of identity, a puppet show whose pacing defies the insistent pull of gravity...
  
  Please send a link or a high resolution image or audio file. Artist statement optional.

notch.ink

_____

THE Carolyn Bush Award

Wendy’s Subway

DEADLINE: July 15, 2024

INFO: We’re continuing to welcome submissions of manuscripts-in-progress for the Carolyn Bush Award.

This award honors the life and work of Wendy’s Subway co-founder Carolyn Bush and provides in-depth editorial and professional support to an emerging writer in her name.

The award offers a year of editorial support from Wendy’s Subway’s editorial team, two manuscript consultations with established writers, professional development opportunities, a key-holding membership to our library space, and free enrollment in WS’s workshops. The author will receive an honorarium of $1,250 and 25 author copies.

Titles selected for the Carolyn Bush 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. These have included Rachel James’s 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘳𝘰𝘴 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢, Kamelya Omayma Youssef’s 𝘈 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵, and the forthcoming 𝘈 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘬 by Alisha Mascarenhas, 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦 by Kaur Alia Ahmed, out this fall!

wendyssubway.com/publishing/submit

_____

OPEN READING PERIOD FOR FULL-LENGTH MANUSCRIPTS

Wendy’s Subway

DEADLINE: Extended to July 15, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $20

Wendy’s Subway is pleased to announce our fifth reading period for full-length manuscripts. Titles selected through the Open Reading Period 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.

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

The winning book will be announced in Fall 2024 and published in Fall 2025.

JUDGE: Bhanu Kapil is the author of six books of poetry and hybrid work, including two new editions of Incubation: a space for monsters, published by Prototype (UK) and Kelsey Street Press in 2023. Currently, she is based in Cambridge, England, where she is an Extraordinary Fellow of Churchill College. The winner of the TS Eliot prize, a Windham Campbell prize, and a Cholmondeley Award from the Society of Authors, Kapil has written two new books, as yet in manuscript form: The Secret Garden, a novel of the forest, and Promiscuity, an unpublishable work of creative nonfiction.

ELIGIBILITY: The call is open to writers at any stage of their career. 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. 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 acknowledgements 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 winning author will have time to revise the manuscript once it has been accepted.

We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our publishing initiative and public programs to learn more about the mission and activities of Wendy’s Subway.

wendyssubway.com/publishing/submit

_____

FELLOWSHIP FOR NATIVE AMERICAN WRITERS

Ucross

DEADLINE: July 15, 2024 by 11:59pm MT

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Ucross is dedicated to fostering the creative spirit of working artists by providing uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, and the experience of the majestic High Plains, while serving as a responsible steward of our historic 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming.

In 2020, following the success of its Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists, Ucross launched a similar opportunity for Native American writers at all stages in their professional careers. The Ucross Fellowship for Native American Writers is open to practicing writers who are currently producing work in one or more of the following genres — fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, screenwriting, playwriting, or hybrid forms. 

Two Ucross Fellowships for Native American Writers are awarded each year. Those selected for the fellowship are offered a four-week residency, a stipend of $2,000, and an opportunity to present work publicly. 

Current work is requested. An applicant's work sample and project description are the most significant feature of their application. Unless work is interdisciplinary, i.e. the various genres interconnect, each applicant is encouraged to apply in a primary discipline and submit a work sample and project description that emphasizes this single discipline. Competition for residencies varies annually and with the number of applications. While only one Fellowship winner will be selected, all applicants will have the option of being considered for a general Ucross residency.

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.

ucrossfoundation.submittable.com/submit

_____

Robert and Adele Schiff Award

The Cincinnati Review

DEADLINE: July 15, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

ENTRY FEE: $25

INFO: The Cincinnati Review invites submissions for the annual Robert and Adele Schiff Awards. One poem, one piece of fiction, and one piece of literary nonfiction will be chosen for publication in our prize issue, and winning authors will receive $1,000 each. All entries will be considered for publication in The Cincinnati Review.

RULES: Writers may submit up to 8 pages of poetry (up to 5 poems total within those pages); up to 10,000 words of a single double-spaced piece of fiction; or 5,000 words of a single double-spaced piece of literary nonfiction, per entry. Previously published manuscripts, including works that have appeared online (in any form), will not be considered. There are no restrictions as to form, style, or content; all entries will be considered for publication. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable under the condition that you notify us if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. As the contest is judged anonymously, no contact information may appear anywhere on the manuscript file. Files that do include identifying information will be rejected unread, and entry fees will not be refunded (though you’ll still get your free subscription).

TO ENTER: The entry fee is $25, and includes a one-year subscription to The Cincinnati Review. Multiple submissions are welcome and come with additional yearlong subscriptions, which can be used to extend your original subscription or given as gifts. All entrants with an international address will receive an e-book subscription. (If you live at a US address and would prefer an e-book subscription, please write that in the “comments” field as you submit your entry.)

We will be accepting submissions only via our online submission manager, through which you’ll pay the entry fee. Again, please do not include the writer’s name or any identifying information in the manuscript file. Instead, in the “comments” field at the bottom of the entry page, enter the writer’s name, mailing address, telephone number, email, and the title(s) of the submitted work(s). Also, be sure to use the “genre” tab to indicate whether your submission is poetry, fiction, or literary nonfiction.

SUBMISSION PERIOD

The 2024 contest will run from June 1 to July 15 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Results will be announced on October 1. Winning entries will be published in the Summer 2025 issue, which comes out in May.

CONTACT INFO: If you have any questions about the contest or problems submitting and/or making payment, please email editors[at]cincinnatireview[dot]com or use the contact form on this site, and we’ll get back to you shortly.

CLMP CONTEST CODE OF ETHICS:

In keeping with the CLMP‘s contest code of ethics, we’d like to inform you of the following:

CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes 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.

OUR SELECTION PROCESS:

• We ask all entrants to omit names or other identifying information from their files. If such information is included, that entry will not be read and the entry fee will not be refunded (though that writer will still receive a free subscription).

• Then, we also use a special feature on our submission manager to remove the author and cover-letter sections from view of our screeners and judges.

• In the first round of judging, the screeners for each of the three contest tracks (poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction) pick 15-40 pieces to send on for the next round of judging. With the special feature still blocking author and cover-letter information, Erica Dawson judges the poetry contest, Michael Griffith judges the fiction contest, and Kristen Iversen judges the literary nonfiction contest.

• As with our regular submission policy, current and former students, faculty, and staff of the University of Cincinnati are ineligible to submit unless they are more than two years removed from their affiliation with the university.

cincinnatireview.com/contests/robert-and-adele-schiff-awards/

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ISSUES IX + X

Mulberry Literary

DEADLINE: July 15, 2024 at midnight CT

INFO: Submissions are open for Mulberry Literary’s Issue IX (Fall/Winter 2024) and Issue X (Spring/Summer 2025). Please note that submissions for a particular genre are subject to close early if a large amount of submissions are received.

Mulberry accepts all creative media—from prose, flash, poetry, script, and comics, to film, music, visual art, dance, and everything in-between. Cross-genre, experimental, and hybrid work are always welcome, as well as excerpts of longer pieces.

We accept work from everyone who wishes to submit, but we particularly encourage work from LGBTQIA+, gender expansive creators, and BIPoC voices. If you’re a creative writing undergraduate, graduate student, or member of creative writing faculty at a college/university, we’d love to hear from you. As ever, international submissions and submissions of translated work are welcome.

mulberryliterary.com/submit

_____

Sixteenth Annual Poetry Contest

Narrative Mag

DEADLINE: July 18, 2024 by midnight PST

SUBMISSION FEE: $26 (for each entry)

INFO: NARRATIVE’S sixteenth Annual Poetry Contest is open to all poets. Entries must be unpublished and must not have been previously chosen as winners, finalists, or honorable mentions in other contests. Each entry may contain up to five poems. The poems should all be contained in a single file. You may enter as many times as you wish, but we encourage you to be selective and to send your best work.

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 Poetry, Best New Poets,and many others. View the recent awards won by Narrative authors.

AWARDS:

• First Prize: $1,500

• Second Prize: $750

• Third Prize: $300

• Up to ten finalists will receive $75 each

• All entries will be considered for publication

NOTES ON THE CONTEST: A few years ago, an NEA study found that, after two decades in decline, poetry reading in the United States is on the rise. While the study didn’t say definitively what’s behind this reversal, Narrativeand other great venues that have continued to publish and support poetry and poets have doubtlessly contributed to the heightened interest in the art.

Still, just over one in ten adults in the United States reads poetry, and the economics of poetry are such that poetry is for the most part a subsidized, rather than a profitable, enterprise. Poets and poetry publishers are still engaged in labors of love, aided by patrons who believe in the importance of poetry.

Narrative is a nonprofit organization, and its poetry program, like its other programs, depends largely on the support of many dedicated individuals who contribute resources and time to make the magazine possible. We are committed to paying our authors as well as possible and to creating as much attention as possible for their work. The overall cost of publishing poetry (payments to authors, production costs, awards and prizes, promotion) is far more than what comes in from poetry-related reading and entry fees—the income is nowhere close to the expense. Our reasons for publishing poetry are not about submission fees but about wanting poetry to be an important part of what we do and wanting to give back as much as we can, because literature contributes so much to life.

Narrative has 325,000 readers, and our audience is steadily growing. With a sizable and engaged readership, Narrative places poets and poetry in front of many more readers than most venues can. We’re working hard to get the magazine, and all our authors and artists, into the world via digital and other means—for free—to as many people as possible.

Participating in Narrative, whether by simply reading, by becoming a donor, or by introducing a friend to the magazine, is a vote to encourage and sustain literary work at a vital time.

If you have any questions regarding the contest, please contact us.

narrativemagazine.com/sixteenth-annual-poetry-contest

_____

2024 Community Anthologies

Seventh Wave

DEADLINE: July 18, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $7

INFO: Our 2024 Community Anthologies — curated by our editors-in-chief Xu Li, Isaiah Yonah Back-Gaal, dezireé a. brown, and Para Vadhahong — 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:

• Four 2024 Community Anthologies. There are four Community Anthologies open for submission, each of which is curated and edited by a different editor-in-chief. The Seventh Wave selected our four 2024 Editors-in-Chief through an application process in March 2024, and our four 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. As mentioned at the links above, our four 2024 Community Anthologies are On Endings (curated by Xu Li), On Queer Family (curated by Isaiah Yonah Back-Gaal), On Gaming (curated by dezireé a. brown), and On Prayer (curated by Para Vadhahong). Each Community Anthology has its own call/topic for submission, but there is only 1 submission form for all 4 (as you can only apply to one anthology). 

• 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. TSW will host orientation sessions for all accepted contributors in August, but you will then work on revisions with your EIC from September - November. 

GUIDELINES:

• In terms of genre/form, Xu is specifically looking for poetry (long(er) poems especially encouraged), lyric essays, and creative non-fiction.

• In terms of form/genre, Isaiah is specifically interested in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and multimodal art. This call is also a hybrid call: Isaiah will be inviting 1-3 contributors to submit work, and the remaining 5-7 spots will be filled via an open call on Submittable (each anthology publishes 6-8 people).

• In terms of form, Dez is looking for creative writing — poetry, flash fiction, flash CNF, short screenplays, hybrid, and interactive works — and visual art.

• In terms of form, Vadhahong encourages BIPOC artists to submit, though this call is open to all writers and artists.

seventhwavemag.submittable.com/submit

_____

THE JULY OPEN: call for book-length manuscripts of poetry, prose + literary nonfiction

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: July 31, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $22

INFO: Sarabande is pleased to offer an open reading period for book-length manuscripts of poetry (hybrid and visual poetry, book-length poems, and experimental poetry), short fiction (micro/flash fiction, short stories, novellas, and short novels), and literary nonfiction (essay collections, book-length essays, and hybrid and experimental works).

The July Open is also open to proposals for works of poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction in translation.

ELIGIBILITY: This submission period is open to manuscripts in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. 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 to the right.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTSL

Submissions to The July Open should include:

• A cover letter with a description of the work and a brief author bio

• A complete, full-length manuscript, paginated consecutively with a table of contents and acknowledgements page

• poetry should be single spaced, prose should be double spaced, all manuscripts should be typed in a standard 12 pt font

***

TRANSLATION PROPOSALS:

ELIGIBILITY:

Publication of a translated work is contingent upon the agreement to grant English language rights and other contractual terms. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Sarabande reserves the right to reject any submitted manuscript or to withdraw a publication offer if contractual obligations are not met.

It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a proposal familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our bilingual titles and works in translation to the right.

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 

• A $15 reading fee

sarabandebooks.org/the-july-open

_____

2025 Queer|Art|Mentorship program

Queer Art

DEADLINE: July 31, 2024

INFO: The Queer|Art|Mentorship program nurtures exchange between LGBTQ+ artists at all levels of their careers and works against a natural division between generations and disciplines.

Fellows apply with a specific project they would like to work on during the program and meet with their Mentors monthly to discuss their progress.

Fellows also meet each month as a group to work through important issues shaping their creative and professional development in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.

The program begins in January 2025 and ends in October 2025

“QAM Debuts” are virtual artist talks scheduled throughout the program year in which current Fellows introduce their work to the broader QAM community and receive vital feedback. “The QAM Works-in-Progress (WIP)” series provides additional opportunities for Fellows to advance their Mentorship projects through public in-person presentations.

MENTORS:

Queer|Art is pleased to announce the new Mentors for the 2025 Queer|Art|Mentorship program cycle:

FILM
Andrew Ahn
Tabitha Jackson
Frédéric Tcheng

LITERATURE
Alexander Chee
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Stacy Szymaszek

PERFORMANCE
Raja Feather Kelly
Young Joon Kwak
Erin Markey

VISUAL ART
Liz Collins
Chitra Ganesh
Ken Gonzales-Day

Now in its 14th year, the organization’s celebrated year-long creative and professional development program supports both remote and in-person participation between early-career and established LGBTQ+ artists from across the country. In expanding nationally, Queer|Art|Mentorship bridges professional and social thresholds that often isolate artists by generation, discipline, and region. The program supports a year-long exchange between emerging and established LGBTQ+ artists across four distinct fields—Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art. 

Fellows apply with a specific project they would like to work on during the program and meet each month with their Mentors to discuss their progress in the lead-up to this event. Fellows also meet each month as a group to learn from and provide support for one another throughout the year.

STRUCTURE:

The program is a year in length. Fellows in Film, Performance, Literature, and Visual Art apply with a specific project they would like to work on during the program. Proposing a project is a way for Fellows to introduce themselves to Mentors, and working on that project in dialogue with a Mentor is a way to focus the development of the relationship. Keeping Queer|Art|Mentorship project-based also provides a manner by which to assess, and modify if necessary, the program’s long-term effectiveness in facilitating and supporting the actual creation of new work.

The program is largely driven by the unique character of each Mentor/Fellow pairing, organized through individual monthly meetings. Fellows also meet each month as a group in an environment that provides an opportunity for sharing ideas across disciplines and gathering further support among peers. The entire group of Mentor/Fellow pairs also convenes for two dinners throughout the cycle, hosted by Queer|Art. Throughout the year, Queer|Art staff engage in an ongoing dialogue with the Mentors and Fellows in an effort to ensure that the program best serves its participants. Further opportunities for ongoing career education and development will be sought out as the unique needs of each group of Fellows are assessed.

HISTORY + CONTEXT:

Queer|Art|Mentorship was born of a need to address the lack of support for queer content in a variety of cultural sectors and the scarcity of examples of sustainable careers for LGBTQ+ artists. A sensitivity to the absence of mentors who would have emerged from the generation most strongly affected by AIDS is also a palpable and driving force behind the program. The program launched in 2011.

Queer|Art|Mentorship aims to expand the perceived value of queer work and cultivate a collection of voices that amplify queer artistic experience. The program does not expect any kind of specific content in terms of artists’ work or how queerness manifests within and around it.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Artists must be working at a generative level within at least one of the following fields:

• Film

• Literature

• Performance

• Visual Art

Queer|Art|Mentorship is for artists who are:

• Self-identified as queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and/or intersex

• Based in the United States, including US territories

• Early-career and professionally focused, with a body of work already behind them

• Not currently enrolled in school or university

• And have a specific project they’d like to work on with a Mentor during their Mentorship cycle.

Most importantly, we are looking for artists who have an extraordinary potential for engagement in queer and artistic communities and would gain from, and add to, interaction with others.

Each Mentor chooses the Fellow they will be working with during the program. We encourage Mentors to look for artists who stand to receive maximum benefit from the resources of the program and bring diverse experiences and perspectives to the Queer|Art community.

queer-art.org

_____

HUMAN RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIP

Ragdale / Lake Forest College

DEADLINE: July 31, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $10

INFO: Ragdale is pleased to announce the HUMAN Residency Fellowship, an exciting new partnership with Lake Forest College made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

This multi-year collaboration invites artists from diverse disciplines to explore the intersection of the humanities, artificial intelligence, and social justice. Ragdale encourages applications from individuals whose work addresses questions about the impact of bias on AI outputs, the influence of dominant historical narratives on current AI technologies, and the ethical considerations for integrating AI into daily life.

ELIGIBILITY: Emerging, midcareer, and established writers, dancers, musicians, composers, and visual artists are encouraged to apply.

AWARD: Ragdale will award the HUMAN Residency Fellowship to 6 artists.  This award includes an initial 6-day Group Residency in spring 2025 (dates TBD) with fellow HUMAN Residency Fellowship recipients and comes with a $1,000 stipend to offset travel and expenses. This AI-themed residency session will be followed by a full, individual, 18-day, fee-waived residency to be scheduled in the subsequent two years (2026 or 2027).

Full residencies are comprised of cohorts of up to 14 multidisciplinary artists working on their own projects. Awardees will receive a second stipend of $3,000 during the 18-day residency. All applicants who apply for the HUMAN Residency Fellowship will be asked to participate in a program, such as a panel talk, visiting artist lecture, workshop, or other related event as part of a culminating AI symposium in 2027. Program details will be determined after the cohort is selected.

The HUMAN residency at Ragdale is part of the Lake Forest College’s $1.2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation for HUMAN: Humanities Understanding of the Machine-Assisted Nexus, led by Professor of English and Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities, Davis Schneiderman.

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:

1. A one-page artist statement and proposal. Proposals should describe how a residency would support the applicant’s work in exploring the intersection of the humanities and artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, with an emphasis on questions of equity and social justice.    

2. A one or two-page CV or resume that summarizes your professional background. 

3. Work samples that show work from the past 2-3 years. All media is acceptable. Most electronic file types and sizes are accepted. 

PLEASE NOTE: Letters of recommendation are not required nor accepted.

ragdale.submittable.com/submit/293033/2025-human-residency

_____

YADDO RESIDENCY:

Yaddo

DEADLINE: August 1, 2024

INFO: Yaddo offers residencies to professional creative artists from all nations and backgrounds working in one or more of the following disciplines: choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Artists apply individually. Peer review is the keystone of our selection process, with different panelists each season. Residencies last from two weeks to two months and include room, board and a studio. There is no fee to come to Yaddo, and we have modest access grants to help offset the costs of attending a residency.

All artists whose work falls within the five disciplines we serve are encouraged to apply. Generally, those who qualify for Yaddo residencies are either working at the professional level in their fields or are emerging artists whose work shows great professional promise. An abiding principle at Yaddo is that applications for residency are judged solely on the quality of the work. Yaddo places no publication, exhibition or performance requirements on artists in residence.

Not only is Yaddo an equal opportunity employer—we will not discriminate against any individual, employee, or application for residency based on race, color, marital status, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, national origin, disability, or any other legally protected status recognized by federal, state, or local law—we strongly encourage applicants from backgrounds underrepresented in arts and culture to apply.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES + INSTRUCTIONS:

Application Deadlines: The January 10 deadline is for residencies starting May of the same year, through March of the following year. Applicants receive results by email in mid-March.

The August 1 deadline is for residencies starting November of the same year through June of the following year. Applicants receive results by email in early October.

Late applications are not accepted. All applications must be submitted electronically through the SlideRoom portal, yaddo.slideroom.com. The application portal opens in June for the August 1 deadline and early November for the January 10 deadline.

ELIGIBILITY:

Artists who are enrolled in graduate or undergraduate programs, or who are engaged in completing work toward an academic degree at the time of application, are not eligible.

Artists may apply once every other calendar year. For example, if you applied to a 2022 deadline, you will be eligible to apply again to a 2024 deadline.

Yaddo supports individual artists engaged in the genesis of new, original work. Auxiliary artists such as sound and lighting technicians, musicians, dancers and designers are ineligible to apply.

REAPPLICATION:

The criterion for repeat visits is the same as for first visits – the quality of the artist’s work. All artists must submit a complete application, including recent work samples.

FEES:

The nonrefundable application fee is $30. Depending on the discipline, an added fee of $5 to $10 for media uploads may apply. Application fees must be paid by credit card. If the fees represent a barrier to application, please contact our Program Department. Artists are responsible for their travel to and from Yaddo. We have modest access grants available to offset the costs of accepting an invitation. Applications for Access Grants are sent with your invitation.

LENGTH OF STAY:

Residencies vary in length, from two weeks to two months.

DISCIPLINES:

Applications are considered by independent Admissions Committees. Membership changes with each application round, and is composed of artists whose work is recognized and esteemed by their peers.

Panels consider applications to Yaddo in the following disciplines:

1. Literature: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, librettos, and graphic novels.

2. Visual Art: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, mixed media, and installation art.

3. Music Composition: instrumental forms, vocal forms, electronic music, music for film, and sound art.

4. Performance: choreography, performance art, and multimedia works incorporating live performance.

5. Film & Video: narrative, documentary and experimental films, animation, and screenplays.

Apply to the Admissions Panel that best represents the project you’d like to work on at Yaddo. Apply to only one admissions panel, and in one genre, at a time. Contact the Program Director with any questions.

COLLABORATIONS:

Yaddo is no longer accepting applications under Collaborative Teams. Our Admissions department is exploring workshop formats that invite collaborators to Yaddo. Details are forthcoming.

Artists who wish to be in residence at the same time should apply to the Admissions Panel in their individual artistic discipline. Concurrent dates of residence may be requested.

REFERENCES:

At this time, references are not required as part of our application process.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All application materials, including contact information and work samples must be submitted through yaddo.slideroom.com. Complete instructions by discipline, including details about the process and requirements, are offered in the SlideRoom portal. Specific work sample requirements are available here.

Submit a work sample(s) that reflects the project you wish to pursue during your residency, and that represents recent, finished work. The weight of your application is on your work sample; please choose your strongest work. Samples may be visual images, video clips, manuscript pages, or audio files, depending on the requirements for your discipline.

Address admissions questions to admissions@yaddo.org. Include your name and discipline in all correspondence. For technical assistance during the application process, contact support@slideroom.com.

Please note: Follow the instructions in Slideroom for your specific discipline, outlined below.

INSTRUCTIONS BY DISCIPLINE:

The initial stages of our application review are anonymous. Therefore, we ask that you omit your name from all work sample uploads in the file title and anywhere embedded in the file. Identities are revealed in the later stages of review. More detailed instructions on upload requirements are available in SlideRoom when the portal is open (early November – early January and again early June – early August).

• Literature - Submit both a two-page preview sample and a full-length writing sample in double-spaced, manuscript format. For the longer excerpt, page length is determined by literature genre, including fiction & nonfiction (20 pages, about 5,000 words), drama & libretto (30 pages), poetry (10 pages), and graphic novel (10 pages). Work sample requirements are available here.

• Visual Art - Submit seven digital images of visual artwork. Note: The Admissions Committee views images on personal computer screens and a large screen via projection. Optional: Documentary or elemental video of an installation. Work sample requirements are available here.

• Music Composition - Submit two separate musical works, with recordings of one or both works. Both must include either a score or a brief statement. Work sample requirements are available here.

• Performance - Submit both a preview work sample and a full-length work sample. For the preview, submit a two-minute continuous excerpt of one of your performance works. For the longer excerpt, include video documentation of up to three excerpts, totaling no more than 10 minutes in length. Include title, year, performers, any major collaborators, performance space/ location, and a brief description. Work sample requirements are available here.

• Film & Video - Submit both a preview work sample and a full-length sample of the same work. For the preview, offer a two-minute continuous excerpt of your work. The longer sample includes a video or film segment, no more than 10 minutes total. Optional: Brief description of the samples. Work sample requirements are available here.

• Screenwriters - Submit two writing samples of your screenplay. One longer sample of no more than 10,000 words or 30 pages and a second two-page excerpt of the same work. Optional: May include a brief synopsis if necessary. Work sample requirements are available here.

yaddo.org/apply/#instructions-by-discipline

_____

"My Time" fellowship

Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow

DEADLINE: August 5, 2024 by midnight CST

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is pleased to announce the 2024 "My Time" fellowship funded by James Dean. Writers who are parents of dependent children under the age of 18 are invited to apply. Work may be any literary genre: poetry, fiction, plays, memoirs, screenplays, or nonfiction. The successful application will demonstrate literary merit and the likelihood of publication. Prior publication is not a requirement.

PRIZE: Four fellowship winners will receive a one-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. A $500 stipend will be provided to cover childcare and/or travel costs to each recipient.

Each writer’s suite has a bedroom, private bathroom, separate writing space, and wireless internet. We provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner prepared five nights a week, and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for other meals.

Fellowship applications must be accompanied by a writing sample and a non-refundable $35 application fee. There is a limit of one submission per application. The winner will be announced no later than September 9, 2024.

Residencies may be completed anytime before December 2025.

writerscolony.org/fellowships

POETRY — JUNE 2024

2024 GAUDY BOY POETRY BOOK PRIZE

Singapore Unbound / Gaudy Boy

DEADLINE: Extended to June 3, 2024

ENTRY FEE: USD $10

INFO: The Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize is awarded annually to an unpublished manuscript of original Anglophone poetry by an author of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. The winner receives book publication and USD1,500.00.

Past winners were The Experiment of The Tropics by Lawrence Lacambra Ypil and Autobiography of Horse by Jenifer Sang Eun Park, selected by Wong May; Play for Time by Paula Mendoza, selected by Vijay Seshadri; Object Permanence by Nica Bengzon, selected by Cyril Wong; Time Regime by Jhani Randhawa, selected by Dorothy Wang; Waking Up to the Pattern Left by a Snail Overnight by Jim Pascual Agustin, selected by Yeow Kai Chai; and Interrogation Records, by Jeddie Sophronius, selected by Divya Victor.

This year we’re honored to have Hamid Roslan to be our judge. Hamid Roslan is the co-editor of The Second Link: An Anthology of Malaysian and Singaporean Writing (Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2023), and author of in all the places I could not find you (self-published, 2022) and parsetreeforestfire (Ethos Books, 2019), a finalist for the Singapore Literature Prize 2020. His poetry has appeared in New Singapore Poetries (Gaudy Boy Press, 2022), the Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s Transpacific Literary Project, minarets, The Volta, Of Zoos, and the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, among others. He has also contributed essays to Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays in Translation (Tilted Axis Press, 2022) and Practice, Research & Tangential Activities (PR&TA). He graduated with an MFA in Writing from Pratt

Five finalists will be announced in August 2024, and they will be invited to read their work at a finalists’ reading in September 2024, at which the prizewinner will be announced. The winning manuscript will be published in Spring 2025 by Gaudy Boy, an imprint of the NYC-based literary nonprofit Singapore Unbound.

Established in 2017, Gaudy Boy publishes poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction of extraordinary merit by Asian voices. Our name is taken from the poem “Gaudy Turnout” by Singaporean poet Arthur Yap about his time abroad in 1970s Leeds, UK. From the Latin “gaudium,” meaning joy, Gaudy Boy seeks to delight our readers with the various powers of art.

GUIDELINES:

1. The contest is open to emerging and established poets.

2. No proof of Asian heritage is required. As writers ourselves, we go by honor between writers.

3. Submit a 70–120-page unpublished manuscript of original poetry in English. Please number the pages of your manuscript. Include a title page, table of contents, and an acknowledgments page for any previously published poems.

4. Email Jee Leong Koh at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org with a brief cover letter in the body of your email and the poetry manuscript attached in PDF or MSWord format.

5. Your name, mailing address, and email address should not appear anywhere in the manuscript. Instead, they should be given in your cover letter in the body of your email.

6. Submit your entry fee USD10.00 at PayPal to Jee Leong Koh (jkoh@singaporeunbound.org). We cannot consider your manuscript until we receive your entry fee. Your entry fee helps us defray some, but not all, of the editorial costs. We have set the entry fee low so that it will not be too much of a barrier for most people. If the fee is a barrier, please write to Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org for a waiver. Entry fees are nonrefundable.

7. You may submit more than one manuscript, but a separate entry fee must accompany each manuscript.

8. You may submit the manuscript elsewhere simultaneously, but you must notify Gaudy Boy immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/2024-gaudy-boy-poetry-book-prize 

_____

Guest Editor’s Call For Submissions

Poet Lore

DEADLINE: June 5, 2024

INFO: For our Summer/Fall 2024 issue, Guest Editor jason b. crawford will curate a folio of ekphrastic poems.

With ekphrastic poems, we encourage you to go beyond simple description within your work. Your approach to ekphrasis can work in many different ways to illuminate aspects of the artwork itself, respond to the artist, and create new meaning.

We are particularly interested in poems responding to works in movement, including media, movies, music videos, etc. but also encourage poems grounded in “traditional” forms of ekphrasis such as visual art, photography, and sculpture.

Please be sure to note, either in an epigraph or footnote, the work you are responding to in each poem.

COMPENSATION: Poet Lore pays contributors $50 per published poem. Contributors also receive one copy of their issue, plus a copy of the following printed issue of Poet Lore.

GUIDELINES:

You may submit up to 3 poems (maximum of 8 pages). If you currently have an open submission in our general submission queue, you are welcome to submit a separate submission to this themed call.

Submissions should be typed in a serif font (Times New Roman, Garamond, etc.), 12pt font, and include a cover page with the poet’s name, contact information, and title of the poem.

• Include all poems in 1 single document and please only submit once per submission call.

• Include the titles of all poems in your cover letter (bullet points or numbers are easiest).

• If a poem is more than one page, please indicate if the second page begins with a new stanza (occasionally, Submittable shifts page formatting so this helps us ensure we are seeing the poem as you intend).

• We accept simultaneous submissions, however, let us know in your cover letter if poems are simultaneously submitted, and please inform us immediately if a poem is accepted elsewhere.

• We do not accept work that has been previously published. This includes on personal blogs and social media.

• Upon acceptance, we ask for first serial rights, with rights reverting back to the author upon publication.

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity and highly encourage submissions from marginalized voices. We do not tolerate racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, or any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and viewpoints.

ABOUT THE GUEST EDITOR:

jason b. crawford (They/He/She) is a writer born in Washington DC, raised in Lansing, MI. Their debut Full-Length Year of the Unicorn Kidz is out from Sundress Publications. crawford holds a Bachelor of Science in Creative Writing from Eastern Michigan University. Their work can be found or is forthcoming in Metro Weekly, AGNI Magazine, Foglifter Magazine, Four Way Review, Cincinnati Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, among others. They hold an MFA in poetry from The New School. Their second collection YEET! was the winner of the 2023 Omnidawn 1st/2nd Book Prize and will be published in Fall 2025.

poetlore.com/guest-editors-call-for-submissions/

_____

Artist in Residence Program

Headlands Center for the Arts

DEADLINE: June 10, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $35

INFO: The Artist in Residence (AIR) program awards fully sponsored residencies to approximately 50 local, national, and international artists each year. Residencies of four to ten weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, housing, travel and living expenses. AIRs become part of a dynamic community of artists participating in Headlands’ other programs, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artist community on campus. Artists selected for this program are at all career stages and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, arts professions, and architecture.

All Artist in Residence applicants are also considered for the following awards:

• McLaughlin Foundation Award

• McLaughlin Children’s Trust Award

• Henderson Award

• Project Space

PROGRAM GOALS:

• To invest in individuals at the cutting edge of artistic fields and whose work has potential to have significant cultural and social impact.

• To support artists to explore and experiment in order to take their work to the next level.

• To build a nurturing and dynamic community of local, national, and international artists and thinkers.

• To encourage artists to develop ideas and work within the context of the Marin Headlands, a part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

• To bring national and international artists to the Bay Area to engage and have cross-cultural exchange with local artists and audiences.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

• Fully sponsored 4- to 10-week residencies

• Paid roundtrip airfare, and up to $1,000 a month of either a stipend or reimbursed expenses

• 100- to 2000-sq.-foot studios

• Private bedroom in shared house

• A maximum two week stay for families in the Family House (by request only and subject to availability)

• Five chef-prepared meals per week

• Access to vehicles on-site

• Facilities access: Basic woodshop; audio/video equipment; artists’ library with computer, scanner, and printer • Wi-Fi in designated spaces

• Up to 15 Artists in Residence living on-site

• Participation in monthly “Show & Tell” nights

• Participation in seasonal Open House

• Access to Headlands Public Events

• Field trips to Bay Area museums, galleries, and cultural venues

• Become part of Headlands Alumni Network

ELIGIBILITY:

• Artists not currently enrolled in an academic program at the time requested residency would take place. Eligibility of artists enrolled in PhD programs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Former Headlands’ Artists in Residence (AIR), and any recipients of Alumni New Works, Chamberlain, Chiaro, or Tournesol Awards may not apply within five years of previous Residency.

• All other Alumni of Headlands’ Programs are eligible to apply for the AIR Program at any point.

• Must be able to speak basic English.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

• Merit of past work.

• Readiness to engage with and benefit from the residency experience at Headlands (see program goals). • Potential to develop creative practice and impact the community at Headlands and beyond.

SELECTION PROCESS:

• Headlands’ staff reviews applications to ensure completion and eligibility

• Submissions are reviewed by a jury of knowledgeable and esteemed artists and arts professionals

• The jury evaluates each artist’s materials and selects finalists

• Finalists are invited to talk about their work and ideas a 20-minute Zoom interview to determine the final award selection

WHAT YOU NEED TO APPLY:

A full application includes the following:
Please note that all applications and work samples must be submitted in or translated to English.

• Resume or curriculum vitae

• Letter of interest, outlining your specific interest in working at Headlands and how program participation will affect your practice

• The names and email addresses of three personal or professional references; please note, we do not want letters of reference.

• Documentation of recent work (see specifications below for guidelines according to discipline) • Please note: we’ll start accepting applications for 2025 residencies on April 1, 2024.

• Documentation of recent work (see specifications below for guidelines according to discipline)

  **Artist collaboratives should apply together by submitting ONE application per group, specifying the number of individuals on the application form. For live-in Artists in Residence, Headlands can accommodate no more than three total artists in a collaborative group.

DOCUMENTATION:

Please select from the following list materials appropriate to your practice. The category headings are guidelines; please submit whatever type of materials best represent your work.

• Visual (painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, installation, conceptual)

  • Applicants may submit up to 12 work samples, which can be a combination of images, video, or audio files (maximum of 30 minutes of video and audio).

  • Submission of an image list with title, date, size, media, and, where applicable, conceptual intent, is optional.

• Writing (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, graphic narrative)

  • Submission of an image list with title, date, size, media, and, where applicable, conceptual intent, is optional.

  • Submit up to 20 pages of poetry, 30 pages of prose or one to two full-length plays/scripts.

• Performance / Dance **

  • Submit 30 minutes of video, along with any other material that adequately describes your work.

  • Please note: the first 10 minutes will be used for primary review unless the artist directs otherwise.

• Film / Video / New Media**

  • Submit up to 30 minutes of video.

  • Please note: the first 10 minutes will be used for primary review unless the artist directs otherwise.

• Music / Sound**

  • Submit up to 30 minutes of audio and/or video.

  • Please note: the first 10 minutes will be used for primary review unless the artist directs otherwise.

• Arts Professionals (art writers, administrators, and curators)

  • Submit sufficient material to evidence the breadth of your work and interests, including reviews, essays, and catalogs.

• Architecture / Environment

  • Review documentation requirements for Visual Artists.

• Interdisciplinary Arts**

  • Review other categories to determine what materials you should submit.

headlands.org/event/artist-in-residence/

_____

2024 DVAN-MILLAY NEW AUTHOR RESIDENCY

Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network

DEADLINE: June 15, 2024 at 11:59pm PDT

INFO: The DVAN-Millay New Author Residency is a special partnership with Millay Arts to celebrate and lift up one author who recently published their first book. For this residency, a new author will be selected through a juried process by 2023 DVAN-Millay New Author Fellow and author of The Cocounut Children, Vivian Pham, for a residency from October 2 – 29, 2024.

The residency includes a private bedroom and studio, shared living spaces, a laundry room, a workstation, and the use of the Alumni and Nancy Graves Memorial Libraries. Bedding and linens are provided. Groceries are included along with communal dinners prepared by the in-house chef. Located in the Hudson Valley, nestled against the Berkshire foothills of Austerlitz, New York, Millay Arts’ seven acres border the beautiful Harvey Mountain State Forest and the home and gardens of the famed early 20th-century poet, activist, and Pulitzer Prize winner Edna St. Vincent Millay.

ELIGIBILITY:

Self-identify as diasporic Vietnamese or Southeast Asian.

• Have published one book in the last five (5) years, excluding self-published or vanity presses

• International applicants are encouraged to apply, but submissions must be in English. 

  • Please be advised that DVAN cannot assist in paying for international travel.

• Only one submission per person is allowed.

• All attendees must have Proof of Vaccination and a minimum of one booster.

• Applicants must be available for the full duration of the residency.

• Applicants must use a Google or Gmail account to access the application.

• The contest runs from May 15 to June 15. The application deadline is June 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time.

EXPECTATIONS:

We kindly request that the winning resident agree to 1) serve on the jury the following year for a month-long reading submission period in late spring or early summer to select the next nominee, and 2) highlight this opportunity and the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network in their social media and future publishing acknowledgments.

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS:

We accept submissions of unpublished creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry.

• Submissions must be:

  • 10 – 20 pages of unpublished stories, excerpts, essays, or poems.

  • Use standard formatting: Times New Roman font, 12-point size, regular 1-inch margins, and page numbers. Double-spaced, please!

  • Include a title at the top of the submission.

  • Word documents only.

  • All submissions exceeding twenty (20) pages will be disqualified.

• Submissions must also include: 

  • a one-page cover letter (300 words or less) describing your next project or where you are in your writing process.

  • a CV outlining your publications, readings, work, accolades, etc., of three (3) pages or less.

• Please do not… 

  • include your name anywhere on the manuscript. Submissions are reviewed anonymously. 

  • include a cover page. 

  • submit newspaper journalism, co-authored work, screenplays, or self-help literature.

• The application deadline is June 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time. Submissions received after the deadline will not be read. 

• There is a $35 application fee. This helps offset DVAN’s operational costs.

• DVAN reserves the right to reject entries that do not follow these rules.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING:

Using a Google Form for the DVAN-Millay New Author Residency, submit a 10-20 page Writing Sample of your unpublished work following the Manuscript Guidelines and Rules above.

PLEASE NOTE: Since we use Google Forms for the application, you will be asked to sign in with a Google or Gmail account.

dvan.org/2024-dvan-millay-new-author-residency/

_____

Winter Retreat Writing Fellowship

The Watering Hole

DEADLINE: June 15, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $25

INFO: The retreat features living room style daily classes/workshops, daily craft talks, two readings, one performance workshop, a keynote speech, group writing challenges, and a genuine community. Our mission is to build Tribe through genuine relationships and help poets reach their best work. (This is not the application for the Manuscript Coaching Fellowship.)

LOCATION: Santee State Park, Santee, S.C.

WRITING FACILITATORS: TBD

Follow @twhpoetry on Instagram for announcements

WHAT’S THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

1. A Cover Letter (with aesthetics statement)  

2. A writing sample of 3 poems 

ELIGIBILITY: You must be 21 years of age by December 25th.

APPLICATION HELP:

The poems may be written or audio. We accept a variety of file types. The poems must have been written within the last two years). Do not include your name on these materials. Judging will be blind.

 The cover letter must be written (not audio). If you need help with the basic cover letter format, check out our blog post of Cover Letter Advice.

 The type of aesthetics statement that we ask for is a paragraph or two that details...

1. who influences your writing,

2. what challenges have you faced on your creative journey,

3. what you seek to accomplish in your poems,

4. and what The Watering Hole means to you as a writer of color.

This will contextualize the poems in your submission and help us get to know you as an artist. You may also optionally include how your writing or aesthetic informs what you do, where you work, or any work you do in the arts community or vice versa.

 Make certain your submission is your final version. Corrections and new versions will not be accepted.

EXPLAINING WHY:

***We ask for a sample of your recent poetry, because we don't want to see "hits from the '80s." We want to get to know you through your current artistic voice.
  ***We ask for an aesthetics statement, because once you have one written, you can use it to apply for lots of other writing opportunities across the industry. Not just for TWH. It just a great tool to have in your toolbox.

REVIEW PROCESS:

New applications are reviewed and accepted by The Watering Hole graduate fellows. They have a vested interest in continuing to build TWH Tribe with a wide variety of talents, backgrounds, and aesthetics.

 While under review, preference is given to...

• those who follow our social media pages on  Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

• and members of The Watering Hole Facebook Group 

WHAT IF MY APPLICATION IS ACCEPTED?

• Acceptance letters will be e-mailed by July 15. 

• Deposits of 50% must be made by September 1 and the registration fee must be paid in full by November 15.

• The first 10 fellows to pay for the retreat in full will receive a one-on-one meeting with the facilitator of their choice.

• December 26-30: Fellows meet for the Retreat.

 You can find some basic information at twhpoetry.org, but we are in the process of updating our website. When the time comes, The Watering Hole will send out information about online payment options and the welcome packet upon acceptance.

ADDITIONAL INFO:  

• What do the cabins look like?

• The Watering Hole sponsors between 50% and 75% (depending on the year) of every fellow's fees. Your portion of this year's registration price comes to approximately $699.

• Because of the location change this year, there is no option to upgrade to a private cabin, there will be limited private room options, and there will be no onsite restaurant. However, you will still have access to your own kitchen and nearby fast food and grocery options.

twhpoetry.submittable.com/submit

_____

FALL 2024 & WINTER 2025 RESidency

Vermont Studio Center

DEADLINE: June 15, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Applications are now being accepted for fall 2024 through April 2025 residency at Vermont Studio Center. 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

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

A Velvet Giant

DEADLINE: June 15, 2024 by 11:59pm EST.

INFO: A Velvet Giant is an online, genreless literary journal. We love ambiguity: flash pieces, found pieces, cross-genre experiments, the "poem" that thinks it might be a story, the "story" that thinks it might be a poem. Retellings and reimaginings. Work that chips away at institutional structures. Work that breaks everything down so that it can build.

A Velvet Giant is a collective space for work that exists outside the boundaries of genre. We recognize that it can feel impossible to talk about writing without categorizing it. When we say genreless, we don’t mean apolitical. Writing that resists binary categories such as fiction/nonfiction or poetry/prose is inherently queer and inherently political. We want writing that exists in the world, that resists tradition and expectations to build towards new ways of creating, feeling, and being.

Please read our previous issues to learn more about what we are interested in reading and publishing.

GUIDELINES: Please send your submission as an attachment consisting of no more than 3 pieces, 10 pages total maximum (writing double-spaced), attached to one email as a single file. We are open to work that takes the shape of basically any format: words, recordings, visual art, hybrid forms, etc. We are open to translated original work (unpublished). If you submit a “found” or “after” piece of writing, please credit the text you are sourcing from and include the source text with your submission for reference.

We do not categorize work by genre, so please do not tell us what genre you're sending us (if you know). If you include a cover letter (welcome, but not required), you might say something along the lines of  “included are three pieces of writing” rather than “three poems.” We strongly encourage you to read our journal prior to submitting.

All submissions should be sent to the editors at avelvetgiant@gmail.com with the subject line “SUBMISSION” along with the number of pieces you are  (e.g. “SUBMISSION — 3 PIECES”).

In the body of your email, please include a short, third-person bio, to be featured alongside any piece or pieces accepted for publication. You may include links to social media profiles and/or a description or explanation of your work, although this is not required.

Please only send previously unpublished work. However, we are open to reprints if the work you are submitting was previously published in a defunct journal.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Let us know if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere before we're able to get back to you.

We ask that past contributors wait at least 6 months following their publication to submit future work for consideration. Please wait 1 month to resubmit if you have received a rejection.

COMPENSATION: We pay our contributors $20 per author upon publication.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? Please read our about page and archive of previous issues to learn & become familiar with what kind of work we are interested in reading and publishing.

We are especially interested in work by genderqueer & LGBTQ+ people, women, people of color, global writers, people living with disability and/or chronic pain/illness, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Please do NOT send us work that is misogynistic, racist, homophobic, transphobic, antisemitic, or otherwise oppressive or exploitative in nature. If you’re not sure, don’t send it.

AFTER YOU SUBMIT: You can expect to hear back no more than six months from when you submitted.

We ask for first serial rights, and we ask that any future publications of accepted work will acknowledge A Velvet Giant.

avelvetgiant.com/submit

_____

Narrative Prize

Narrative

DEADLINE: June 15, 2024

INFO: The $5,000 NARRATIVE PRIZE is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative.

The prize is announced in October and is given to the best work published each year in Narrative by a new or emerging writer, as judged by the magazine’s editors. In some years, the prize may be divided between winners, when more than one work merits the award. Entries selected for publication are eligible for the Narrative Prize, which is not a contest but an award.

WORD COUNT GUIDELINES:

• SHORT SHORT STORY manuscripts must be at least 500 and no more than 2,000 words in length.


• MANUSCRIPTS OF 2,000 to 15,000 WORDS can include short stories, essays, one-act plays, and other complete short works of nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of fiction and nonfiction.


• NOVELLAS and other long works that are less than book length may run between 15,000 and 40,000 words. For works of this length, please submit the first 15,000 words with a synposis. (Based on our reading of the first 15,000 words, we will ask to see the complete manuscript if we think the work is suitable for Narrative.)


• SERIALIZATION OF BOOK-LENGTH WORKS. For consideration for serialization, please send the first chapter and a one-page synopsis of the book. (Based on our reading of the first chapter and synopsis, we will ask to see the complete book manuscript if we think the book is suitable for serialization in Narrative. For further information on our program of serializations, please click here.)


• POETRY submissions may contain up to five poems. The poems should be contained in a single file. Your submission should give a strong sense of your style and range. We accept submissions of all poetic forms and genres but do not accept translations.


• ONE-ACT PLAYS: We are particularly interested in finding dramas whose impact can be experienced as much on the page as in production. We are open to plays that have been previously published but are out of print, to plays that have been produced, and to ones that have never been produced or published. Length can run up to 15,000 words.

• NARRATIVE OUTLOUD AUDIO PROSE submissions may be fiction or nonfiction but should take a storytelling form. Audio prose submissions must be in MP3 format and may be up to ten minutes long. Files must be no bigger than 50mb.

• NARRATIVE OUTLOUD AUDIO POETRY submissions must be in MP3 format and may be up to ten minutes long.
 Files must be no bigger than 50mb.

• NARRATIVE OUTLOUD VIDEO submissions may be short films and documentaries of up to 15 minutes. Submissions must be in .mp4 or .mov format. Files must be no bigger than 50mb.

• READERS’ NARRATIVES may run up to 1,500 words.

narrativemagazine.com/great-stories/narrative-prize

_____

call for submissions: Spring/Summer Issue

Same Face Collective

DEADLINE: June 15, 2024

INFO: All are welcome to submit, but we especially seek experimental forms and work from marginalized voices. 

HOW TO SUBMIT: Name ALL FILES: Title of Piece, Name as you would like it published. Please send work as a doc or docx attachment; do not paste it to the body of the email.

We accept:

• Fiction

• Poetry

• Creative Nonfiction

• Craft Essays

• Literary Criticism

• Experimental/Hybrid Prose

• Flash Fiction

Note: We rarely accept genre fiction, but will still consider!

All visual work must be accompanied by a brief description of at least 50 words.

• Photography

• Visual Art

• Film and Animation - Under 5 minutes

• Performance - Music, Dance, Theatre under 5 minutes

Please only submit ONE story or essay per reading period.

You may submit up to THREE poems per reading period. If you submit multiple poems at once that are NOT a cohesive collection, attach them as separate files.

Maximum word count for fiction and nonfiction is 8000 words. 

Send your work to samefacescollective@gmail.com

GUIDELINES:

1. Make the subject line: (Genre) Submission - Your Name (ie. Poetry Submission - Alice Brown), If you would like to remain anonymous, just let us know.

2. Cover letter not necessary, but welcome. Include a short, third-person bio (under 300 words). If you have Instagram, include your handle so we can tag you.

3. Attach Your Work as a doc or docx. If you are submitting a photo series, compile them into a folder.

DUE TO THE VOLUME OF SUBMISSIONS AND SMALL TEAM, ONLY SUBMISSIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE CONSIDERED.​

We accept simultaneous submissions, just let us know if your work has been accepted elsewhere.​

You retain the rights to your own work upon publication. 

samefacescollective.com/how-to-submit

_____

The Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color

Ox-Bow

DEADLINE: June 16, 2024 at 12:00 am EST

INFO: Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency is excited to launch a new opportunity for BIPOC artists and creatives to utilize our campus and facilities via the Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color.

Participants who qualify can enjoy communal living, making, and opportunities to organize on Ox-Bow’s campus in Saugatuck, Michigan. Lodging, three meals per day, and access to Ox-Bow studios and spaces are provided.

People of color across the creative spectrum including artists of any discipline, writers, curators, teachers, and Ox-Bow Alumni are encouraged to apply. The grant supports individuals or groups of up to twenty for any length from one to seven nights. The dates available for the Hold Space Grant in 2024 are September 4-11, 2024.

Ox-Bow encourages applicants to consider how they would like to use its facilities and resources to best suit their interests and goals. Some proposal examples are listed below, but are not limited to;

An individual artist utilizing the metals, ceramics, printmaking, fiber, painting, or writing studio, with guidance from Ox-Bow’s on-campus studio managers. You can see more about our studios and equipment here.

A self-organized group retreat with collaborative creative projects and BIPOC speakers. Assistance from the Ox-Bow programming team is available.

Other nonprofits in need of time and space to plan and organize, with comfortable lodging, and space to talk and make. Assistance from the Ox-Bow programming team is available.

BIPOC curators may utilize the campus gallery spaces for exhibitions, with assistance from the campus team.

A set of existing collaboratives coming together to design a suite of dinner parties and conversation with assistance from Ox-Bow’s hospitality team.

Proposals are reviewed by a panel of BIPOC curators and artists who are familiar with the Ox-Bow experience. The Hold Space Grant, includes lodging, meals, and access to Ox-Bow resources. Hold Space Grant recipients should be 21 years or older at the start of their residency and have the option of bringing their children to campus. Children must be accompanied by a legal guardian while on campus. Ox-Bow does not provide childcare or additional care support at this time. This experience is valued at $300 per person, per day, and does not currently include a cash grant.

Inspired by BIPOC participant feedback, the Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color, is the product of many months of thoughtful planning and research by Ox-Bow's Senior Leadership Team.

Project research was initiated in 2020 with former Ox-Bow staff member and current program ambassador, independent curator and founder of AMFM, Ciera McKissick, and a group of 9 Thought Partners who had experience in the Ox-Bow community. The research process resulted in the design of a program that held intentional and exclusive space for BIPOC artists at Ox-Bow. Ox-Bow extends their gratitude to the Thought Partners for their foundational work, invaluable guidance and consultation on this initiative: Cecilia Beaven, Jen de los Reyes, Kyrae Dewan, Jessica Gatlin, Rami George, Salvador Jimenez Flores, Arnold J. Kemp, Abigail Lucien, and “Q” Patrick Quilao.

Ox-Bow’s DEIA Statement:

Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency fosters an environment that rejects injustice, oppression, and racism through radical hospitality and care. We are committed to continued listening, learning, and direct action that will result in sustainable change within our organization to ensure that Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latine artists, trans and queer artists, and artists with disabilities are seen, heard, and supported at Ox-Bow.

Our leadership team is working toward being an anti-racist organization. Recent tangible actions include a year-long educational relationship with Enrich Chicago, expanding funding opportunities in support of BIPOC participation in Ox-Bow programs, the Peter Williams Award for teaching and mentorship by a BIPOC alum, revised hiring practices that support equity, the adoption of ethical storytelling in our communications and the development of the Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color.

ox-bow.submittable.com/submit

_____

2024 Sappho Prize for Women Poets

Palette Poetry

DEADLINE: June 16, 2024

READING FEE: $20

INFO: Palette Poetry is seeking new work from cis and trans women poets to celebrate the spirit of Sappho. Palette is committed to creating an inclusive and uplifting journal that amplifies women’s voices and experiences.

Our guest judge this year is Megan Fernandes. Here is what she’s looking for:

“Instead of poems of longing, distance, and grief, I’m interested in the scenes of real and imagined reunion. In a dream, a diner, an afterlife. What comes after loss? What do we wish we could have said? Send me your dialogues from Hades, your breakup litter returned to its owner years later, your imagined walks, talking to your dead. I want to know what can be said after parting and long intervals and how time might condense and loop in the process.”

Megan Fernandes is a writer living in New York City. Fernandes has published in The New Yorker, POETRY, The Kenyon Review, The American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, among others. Her third book of poetry, I Do Everything I’m Told, published by Tin House, received a starred review in Publisher's Weekly and was named a Best or Most-Anticipated Book of 2023 by The New Yorker, Time Magazine, The Boston Globe, Vogue, Electric Lit, The Rumpus, Vulture, Autostraddle, LitHub, among others. Fernandes is an Associate Professor of English and the Writer-in-Residence at Lafayette College where she teaches courses on poetry, environmental writing, and critical theory. She has received scholarships and fellowships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, the Yaddo Foundation, the Hawthornden Foundation, etc. She holds a PhD in English from the University of California, and an MFA in poetry from Boston University.

During the opening week of the contest, we offer a free submission window to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) women poets from historically marginalized groups, which will close after the first fifty entries.

PRIZE: The winning poet will be awarded $3,000 and publication in Palette Poetry. Second and third place will receive $300 and $200, respectively, as well as publication. The top ten finalists will be selected by Palette editors, and Guest Judge Megan Fernandes will then select the three winners from among the ten finalists.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• For this prize, we are only accepting unpublished work from women (cis and trans) poets.

• Submissions are open internationally, to any woman poet writing in English—inclusion of other languages is welcome, as long as the poem is largely written in English. Code-switching/meshing is warmly welcomed.

• Do not include your name or identifying information in the document itself.

• We are only accepting unpublished work. If your poem has been published in a journal, on a blog or social media, or in any other medium, it is not eligible.

• We accept simultaneous submissions, but please send us a message via Submittable if your work is accepted elsewhere.

• There is no page requirement, but your submission must be no more than three poems. Please submit all your poems in ONE document. Please begin each poem on a new page and include each poem’s individual title.

• We do accept multiple submissions, but each submission requires its own $20 reading fee.

• Please include a brief cover letter in the cover letter box with your name, bio, and publication history, if any. If you select the editorial feedback option, please use this space to designate which poem you'd prefer to receive feedback on.

• Review our FAQ page for frequently asked questions.

• NOTE: If after submitting you notice an error in your submission, please message usrather than withdrawing and resubmitting your submission. We can open it for editing once, if the submission is not already under review, so you can correct the error.

• Palette Poetry does not accept AI produced work.

palettepoetry.com/current-contest/

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BLACK BRITISH LITERATURES & CREATIVE COMMUNITIES

Callolloo

DEADLINE: June 28, 2024 at 11:59pm

INFO: Callaloo seeks new writing (essays, fiction, poetry, memoir), scholarly articles, and visual art for a special issue entitled "New Dimensions: Black British Literatures and Creative Communities", guest-edited by Karen McCarthy Woolf and Jason Allen-Paisant. Critical and creative writing that focuses on the following areas of Black British life is particularly welcomed: 

• Art: historical perspectives as well as new approaches in Black British artistic expression

• Activism 

• Music 

• New perspectives in Black British writing 

• The rural experience of Black Britons

• Queer perspectives and aesthetics 

Book reviews: You may propose a review for books with a publication date between October 2024 and February 2025. 

Prose pieces should be no more than 6000 words long, unpublished, and not currently under consideration elsewhere. Scholarly articles 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

_____

Autumn House Poetry Prize

Autumn House

DEADLINE: June 30, 2024

READING FEE: $35

INFO: The final judge for Autumn House’s Poetry Prize is Kazim Ali.

PRIZE: The winner will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• All finalists will be considered for publication

• Poetry submissions should be approximately 50-80 pages

• Each new poem should start on a new page

• Illustrations are strongly discouraged and should not comprise more than a quarter of the book

• The book should be previously unpublished

• 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.

ABOUT THE FINAL JUDGE: Kazim Ali was born in the United Kingdom and has lived transnationally in the United States, Canada, India, France, and the Middle East. His books encompass multiple genres, including the volumes of poetry Inquisition, Sky Ward, winner of the Ohioana Book Award in Poetry; The Far Mosque, winner of Alice James Books’ New England/New York Award; The Fortieth Day; All One’s Blue; and the cross-genre texts Bright Felon and Wind Instrument. He is also an accomplished translator (of Marguerite Duras, Sohrab Sepehri, Ananda Devi, Mahmoud Chokrollahi and others) and an editor of several anthologies and books of criticism. After a career in public policy and organizing, Ali taught at various colleges and universities, including Oberlin College, Davidson College, St. Mary’s College of California, and Naropa University. He is currently a Professor of Literature at the University of California, San Diego. His newest books are a volume of three long poems entitled The Voice of Sheila Chandra and a memoir of his Canadian childhood, Northern Light.

autumnhouse.org/submissions/poetry/

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “WHY I STAYED” ANTHOLOGY

Taevo Publishing

DEADLINE: June 30, 2024

INFO: Taevo Publishing wants to elevate your voice and publish your story. One that explores the truths behind intimate partner violence from actual survivors. Raising awareness regarding domestic violence is very important to us at Taevo.

Why I Stayed will be an anthology of 40,000 – 50,000 words, edited by Tamara Mayo and a to-be-appointed editor, featuring stories from survivors of intimate partner violence.

This anthology will be part one of a two-part book series – the goal being to bring a deeper understanding and empathy to domestic violence victims, and to hopefully shift the narrative away from blaming the victim and using verbiage such as, “She’s choosing to stay in that relationship, so clearly she just wants it to happen…”

We welcome well-told stories that explore the truths about how domestic partner violence doesn’t start on a physical level – these stories should explore how the victim was first exposed to mental and emotional abuse that wore them down internally before any actual physical abuse began,

Note: Book Two is entitled, “Why I Left”, and is a celebration of how survivors overcame and found the strength to leave their abusive situations. Authors who are accepted for the first anthology will need to submit a separate piece when submissions open for that book.

Own voices and diversity

At Taevo Publishing, we want people of all backgrounds to be heard – this includes men who may have found themselves in a domestic violence situation yet are ashamed to admit it for fear of being labeled “weak”.

We understand the sensitive nature of this topic and the need for some writers to use a pen name or pseudonym for privacy or safety purposes. Usage of a pseudonym is permitted. 

No AI-generated pieces

While we champion innovation and the advantages that AI offers, we will not accept AI-generated or AI-edited pieces.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

What you can submit:

• Memoir excerpts up to 2,500 words

• Short stories up to 3,000 words – we understand that some writers do not want to reveal their names or may need to change the names of those involved in order to avoid retaliation. This is not only permitted but encouraged.

• Black-and-white art illustrations

• Poetry – Up to 50 lines

• No simultaneous submissions

• Reprints are OK

• Multiple submissions from one author are OK

If you feel you have a story or illustration that fits this anthology but doesn’t fit the guidelines perfectly, please do not self-reject your piece. We highly recommend that you submit it and give us the opportunity to see it first.

COMPENSATION:

We are paying a flat rate per submission.

• $100 per memoir excerpt

• $100 per short story

• $50 per poem

• $50-$100 per illustration (it depends on the size and complexity of the image)

HOW TO SUBMIT:

To ensure that your manuscript is not auto-rejected, please follow these guidelines:

• Write a brief cover letter describing yourself and your story.

If your submission does not meet the exact guidelines above, please explain how

For memoirs, short stories, or poems:

• Format your story according to SMF (standard manuscript format). Need an example? Here’s a link to a comprehensive sample of how to format your manuscript.

• Save your document in Word, Open Office, or as a plain text document

• Name the document file as: “Author Name – Title of Story or Poem”

For art:

• Save your work in .PNG, Photoshop, or Illustrator format

• Name the document file as: “Artist Name – Title of Piece”

Email submissions@taevopublishing.com with the following:

• Subject: Why I Stayed Anthology Submission: “Title of the Piece”

• Body: Put your cover letter here

• Attachment: The piece you’re submitting

Note: If you need special accommodation for your submission, or if certain aspects of the guidelines cannot be fulfilled due to accessibility needs, please email us. Taevo Publishing wants our anthology submission call to be open to everyone. We are always happy to assist.

taevopublishing.com/why-i-stayed-anthology-submission/

_____

KSPS Grand Prix Poetry Contest

Kentucky State Poetry Society

DEADLINE: June 30, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

SUBMISSION FEE: $10 for each entry (1-3 poems)

INFO: The KSPS Grand Prix Poetry Contest is open to any US poet writing in English, age 18+

GUIDELINES:

• Poems may be any topic, any form

• Each poem must be 30 lines or fewer, including titles, spaces, and stanza breaks

• 1-3 poems per submission. Poems must be in one document; only one poem per page

• KSPS members may submit to both the Grand Prix and the Chaffin/Kash contests (separate entry fees)

• Poems must be the original, unpublished work of the entrant; no AI submissions

• Poems must be titled or numbered

• Do not include your name or any identifying information on the poem(s)

• Please withdraw poems via Submittable if they are published elsewhere before the contest deadline. Use the “Withdraw” function or the “Message” function to withdraw single poems from a submission packet.

• Winners are announced in September and are invited to read at the KSPS annual conference October 25-27, 2024 (virtual)

• Winners are published in the KSPS literary journal Pegasus

PRIZES:

• 1st prize: $100

• 2nd prize: $50

• 3rd prize: $25

kystatepoetrysociety.org/adult-contest/adult-contest-guidelines/

_____

Open Reading Period for full-length manuscripts

Wendy’s Subway

DEADLINE: July 1, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $20

Wendy’s Subway is pleased to announce our fifth reading period for full-length manuscripts. Titles selected through the Open Reading Period 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.

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

The winning book will be announced in Fall 2024 and published in Fall 2025.

JUDGE: Bhanu Kapil is the author of six books of poetry and hybrid work, including two new editions of Incubation: a space for monsters, published by Prototype (UK) and Kelsey Street Press in 2023. Currently, she is based in Cambridge, England, where she is an Extraordinary Fellow of Churchill College. The winner of the TS Eliot prize, a Windham Campbell prize, and a Cholmondeley Award from the Society of Authors, Kapil has written two new books, as yet in manuscript form: The Secret Garden, a novel of the forest, and Promiscuity, an unpublishable work of creative nonfiction.

ELIGIBILITY: The call is open to writers at any stage of their career. 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. 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 acknowledgements 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 winning author will have time to revise the manuscript once it has been accepted.

We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our publishing initiative and public programs to learn more about the mission and activities of Wendy’s Subway.

wendyssubway.com/publishing/submit

_____

Carolyn Bush Award

Wendy’s Subway

DEADLINE: July 1, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $15

INFO: The Carolyn Bush Award aims to support innovative, hybrid, and cross-genre work that contributes to expanding the discourses and practices of poetry. Titles selected for this award are published as part of the Passage Series, which assembles books by emerging writers and artists that imagine new possibilities and expressions of the poetic, the political, and the social.

This award honors the life and work of Wendy’s Subway co-founder Carolyn Bush and seeks to provide in-depth editorial and professional support to an emerging writer in her name. 

PRIZE: The author will publish a book with Wendy’s Subway, receive an honorarium of $1,250 and 25 author copies. Crucial to the award is the editorial support provided to complete the manuscript for publication, which includes close collaboration with Wendy’s Subway’s editorial team to build a process for the manuscript’s development and completion. At key stages in the manuscript’s progress, editors will work with authors to schedule two consultations with established writers who will offer rigorous feedback and suggestions for revisions or further development. 

The author also benefits from professional development opportunities tailored to their specific needs and interests, including but not limited to building strategies for residency and fellowship applications, crafting personal statements, submitting to journals and magazines, and undertaking successful marketing and publicity campaigns. Additionally, free enrollment in two workshops at Wendy’s Subway and a one year key-holding “Contributor” membership to the Wendy’s Subway reading room in Brooklyn, which includes a library collection of over 3,000 titles, will be made available to the author. 

Wendy’s Subway is committed to a publishing practice that amplifies marginalized and underrepresented writers. The Carolyn Bush Award aims to encourage an emerging writer to follow and develop their work and envision a future in the field with confidence and an abundance of support. 

 The winning book will be announced in Fall 2024 and published in Spring 2026. 

ABOUT THIS AWARD: This award has been established in honor of founding member of Wendy’s Subway, Carolyn Bush (1990–2016). In honoring Carolyn and continuing her legacy, we seek to acknowledge her fiercely particular approach to learning, writing, and collaborating. Carolyn chose her own path and followed her own schedule. She was wary of formal education but sought out workshops, reading groups, and informal collectives where learning is enacted relationally, as a form of exchange and intimacy. She engaged mentors but was skeptical of received wisdom of any kind. Her library included poetry and fiction, mystical and religious texts, feminist theory and biography, and idiosyncratic curricula including a collection of texts on the limits of language itself. The poetry and essays she left us are densely allusive, hybrid in forms, galvanized by her concern with social and political justice, and alive with the curiosity and irreverence for which she was famous and beloved. She loved truth-tellers, and was one.

JUDGES: The Wendy’s Subway Carolyn Bush Award Editorial Committee, composed of Wendy’s Subway staff and community members: Harris Bauer, Corinne Butta, Sanjana Iyer, Juwon Jun, Gabriel Kruis, Matt Longabucco, and Rachel Valinsky. 

ELIGIBILITY: This award is intended for emerging writers residing in New York City. We welcome submissions from female-identifying, genderqueer, non-conforming, non-binary, and trans 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: We seek early-stage manuscripts of 20 pages in length to be considered for the Carolyn Bush Award. Your manuscript may include visual art and illustrations. It may not be a translation of another author’s writing and should reflect your original work.

Applications also consist of a 500-word written reflection about your work, how you see it developing, and how you think you will benefit from this opportunity with Wendy’s Subway to do so. The manuscript need not be complete at the time of application. While excerpts from the manuscript may have been previously published (as chapbooks, in journals), the manuscript as a whole should reflect a new and unpublished work. Please include page numbers, a title page, a table of contents, and acknowledgments listing previous publications (if applicable). 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. 

We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our publishing initiative and public programs to learn more about the mission and activities of Wendy’s Subway.

wendyssubway.com/publishing/submit

POETRY — MAY 2024

SINGAPORE POETRY CONTEST

Singapore Unbound / Gaudy Boy

DEADLINE: May 6, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: In conjunction with Gaudy Boy’s April 2024 publication of Jeddie Sophronius’s Interrogation Records, the winner of the Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize, SUSPECT is holding the 10th Singapore Poetry Contest with a call for submissions inspired by the title of this extraordinary book of poems.

We are looking for poems that use the word “interrogation” in imaginative ways. The poems may be on any theme, but they will be judged for the creative use of the word “interrogation” as much as they will be for overall excellence. The word “interrogation” may be used in any of its forms, such as “interrogate,” “interrogates,” and “interrogated,” but synonyms will not be accepted.

The contest is open to everyone, living anywhere.

Please submit a maximum of three poems. Only unpublished poems will be considered. Posting on weblog, Facebook, and other social media does not constitute publication. No simultaneous submissions, please. Email your submission to Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org. The poem(s) must be pasted into the body of the email, together with a short cover letter giving your name, mailing address, and brief biographical note.

Results will be announced in July, 2024. We ask for non-exclusive rights to publication on the SUSPECT website and subsequent print anthologies, if any.

PRIZE: Awards of USD $300, $200, and $100 will go to the top three winners. The winning poems will be published on SUSPECT; non-winning poems will be considered for publication as well.

JUDGE: This year’s judge is the winner of the 2023 Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize, Jeddie Sophronius. Jeddie Sophronius is the author of the poetry collections Interrogation Records (Gaudy Boy, 2024), Happy Poems & Other Lies (Codhill/SUNY Press, 2024), Love & Sambal (The Word Works, 2024), and the chapbook Blood·Letting (Quarterly West, 2023). A Chinese-Indonesian writer from Jakarta, they received their MFA from the University of Virginia, where they currently serve as a lecturer in English. Their poems have appeared in The Cincinnati Review, The Iowa Review, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere. Read more of their work at nakedcentaur.com.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/10th-singapore-poetry-contest

_____

MARBLE HOUSE PROJECT

DEADLINE: May 6, 2024 by 11:59pm EST

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 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. 

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 three times over the course of their residency, Monday-Friday. . Each session culminates with a short video interview and artists are invited to 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. 

RESIDENCY DATES FOR 2025

• March 11th - April 1st

• April 6th - April 29th

• May 6th - May 27th

• June 3rd - June 24th

• July 8th - July 22nd. Parent / Artist Residency

Parent artist residency. This residency is only for parent artists who will be attending with their children. Children must be four years old by the start of the residency. Please note that if you only apply for this residency it is very competitive. If you choose other dates you will also be considered for those as well.  To find out more about the family friendly residency please visit http://www.marblehouseproject.org/residencyprograms/

• October 7th - October 28th

• November 3 - November 24th

marblehouseproject.submittable.com/submit

_____

93rd Annual Writing Competition

Writer’s Digest 

EARLY-BIRD DEADLINE: May 6, 2024

INFO: The 93rd Annual Writing Competition is open for submissions. Winners will be announced in our Nov/Dec 2024 issue. 

Writer’s Digest has been shining a spotlight on up-and-coming writers in all genres through its Annual Writing Competition for over 90 years. Enter our 93rd Annual Writing Competition for your chance to win and have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen.

PRIZES: 

One Grand Prize winner will receive:

• $5,000 in cash

• An interview with them in Writer’s Digest (Nov/Dec 2024 issue) and on WritersDigest.com

• A paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a special trophy presentation at the keynote

•  A coveted Pitch Slam slot at the Writer's Digest Conference where the winner will receive one on one attention from editors or agents

• Publication of their winning piece on WritersDigest.com

• The First place winner in each category will receive $1,000 in cash and publication of their winning piece on WritersDigest.com.

• The Second place winner in each category will receive $500 cash.

• The Third place winner in each category will receive $250 in cash.

• The Fourth place winner in each category will receive $100 in cash.

• The Fifth place winner in each category will receive $50 in cash.

• The Sixth through Tenth place winners in each category will receive a $25 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com.

All top winners will also receive:

• Their names and the title of their winning piece listed in Writer’s Digest and on WritersDigest.com

• A one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest magazine

• A one-year subscription to Writer’s Digest Tutorials

• 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University

• A special graphic recognizing their winning status

All Honorable Mentions receive:

• Their names and the title of their selected piece listed on WritersDigest.com

• 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University

• A special graphic recognizing their winning status

CATEGORIES:

• Inspirational/Spiritual

• Memoirs/Personal Essay

• Nonfiction Essay or Article

• Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)

• Mainstream/Literary Short Story

• Rhyming Poetry

• Non-rhyming Poetry

• Humor

• Children’s/Young Adult Fiction

writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/annual-writing-competition

_____

2025 CAVE CANEM PRIZE

Cave Canem

DEADLINE: May 13, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: The Cave Canem Prize is awarded annually to the best debut collection of poems by a Black poet. At some point, all poets face the challenge of communicating their work beyond the first manuscript. To assist Black poets in surmounting that obstacle, Cave Canem established the Prize and created a direct route to: Graywolf Press; University of Pittsburgh Press; and University of Georgia Press.  

AWARD: Winner receives $10,000, publication by Graywolf Press in fall 2025, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading.

ELIGIBILITY: All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora. Authors of chapbooks and self-published books with a maximum print-run of 500 may apply. Simultaneous submission to other book awards should be noted: immediate notification upon winning such an award is required. Winner agrees to be present in the continental United States at her or his own expense shortly after the book is published in order to participate in promotional reading(s). 

EXCLUSIONS: Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the Board of Cave Canem Foundation or Graywolf Press; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Graywolf Press are ineligible. If any of the selected authors fall under the above exclusions, they will be disqualified and a replacement will be chosen from among the submissions. As the poetry community is small and the contest is judged without knowledge of the submitter’s identity, acquaintance with the judge or participation in a workshop taught by the judge are not disqualifying criteria.  

GUIDELINES:

• Manuscripts must be submitted via Submittable. Hard copy submissions will not be considered.

• One manuscript per poet.

• Upload manuscript as a .docx or .pdf document. Include a title page with the title only and table of contents. Author's name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document.

• Include a cover letter in the Submittable text box—DO NOT include within the .docx or .pdf document of the manuscript. Cover letter should include author’s brief bio (200 words, maximum) and list of acknowledgments of previously published poems.

• Manuscript must be paginated and 60 - 75 pages in length, inclusive of title page and table of contents. A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted.

• Manuscripts not adhering to submission guidelines will not be considered.

• Post-submission revisions or corrections are not permitted.

 Questions? Contact us at programs@ccpoets.org.

JUDGE: Natasha Trethewey  served two terms as the 19th Poet Laureate of the United States. She is the author of five collections of poetry, including Native Guard—for which she was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize—and Domestic Work, winner of the inaugural Cave Canem Poetry Prize. She’s also the author of a book of non-fiction, Beyond Katrina; a memoir, Memorial Drive, an instant New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award; and The House of Being, a meditation on writing. A Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets since 2019, Trethewey was awarded the 2020 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt Prize in Poetry for Lifetime Achievement from the Library of Congress, and in 2022 she was the William B. Hart Poet in Residence at the American Academy in Rome. At Northwestern University, she is Board of Trustees Professor of English.

cavecanem.submittable.com/submit

_____

The Emerging Writer’s Contest 

Ploughshares  

DEADLINE: May 15, 2024 at noon EST

ENTRY FEE: 

• Subscribers - $0

• Non-subscribers - $30  

INFO: The Emerging Writer's Contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. Read past winners of the contest here. 

We award publication, $2,000, review from Aevitas Creative Management, and a 1-year subscription for one winner in each of the three genres. Submit to the Emerging Writer's Contest through our submission manager. You must be logged in to access our submission manager.

The 2024 contest judges are Dantiel W. Moniz (Fiction), Porsha Olayiwola (Poetry), and Augusten Burroughs (Nonfiction). 

PUBLICATION:

The winning story, essay, and poems from the 2024 contest will be published in the Winter 2024-25 issue of Ploughshares. 

ELIGIBILITY:

You are eligible if you:

• Have yet to publish a book (including eBooks, translations, books in other languages/countries, self-published works, and poetry chapbooks with a print run of more than 300).

• Have no book forthcoming before April 15, 2025.

• Are not 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, 2025 (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:

The contest is now open. We will announce the winners in mid-September of 2024. 

Fiction and Nonfiction: Under 6,000 words

Poetry: 3-5 pages

Submit one entry per year via our online submission manager. 

• 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.

• 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.

• International submissions are welcome, but we ask that you please be in touch via email for more information about this process.

• 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.

• Cover letters are not necessary. Please remove all identifying information from your submission as they will be read anonymously.

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. 

FEES:

• If you are a current subscriber through our Winter 2024-2025 issue, your contest entry is free of charge. You will still be prompted to "checkout" but you will not be required to enter payment information and will not be charged. If you're not sure when your subscription expires, feel free to email us at pshares@pshares.org.

• If you are not a subscriber, or your subscription expires before our Winter 2024-2025 issue, the submission manager will prompt you to pay the $30 fee at checkout. The fee includes a 1-year subscription to Ploughshares (beginning with the Spring 2024 issue and ending with the Winter 2024-2025 issue) and free submissions to the 2024 regular reading period. 

• If you are an international submitter, please be in touch via email for more information about this process. 

pshares.org/submit/emerging-writers-contest/guidelines

_____

The Watering Hole Virtual Summer Retreat

The Watering Hole

DEADLINE: May 15, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $10

INFO: Over a three-day period (July 19-21, 2024), Summer Retreat participants will be able to attend two readings, evening community activities, and daily classes/workshops (3 hours each) in three major genres:

• Short Stories (Fiction) with DeLana R.A. Dameron (Redwood Court, How God Ends Us, Weary Kingdom)

• Essays (Creative Non-Fiction) with Julian Randall (The Dead Don't Need Reminding, Refuse, Pilar series, Black Boy Joy)

• Poetry Manuscript with Crystal Simone Smith (Founder and Editor of Backbone Press, Among These Blues, Ebbing Shore)

Our mission is to build Tribe through genuine relationships and help poets reach their best work. 

Writing Facilitators: T.B.A.

APLICATION PROCESS:

1. A Cover Letter (with aesthetics statement) and 

2. A writing sample of 3 poems 

ELIGIBILITY: You must be 21 years of age by July 19th.

ADDITIONAL HELP:

The poems may be written or audio. We accept a variety of file types. The poems must have been written within the last two years). Do not include your name on these materials. Judging will be blind.

 The cover letter must be written (not audio). If you need help with the basic cover letter format, check out our blog post of Cover Letter Advice.   The type of aesthetics statement that we ask for is a paragraph or two that details...

1. who influences your writing,

2. what challenges have you faced on your creative journey,

3. what you seek to accomplish in your poems,

4. and what The Watering Hole means to you as a writer of color.

This will contextualize the poems in your submission and help us get to know you as an artist. You may also optionally include how your writing or aesthetic informs what you do, where you work, or any work you do in the arts community or vice versa.  Make certain your submission is your final version. Corrections and new versions will not be accepted.  

twhpoetry.submittable.com/submit

_____

RAGDALE ARTIST RESIDENCY

DEADLINE: May 15, 2024 by 11:59pm CST

INFO: Ragdale is a non-profit artists’ community located on architect Howard Van Doren Shaw’s country estate in Lake Forest, IL, 30 miles north of Chicago. In 1976, Shaw’s granddaughter, Alice Judson Hayes, transformed her family’s summer home into an artist's retreat to provide time and space for artists to create important new work.

Today, Ragdale annually hosts nearly 140 visual artists, writers, dancemakers, composers, and interdisciplinary artists at all stages of their careers for 18-day residencies, making it one of the largest interdisciplinary artist communities in the country. Ragdale offers a retreat setting where at any given time, up to a dozen creative individuals experience uninterrupted time for dedicated work, a supportive environment, family-style dinners, and dynamic artist exchanges within a backdrop of 50 acres of idyllic prairie.

Residency Awards, up to 140 awarded in 2025:

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 income-based sliding scale.  No financial aid application is required. Admitted residents are responsible for their own travel.

FELLOWSHIPS: We currently offer 12 fellowships each year. All qualified applicants may apply for fellowships. A fellowship award includes an 18-day fee-waived residency for individuals and a stipend of at least $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. 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.

Late applications cannot be accepted. If you are applying for the Waud Fellowship, the application deadline is 11:59 PM CST June 30.

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:

1. A one-page artist’s statement and work plan explaining your work and what you plan to do while in residence.

2. A one or two-page CV or resume that summarizes your professional background.

3. Work samples that show work from the past 2-3 years. All media is acceptable. Most electronic file types and sizes are accepted. 

4. 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.

5. There is an application fee of $25. This amount covers the cost of application processing. Ragdale does not profit from application fees. If you are not in a position to cover the processing fee, please reach out to the Residency Manager, Deanna Miera at deanna@ragdale.org, to request a fee-waived application.

*PLEASE NOTE: Letters of Recommendation are no longer required or accepted.

EVALUATION:

Applications are reviewed by Ragdale’s Curatorial Board and staff. Evaluations of work are based on the following criteria:

1. Work samples: Documented works are original, inventive, and exciting.

2. Work samples indicate relevance in their contemporary field.

3. Work sample presentation: Work samples are high-quality and technically proficient in execution, and are professionally presented and documented.

4. 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.

5. 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: Applicants are notified of admission status via email in September.

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 studio and/or sleeping quarters are needed. You may also submit an example of a previous collaborative work (either completed or in progress). Any specific concerns can be directed to Regin Igloria, Artistic Director at regin@ragdale.org, before applying.

TIMELINE:

• May 15: Application Deadline

• September: Notification of Residency or Fellowship award.

QUESTIONS? All inquiries should be directed to Artistic Director, Regin Igloria (regin@ragdale.org), and Residency Manager Deanna Miera (deanna@ragdale.org). Please do not reach out through Submittable.

ragdale.submittable.com/submit

_____

VCCA RESIDENCY

DEADLINE: May 15, 2024

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).

VCCA Fellows are selected by peer review on the basis of professional achievement or promise of achievement in their respective fields. Separate review panels are created for each category (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting/screenwriting, children’s literature, performance, film/video, book arts, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, installation art, music composition, etc.). Panelists undergo periodic review and rotate regularly to ensure VCCA admission decisions are guided by high caliber artists who represent a diversity of styles and tastes.

All VCCA residency and fellowship applications are accepted online via SlideRoom. The standard application fee is $30. If the application fee presents a significant barrier to application, artists should reach out to Artists Services at vcca@vcca.com to request an application fee waiver at least five days before the deadline.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: A variety of fully-funded fellowship opportunities are available at each application deadline. In addition, significant financial assistance is available throughout the year.

vcca.com/apply/residencies-at-vcca/

_____

The Studios at Key West

DEADLINE: May 15, 2024

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.

Key West’s official motto, “One Human Family” reflects our commitment to living together as caring, sharing neighbors dedicated to making our home as close to paradise as we can. To that end, we encourage artists of all races, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities to apply.

DURATION: Our residencies are one month; they run from the 2nd day of the month to the last day of the month. For example: if you are awarded a residency in June, you would plan to arrive on June 2, and would plan to depart by June 30.

We’re sorry, but we are currently unable to offer residencies of less than one month. If you are accepted to the program, please plan to be in residence for the full month.

COST: There is no fee for the residency once an artist has been accepted into the program. However, artists are responsible for their travel to Key West, as well as living expenses and incidentals.

tskw.org/pear-program/

_____

MONSON ARTS RESIDENCY

DEADLINE: May 15, 2024

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 $1,000 stipend ($500 for 2-week programs).

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, 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:

• Up to 5 pages of work samples / 15 pages for playwright or screen writing

• A letter of intent for your time at the residency

• C.V. or Resume (limited to 6000 characters)

• Two reference names

monsonarts.org/residencies/overview/

_____

Writer-in-Residence program

The Associates of the Boston Public Library

DEADLINE: May 17, 2024 at 11:59pm

INFO: The Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence program is intended to:

• Provide an emerging children’s writer with the financial support, editorial assistance, 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 Library and the community.

WHAT DO FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS GET?

• $23,000 stipend.

• Up to $2,000 of additional funding for coaching / editorial assistance.

• Private office space at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.

• Completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s Archives.

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

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?

• All genres welcome! Eligible projects include fiction, non-fiction, a graphic novel, script, memoir, or poetry intended for children or young adults.

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

• The recipient must work for a minimum of 19 hours per week during the year-long residency.

• Applicants must be able to legally work in the US.

TERMS OF RESIDENCY:

• You will work a minimum of nineteen (19) hours per week from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

• You will participate in a public reception at the BPL on October 1, 2024 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.)

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, May 17, 2024 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 candidates selected to be the 2024-25 Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence will be notified by Monday, July 29, 2024.

KEY DATES:

• Application Deadline:  Friday, May 17, 2024 at 11:59 pm

• Notification: Monday, July 29, 2024

• Residency Period: October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025

associatesbpl.org/events-and-programs/writer-in-residence-program/

_____

ANNE LABASTILLE MEMORIAL WRITERS RESIDENCY

Adirondack Center for Writing

DEADLINE: May 19, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $30  

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 (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, but limited (email ; Zoom ). Most cell phones will not work (a landline is available).

Covid-19 Requirements: Proof of vaccination is required. Residents who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons will be required to provide proof of negative test upon arrival and can contact ACW with any COVID-19-related questions: info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org.

IMPORTANT DATES: 

• Residency Dates: September 22 – October 6, 2024

• Notification: July, 2024

FEE: There is no cost to attend the residency.

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.

adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency/

_____`

2024 Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize

Singapore Unbound / Gaudy Boy

DEADLINE: May 20, 2024

ENTRY FEE: USD $10

INFO: The Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize is awarded annually to an unpublished manuscript of original Anglophone poetry by an author of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. The winner receives book publication and USD1,500.00.

Past winners were The Experiment of The Tropics by Lawrence Lacambra Ypil and Autobiography of Horse by Jenifer Sang Eun Park, selected by Wong May; Play for Time by Paula Mendoza, selected by Vijay Seshadri; Object Permanence by Nica Bengzon, selected by Cyril Wong; Time Regime by Jhani Randhawa, selected by Dorothy Wang; Waking Up to the Pattern Left by a Snail Overnight by Jim Pascual Agustin, selected by Yeow Kai Chai; and Interrogation Records, by Jeddie Sophronius, selected by Divya Victor.

This year we’re honored to have Hamid Roslan to be our judge. Hamid Roslan is the co-editor of The Second Link: An Anthology of Malaysian and Singaporean Writing (Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2023), and author of in all the places I could not find you (self-published, 2022) and parsetreeforestfire (Ethos Books, 2019), a finalist for the Singapore Literature Prize 2020. His poetry has appeared in New Singapore Poetries (Gaudy Boy Press, 2022), the Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s Transpacific Literary Project, minarets, The Volta, Of Zoos, and the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, among others. He has also contributed essays to Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays in Translation (Tilted Axis Press, 2022) and Practice, Research & Tangential Activities (PR&TA). He graduated with an MFA in Writing from Pratt

Five finalists will be announced in August 2024, and they will be invited to read their work at a finalists’ reading in September 2024, at which the prizewinner will be announced. The winning manuscript will be published in Spring 2025 by Gaudy Boy, an imprint of the NYC-based literary nonprofit Singapore Unbound.

Established in 2017, Gaudy Boy publishes poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction of extraordinary merit by Asian voices. Our name is taken from the poem “Gaudy Turnout” by Singaporean poet Arthur Yap about his time abroad in 1970s Leeds, UK. From the Latin “gaudium,” meaning joy, Gaudy Boy seeks to delight our readers with the various powers of art.

GUIDELINES:

1. The contest is open to emerging and established poets.

2. No proof of Asian heritage is required. As writers ourselves, we go by honor between writers.

3. Submit a 70–120-page unpublished manuscript of original poetry in English. Please number the pages of your manuscript. Include a title page, table of contents, and an acknowledgments page for any previously published poems.

4. Email Jee Leong Koh at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org with a brief cover letter in the body of your email and the poetry manuscript attached in PDF or MSWord format.

5. Your name, mailing address, and email address should not appear anywhere in the manuscript. Instead, they should be given in your cover letter in the body of your email.

6. Submit your entry fee USD10.00 at PayPal to Jee Leong Koh (jkoh@singaporeunbound.org). We cannot consider your manuscript until we receive your entry fee. Your entry fee helps us defray some, but not all, of the editorial costs. We have set the entry fee low so that it will not be too much of a barrier for most people. If the fee is a barrier, please write to Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org for a waiver. Entry fees are nonrefundable.

7. You may submit more than one manuscript, but a separate entry fee must accompany each manuscript.

8. You may submit the manuscript elsewhere simultaneously, but you must notify Gaudy Boy immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/2024-gaudy-boy-poetry-book-prize 

_____

climate woke: call for VIDEO artists and CLIMATE storytellers

The Center for Cultural Power / BLD Power

DEADLINE: May 26, 2024 by 11:59pm PST

INFO: The Center for Cultural Power and partner BLD PWR  are looking for climate storytellers and artists who are passionate about environmental justice to create compelling digital content for our Climate Woke campaign. Launching on Earth Day 2024 in honor of Earth Month and climate justice, this project aims to uplift climate intersectionality to inspire individuals and communities to feel like they are a part of climate solutions. We are open to all genres and approaches of artistic mediums. The final product will be shared across Cultural Power’s digital platforms, social media, and among our movement partners. We will highlight and uplift the work of two selected artists as part of the Climate Woke campaign and future Climate Woke endeavors.

Climate Woke is The Center for Cultural Power’s ongoing campaign to reorient the climate change narrative to center voices from BIPOC, low-income, and migrant communities. BIPOC climate activists speak the language of those most directly affected by climate disasters and translate complex climate science to real-life outcomes, situations, and moments. Through funding and relationship building, Climate Woke strategically advances the work of these artists, activists, and culture bearers in mainstream film and media. Produced media includes short films, social media content, and special projects centered on the climate wisdom of impacted BIPOC communities.

While climate change is a global concern that impacts everyone, in the United States, historically marginalized, disinvested, and poor communities of color are hit the hardest by environmental catastrophes threatening basic needs like health, food security, and housing. Given their close proximity to the violence of climate change, artists from these marginalized communities are uniquely positioned to ideate and implement solutions. Climate Woke uses cultural strategy to tell a new story of climate resiliency by engaging communities in imagining a new future and activating them to take action toward it. 

CREATE WITH US:

We are looking for artists and creators to generate short-form creative video content that explores the intersectionality of climate change and social justice in the United States, specifically on themes of Land Back, Black Liberation x Climate Justice, Environmental Optimism, Climate Migration/Climate Gentrification, and Climate Change’s impact on Reproductive Freedom. 

Key Themes

Below are the five key Climate Woke themes that should be centered in proposals. Accompanying each theme is the cultural context to give an idea of the story we want to see reflected in proposals. 

1. Climate Migration/ Climate Gentrification - The ecological disasters created by climate change induced the displacement of vulnerable communities, especially historically marginalized and poor ones. Displacement is a violent process that forces people away from housing and communities.

2. Environmental Optimism - Environmental Optimism seeks to empower communities to find and inspire creative paths toward an environmentally just future to counter the climate crisis narrative of destruction.

3. LandBack - LandBack encompasses the restoration and reclamation of regenerative relationships with the land and all relatives, both living and nonliving. It involves the returning of land to the descendants of the dispossessed, especially African Americans and Native Americans.

4. Climate Change Impact on Reproductive Freedom - Violence from climate change provokes reproductive injustices and impacts reproductive health by making it harder to grow and sustain families. Community-based strategies for Reproductive Freedom are needed to strengthen Reproductive Justice for all.

5. Black Liberation X Climate Justice - Black communities are among those disproportionately impacted by climate change. In response, a long legacy of strategies and movements has emerged from Black communities grounded in collective care, freedom, and joy.

PRIZES & BUDGET:

The Center for Cultural Power and BLD Power will select two winning artists and offer one (1) award of  $10,000 for a 7-11-minute narrative short film and one (1) award of $5,000 for creative video content that is 3-5 minutes long. 

This award will cover all associated costs of production and creation. Please consider budget limitations when creating your proposal. Once both proposal awardees are selected, The Center for Cultural Power and selected artists will sign a contract outlining project expectations, feedback, and the payment process.  Cultural Power retains the right to void all contract obligations if the final product no longer aligns with areas of focus or proposal in submission.

FINAL VIDEO PROJECT:

Final works must clearly connect to one of the five themes central to the Climate Woke campaign (detailed below). All artistic disciplines are welcome, including digital art, poetry, animation, music, dance, etc. 

Please note that all pieces must be in video format. 

We are seeking short-form creative video creative work that is designed for digital dissemination. 

• Technical production elements: Cinematography, sound recording and mixing

• Post-production (video): Editing, color-grading, subtitling, closed-captions

• Post-production (audio): Sound design, editing and mixing, music mixing

Videos formatted for YouTube and screening:

• One full video asset that is at least 1080p HD, 1920x1080, or at most 4k, 3840x2160, uncaptioned, with an accompanying SRT file (in English) for closed captions

• One full video asset that is at least 1080p HD, 1920x1080, or at most 4k, 3840x2160 1080, fully captioned

• One vertical 1080p HD, 1080x1920 trailer, fully captioned (if necessary), for social media distribution

• Video Codec: h.264, AVC

• Audio: AAC, 128 kbps

• File: .MOV or .MP4

• Broadcast: NTSC

INDIVIDUALS WHO SHOULD CONSIDER APPLYING ARE:

1. 21 years old or older

2. Artists and storytellers engaged with the intersection of arts, culture, and social justice.

3. A proven track record of short-form creative video content creation or aspiring talent in climate storytelling and advocacy.

   1. For the 7-11 minute narrative short film: creatives with a background in video/film production

   2. For the 3-5 minute creative video content: creatives with a  background in creating social media video content

4. Artists and storytellers who are values aligned with the mission of The Center for Cultural Power: advocating for equitable distribution of power and harmony with nature.

5. Artists and storytellers from diverse backgrounds, including BIPOC, LGBTQI+, undocumented, and/or disabled individuals.

6. Applicants committed to collaborating and centering the expertise of communities navigating marginalization, in their work. 

APPLICATION SPECIFICS AND REQUIREMENTS:

Before submitting your application using the Typeform link below, please ensure you have all the necessary information. We estimate this application should take between 1-2 hours to complete. 

1. Contact information

2. Demographic information

3. Proposal submission describing the project concept in less than 4500 characters (approximately 800-1000 words with spaces). 

   1. 3-5 minute creative video content ($5,000 award), OR the

   2. 7-11 minute narrative short film ($10,000 award)

• The Climate Woke proposal  description will need to include at least one of the themes of “Climate Woke” (Land Back, Black Liberation x Climate Justice, Environmental Optimism, Climate Migration/Climate Gentrification, OR Climate Change’s impact on Reproductive Freedom)

• Include what primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences you would like to think this project will engage. How will your proposed work move audiences? How do you describe your proposed style for this content? 

• Consider including:

  • The Visual Aesthetic: Describe the visual style you plan to use in the film (e.g. documentary realism, artistic imagery, stylized animation). How will this style enhance the storytelling?

  • Tone: Describe the overall tone of the film, such as serious, hopeful, or a mix of both. How will the tone contribute to the film's impact?

  • [For the 7-11 min.] Narrative Approach: discuss the narrative structure, such as a linear or non-linear storyline, and how it supports the film's themes. What storytelling techniques will you use?

1. Past Work Samples: Please upload 2 examples of previously completed video projects. The samples must include a logline of your role and can include other project contributors and their roles; be sure to highlight your role as well. Samples should be uploaded as PDF files with embedded video links and saved as FirstName_LastName_Sample1.pdf.

2. Artist Profile: upload a short bio of no more than 1200 characters (approximately 250 words with spaces) and a JPEG headshot saved as FirstName_LastName_Headshot.jpeg.

culturalpower.org/stories/climate-woke-create-with-us-2024/

_____

Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers

GrubStreet

DEADLINE: May 30, 2024

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 $25,000, 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.

• Access to mentorship from GrubStreet’s Education Director and fellow instructors.

• Free access to the Muse and the Marketplace during the fellowship year and the option to lead a paid session at the conference.

• Access to additional GrubStreet events.

• A dedicated space at GrubStreet’s new home 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:

• Teaching one ten-week class.

• Teaching one six-week class.

• Teaching one week-long teen camp.

• Teaching one three-hour seminar (plus, the option to teach more for additional payment).

• 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 3rd, 2024 and runs through the end of August 2025.

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: GrubStreet’s programming is currently taking place both virtually and in-person. We hope fellows will be able to join us in-person later in 2024 and 2025. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston when it's safe to do so.

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:

• Deadline: Thursday, May 30th, 2024.

• Applications will be reviewed by a panel composed of GrubStreet’s program staff.

• Final decisions will be announced at the end of June.

• Program kicks off on September 3rd, 2024 and runs through the end of August 2025.

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

_____

Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets

Princeton University Press

DEADLINE: May 31, 2024

INFO: Starting in 1975, the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets quickly distinguished itself as one of the most important publishing projects of its kind, winning praise from critics and poets alike and bringing out landmark books by figures such as Robert Pinsky, Ann Lauterbach, and Jorie Graham. Relaunched in 2010 under the editorship of Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Paul Muldoon, edited from 2013 to 2023 by the poet and MacArthur fellow Susan Stewart, and now edited by the acclaimed poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips, the series continues to publish the best work of today’s emerging and established poets.

Submissions to the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets are accepted between May 1 and May 31 of each year. Please send a complete manuscript and an optional CV to contemporarypoets@press.princeton.edu.

press.princeton.edu/series/princeton-series-of-contemporary-poets

_____

EMERGING WRITER AWARDS

Key West Literary Seminar

DEADLINE: May 31, 2024 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 2025 Emerging Writer Awards. These awards recognize and support writers who possess exceptional talent and demonstrate potential for lasting literary careers.

Winners of the the Scotti Merrill Award, Cecelia Joyce Johnson Award, and Marianne Russo Award receive full tuition to our Writers' Workshop Program and the 42st annual Seminar, "Family," as well as round-trip airfare, full lodging support, and a $500 honorarium. Winning submissions will be published in our program book and recipients will have the opportunity to read their work on stage. To participate in both programs, award winners will be in Key West from January 5 - 13, 2025.

Each Emerging Writer Award is tailored to a particular literary form. The Merrill Award recognizes a poet, while fiction writers may apply for either the Johnson Award (short story) or the Russo Award (novel-in-progress). Poets and writers who have not yet published a book with a major publisher are eligible to apply.

GUIDELINES FOR THE SCOTT MERRILL AWARD FOR POETRY:

1. COVER LETTER: In approximately 350 words, please tell us about your background, motivations as a writer, and previous accomplishments.
    File name should adhere to the following model: “Lastname_Firstname_cover.doc” and your name should appear at the top-right-hand-corner of the page.

2. WRITING SAMPLE: Please submit 5 - 7 poems within one document. File name should adhere to the following model: “Title_of_First_Poem.doc” and your name should not appear on the manuscript.

3. 3. LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION: One letter of recommendation is required. In the application form below, you will be asked to provide an email address for your recommender. Once you submit the application, they will receive an email from Submittable with a link to upload the recommendation letter. We strongly suggest that you contact your recommender before you submit your application and alert them to expect this email as it sometimes ends up in spam. They may also send their recommendation directly to kschumann@kwls.org.

   *Applications missing the letter of recommendation are incomplete and will not be considered. Application deadline is May 30 and your letter of recommendation must be received no more than a week later.

Due to an increased volume of applications and our thorough review process, we are implementing a $12 application fee to cover review costs. Award winners will be notified by November 1.

ELIGIBILITY: Writers of any age who live in the United States and have not yet published a collection 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 may 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.submittable.com/submit

_____`

call for submissions: “Transition” Issue

Callaloo

DEADLINE: May 31, 2024 at 11:59pm

INFO: Callaloo invites submissions on the theme of “Transition”.

Transition: the only constant is change…

n. the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

v. undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition.

We like to believe that things are certain, static, reliable, when in fact everything is constantly in flux. At every moment, our bodies are aging, our children are growing up, our environment and the ground beneath our feet are shifting. We marry, we divorce, we move, we lose jobs or choose new ones, violence enters our lives, we get sick, we lose loved ones, we are failed by our leaders, we are surprised by good fortune. Sometimes the shifts are within us—like a discovery or a loss of faith—other times our world changes around us, leaving us in search of our center. With each shift, we grow and adapt, or we resist. 

Callaloo seeks scholarship, personal essays, fiction, poetry, and visual art focused on the question of how we grapple with or choose change, assimilate it, make ourselves anew in the face of it. Submissions might focus on (but should not be limited to):

• Political change, upheaval, transfer of power, and war

• Shifts in family structure

• Immigration, migration, changes in home and language

• Identity and allegiance: sociocultural, gender, racial, spiritual

• Crossing class/education barriers

• The natural environment/landscape/climate

• Birth, aging, illness, and death

• Sexual awakening, discovery

• Moving through developmental stages (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, senior years)

• The impact of technological and scientific discoveries

• Theft and loss

Articles should follow the MLA Style Guide (3rd edition).

callaloo.submittable.com/submit

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ISSUE 12 “EMBER”

Lucky Jefferson

DEADLINE: May 31, 2024 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Share nature-based poetry for our upcoming digital publication, Ember. This issue delves deep into humanity's intricate dance with the natural world.

Themes your work may explore:

• Wildfire Symbolism—Interpret the raw power, beauty, and devastation of wildfires as a metaphorical backdrop.

• Humanity's Control Over Nature—Explore our attempts to harness and manipulate the natural world, and the consequences thereof. Our

• Abuse of Nature—Convey the poignant narratives of nature's exploitation and the toll it takes on our planet.

• Our Appreciation and Obsession with Nature and Artifacts—Delve into our enduring fascination with the natural world and our creations, from the sublime to the mundane.

• Metaphorical Relation Between Wildfires and Personal Life/Struggles—Draw parallels between the wildfires of nature and more personal challenges, resilience, and transformation.

Examples of what we're looking for: K.yah | Saad: Toward an Open Poetics by Jake Skeets / Writing a Poem Is All I Can Do for You by Wu Sheng 

COMPENSATION (UPON ACCEPTANCE):   

• $15 — Haiku, Short Poems (<14 lines)

  • 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.  

luckyjefferson.submittable.com/submit

_____`

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FROM BIOPIC AUTISTIC WRITERS + ARTISTS

Lucky Jefferson

DEADLINE: May 31, 2024 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: BIPOC autistic writers and artists are invited to embrace their inner wildflowers by sharing poems, flash fiction, creative non-fiction, art, and more for this digital publication.

We invite you to:

• Describe the inner life and beauty of introspection/introvertedness

• Share experiences being on the spectrum

• Share experiences being a BIPOC artist or writer on the spectrum

• Share experiences with sexuality (and beyond) on the spectrum

Examples of what we're looking for: “When does the kosanba rest?” by Leslie McIntosh / bad road by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

COMPENSATION (UPON ACCEPTANCE):   

• $15 — Haiku, Short Poems (<14 lines), Micro Fiction (under 100-300 words)

  • SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD

• $25 — 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.  

luckyjefferson.submittable.com/submit

_____`

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: 'Awake' Zine - Issue 6, How We Make Fire

Lucky Jefferson

DEADLINE: May 31, 2024 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Awake is a digital zine and collection of work by Black authors that explores the power we each hold. For a second time, Awake, [Issue 6], will be in print!

Use the prompt below to complete your submission: 

What survival skills are necessary to exist?

Submit poetry, essays, creative nonfiction, and more, about your experiences outdoors and how Black people survive, thrive, navigate oppression and privilege in nature. 

*All poetic expressions are welcome (haikus, creative non-fiction, art, poetry, etc.)*

Examples of what we're looking for: The Bison Run with Chango by Frank X Walker / First Fire by Camille T. Dungy

COMPENSATION (UPON ACCEPTANCE):   

• $15 — Haiku, Short Poems (<14 lines), Micro Fiction (under 100-300 words)

  • SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD

• $25 — Prose, Short Story, Flash fiction, Creative-Nonfiction (under 1000 words)

  • SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD

• $50 — Hybrid, Experimental, Essays, Long-form pieces. (under 2000 words)

  • SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD

• $50 — 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.  

luckyjefferson.submittable.com/submit

_____

Calls for submissions: MQR Mixtape—DANGER, or: Speak Anyway

Michigan Quarterly

DEADLINE: May 31, 2024

INFO: In “Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work” Edwidge Danticat writes, “to create dangerously” means “to create fearlessly, boldly embracing the public and private terrors that would silence us, then bravely moving forward even when it feels as though we are chasing or being chased by ghosts.” To contend with the danger of the everyday demands courage and boldness, the doubt notwithstanding.

For this issue, MQR Mixtape seeks original, brave, and inventive work that bears witness to and reckons with human peril. We are particularly interested in work that troubles its genre, language, and the very idea of “danger” or speaking. For this issue, we seek honest work that contends with what impels them to stay silent but demands an unsilencing through art. What is the place of humor in works about imperiled lives? What does a dangerous story look like? What does a dangerous essay look like? What is the literary possibility of danger?

We want to know, so please submit: 

• Fiction: up to 5,000 words 

• Nonfiction: up to 4,500 words 

• Poetry: 1–4 poems, up to 6 pages total 

• Hybrid work, visual art and/or audiovisual: 250 word abstract and sample 

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.

GUEST EDITOR: Kabelo Sandile Motsoeneng has published fiction and literary journalism in Joyland, Lolwe, Prairie Schooner and others. Currently a Zell Fellow at the University of Michigan, Motsoeneng obtained his MFA in Fiction at the Helen Zell Writers’ Program and studied English and Human Rights Studies at Trinity College. Motsoeneng has been awarded the Avery Hopwood Prize in the Novel, the Frederick Busch Prize, among others. He’s currently working on a novel set in Johannesburg, where he grew up. 

sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/submit/

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “ALL MY LOVE'“ ISSUE

Plantin

DEADLINE: June 5, 2024

INFO: Plantin is an online illustrated magazine dedicated to becoming an un-gated platform for writers belonging to the Black immigrant experience.

Love is a wonderful, vital thing (especially in our current times). They are especially looking for work relating to queer/trans/non-binary expressions of love and romance or navigating queer dating and partnership.

Send short fiction or poetry about your OTP or the time all the signals magically connected.

plantinmag.com/Submit-1

_____

call for submissions: The Futurities Issue

Mizna

DEADLINE: June 6, 2024

INFO: Before speculative writing, we must have speculative thought. Before thinking and feeling into the future, we must acknowledge our past and bear witness to our catastrophic present.

We write this call amid an ongoing genocide in Gaza—a genocide occurring before the world’s eyes, enabled by the world’s powers, a genocide that will yield generations of incommensurable grief and consequences, and, as of today, a genocide with no end in sight, a genocide that intends never to look back on its own crimes. Gaza is not alone in facing catastrophe—in Sudan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Morocco, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, and elsewhere throughout the region and the world, people are facing forced displacement, devastating violence, economic precarities, and uncertain futures. In approaching the subject of SWANA futurities, we face the very real question: In a moment when the present is so urgent, why bother discussing or imagining any future at all? Our short answer is: Because apathy is an intended effect of the forces who want to eradicate our Palestinian kin and exhaust our efforts of resistance and solidarity.

As we embark on this project, it is crucial to name that this genocide emerges from the future-oriented, settler-colonial project of Zionism; a project which exemplifies how notions of utopia and futurity can be instrumentalized to serve fascist and genocidal intentions. Our present moment manifests from long histories of extractive capitalism and colonial ambition that have come to shape the realities of the SWANA region and beyond, and constrain our abilities to imagine futures without these systems in place. To sow fear for the future and helplessness in the present is precisely the point; to colonize time and portray the desired outcomes of empire as inevitabilities is precisely the point. These tactics that work to manage and anticipate the expansion of colonial power have stoked the rise of genocidal futurities spanning Manifest Destiny, the Translatlantic Slave Trade, world-scale European colonialism and fascism, and the various trajectories of diaspora, migration, and forced displacement that converge in our staff, artists, and communities. This includes the stolen Dakota land on which we live and work in Minnesota and the endurance of systemic racism and police brutality in the United States. In this sense we know we are not alone in facing precarity, and that the stakes of this work are high. 

The doomsday futurities that circulate throughout the SWANA region are not merely narratives; they alter the very fabric of how we move through time and space. In recent decades, the SWANA region has been dubbed the site of the “forever wars,” a barbaric desert locked in endless conflict, plagued by religious fundamentalism, and unable to “learn.” War itself demands a specific conceptualization of temporality, as urgency interrupts our relations to past and future, stretching the experience of the present into a looping, ruptured infinity. The region is also variegated in its projections and manifestations of futurity: oil-rich Gulf countries exploit migrant workers and decimate local ecosystems to consolidate wealth; governments brand themselves as progressive while curtailing populist movements. Elsewhere, Western military incursions and economic sanctions have likewise coopted SWANA futures and intensified present precarities in the name of “progress.”

We issue this call with faith in our ability to transform and imagine our futures, which are in fact undetermined, unsettled. In recent months, many have pointed to the joy and steadfastness of Palestinians amid incomparable catastrophe. In the words of Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, “Part of our resistance to the finality of genocide is for us to talk about tomorrow, plan for tomorrow, work on healing the wounds of our people. The aim of this war is that there would no Palestinian tomorrow. We own tomorrow. Tomorrow is a Palestinian day.”

The stakes of futurity

What dreams and tomorrows can we imagine that grapple with the urgencies of today? What forms of writing can intervene in the projections of unending trauma and destitution seemingly prescribed for the SWANA region and beyond—those narratives that compel us to assume a predetermined future? How can we, by writing imagined alternatives, reject the catastrophes we are condemned to and disrupt the systems of oppression that rely on deliverable forecasts of violence, dispossession, and immiseration? 

This issue is inspired by the literary, aesthetic, and chronopolitical movement of Afrofuturism. We resonate deeply with Afrofuturism’s concern, as Kodwo Eshun writes regarding the role of the artist in combating the Global North’s predatory and demoralizing forecasts of African and Afrodiasporic futurities, “with the possibilities for intervention within the dimension of the predictive, the projected, the proleptic, the envisioned, the virtual, the anticipatory and the future conditional . . . a space within which the critical work of manufacturing tools capable of intervention within the current political dispensation may be undertaken.” We are equally engaged with Indigenous futurisms, queer futurities, anti-capitalist Gulf Futurism, ecofuturism, and beyond. Situating ourselves in a constellation of proleptic liberation movements, we welcome any and all contributions from authors engaging with these and related modes of thought. Through speculative writing, we aim to foster conversations that shed the chains of colonial futurities, while also remaining lucid, creative, and rigorously attendant to the action that must take place in the present in order for such futures to be realized. 

We seek work that writes with the gravity of the fact that our present moment is the projected and sought future of the status quo. We seek work that takes seriously the need to intervene with agency and take action in the present if we ever wish to see a freer, alterable future. 

Who we are and what we seek

Mizna is a SWANA-run and -focused literary journal, and the work you submit should speak to our audience and mission. We welcome all SWANA peoples and those in community with us who seek to contribute interventions, incitements, speculations, and agitations geared to shift currents in collective action, imagination, morale, history, and plausibility through literature.

• Writing of all forms: Poetry, prose, short stories, essays, creative nonfiction, visual poetry, comix, songs, spells, manifestos. Work that writes against form or incorporates multiple forms.

• Speculative works rooted in our world but not necessarily taking place in the world we know. We are open to science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, magical realism, alternate history, utopia and dystopia, fairy tales, steampunk, cyberpunk, solarpunk, climate fiction, theory fiction, ecopoetics, and others related to this genre.

• More Octavia Butler, less Arthur C. Clarke.

• Works that look to the past for inspiration and can shift our thinking in the present. For example, reimaginings of SWANA folktales, myths, legends, and stories. 

• Historical fiction with speculative elements inspired by explorations of settings and conditions for revolutionary movements. For example: the Arab Workers Movement (Mouvement des Travailleurs Arabes) and the Black Panthers’ refuge in Algeria in the early ’70s.

• Works that give voice to, and create a platform for, minoritized peoples in Western and SWANA contexts alike. Please be aware of your positionality when submitting this type of work.

• Works that challenge the notions of progress and linear time.

We are not looking for:

• Indulgences in escapism, uncritical technocapitalist sci-fi, utopian projects collaborating with empire, or the over-intellectualization of liberatory struggles.

• Academic writing or term papers. Your work can be complex and theoretical, but it should be clear and legible to a nonacademic audience. Easy on the jargon!

• Visual art submissions.

General Submissions Guidelines

Submitters do not need to be SWANA- or Arab-identifying, but work submitted should be mindful of Mizna’s aesthetic and the social realities of our audiences, as well as be a contribution to ongoing conversations in and beyond our communities. 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) as the first page of your submission, 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.

mizna.org/literary/call-for-submissions-futurities/

POETRY — APRIL 2024

call for submissions: “Why I Stayed” anthology

Taevo Publishing

SUBMISSION PERIOD: April 1 - June 30, 2024

INFO: Taevo Publishing wants to elevate your voice and publish your story. One that explores the truths behind intimate partner violence from actual survivors. Raising awareness regarding domestic violence is very important to us at Taevo.

Why I Stayed will be an anthology of 40,000 – 50,000 words, edited by Tamara Mayo and a to-be-appointed editor, featuring stories from survivors of intimate partner violence.

This anthology will be part one of a two-part book series – the goal being to bring a deeper understanding and empathy to domestic violence victims, and to hopefully shift the narrative away from blaming the victim and using verbiage such as, “She’s choosing to stay in that relationship, so clearly she just wants it to happen…”

We welcome well-told stories that explore the truths about how domestic partner violence doesn’t start on a physical level – these stories should explore how the victim was first exposed to mental and emotional abuse that wore them down internally before any actual physical abuse began,

Note: Book Two is entitled, “Why I Left”, and is a celebration of how survivors overcame and found the strength to leave their abusive situations. Authors who are accepted for the first anthology will need to submit a separate piece when submissions open for that book.

Own voices and diversity

At Taevo Publishing, we want people of all backgrounds to be heard – this includes men who may have found themselves in a domestic violence situation yet are ashamed to admit it for fear of being labeled “weak”.

We understand the sensitive nature of this topic and the need for some writers to use a pen name or pseudonym for privacy or safety purposes. Usage of a pseudonym is permitted. 

No AI-generated pieces

While we champion innovation and the advantages that AI offers, we will not accept AI-generated or AI-edited pieces.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

What you can submit:

• Memoir excerpts up to 2,500 words

• Short stories up to 3,000 words – we understand that some writers do not want to reveal their names or may need to change the names of those involved in order to avoid retaliation. This is not only permitted but encouraged.

• Black-and-white art illustrations

• Poetry – Up to 50 lines

• No simultaneous submissions

• Reprints are OK

• Multiple submissions from one author are OK

If you feel you have a story or illustration that fits this anthology but doesn’t fit the guidelines perfectly, please do not self-reject your piece. We highly recommend that you submit it and give us the opportunity to see it first.

COMPENSATION:

We are paying a flat rate per submission.

• $100 per memoir excerpt

• $100 per short story

• $50 per poem

• $50-$100 per illustration (it depends on the size and complexity of the image)

HOW TO SUBMIT:

To ensure that your manuscript is not auto-rejected, please follow these guidelines:

• Write a brief cover letter describing yourself and your story.

If your submission does not meet the exact guidelines above, please explain how

For memoirs, short stories, or poems:

• Format your story according to SMF (standard manuscript format). Need an example? Here’s a link to a comprehensive sample of how to format your manuscript.

• Save your document in Word, Open Office, or as a plain text document

• Name the document file as: “Author Name – Title of Story or Poem”

For art:

• Save your work in .PNG, Photoshop, or Illustrator format

• Name the document file as: “Artist Name – Title of Piece”

Email submissions@taevopublishing.com with the following:

• Subject: Why I Stayed Anthology Submission: “Title of the Piece”

• Body: Put your cover letter here

• Attachment: The piece you’re submitting

Note: If you need special accommodation for your submission, or if certain aspects of the guidelines cannot be fulfilled due to accessibility needs, please email us. Taevo Publishing wants our anthology submission call to be open to everyone. We are always happy to assist.

taevopublishing.com/why-i-stayed-anthology-submission/

_____

CREATIVE CAPITAL GRANTS

Creative Capital

DEADLINE: April 4, 2024

INFO: For our 25th Anniversary, Creative Capital welcomes innovative and original new project proposals in visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms.

The Creative Capital Award provides unrestricted project grants which can be drawn down over a multi-year period, bespoke professional development services, and community-building opportunities.

Grants are awarded via a democratic, national, open call, external review process. Our goal is to fund individual artists creating conceptually, aesthetically, and formally challenging, risk-taking, and never-before-seen projects.

GRANT APPLICATION DETAILS:

Creative Capital is committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what art can be. As Creative Capital Awardees have demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in a myriad of artistic forms and practices. We invite artists to propose experimental, original, bold projects in the visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms which push boundaries formally and/or thematically. 

We invite artists to select a primary discipline for their proposals based on which 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. By choosing to apply within a certain disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you want to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate your project proposal.

2025: 50 Grants 

• Visual Arts: including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, architecture, design, multimedia, installation, video art, performance art, new genres, craft, and socially engaged, and/or sustainable visual art-based practices

  1. Performing Arts: including dance, theater (new theatrical work, playwriting), jazz, music, opera, singing, and socially engaged and/or sustainable performing arts-based practices

  2. Film/Moving Image: including experimental film, short film, animation, documentary film, narrative film, and socially engaged and/or sustainable film/moving image-based practices

  3. Technology: including augmented reality/virtual reality, bio art, data visualization, hardware, software, digital media, internet art, and socially engaged and/or sustainable technology-based practices

  4. Literature: including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and socially engaged and/or sustainable literature-based practices

APPLICATION CYCLE:

ROUND I: Tell us your idea. Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

Along with your project title, one line project description (25 words max), project description (250 words max), resume (1 page max), and artist website (if applicable), please answer the following questions:

1. How does your project take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? Please be as specific as possible. (150 words)

2. Please place your work in context so we may better evaluate it. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? Please use concrete examples, which may include other artists’ work, art movements, cultural heritage, science, philosophy, research/work from outside the arts field, etc. (150 words)

3. What kind of impact—artistic, intellectual, communal, civic, social, political, environmental, etc.—do you hope your project will have? What strategies will you employ to achieve the desired impact? (100 words)

4. Who are the specific audiences/communities that you hope to engage through this project? Please think beyond the broader art community where possible. How are you hoping to reach them? (100 words)

5. How might your proposed project act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? In what ways is it a pivotal moment in your practice? (100 words)

6. In addition to funding, Creative Capital also provides scaffolding and support services for awardees (such as expert consultations, gatherings, alumni network, workshops). How would our non-monetary services help you to realize your goals for this project and/or your long-term artistic and professional growth? (100 words)

ROUND II: Project Details

1. Project itemized budget (1 page)

2. Project timeline (1 page)

3. Work samples (see application handbook for guidelines)

ROUND III: Final Panel Review

1. Submit proof of eligibility. 

2. Confirm collaborators (if applicable)

3. Project updates (optional, 100 words max)

Full application guidelines are outlined in the Application Handbook.

All applications are reviewed by external reviewers who are scholars, curators, artists, past awardees, and experts in the field. The final recommendations for the awards are reviewed and then ratified by our Board. Awardees are announced in January 2025. Under no circumstances will the reasons for the rejection of an application be provided.

Any awarded projects which are directly related to any of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals will have the opportunity to have the “Way” or the icon of that UN Sustainable Development goal attached to their project on the Creative Capital website in effort to advance the global dialogue around these critical issues impacting the future of our communities, our planet, and beyond. In keeping with the spirit of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, we too have an expansive definition of “sustainability” that goes far beyond climate change and the environmental challenges we face—including: good health and wellbeing, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, life on land, and peace, justice, and strong institutions.

2025 CREATIVE CAPITAL GRANT TIMELINE:

These dates may change.

• March 4 to April 4, 2024: Letter of Inquiries (LOI) accepted

• April 4, 2024 4:00 PM Eastern Time / New York Time: LOI deadline

• June 2024: Notification of advancement to Round II

• September 2024: Notification of advancement to Final Panel Review

• January 2025: Public announcement of 2025 Creative Capital Awards

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY:

• US citizen, permanent legal resident, or O-1 visa holder

• At least 25 years old

• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice

• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program

• May not apply to the 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

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional

• Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business

• Curation or documentation of existing work

• Projects that will be completed before January, 2025.

JUROR INFORMATION:

Creative Capital invites regional, national, and international experts in a wide range of disciplines to serve in our review process. External reviewers are offered honoraria for their time and expertise. All external reviewer names are confidential until the awards are announced.

creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award

_____

2025 Cave canem prize

Cave Canem

APPLICATION PERIOD: April 8 - May 13, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: The Cave Canem Prize is awarded annually to the best debut collection of poems by a Black poet. At some point, all poets face the challenge of communicating their work beyond the first manuscript. To assist Black poets in surmounting that obstacle, Cave Canem established the Prize and created a direct route to: Graywolf Press; University of Pittsburgh Press; and University of Georgia Press.  

AWARD: Winner receives $10,000, publication by Graywolf Press in fall 2025, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading.

ELIGIBILITY: All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora. Authors of chapbooks and self-published books with a maximum print-run of 500 may apply. Simultaneous submission to other book awards should be noted: immediate notification upon winning such an award is required. Winner agrees to be present in the continental United States at her or his own expense shortly after the book is published in order to participate in promotional reading(s). 

EXCLUSIONS: Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the Board of Cave Canem Foundation or Graywolf Press; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Graywolf Press are ineligible. If any of the selected authors fall under the above exclusions, they will be disqualified and a replacement will be chosen from among the submissions. As the poetry community is small and the contest is judged without knowledge of the submitter’s identity, acquaintance with the judge or participation in a workshop taught by the judge are not disqualifying criteria.  

GUIDELINES:

• Manuscripts must be submitted via Submittable. Hard copy submissions will not be considered.

• One manuscript per poet.

• Upload manuscript as a .docx or .pdf document. Include a title page with the title only and table of contents. Author's name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document.

• Include a cover letter in the Submittable text box—DO NOT include within the .docx or .pdf document of the manuscript. Cover letter should include author’s brief bio (200 words, maximum) and list of acknowledgments of previously published poems.

• Manuscript must be paginated and 60 - 75 pages in length, inclusive of title page and table of contents. A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted.

• Manuscripts not adhering to submission guidelines will not be considered.

• Post-submission revisions or corrections are not permitted.

 Questions? Contact us at programs@ccpoets.org.

JUDGE: Natasha Trethewey  served two terms as the 19th Poet Laureate of the United States. She is the author of five collections of poetry, including Native Guard—for which she was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize—and Domestic Work, winner of the inaugural Cave Canem Poetry Prize. She’s also the author of a book of non-fiction, Beyond Katrina; a memoir, Memorial Drive, an instant New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award; and The House of Being, a meditation on writing. A Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets since 2019, Trethewey was awarded the 2020 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt Prize in Poetry for Lifetime Achievement from the Library of Congress, and in 2022 she was the William B. Hart Poet in Residence at the American Academy in Rome. At Northwestern University, she is Board of Trustees Professor of English.

cavecanem.submittable.com/submit

_____

2024 GULF COAST PRIZES

Gulf Coast Journal

DEADLINE: April 10, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $26

INFO: The 2024 Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction are now officially open.

Our final judges this year will be Zaina Arafat (Fiction), Monica Youn (Poetry), and Edgar Gomez (Nonfiction).

AWARD: The contest awards $1,500 and publication in Gulf Coast to the winner in each genre. Two honorable mentions in each genre are awarded $250. All entries are considered for publication and the entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast.

Entries for the Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction and Nonfiction should be a single prose work not exceeding 7,000 words. Entrants for the Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry may submit up to five poems not exceeding 10 total pages in length. We only accept submissions via Submittable.

Entrants may submit more than once or in more than one genre, but each new entry must be accompanied by a separate $26 entry fee.

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• Submit your work as a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

• Only previously unpublished work will be considered.

• The contest will be judged blindly, so please do not include your cover letter, your name, or any contact information in the uploaded document. This information should only be pasted in the “Comments” field in Submittable.

• Submittable accepts all major credit cards for the $26 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast.

gulfcoastmag.org/contests/gulf-coast-prize

_____

BAC 2024 FALL MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCY

Bethany Arts Community

DEADLINE: April 10, 2024 by 11:59pm 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 sessions, September 23 to October 7 and October 18 to November 4, 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 included during the residency, Bethany Arts Community is only able to accommodate for vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, dairy-free, and/or gluten-free diets. We are currently unable to accommodate severe allergies (celiac's disease, tree nut allergy, peanut allergy, etc.) and other commonly-used ingredient allergies (garlic, allium allergy, etc). Please contact submit@bethanyarts.org with any questions or help making arrangements if you have an allergy.

Artist team applications will only be considered for groups up to 3 members. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Application Deadline: April 10, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST 

• Letters of Recommendation Deadline: April 17, 2024 at 11:59PM EST

As letters of recommendation (LORs) are sent out at the time of application submission, we give applicants another week to ensure that their LORs are in. Please ensure your LORs are submitted by this deadline to be considered for this residency.

• Notifications: May 28, 2024

We're having two Q&A sessions for this residency application on March 27 & April 3, 2024 from 5-6PM EST. If you're interested in attending, please email submit@bethanyarts.org for the Zoom link. Attending these sessions will not impact the selection process for residency.

bethanyarts.submittable.com/submit/290581/bac-2024-fall-multidisciplinary-residency

_____

SUBMISSIONS CALL: THE COMMUTER

Electric Literature

DEADLINE: April 14, 2024 (or until the submission cap of 750 is reached)

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.

electricliterature.submittable.com/submit

_____

Jerome Hill Artist Fellowships

Jerome Foundation

DEADLINE: April 15, 2024 by 4:00pm CT / 5:00pm ET

INFO: Jerome Hill Artist Fellowships support early career Minnesota- and New York City-based generative artists who take creative risks in exploring, expanding, imagining, or re-imagining creative practices and experiences; reclaiming or reviving traditional forms in original ways; and/or questioning, challenging, or disrupting cultural norms.

Jerome Foundation seeks to support artists who are creating, developing, and presenting imaginative work that is deeply considered, presented with technical skill, is compelling, and offers a distinctive vision and authentic voice. This three-year Fellowship supports artists who embrace their roles as part of a larger community of artists and citizens, and consciously work with a sense of service and responsibility.

Support is directed to early career artists, which Jerome Foundation defines as within their 2nd–10th year as a generative artist.

Fellows receive $60,000 over three consecutive years ($20,000 each year) to support their time and expenses for the creation of new work, artistic development and/or professional artistic career development. The Foundation expects to award a total of 45 fellowships across 7 artistic fields.

jeromefdn.org/jerome-hill-artist-fellowship

_____`

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: POETRY

Shenandoah

READING PERIOD OPENS: April 15, 2024

INFO: Poetry submissions, considered by editor Lesley Wheeler, should contain up to five pieces and not more than ten pages total. Lesley reads for power, surprise, intelligence, big-heartedness, craftiness, mystery, and risky strangeness.

Please send three to five of the poems you consider your most urgent work. 

If individual poems need to be withdrawn, please send us an email at shenandoah@wlu.edu.  

PAYMENT & COPYRIGHT:

We believe your work has incredible value. We pay our contributors at the rate of $100 per poem, $80 per 1000 words of prose up to $400, and $40 per page of comics up to $400. 

We buy first North American Serial Rights, and rights to the work revert to the author after publication. As a courtesy, we ask writers to note Shenandoah as the first place of publication when the work is anthologized, reprinted, or otherwise made public through another format.

shenandoahliterary.org/submissions/

_____`

Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency

Adirondack Center for Writing

APPLICATION PERIOD: April 15 – May 19, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $30  

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 (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, but limited (email ; Zoom ). Most cell phones will not work (a landline is available).

Covid-19 Requirements: Proof of vaccination is required. Residents who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons will be required to provide proof of negative test upon arrival and can contact ACW with any COVID-19-related questions: info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org.

IMPORTANT DATES: 

• Residency Dates: September 22 – October 6, 2024

• Notification: July, 2024

FEE: There is no cost to attend the residency.

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.

adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency/

_____`

2024 Poetry Contest

BOMB

DEADLINE: April 15, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

READING FEE: $30

INFO: BOMB's Biennial Poetry Contest returns. We're honored to have Monica Youn judge our biennial poetry contest! Youn—whose most recent collection, From From, was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award—will select one winner to receive a $1,000 prize and publication in BOMB's quarterly magazine.

The winner and finalists will be announced in July 2024.

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• Manuscripts may contain no more than five poems and no more than ten pages.

• Work must be uploaded via Submittable, which will be active on March 1. Subscribe to BOMB's newsletter to be notified.

• All entries will be considered anonymously. Do not include your name on manuscript pages. Non-anonymous 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 begin with BOMB's summer issue, arriving on newsstands June 15. Current subscribers to BOMB will receive details on discounted entry via email.

• Work must be previously unpublished.

• Simultaneous submissions are permitted as long as you notify us if your piece is accepted elsewhere, but the fee is nonrefundable.

• Email firstproof@bombsite.com with any questions.

ABOUT THE GUEST JUDGE:

Monica Youn is the author of From From, a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award, and three previous poetry collections: Blackacre, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Barter, and Ignatz, also a finalist for the National Book Award. The daughter of Korean immigrants and a former lawyer, she is a member of the Racial Imaginary Institute and teaches at the University of California, Irvine.

bombmagazine.org

_____

2024-2025 BALDWIN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Baldwin For The Arts

DEADLINE: April 15, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: The mission of Baldwin For The Arts is to support the creation of art that reflects the lived experiences of African, Asian, Caribbean, Indigenous, Hispanic/ Latino/a/x, and dual-heritage backgrounds.

A Baldwin Fellowship consists of a one-week private residency that includes exclusive use of a solo workspace, living accommodations, and three prepared meals per day. Unless you are accepted with an artistic partner to work on a joint project, please note that you will be the only artist-in-residence during the duration of your Fellowship.

DISCIPLINES:

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.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• April 15: Application Period Ends

• April 30: References due

• Mid-June: Interviews Scheduled for Final Round Applicants

• Mid-July: Baldwin Fellows Announced

COST: Jacqueline Woodson created Baldwin For The Arts, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization to offer no-cost residencies for literary, performance, visual and interdisciplinary artists of the Global Majority. To ensure Baldwin Fellowships are as accessible as possible, we cover all costs for accepted Fellows including travel, room and board, all meals, artistic workspace and a modest budget for related materials and supplies.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

In addition to being an artist of the Global Majority, applicants should note that all applications must be submitted through SlideRoom and will require:

• a [X-word] description of proposed project;

• a brief description of proposed project;

• an artist resume that lists education and/or training, relevant experience, awards and achievements, and other residencies attended;

• Name and contact info for (1) professional reference and (1) peer reference;

• sample(s) of current and/or past work (varies depending on discipline); and

• A $25 non-refundable application processing fee paid online by debit or credit card. Please note that application fee waivers are available.

• If your application makes it to the final round, you will be required to participate in a virtual interview with the application committee in June.

Currently, Baldwin For The Arts only provides Fellowships for artists of the Global Majority who reside in the US and Canada.

baldwinforthearts.org/apply

_____

Witches & Warriors Retreat

Brew + Forge

DEADLINE: April 16, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Witches & Warriors Retreat is a program for BIPOC poets and movement workers to learn, write, and dream together.

Bringing together the radical creativity of poets with the audacity and expertise of activists, this biennial retreat gathers six poets and six activists from across the Northeast and Mid Atlantic US. Activities include workshops, discussions, writing sessions with faculty mentors, rest and play time, and a public reading/celebration. Fellows are asked to take what they learn at the retreat back to their communities through an public event or project, seeding new ideas for creative movement-building throughout our region.

Aurielle Marie and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha will serve as faculty for the 2024 retreat.

DATES: Friday, August 16 through Monday, August 19, 2024

LOCATION: Prindle Pond Conference Center, 19 Harrington Rd, Charlton, MA

WHO THIS RETREAT IS FOR: BIPOC poets, organizers, activists, and movement workers based in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic US who are interested in the intersection of poetry and social justice organizing/movement building. Participants must be age 16 or older.​

RETREAT ACTIVITIES:

• Daily workshops taught by faculty

• Discussions on the past, present, and future of the interplay between arts and organizing

• Presentations of participant work, including a public reading by faculty

• Collaborative writing sessions

• Free time and fun activities, including swimming, hiking, yoga, games, and karaoke.

COST: There is no fee to attend the Witches & Warriors Retreat! Participants will be reimbursed for travel costs up to $150.

HOW TO APPLY: The application includes a 5-7 page work sample and three short answer questions (500 word max for each).

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Eligibility and contact information, including a 150 word bio.

2. A work sample:

• For poets: 5-7 pages of poems that represent your work.

• For organizers: Descriptions and/or photos of up to 3 actions, protests, or events you organized. Text should be double spaced, 5 pages max.

• If you work in both disciplines, you are welcome to upload up to 3 pages of work or up to 3 links in the discipline other than the one you’re applying under (e.g., 3 pages of poems if you’re applying as an organizer).

3. Essay Responses (500 words max for each answer):

• We are looking for people who are interested in the project of community building. What are the groups–formal and informal–that you are involved in? Who would you bring back your learnings to?

• What is your experience in working at the intersection between the arts and organizing/activism/social justice movement-building?

• What do you hope to get out of this retreat?

brewandforge.com

_____

Emerging Writer Fellowships

Miami Book Fair

DEADLINE: April 30, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: Miami Book Fair’s Emerging Writer Fellowships program offers a life-changing experience to fresh literary voices. Three program recipients will enjoy critical mentorship from a nationally established author in their respective genre, as well as a host of other strategic supports.

EWF supports developing writers who demonstrate exceptional talent and promise by providing them with time, space, and an intellectually and culturally rich artistic community. The program’s goal is to actively support these writers – who are working to complete a book-length project within a year – and help them launch their literary careers. Emerging Writer fellows are granted professional experience in arts administration, teaching creative writing, and other opportunities; a $50,000 stipend; and strong literary community support to allow for 12 glorious months of uninterrupted time to craft their works.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

• List of Application Materials Needed

• Proposal for manuscript-in-progress

• Statement of need

• Manuscript sample

• CV

• Recommendation letters (2)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Applicant may apply only once per submission cycle, regardless of genre.

• Only online submissions are accepted through our submission manager, Submittable. Applicants may verify the receipt of their manuscripts by logging into Submittable.

• Miami Book Fair assumes no responsibility for manuscripts not received due to user error. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application early.

• There is no fee to apply.

• Aside from the Submittable Cover Page, there should be no identifying information in any of the submitted materials.

• Academic Nonfiction, Translations, Graphic Narratives, Children’s Literature and Young People’s Literature (including Middle Grade and Young Adult), and Film or Play Scripts are not eligible.

FORMATTING GUIDELINES:

• The following materials must be submitted (acceptable files are PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF). There should be no identifying information in any of these materials. Any applications that do not comply with this strict formatting will be immediately disqualified. Application file must include:

• Proposal to complete a manuscript-in-progress that can be feasibly completed within the year-long fellowship (not to exceed one single-spaced page). Must include synopsis of project. Name the document [PROPOSAL_GENRE_MANUSCRIPT_TITLE]. (example: Proposal_Fiction_Beloved) Within the body of the document there should be no identifying information (this includes your name).

• Statement of need: Tell us why it is important that you receive this fellowship now. Name the document [STATEMENT_GENRE_MANUSCRIPT_TITLE]. (example: Statement_Fiction_Beloved)

• Sample of manuscript-in-progress (paginated, include title of manuscript in header):

• Prose: 50-70 pages in Times New Roman, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.

• Poetry: 20-30 pages in Times New Roman, single-spaced (unless style requires special formatting)

• Name the document [GENRE_MANUSCRIPT_TITLE].doc (example: Fiction_Beloved.doc)

• CV (education, professional experience, full publication list, honors and awards, etc.). Name the document [LASTNAME]_[FIRSTNAME]_CV.doc (example: Smith_Jane_CV.doc) Within the body of the document there should be no identifying information (this includes your name).

• Applicant must also request that two (2) recommendation letters be submitted online or emailed to Ismery Pavon at Ipavon@mdc.edu within seven (7) calendar days after the application deadline.

• Letters of recommendations should include information relevant to writing, dedication, any relevant strengths, and skills regarding the applicant’s writing, work ethic, and ability to engage with community.

• Letters of recommendations can include college professors, mentors, and anyone who can speak for the applicant’s writing, work ethic, skills, and community involvement.

• Applicants should provide this link to recommenders so they can directly upload their recommendation letter by the deadline: https://mdc.formstack.com/forms/emerging_writer_fellowships_letter_of_recommendations

miamibookfair.com/fellowships/emerging-writer-fellowships-submission-guidelines/

_____

Call for submissions Issue 9.2

Foglifter

DEADLINE: May 1, 2024

INFO: Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it.

We provide a path to representation for a broad selection of LGBTQ+ voices, centering queer and trans literary artists of color, youth, elders, and those beyond traditional LGBTQ+ cultural centers so that our readers and audiences can see their own experiences authentically represented through queer and trans literary arts.

We believe that queer and trans people must curate our own artistic discourses and we curate with a commitment to not perpetuate harm in our communities and recognize our responsibilities as editors to uplift the voices of queer and trans people while not punching down on those of us who live at the intersection of multiple oppressed identities.

GUIDELINES:

Title your submission with the title of the work(s) you are submitting (separated by commas).

Include a 50-word or less bio (with pronouns after your name, please!) in your cover letter. (If accepted, we will request an author photo; JPG or PNG files are best.)

We accept the following unpublished unsolicited submissions:

• 3 to 5 poems (max 5 pages)

• up to 7500 words of fiction or nonfiction (up to three flash fiction pieces)

• up to 20 pages of cross-genre work, text-image hybrids, or drama

All submissions must be uploaded as one DOC or DOCX file using the following titling convention: First_Last_Foglifter (i.e., Audre_Lorde_Foglifter)

• We accept simultaneous submissions; however, please withdraw your piece immediately if it is accepted elsewhere (or, if you only need to withdraw part of a submission, send us a message in Submittable).

• Only one submission per genre is permitted each reading period.

• We do not accept previously published material.

• We welcome translated work in all genres, provided rights have been secured before submission. (Both author and translator will receive an honorarium.)

• If we've recently accepted your work, please wait two reading periods (1 year) to submit again.

• Contributors receive two copies of the issue in which they appear and a $50 honorarium (via PayPal).

foglifter.submittable.com/submit

_____

Singapore Poetry Contest

Singapore Unbound / Gaudy Boy

DEADLINE: May 6, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: In conjunction with Gaudy Boy’s April 2024 publication of Jeddie Sophronius’s Interrogation Records, the winner of the Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize, SUSPECT is holding the 10th Singapore Poetry Contest with a call for submissions inspired by the title of this extraordinary book of poems.

We are looking for poems that use the word “interrogation” in imaginative ways. The poems may be on any theme, but they will be judged for the creative use of the word “interrogation” as much as they will be for overall excellence. The word “interrogation” may be used in any of its forms, such as “interrogate,” “interrogates,” and “interrogated,” but synonyms will not be accepted.

The contest is open to everyone, living anywhere.

Please submit a maximum of three poems. Only unpublished poems will be considered. Posting on weblog, Facebook, and other social media does not constitute publication. No simultaneous submissions, please. Email your submission to Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org. The poem(s) must be pasted into the body of the email, together with a short cover letter giving your name, mailing address, and brief biographical note.

Results will be announced in July, 2024. We ask for non-exclusive rights to publication on the SUSPECT website and subsequent print anthologies, if any.

PRIZE: Awards of USD $300, $200, and $100 will go to the top three winners. The winning poems will be published on SUSPECT; non-winning poems will be considered for publication as well.

JUDGE: This year’s judge is the winner of the 2023 Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize, Jeddie Sophronius. Jeddie Sophronius is the author of the poetry collections Interrogation Records (Gaudy Boy, 2024), Happy Poems & Other Lies (Codhill/SUNY Press, 2024), Love & Sambal (The Word Works, 2024), and the chapbook Blood·Letting (Quarterly West, 2023). A Chinese-Indonesian writer from Jakarta, they received their MFA from the University of Virginia, where they currently serve as a lecturer in English. Their poems have appeared in The Cincinnati Review, The Iowa Review, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere. Read more of their work at nakedcentaur.com.

singaporeunbound.org/opp/10th-singapore-poetry-contest

_____

Marble House Project

DEADLINE: May 6, 2024 by 11:59pm EST

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 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. 

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 three times over the course of their residency, Monday-Friday. . Each session culminates with a short video interview and artists are invited to 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. 

RESIDENCY DATES FOR 2025

• March 11th - April 1st

• April 6th - April 29th

• May 6th - May 27th

• June 3rd - June 24th

• July 8th - July 22nd. Parent / Artist Residency

Parent artist residency. This residency is only for parent artists who will be attending with their children. Children must be four years old by the start of the residency. Please note that if you only apply for this residency it is very competitive. If you choose other dates you will also be considered for those as well.  To find out more about the family friendly residency please visit http://www.marblehouseproject.org/residencyprograms/

• October 7th - October 28th

• November 3 - November 24th

marblehouseproject.submittable.com/submit

POETRY — MARCH 2024

Creative Capital GRANTS

Creative Capital

APPLICATION PERIOD: March 4 - April 4, 2024

INFO: For our 25th Anniversary, Creative Capital welcomes innovative and original new project proposals in visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms.

The Creative Capital Award provides unrestricted project grants which can be drawn down over a multi-year period, bespoke professional development services, and community-building opportunities.

Grants are awarded via a democratic, national, open call, external review process. Our goal is to fund individual artists creating conceptually, aesthetically, and formally challenging, risk-taking, and never-before-seen projects.

GRANT APPLICATION DETAILS:

Creative Capital is committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what art can be. As Creative Capital Awardees have demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in a myriad of artistic forms and practices. We invite artists to propose experimental, original, bold projects in the visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms which push boundaries formally and/or thematically. 

We invite artists to select a primary discipline for their proposals based on which 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. By choosing to apply within a certain disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you want to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate your project proposal.

2025: 50 Grants 

• Visual Arts: including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, architecture, design, multimedia, installation, video art, performance art, new genres, craft, and socially engaged, and/or sustainable visual art-based practices

  1. Performing Arts: including dance, theater (new theatrical work, playwriting), jazz, music, opera, singing, and socially engaged and/or sustainable performing arts-based practices

  2. Film/Moving Image: including experimental film, short film, animation, documentary film, narrative film, and socially engaged and/or sustainable film/moving image-based practices

  3. Technology: including augmented reality/virtual reality, bio art, data visualization, hardware, software, digital media, internet art, and socially engaged and/or sustainable technology-based practices

  4. Literature: including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and socially engaged and/or sustainable literature-based practices

APPLICATION CYCLE:

ROUND I: Tell us your idea. Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

Along with your project title, one line project description (25 words max), project description (250 words max), resume (1 page max), and artist website (if applicable), please answer the following questions:

1. How does your project take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? Please be as specific as possible. (150 words)

2. Please place your work in context so we may better evaluate it. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? Please use concrete examples, which may include other artists’ work, art movements, cultural heritage, science, philosophy, research/work from outside the arts field, etc. (150 words)

3. What kind of impact—artistic, intellectual, communal, civic, social, political, environmental, etc.—do you hope your project will have? What strategies will you employ to achieve the desired impact? (100 words)

4. Who are the specific audiences/communities that you hope to engage through this project? Please think beyond the broader art community where possible. How are you hoping to reach them? (100 words)

5. How might your proposed project act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? In what ways is it a pivotal moment in your practice? (100 words)

6. In addition to funding, Creative Capital also provides scaffolding and support services for awardees (such as expert consultations, gatherings, alumni network, workshops). How would our non-monetary services help you to realize your goals for this project and/or your long-term artistic and professional growth? (100 words)

ROUND II: Project Details

1. Project itemized budget (1 page)

2. Project timeline (1 page)

3. Work samples (see application handbook for guidelines)

ROUND III: Final Panel Review

1. Submit proof of eligibility. 

2. Confirm collaborators (if applicable)

3. Project updates (optional, 100 words max)

Full application guidelines are outlined in the Application Handbook.

All applications are reviewed by external reviewers who are scholars, curators, artists, past awardees, and experts in the field. The final recommendations for the awards are reviewed and then ratified by our Board. Awardees are announced in January 2025. Under no circumstances will the reasons for the rejection of an application be provided.

Any awarded projects which are directly related to any of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals will have the opportunity to have the “Way” or the icon of that UN Sustainable Development goal attached to their project on the Creative Capital website in effort to advance the global dialogue around these critical issues impacting the future of our communities, our planet, and beyond. In keeping with the spirit of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, we too have an expansive definition of “sustainability” that goes far beyond climate change and the environmental challenges we face—including: good health and wellbeing, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, life on land, and peace, justice, and strong institutions.

2025 CREATIVE CAPITAL GRANT TIMELINE:

These dates may change.

• March 4 to April 4, 2024: Letter of Inquiries (LOI) accepted

• April 4, 2024 4:00 PM Eastern Time / New York Time: LOI deadline

• June 2024: Notification of advancement to Round II

• September 2024: Notification of advancement to Final Panel Review

• January 2025: Public announcement of 2025 Creative Capital Awards

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY:

• US citizen, permanent legal resident, or O-1 visa holder

• At least 25 years old

• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice

• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program

• May not apply to the 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

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional

• Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business

• Curation or documentation of existing work

• Projects that will be completed before January, 2025.

JUROR INFORMATION:

Creative Capital invites regional, national, and international experts in a wide range of disciplines to serve in our review process. External reviewers are offered honoraria for their time and expertise. All external reviewer names are confidential until the awards are announced.

creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award

_____

Emerging Writer Fellowship

GrubStreet

DEADLINE: March 11, 2024

INFO: 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:

• 4 multi-week courses

• 4 one-day (6hr) classes

• 4 three-hour seminars

• Access to a wide selection Muse & the Marketplace conference series programming

• Access to GrubStreet's Education Director and/or other program staff members for quarterly (or as-needed) office hours for personalized mentorship. (Not Required) 

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. 

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).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do I need to have a college degree to qualify for this fellowship?
No! The fellowship is open to anyone with a dedication and passion for writing, regardless of education level. If you are committed to your personal growth as a writer, then apply!

If I win this fellowship, do I have to quit my job? Are the classes full time?
The short answer is no. Our flexible class schedule is designed to work around people’s jobs! We offer classes in the morning, evening, and on weekends that you can choose from. However, we do expect the fellows to take full advantage of the courses, as well as attend our Muse & the Marketplace Conference, so you should plan for and commit to a steady amount of writing, homework, and immersion in GrubStreet’s community throughout the fellowship year.

What if I came to writing later in life? Is there an age restriction to this fellowship?
There’s no age restriction for the fellowship! Adult students at GrubStreet range from 18-year-olds to folks over 80. The fellowship is open to the same range of ages.

Are any genres preferred?
We are open to all genres of writing. Current and previous fellows have taken courses in short fiction, novel, nonfiction, magical realism, sci-fi & fantasy, and screenwriting, among others. However, applications that show a cohesive vision of how the applicant would take advantage of the classes to develop their work tend to stand out during our decision-making process.

grubstreet.org/programs/emerging-writer-fellowship

_____

CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS: POETRY

The National Endowment for the Arts

DEADLINE: March 13, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement.

Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process in which the criteria for review are the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the submitted writing sample. Through this program, the NEA seeks to sustain and nurture a diverse range of creative writers at various stages of their careers and to continue to expand the portfolio of American art.

The NEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and fostering mutual support for the diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups.

The program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. For FY 2025, which is covered by these guidelines, fellowships in poetry are available. Fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) will be offered in FY 2026 and guidelines will be available in January 2025. You may apply only once each year.

Competition for fellowships is extremely rigorous. We typically receive more than 1,600 applications each year in this category and award fellowships to fewer than 3% of applicants.

WE DO NOT FUND:

• Individuals who previously received two or more Literature Fellowships (poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowships from the NEA.

• Individuals who received any Literature Fellowship (poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts on or after January 1, 2016.

• News reporting.

• Scholarly writing. (Writers who are engaged in scholarly work may wish to contact the National Endowment for the Humanities.)

• Work toward academic degrees.

DEADLINE + ANNOUNCEMENT DATES:

You must submit applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. The Grants.gov system must receive your validated and accepted application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 13, 2024. Late applications are not accepted.

Expect notification of awards and rejections no sooner than December 2024. The fellowship period may begin any time between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, and extend for up to two years.

arts.gov/grants/creative-writing-fellowships/program-description

_____

Summer 2024 Virtual Workshops

VONA

DEADLINE: March 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

FEES:

• Application Fee: $30.00 

• Workshop Tuition: $1,000.00

• Residency Tuition: $1,200.00

INFO: The 2024 VONA Summer will be a week of virtual workshops, panels, readings, and community building for writers of color. Workshops will take place via Zoom.

Each summer we gather esteemed faculty to work with emerging writers of color to explore elements of craft, issues of culture, works of social justice and practices of literary production.  

The premier multi-genre workshop for BIPOC Writers, VONA is a Home where writers of color come to hone their craft and be in community. VONA honors its writers' unique histories, traditions and aesthetics and provides a protected mentoring space for learning and fellowship. VONA fosters the development of personal and political writing and engages in the work of social justice as we build our global community of writers.

Upon acceptance, you will be asked to submit a non-refundable $200.00 deposit to confirm your spot. Payment plans and competitive scholarships will also be available. Any questions please email programming@vonavoices.org.

WORKSHOP DATES: June 23 - 29, 2024

vonavoices.org

_____

Markus D. Manley Award

The Poetry Lab

DEADLINE: March 15, 2024 at 11:59pm PT

INFO: The Poetry Lab is a nurturing online space for innovative poet-scholars worldwide. In homage to one of our co-founders, we are excited to announce the Markus D. Manley Award. This award builds on our commitment to supporting BIPOC poets by through a blend of financial aid, educational resources, and mentorship opportunities.

Recipients of the Markus D. Manley Award will receive a $1,000 stipend to support their personal and professional needs, allowing them to focus on their craft with less financial worry. In addition, the award includes six months of free access to our courses and direct mentorship from our team of accomplished poets and educators. This mentorship aims to enrich the recipient's poetic skills and understanding, offering personalized guidance and support.

The award provides entry to the BrainTrust, our monthly workshop where poets can explore new ideas and techniques under the guidance of our teaching artist fellows. Participants will also have the opportunity to join the Feedback Circle, an 8-week workshop focused on giving and receiving craft-focused critique, inspired by The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez. Furthermore, awardees can choose from a variety of 4-week courses on topics like surrealism in poetry, designed to deepen their knowledge and expand their creative expression.

In addition to these educational benefits, the Markus D. Manley Award winner is invited to contribute to our Resource Center, which includes a wealth of poetry articles, weekly podcasts for inspiration, and our social media feeds for community engagement and fun.

• Feedback Workshop

• Generative Workshops

• Educational Courses

• Career Mentorship

• Developmental Editing

• Community Networking

For more than a decade, The Poetry Lab has been committed to leveling the playing field for poets, making a high-quality literary education accessible and reasonable for the rest of us. Our work has always been in furtherance of Markus’s vision to create supportive environments for creatives to write, read, and collaborate together.

Thanks to the support of the Hawthornden Foundation and The Arts Area, we can offer the Markus D. Manley Award. We welcome applications until March 15, 2024 at 11:59pm PT, and encourage BIPOC poets who are passionate about their craft and our community's values to apply.

thepoetrylab.com/manleyaward

_____

2024 Pigeon Pages Poetry Contest

Pigeon Pages

DEADLINE: March 15, 2024

INFO: The 2024 Pigeon Pages Poetry Contest is open to submissions.

2024 JUDGE: Chen Chen, author of Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency & When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities.

AWARD:

• The winner will receive $250 and publication in Pigeon Pages.

• Honorable mentions will receive $50 and publication.

GUIDELINES:

• Original, previously unpublished poems by a single author are eligible for this contest.  

• We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know ASAP if the submitted piece is accepted elsewhere. 

• If submitting work entirely in a language other than English, please also include an English translation.

• Please do not include personal information on your piece, as submissions will be read blind.

• All pieces are considered for publication in the journal outside of the contest.

pigeonpagesnyc.com/poetry-contest

_____

The Hub City Press BIPOC Poetry Series

Hub City Writers Project

DEADLINE: March 15, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: The Hub City Press BIPOC Poetry Series was created to spotlight poetry by Southern writers of color working in the region today. The initial manuscript reading period opens on February 1, 2024 and closes on March 15, 2024. There is no fee associated with submitting to this series. 

PRIZE: Two finalists will be selected by Editor-at-Large Ashley M. Jones, announced in summer 2024, and will be published by Hub City Press the spring and fall of following year. In addition to publication, each finalist will receive a prize of $3000. 

The Hub City Press BIPOC Poetry Series is open to poets of all stages of their careers who reside in or are from the South. Submitters must live in or be from the following thirteen states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or West Virginia.

ELIGIBILITY:

Submitters must be BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)

Submitters must either currently reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or West Virginia or have a strong tie to one or more of the listed states.

Submitters must not be affiliated with Hub City Press or Hub City Writers Project as a staff member or volunteer or as previously published Hub City author. Close friends, relatives, students or former students of the final judge are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

The contest opens February 1 and closes March 15, 11:59PM EST. Two finalists will be announced in the summer.

The manuscript must be between 50 and 200 pages (12 point, Times New Roman or similar typeface). Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.

This contest is not read anonymously, so please include a bio with your manuscript. Manuscripts should include one title page with the manuscript’s title only. You may also include a table of contents. Manuscripts that do not adhere to this guideline will be immediately eliminated.

Simultaneous submissions of the same manuscript to other publishers or contests are acceptable but please notify us if your manuscript has been accepted elsewhere.

While translations and manuscripts in languages other than English are not accepted, manuscripts that occasionally use words from other languages are acceptable and welcome.

No revisions of submitted manuscripts will be allowed during the contest.

hubcity.org/-bipocpoetryseries

_____

Phillis Wheatley Special Feature

Callaloo

DEADLINE: March 15, 2024

INFO: We invite those who participated in the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival’s 50th Anniversary to submit work (scholarly articles, essays, poetry, fiction, visual art) for consideration for a special issue of Callaloo. This issue will function to archive, document, and continue the legacy of the PWPF, and the importance of intergenerational conversations, knowledge sharing, reflection, and Black women’s creative and intellectual work.

An overview of the 1973 festival and “schedule of events” can be viewed here. The 50th anniversary program and session information is available here. Additionally, we are interested in pieces on topics including but not limited to:

• The poetics of African American orality

• Margaret Walker as “the most famous poet no one ever knew”

• Mentorship and kinship among African American women writers

• Margaret Walker and the implementation of Black Studies Centers

• HBCUs at the center of African American writing

• African American or HBCU archival preservation

• The role of art or artistic expression of African American women

• Migration: exile, immigration, & homeplace 

• Phillis Wheatley & Black women’s poetry

• Art and economics for Black women

• Impact and Legacy of the inaugural Phillis Wheatley Conference in 1973

• The significance of Black women’s literary salons, workshops, & writing retreats

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

• Submissions must be sent via Callaloo’s Submittable page.

• Please indicate your submission is for consideration in the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival special issue. If you were a festival participant or panelist, please note that in your cover letter.

callaloo.submittable.com/submit/289145/phillis-wheatley-special-feature

_____

Undocupoets FELLOWSHIP

Undocupoets

DEADLINE: March 22, 2024 at 11:59 pm EDT

INFO: Undocupoets promotes the work of poets who are currently or formerly undocumented in the United States and raises consciousness about the structural barriers we face in the literary community. We believe in supporting all poets, regardless of immigration status.

The annual Undocupoets Fellowship grants three unrestricted $500 fellowships to poets who are currently or who were formerly undocumented in the United States. 

Undocupoets is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Fine Arts Work Center, which will include an additional fully-funded opportunity for new fellows to attend the  2024 Summer Workshop Program in Provincetown, MA. This scholarship includes the cost of tuition and housing for the one-week residency, as well as a $500 stipend to help cover transportation and food costs. Building on our original mission of expanding access and resources to current and formerly undocumented writers, we hope that this residency grants new and previous fellows an opportunity to focus on their work and foster their continued growth in the literary community. ​

Honoring our foundational, five-year partnership with Sibling Rivalry Press, Undocupoets remains committed to reserving at least one of the fellowships to LGBTQ poets who are currently or who were formerly undocumented in the United States. ​

undocupoets.org

_____

BLACK FOX PRIZE: FAIRY TALE REMIX

Black Fox Literary Magazine

DEADLINE: March 31, 2024 by 11:59pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $12

INFO: Black Fox is accepting submissions for its Winter 2024 writing prize. The theme for this round is “Fairy Tale Remix.” We are open to loose interpretations of the theme in any genre, as always.

What if the big bad wolf was a person who had a past? Or what if Snow White wasn’t so perfect on paper?

We’re looking for original work that reimagines fairy tales from around the world! We challenge writers to reshape classic fairy tales and invent their own spellbinding versions. Give us a twist to a familiar plot, introduce modern elements, or explore unconventional characters. This theme is a chance to remix fairy tales in your own distinctive way. Enchant the hearts of our readers!

Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner that we feel interprets the theme best. The prize is $300 and publication in the Summer 2024 issue. All submissions are considered for publication in the Summer 2024 issue.

blackfoxlit.submittable.com/submit

_____

Bayard Rustin Residency

Penington Friends House

DEADLINE: April 1, 2024

INFO: We are currently accepting applications for the 2024-2025 Bayard Rustin Residency.

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 2024, 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 tenants 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. A stipend and studio space is NOT currently provided.

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.

• 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)

penington.org/rustin-residency/

_____

2024–25 American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship

The American Library in Paris

DEADLINE: April 1, 2024

INFO: The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship was created in 2013 to nurture and sustain a heritage as old as the Library itself: deepening French-American understanding. The Visiting Fellowship offers writers and researchers an opportunity to pursue a creative project in Paris for a month or longer while participating actively in the life of the American Library.

There are two one-month Fellowship periods a year in fall and spring, with dates to be specified later.

A $5,000 stipend will be paid before start of a Fellowship period. The award, to be spent at the discretion of the Fellow, is designed to cover travel to Paris, accommodation, and expenses associated with the month in Paris. In addition to the stipend, the Library will connect the fellow to resources and people in Paris that could be helpful to his or her project.

The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship is made possible through the generous support of The de Groot Foundation.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

We welcome the applications of all researchers, journalists, writers (both fiction and non-fiction), poets, screenwriters, playwrights, directors, and documentary filmmakers.

Applicants should be researching or working on a project that contributes to cross-cultural discourse. Particular attention will be paid to an applicant’s ability to offer the Library’s community a variety of opportunities for exploring a topic. All topics and subject matters are eligible.

Applicants need not be American. International applicants are encouraged. The proposed project must be in English. Members of the Library governance are not eligible recipients of a Visiting Fellowship.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF VISITING FELLOWS?

Visiting Fellows must be in Paris during the period of the fellowship, and are expected to be present in the American Library for a minimum of three half-days a week. During their residency, fellows will present an hour-long evening program at the Library, participate in a Library reception, meet with staff informally to explore a topic of mutual interest, and extend the Library’s reach by participating in events arranged by the Library with other organizations in Paris.

At the conclusion of the Visiting Fellowship period, fellows will provide the Library and the funding foundation with a written report of the Fellowship experience. Fellows are expected to appropriately acknowledge the Library and the Visiting Fellowship in publications and print media related to the Fellowship project. Fellows will participate in the Library’s social media communication, fundraising campaigns, and other public events.

HOW TO APPLY?

This year’s application form asked applicants to provide a single file containing:

• A cover letter (one page) and CV (two pages max.).

• The narrative description of your project (one page max.). In this description, please indicate the timeline and current stage of the project, what you hope to accomplish during your residency period, and why a fellowship at the American Library will contribute to its success.

• Three proposals (max. 50 words each) for cultural programs at the Library during your residency period. These can include evening conversations, workshops, performances, panels, or other event formats.

• The names and contacts of two professional references.

• A one-time application fee of 30 €.

americanlibraryinparis.org/visiting-fellowship

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Lampblack

DEADLINE: April 1, 2024

INFO: Lampblack is accepting submissions of previously unpublished poetry, prose and criticism for its Community issue.

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.

We will pay $350 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 Lab[our] issue to gain a sense of our aesthetic, which is available on our website and in local independent bookstores. If you cannot afford to purchase one of our Founders’ issues and would like to read it before submitting, please reach out to us at magazine@lampblacklit.com informing us of your situation and we will ensure you are provided with a digital copy of the magazine free of charge.

lampblacklit.com/submissions

_____

2024 Gulf Coast Prizes

Gulf Coast Journal

DEADLINE: April 10, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $26

INFO: The 2024 Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction are now officially open.

Our final judges this year will be Zaina Arafat (Fiction), Monica Youn (Poetry), and Edgar Gomez (Nonfiction).

AWARD: The contest awards $1,500 and publication in Gulf Coast to the winner in each genre. Two honorable mentions in each genre are awarded $250. All entries are considered for publication and the entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast.

Entries for the Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction and Nonfiction should be a single prose work not exceeding 7,000 words. Entrants for the Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry may submit up to five poems not exceeding 10 total pages in length. We only accept submissions via Submittable.

Entrants may submit more than once or in more than one genre, but each new entry must be accompanied by a separate $26 entry fee.

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• Submit your work as a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

• Only previously unpublished work will be considered.

• The contest will be judged blindly, so please do not include your cover letter, your name, or any contact information in the uploaded document. This information should only be pasted in the “Comments” field in Submittable.

• Submittable accepts all major credit cards for the $26 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast.

gulfcoastmag.org/contests/gulf-coast-prize

POETRY — FEBRUARY 2024

Guernica Poetry Fellowship

Guernica

DEADLINE: Rolling

INFO: The Guernica Poetry Fellowship is a virtual program for beginning poets who have not published books or entered MFA programs and who wish to gather with other poets in learning communities outside of academic institutions. The fellowship, supported by a one-time grant, will allow poets to revise and reimagine their own poems through intensive mentorship. 

From February to June 2024, four fellows will receive one-on-one mentorship from a leading working poet, attend workshops/talks led by guest speakers, and work with other beginner poets in a cohort led by the poetry editors of Guernica. The program takes place virtually. Participation is free of charge, and fellows will receive a small stipend to support submission and reading fees for their work. Guernica hopes to nurture other opportunities for fellows in this cohort, which may include publication or reading opportunities. 

Guernica Poetry Fellowship mentors are Sarah Ghazal Ali, Tracy Fuad, Omar Sakr, and Simon Shieh. The fellowship is led and supported by Guernica’s poet-editors.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Applications received prior to January 31 will be given priority. The application will close when all four fellowship spots have been filled.

guernicamagazine.submittable.com/submit/284559/guernica-poetry-fellowship

_____

Writing In Color FELLOWSHIP

Lighthouse

DEADLINE: February 3, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: Offered annually to a person who demonstrates a passion and skill for writing, a commitment to developing their writing skills, and a clear commitment to community service, the Writing In Color Fellowship for Emerging Writers is for anyone who would benefit from a year's worth of involvement at Lighthouse but who would not be able to do so without financial support. Any adult (over the age of 18) writer of color living in the United States, writing in any genre, who has not published a full-length manuscript is 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.

FELLOWSHIP DATES:  April 2024–April 2025

NOTIFICATION: Applicants will be notified of submission status via email by the beginning of April 2024.

ELIGIBILITY: Writers identifying as people of color (i.e. BIPOC+) who are 18 years of age or older.

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 fellow will have the opportunity to read from what they’ve written at the annual Writing in Color Fest.

The Emerging Writing In Color 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, as needed 

• One-year membership at Lighthouse Writers Workshop 

• Opportunity to support a Lighthouse community outreach program, helping to facilitate, administrate, or teach in the program. 

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. 

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 4000 words. More is not necessarily better. Please use standard manuscript format, double-spacing and ensuring page numbers are visible.

• Recommendation letters are not required.

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.

lighthousewriters.submittable.com/submit/281769/writing-in-color-emerging-writers-fellowship-2024

_____

2024 COURAGE TO WRITE GRANTS

The de Groot Foundation

DEADLINE: February 5, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $22.00

INFO: The de Groot Foundation will award thirty COURAGE to WRITE unrestricted grants to writers in 2024.

Ten COURAGE to WRITE grants of $7000 each and twenty Writer of Note grants of $1500 each. These grants are meant to encourage and support writers as they further or complete a specific project. The Writer of Note grantees are chosen from the pool of finalists for the COURAGE to WRITE grants.

GUIDELINES: Applicants for COURAGE to WRITE grants may be writing in any genre. We welcome projects of fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, YA, children’s books, plays, and screenplays.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Writers over 18 years of age who are actively engaged in a writing project and for whom a monetary boost could help them further or complete a project.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applications:

• are open to individual writers over 18 years of age regardless of race, ethnicity, gender orientation, education, economic situation, geographic origin or location.

• must be submitted in English.

• are not open to family, members of the board or employees of the The de Groot Foundation, Lando family members, reviewers, or the selection committee.

• Applicants must be individuals. Companies or organizations are not eligible.

• If you’ve already received a writing grant from The de Groot Foundation, please wait a year before applying again.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please read this section carefully before preparing or submitting your application. We receive grant applications through the Submittable platform. If you have an account already, click the button at the bottom of this page and login to apply. If you do not have an account, you will need to create a free account in order to apply. You can create an account here: https://manager.submittable.com/signup

Application

There are three parts to your application: 1) a biosketch, 2) the letter of application, 3) your writing sample

1. Your biosketch

a. A brief statement about you, what matters in your work, what you’ve written, what you want to write, and something about you as a person

b. Limited to no more than 100 words

c. Your biosketch will be inserted into a form on the application so have this ready to cut and paste.

2. The letter of application (2-4 pages) which must include:

a. An introduction to the writing project for which you are seeking support (1-3 paragraphs)

b. How this project is important (1-2 paragraphs)

c. How a grant at this time would be helpful to you and how you would use the funds (2-3 paragraphs)

d. Anything else you would like us to know about you as a writer (1 paragraph)

e. Please address the letter to: Dear COURAGE to WRITE Reviewers

f. Please double space your letter of application and use Times New Roman 12-point font.

The paragraph suggestions above are recommendations. Should you wish to add a paragraph in a section and have one fewer in another that is fine as long as the needed information is well conveyed.

3. Writing sample

a. Please submit an unpublished writing sample, which relates to the project for which you are requesting funds. Do not submit a previously published writing sample.

b. Your unpublished writing sample should be five pages.

c. The writing sample, like the letter of application, should be double spaced and in Times New Roman 12-point font.

d. Exceptions:

i. Poetry: Use your original poetry formatting. You do not need to double space the poems. There can be more than one poem on a page.

ii. Screenplay or a play: You may submit up to 12 pages of a sample using the standard formatting for plays or screenplays.

iii. Graphic novel: You may include up to 10 pages of prose and graphics for the writing sample. Please submit by PDF.

IMPORTANT: The letter of application and the five pages of your current writing project must be uploaded as a SINGLE DOCUMENT. Please make sure you have merged them as a SINGLE DOCUMENT before you submit.

Submit your application through the Submittable platform, which you will be directed to below. Make sure your document is ready and exactly as you want it to be before uploading. Once you have submitted an application, you are unable to change it.

Format:

• Use Times New Roman 12-point font and double space your application document.

• Numbering pages is optional.

Application Timeline:

• Grant recipients will receive an automatic notification from Submittable once your application is received.

• Finalists will be notified by the end of April 2024.

• Grant awardees will be notified by the end of May 2024.

Review and Selection:

You’ll be sent a message when your application has been received.

• Stage 1 Review: All eligible applications are read by teams of reviewers. Depending on the discretion of the reviewers, between 40 to 60 finalist applications are chosen.

• Stage 2 Review: Finalist applications are evaluated by the final Selection Committee. This committee chooses the ten COURAGE to WRITE grantees. From the remaining applications, this committee will then pick the 20 Writer of Note grantees.

The Selection Committees are writers and writing professionals who appreciate the challenges of emerging writers. Selection Committee decisions are final. Correspondence will only be entered into with finalists and grantees.

Grantees will be asked to complete a Grant Acceptance Agreement and, if appropriate, a U.S. W-9 tax form. One year after receipt of funding, grantees agree to complete and return a one-to-three-page final report so that we can learn about your project and the grant’s impact on your work.

degrootfoundation.org/courage-to-write-grants/

_____

2024 LANDO GRANT

The de Groot Foundation

DEADLINE: February 5, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $22.00

The de Groot Foundation is thrilled to collaborate with Barry Lando, award winning investigative journalist and former 60 Minutes producer, to provide the LANDO grants for immigration, migration, and/or refugee writing.

GUIDELINES: Applicants for LANDO grants may be writing in any genre. We welcome projects of fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, YA, children’s books, plays, and screenplays.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Writers over 18 years of age who are actively engaged in a writing project and for whom a monetary boost could help them further or complete a project.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applications:

• are open to individual writers over 18 years of age regardless of race, ethnicity, gender orientation, education, economic situation, geographic origin or location.

• must be submitted in English.

• are not open to family, members of the board or employees of the The de Groot Foundation, Lando family members, reviewers, or the selection committees.

• Applicants must be individuals. Companies or organizations are not eligible.

• If you’ve already received a writing grant from The de Groot Foundation, please wait a year before applying again.

HOW TO APPLY:

We want all applications to be considered. Please read this section carefully before preparing or submitting your application. We receive grant applications through the Submittable platform. If you have an account already, click the button at the bottom of this page and login to apply. If you do not have an account, you will need to create a free account in order to apply. You can create an account here: https://manager.submittable.com/signup

Application

There are three parts to your application: 1) a biosketch, 2) the letter of application, 3) your writing sample

1. Your biosketch

• A brief statement about you, what matters in your work, what you’ve written, what you want to write, and something about you as a person

• Limited to no more than 100 words

• Your biosketch will be inserted into a form on the application so have this ready to cut and paste.

2. The letter of application (2-4 pages) which must include:

• An introduction to the writing project for which you are seeking support (1-3 paragraphs)

• How this project is important (1-2 paragraphs)

• How a grant at this time would be helpful to you and how you would use the funds (2-3 paragraphs)

• Anything else you would like us to know about you as a writer (1 paragraph)

• Please address the letter to: Dear LANDO Reviewers

• Please double space your letter of application and use Times New Roman 12-point font.

The paragraph suggestions above are recommendations. Should you wish to add a paragraph in a section and have one fewer in another that is fine as long as the needed information is well conveyed.

3. Writing sample

• Please submit a writing sample which relates to the project for which you are requesting funds. Do not submit a previously published writing sample.

• Your unpublished writing sample should be five pages.

• The writing sample, like the letter of application, should be double spaced and in Times New Roman 12-point font.

• Exceptions:

i. Poetry: Use your original poetry formatting. You do not need to double space the poems. There can be more than one poem on a page.

ii. Screenplay or a play: Please submit a one to two page synopsis of the screenplay or play and up to 12 pages of a sample script using the standard formatting for plays or screenplays.

iii. Graphic novel: You may include up to 10 pages of prose and graphics for the writing sample. Please submit by PDF.

IMPORTANT: The letter of application and the five pages of your current writing project must be uploaded as a SINGLE DOCUMENT. Please make sure you have merged them as a SINGLE DOCUMENT before you submit.

Submit your application through the Submittable platform, which you will be directed to below. Make sure your document is ready and exactly as you want it to be before uploading. Once you have submitted an application, you are unable to change it.

FORMAT:

• Use Times New Roman 12-point font and double space your application document.

• Numbering pages is optional.

Grant recipients will receive an automatic notification from Submittable once your application is received.

Finalists will be notified by early April 2024.

Grant awardees will be notified by early May 2024.

degrootfoundation.org/2024-lando-grant-guidelines/

_____

Call for submissions: March 2024 Issue

Writers Resist

DEADLINE: February 8, 2024

INFO: Writers Resist is an intersectional feminist literary journal born of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. We publish creative expressions of resistance by diverse writers and artists from around the globe.

In solidarity with those affected by violent conflict, Writers Resist is seeking poetry, fiction, narrative nonfiction, and digital images from writers and artists living in non-U.S. regions impacted by war, genocide, and political oppression, for publication in our March 2024 issue, guest edited by DW McKinney

U.S. residents who have ancestral heritage or ethnicities affiliated with these regions may also submit.

GUIDELINES:

We do not accept previously published works. This includes publication on social media platforms, blogs, etc.

We publish with the intent that the works will be shared far and wide, so please submit only if you are comfortable making your published submissions available to the world via a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license.

HONORARIUM:

Published works in the Amplified Voices issue will receive an honorarium of $30 for each accepted submission, transferred via PayPal or WorldRemit after publication.

TO PREPARE YOUR SUBMISSION:

• Simultaneous submissions are fine, but if your submission is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw it from our submission manager.

• Please send a short bio with your submission, including a statement identifying your personal connection to a conflict region.

• Include your website URL and any social media presence you’d like to share with our readers.

• Poetry submissions: You may include a maximum of three poems in one submission. Please submit them in a single MSWord document with your name, contact information, and a short bio in the document with a statement identifying your personal connection to a conflict region. Once in our submission system (see below), be sure to select Amplified Voices for your genre.

• Fiction and narrative nonfiction submissions: You may submit one piece of fiction or narrative nonfiction with a maximum of 2,500 words. Please submit it in an MSWord document with your name, contact information, and a short bio in the document with a statement identifying your personal connection to a conflict region. Once in our submission system (see below), be sure to select Amplified Voices for your genre.

• Digital image submissions: SUBMIT IMAGES ONLY VIA EMAIL (do not submit images via our submission system). You may submit a maximum of three images, in JPEG format, with your last name and first name as the file name. EX: cubbins.barth.jpeg. Please include with your submission an MSWord document with your name, contact information, a short bio with a statement identifying your personal connection to a conflict region, and the image’s title. Digital images must be submitted via email to WritersResist@gmail.com, and be sure to indicate you are submitting them for the Amplified Voices issue.

writersresist.com/submission-guide/

_____

Get the Word Out Publicity Incubator

Poets & Writers

DEADLINE: February 9, 2024

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 participants 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 considerable 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

There is no application fee and no cost to those who are invited to participate. 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at time of application.

• Applicants must be under contract with a U.S.-based publisher for the publication of their debut or second poetry collection, written in English, and scheduled for release between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.

• Applicants who have published poetry chapbooks are eligible to apply for the program.

• Applicants who have previously published a poetry collection in another country are eligible but may not have more than one published book of poetry with a foreign publisher.

• Applicants must be based in the U.S. during the program period but do not need to be a U.S. citizen or hold permanent resident status at the time of application.

• Applicants must be available to attend and participate in the incubator program’s 6 virtual workshops and 6 virtual seminars.

• Applicants enrolled in a degree-granting program between April and July 2024 are ineligible to apply.

• Self-published or hybrid-published books and e-book editions are ineligible.

• Employees and Board Members of Poets & Writers, and their immediate families, are not eligible.

Finalists will be asked to submit verification of publication and residency. In the event of a dispute as to eligibility, Poets & Writers will decide whether a book is eligible, and its decision will be binding. 

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Participants will be selected based on the strength of their statement of purpose, writing sample, and suitability for the program. Poets & Writers’ Programs & Partnerships staff will evaluate applications and select those invited to participate.

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 BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or person of color), writers with disabilities, LGBTQ+ writers, writers from outside of New York City, 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 Formstack application. Applications must include:

• A completed application form

• A statement of purpose (max: 1,000 words)

• A double-spaced excerpt (max: 10 pages) in 12 pt. font from your forthcoming poetry collection

• An author bio (max: 250 words)

For more information, please send an email to tkehou@pw.org.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Poetry Cohort – Spring 2024

• January 8 – Application posted

• February 9 – Application deadline

• March 11 – Applicant notifications sent

• March 27 – Poetry Cohort Orientation

• April 10 – Poetry Publicity Incubator Begins

• July 3 – Poetry Publicity Incubator Ends

pw.org/content/get_the_word_out

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Translations from the Arabic (Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction)

Epiphany

DEADLINE: February 9, 2024

ENTRY FEE: $5

INFO: We are seeking translations from Arabic in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction for our Spring / Summer 2024 issue.

GUIDELINES FOR PROSE SUBMISSIONS:

1. Submit one story at a time.

2. Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.

3. Tell us if you're submitting simultaneously to other publications (and please withdraw promptly through Submittable should your work be accepted elsewhere).

4. Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.

5. Translations require rights permission from the original writer.

6. Include a short bio with your cover letter.

7. Fiction contributors will receive a payment of $175, and two copies of the journal.**

GUIDELINES FOR POETRY SUBMISSIONS:

1. Submit up to 5 poems at a time.

2. Format in 12-pt font, single-spaced (where appropriate).

3. Tell us if you're submitting simultaneously to other publications (and withdraw promptly through Submittable should your work be accepted elsewhere).

4. Please include your name and title on the first page of the submitted file.

5. Translations require rights permission from the original writer.

6. Include a short bio with your cover letter.

7. Poetry contributors will receive a payment of $75 per poem and two copies of the journal.

epiphanymagazine.submittable.com/submit

_____

Hurston/Wright 2024 Virtual Poetry Workshop with Mahogany L. Browne: Walking with Grief

Hurston / Wright Foundation

DEADLINE: February 9, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $35

TUITION: $400

INFO: This poetry workshop aims to lead you through a poetic exploration influenced by both grief and love, while also responsive to political themes and the nuances of sound. The objective is to craft a piece shaped by form, breath, and the fundamental laws of nature. By integrating these elements, we seek to expand our understanding of poetry creation. Throughout the workshop, you will gain insights into using poetic forms effectively while maintaining the authenticity and strength of your unique voice.

WORKSHOP DATES: April 5, 2024 to April 7, 2024

INSTRUCTOR: Mahogany L. Browne, a Kennedy Center Next 50 Fellow and the inaugural Poet in Residence at Lincoln Center, is also the co-founder of Brooklyn Slam. She is a prolific author, with notable works including Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky, Woke Baby, and Black Girl Magic. Her recent poetry collection, I Remember Death By Its Proximity to What I Love, addresses the impact of mass incarceration on women and children. Currently residing in Brooklyn, Browne serves as the Executive Director of JustMedia, a media literacy initiative supporting criminal justice leaders and community members. Drawing from her diverse career as a writer, organizer, and educator, Browne has received fellowships from Agnes Gund, Air Serenbe, Cave Canem, Poets House, Mellon Research, and Rauschenberg.

WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS:

• 10+ Hours of writing seminars and discussions 

• One-on-one time with instructor. One-on-one time with instructor will be scheduled outside of the time during the weekend. It is advised that participants plan to devote the entire weekend to workshop participation and writing.  

• Constructive, guided feedback on your writing from your peers and workshop leader.

• The workshop will take place Friday 6pm-8pm EST and 9am-2pm EST on Saturday and Sunday.

Please note: This virtual workshop will gather via Zoom. Participants are expected to participate and engage during the duration of the workshop. The workshop instruction and subsequent discussions will not be recorded for participants to view later. 

SUBMISSION FORMAT:

• 10 pages maximum, using Times New Roman, 12-point type, double-spaced with 1-inch margins.

• Provide a title page with the author’s name and contact information.

• Include a cover letter with information about your writing life and citations of any published work.

• Previous attendees are eligible to apply.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Applicants must not contact instructors directly about the application process or send queries regarding other projects, unless invited by the instructor directly. If these actions occur, applicants will be ineligible to attend our writing workshops. Also, all work samples submitted for consideration must be your own. 

OTHER INFO:

• Apply early. This course has a maximum of 10 slots. Only accepted participants will be notified about their acceptance status by or before February 20, 2024.

• Writers who apply for Mahogany's poetry workshop and are accepted, will be eligible for consideration to receive a need-based scholarship sponsored by@penguinrandomhouse. Two participants will be selected to receive one of these scholarships.

• A nonrefundable deposit of $150 is due within 2 weeks of notification of acceptance into the workshop. The remaining balance is due by March 20, 2024. 

• Cancellation Policy: If you must cancel after paying the full tuition, $100 will be returned to you if you notify the foundation at least 1 week before the program starts. After that date, the full tuition is forfeited. In addition, Hurston/Wright reserves the right to close the submission period or cancel a session based on the number of applications. Applicants will be notified immediately, and any payments will be returned if the class is canceled. 

• Instruction begins at 9 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with a Welcome and orientation on Friday evening. A detailed schedule will be provided upon acceptance. 

Only accepted participants will be notified about their acceptance status. 

hurstonwrightfoundation.submittable.com/submit

_____

macdowell fellowship: 2024 Fall/Winter

MacDowell

DEADLINE: February 10, 2024, at 11:59pm ET

INFO: The Fellowship application period for 2024 Fall/Winter residencies at MacDowell is now open!

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.

We also encourage you to watch our “How to Apply to MacDowell's Residency Program” video on our YouTube channel for detailed instructions on our application process.

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, 2024 and February 28, 2025.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

_____

Writing Workshop: Literary Landscapes with Author Tony Robles

Tony Robles

WORKSHOP DATES:

• Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 4:00pm EST

• Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 4:00pm EST

• Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 4:00pm EST

PRICE: $50.00 ($54.49 w/service fee)

INFO: Literary Landscapes is a 3-week generative writing workshop that will explore the landscapes of memory, empathy, and identity. Participants will read and discuss writings by authors of different genres whose work embodies these elements. Participants will take part in writing exercises that will strengthen their use of craft while mining their interior landscapes to write short pieces of prose or poetry. Work will be shared and discussed among participants.

INSTRUCTOR’S BIO: Tony Robles is a poet and author originally from San Francisco, now based in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He is the author of 3 books of poetry and short stories, Cool Don't Live Here No More--A letter to San Francisco, Fingerprints of a Hunger Strike, and Thrift Store Metamorphosis. His writing has been published in numerous anthologies including, Of Color: Poet's Ways of Making, The Roadrunner Review, Growing Up Filipino Volume II, Mythium Journal, Bamboo Ridge, and many others. He earned his Masters in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2023.

brownpapertickets.com/event/6213449

_____

2024 CAAPP BOOK PRIZE

University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry / Poetics and Autumn House Press

DEADLINE: February 15, 2024

INFO: Founded in 2020, the CAAPP Book Prize is a publishing partnership between the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and Autumn House Press with the goal of publishing and promoting a writer of African descent. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African, African American, and African diasporic experiences.

The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000. Previous winners include Carly Inghram's The Animal Indoors, Jacqui Germain's Bittering the Wound, and Richard Hamilton's Discordant, and Okwudili Nebeolisa's forthcoming Terminal Maladies.

GUIDELINES:

• Please submit a manuscript between 48-168 pages.

• Please submit your manuscript as a doc, docx, or pdf file.

• Only one manuscript submission is permitted per person.

FINAL JUDGE: aracelis girmay is a poet who makes work across genres, including essays, collages, and picture books. She is the author of three books of poems, for which she was a finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Her most recent work is the chapbook and was a flower, made in collaboration with book artist Valentina Améstica. Other recent work has been published in Astra, The Paris Review online, and e-flux. girmay is on the editorial board of the African Poetry Book Fund and is the editor-at-large of the Blessing the Boats Selections (BOA Editions). She teaches at Stanford University.

https://caapp.submittable.com/submit

_____

KATHRYN A. MORTON PRIZE IN POETRY

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: February 15, 2024

INFO: In celebration of Sarabande’s 30th anniversary, we are pleased to offer an increased prize in the amount of $3,000, as well as publication of the manuscript with an introduction by Hanif Abdurraqib, and a standard royalty contract.

2024 JUDGE: Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic. He is the author of The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest, A Fortune for Your Disaster, and A Little Devil in America.

ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open to any poet writing in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Individual poems 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—the author’s name or address must not appear anywhere on the manuscript (title page should contain the title only)

• Must be typed, standard font, 12 pt.

• Minimum length 48 pages

• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents and acknowledgements page (a list of publications in which poems in the manuscript have appeared)

• Must be accompanied by a $29 submission fee

• Must be submitted electronically through Submittable

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Once submitted, electronic manuscripts can only be edited within a week of submitting, but do note that any publications resulting from this contest will undergo a full editorial and copyedit. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication.

sarabandebooks.org/morton

_____

2024 RESidencies

Vermont Studio Center

DEADLINE: February 15, 2024

INFO: Vermont Studio Center is pleased to invite applications for its residency program for writers working in all genres. The Maverick Studio Building offers views of the Gihon River and daily inspiration.

Accepted residents will enjoy access to:

• Visiting Artists & Writers Program

• private accommodation

• private studio space

• delicious fresh daily meals

Residency sessions are approximately 2-, 3-, and 4-weeks. Each residency offers a supportive environment where you can further develop your writing projects, finish your manuscript, make deep revisions, start a new project, and more.

Vermont Studio Center accepts writers working in all genres, and includes the following: 

• fiction 

• creative nonfiction 

• poetry 

• screen/playwriting 

• hybrid*

• translation 

vermontstudiocenter.org/fellowships

_____

FURIOUS FLOWER Poetry Prize

James Madison University

DEADLINE: February 15, 2024

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

INFO: The Furious Flower Poetry Prize for emerging writers is open for submissions. Poets with no more than one published book are invited to submit up to three poems (no more than a total of 6 pages) for consideration.

PRIZE: The winner and honorable mention receive $1500 and $750 respectively and will be invited to read at the decennial Furious Flower Poetry Conference, September 2024. The winner, honorable mention, and select finalists will also be published in Obsidian. Winners are announced in late March/early April.

2024 JUDGE: Roger Reeves is the author of Best Barbarian (W.W. Norton & Co., 2022), a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the Griffin Poetry Prize. Tracy K. Smith called it “a revelation and a form of reparation.” His debut collection is King Me (Copper Canyon Press, 2013), a Library Journal Best Poetry Book of the year, and winner of the Larry Levis Reading Prize, the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award, and a John C. Zacharis First Book Award. His first book on nonfiction is Dark Days: Fugitive Essays, published by Graywolf in August 2023. His poems have appeared in magazines and journals such as The New Yorker, Poetry, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, Boston Review, and Tin House, among others. He was awarded a 2013 NEA Fellowship, Ruth Lilly Fellowship by the Poetry Foundation in 2008, a Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, a Radcliffe Fellowship from Harvard University, and a Whiting Award.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK:

• Go to Submittable

• Make a free Submittable account

• Fill out the form and pay the non-refundable $15 submission fee

• Attach a pdf of your poems (no more than 6 pages) and ensure no identifying information is in the file

jmu.edu/furiousflower/poetryprize/index.shtml

_____

The 2024 Donald Hall Prize for Poetry

AWP

DEADLINE: February 28, 2024

ENTRY FEES:

• $20 (Member)

• 30 (Nonmember)

PRIZE: $5,500 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press

JUDGE: Kimiko Hahn

MANUSCRIPT LENGTH: Forty-eight pages minimum text

Your name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript, otherwise it will be disqualified.

Acknowledgements should not appear anywhere on the manuscript, otherwise it will be disqualified.

The cover letter field can contain this information, or anything else you choose.

Please also include a brief (roughly one hundred words) synopsis in the designated field, as this will help our screeners more easily categorize and review the submissions they read. For poetry, you may choose to use the synopsis field to include a brief summary of the style, subject matter, and/or themes explored in your collection.

About the AWP Award Series

The AWP Award Series is an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and it is open to published and unpublished authors alike. 

The AWP Award Series conducts an evaluation process of writers, for writers, by writers. AWP hires a staff of screeners who are writers themselves; the screeners review manuscripts for the judges. Typically, the screeners will select ten manuscripts in each genre for the judges’ final evaluations.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. The AWP Award Series defines “book-length” as: 

• 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 conflict of interest and to avoid the appearance of a conflict 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 AWP’s 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. 

You may submit your manuscript to other publishers while it is under consideration by the Award Series, but you must withdraw your manuscript via Submittable if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

AWP cannot consider manuscript revisions during the course of the contest, but the winning authors will have an opportunity to revise their works before publication. Please read the entry requirements and guidelines carefully before submitting your work.

Winners will be announced on our website and via email in summer 2024.

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.

The award for the prizes consists of the following:

• Prize money; and

• Publishing contract with the participating press.

Award winners will be invited to the annual AWP Conference & Bookfair for a celebration and reading. 

The award, and its corresponding prize money, is contingent on the author signing an agreed-upon contract with the participating press.

Questions? Email chronicle@awpwriter.org.

awp.submittable.com/submit

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘ELEVATE’ Issue

Yellow Arrow Journal

DEADLINE: February 29, 2024

INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. IX, No. 1 (spring 2024) is open, providing a platform for authors to embrace and amplify their own voice. Guest editor, Jennifer N. Shannon, contemplates about her voice by reflecting on The Color Purple:

“I am proud of my becoming, as a mother and writer and friend and daughter and partner. I am also excited about the honesty I am searching for even when it’s scary. The Color Purple did that. The latest version of this masterpiece still does that for me. It makes me want to be brave, live in my truth, evolve into who I will become, and share my voice as loudly as I can. It makes me want to help other women do the same, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do just that, with my curatorial work and with Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. IX, No. 1.”

This issue’s theme is ELEVATE

: to improve morally, intellectually, or culturally

: to lift up or make higher

: to raise the spirits of

1. What story do you want to tell but haven’t found the words for? How will the story affect those who read or hear your truth? What will it do for you to share this story with the world?

2. What has guided you along your journey? What actions have elevated you? Are there any themes that show themselves to you repeatedly and if so what do you think they mean?

3. How are you moving forward in your writing, in your life, in your job, in your relationships, within your passion(s)? What is expanding and evolving you? Is your mindset growing? What scares you about your progression? What brings you joy? What’s stopping you?

Yellow Arrow Journal is looking for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art submissions by writers/artists who identify as women, on the theme of ELEVATE. 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 May 2024.

yellowarrowpublishing.com/news/yaj-ix-01-submissions-open-elevate

_____

TINY SPOON RESIDENCY + WORKSHOPS

Tiny Spoon

DEADLINE: February 29, 2024

INFO: As writers and educators ourselves, at Tiny Spoon we understand the importance of having opportunities to practice and expand your professional experience. That is why starting in 2022, we founded our Tiny Residency, a remote opportunity to fine tune your writing workshop leadership skills and be featured by Tiny Spoon so your work can reach a wider audience.

WHAT IS THE RESIDENCY?

We will select three residents per year in the Spring, Fall, and Winter who will each conduct a workshop on a topic of their choice, and will have opportunities for promotion and publishing online. You will also receive payment based on workshop sign-up funds.

WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RESIDENT?

The resident will be in charge of planning the curriculum of a weekend virtual live workshop, either May 25 & 26, September 28 & 29, or February 2025 TBD. Their main focus will be preparing for the workshops through lesson planning, gathering sources, creating writing exercises, promotional materials, etc. Tiny Spoon is here to help with questions and ensuring the workshop runs smoothly, but the overall content and format of the workshop is at the discretion of the resident.

While Tiny Spoon will serve as the platform for the workshop, additional marketing materials will be requested to help promote the workshop and tease its contents. This may include a page on our website to showcase you and your workshop; a brief blog post further teasing the workshop; an artist statement or feature blog post to introduce yourself; and additional videos, quotes, samples of work to be used in promotional content. Specifics of this will be discussed upon acceptance into the residency.

WHAT DOES A WORKSHOP ENTAIL?

Tiny Spoon will handle sign up logistics, but you will be in charge of leading the actual workshop from start to finish. This means it can be anything you imagine! You might think about what writing workshops have inspired you in the past and how you want to balance inspirational content and examples with time for writing and sharing.

Upon acceptance, Tiny Spoon will have a brainstorming talk with you to solidify your ideas for the workshop, but you might consider in advance: What is the central theme of my workshop? What samples of writing, art, or otherwise might I introduce for inspiration? Will I lecture or perform to introduce new ideas? What writing or creative prompts will I provide? How will I pace information with creation time? Will it be centered on writing, or other art or performative media?

If you haven’t attended many workshops or led them yourself, you can still apply to the residency! Reflect upon the above questions, and the editors of Tiny Spoon can help guide you build its weekend curriculum.

WHAT ARE THE PERKS OF BEING A RESIDENT?

The residency is all about you. Within our modest time and date parameters, the workshop can take whatever content and form you desire. We’ll not only promote your workshop, but your work in general. We’ll spotlight you on our social media, website, and blog and connect to any social media and website that gives further information for your work. The residency is all about exposure and experience. Tiny Spoon will do all it can to ensure your name and creative practice is highlighted.

Tiny Spoon will handle the logistics of the workshop, from the sign ups, emails, and Zoom meetings. You will be able to focus on creative content and lesson planning, while we prepare the behind-the-scenes of the event.

You will also receive half of the funds from workshop sign-ups. This will vary on the amount of people who register. As a part of our ethos, we believe in welcoming everyone to writing workshops and encourage sign up with a sliding-scale, donation-based payment.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN CANDIDATES?

For this particular residency, we are looking for burgeoning writers. As many professional opportunities, such as teaching jobs, writing programs, or other residencies, often ask for similar experiences, we want this to be a space where you can experiment, practice, and grow in your early career. We will prioritize those who exemplify our experimental spirit and show potential through their energetic, rising profession. We will not obsess over credentials, but rather, the promise you present where you are in the moment.

WHEN IS THE RESIDENCY?

We will have a Spring and Fall Tiny Resident, with the following workshop dates:

• May 25th (Saturday) and 26th (Sunday) for the Spring Resident

• September 28th (Saturday) and 29th (Sunday) for the Fall Resident

• February 2025 TBD for the Winter Resident

On the application, you will be asked to indicate preference for spring, fall, or both/either. You must be available on the above dates for the respective Spring/Fall/Winter Residency you select; we can be mildly flexible with the workshop time itself. We recommend workshops that are 2-3 hours per day.

THE APPLICATION: To prepare, the application will ask you for information about yourself, your creative practice, and ideas for your workshop. At this time, we do not expect you to provide us with an extensive lesson plan (unless that’s your style), but it should be detailed enough to give us an understanding of your intentions if you are chosen as the resident.

The applications are due by February 29. Those in by early February will receive priority for the Spring Residency position.

So finances are not an obstacle, we do not charge to apply for the residency. That said, a great deal of time and care will go into the selection process, and we want our residents to get all they can out of the program. If you are able to contribute, we recommend adding $5 or $10 into the Tip Jar, but any amount is welcome. All funds will go toward the residency program.

tinyspoon.org/residency/

_____

call for submissions: mutter magazine

Moss & Milk Press

DEADLINE: February 29, 2024

INFO: Mutter Magazine, a writing magazine on care, mothering, matrescence & mother nature is currently accepting submissions for issue two. The theme is roots: ideas might include roots in the community/communal roots, ancestral roots, interconnectedness, maiden & mother roots (identity/self/growth) & mother nature (tree roots, roots in the wild/our animal roots).

Feel free to explore this however you like.

Email one file, in .doc or .docx format, containing up to five pieces (articles, poetry, prose, etc.) with clear titles, to: mutterbristol@gmail.com.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• Submissions are open year-round so feel free to submit whenever you like. If we don’t use your work for one issue we will keep it in mind for another, as long as it suits the theme.

• The themes for each issue act as a guide.

• Copyright remains yours. If you send us something that has been published before please inform us about where and when so that we can take this into consideration.

• Your connection to motherhood is personal. This is a gathering of various records and voices of motherhood and mothering; of caring and being cared for; of mourning and loss; of trying to conceive; of infertility; of the mothering of siblings, of parents, of oneself; of foster care or fostering, adoption or surrogacy, abortion or miscarriage; of one’s own mothers or grandmothers; of all those caring, nurturing, and growing life on this earth, alongside mother nature.

CONTENT GUIDELINES:

Our focus is creative writing, but we are open to the possibility of publishing all kinds of writing, including non-fiction/articles, as we acknowledge that your written creative output as a mother or carer may take different and/or experimental forms.

Please keep prose to 1,500 words or under and poetry to around 100 lines (including blank lines between verses). However, work that slightly exceeds these limits will still be considered.

mossandmilk.co.uk/submit/

_____

Wild Words 2024: ACW Seeks Writing By North Country Teens

Adirondack Center for Writing

DEADLINE: February 29, 2024 by midnight

INFO: Submissions are now open for the 2024 Wild Words Adirondack Teen Writing Anthology, presented by the Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW). This new print publication is a place for teens living in the North Country to publish their creative writing. A public book launch is scheduled for April 27, 2024 at Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake (39 Main Street). Copies will be available for a small donation.

Teens ages 13-19 living in the North Country of New York State are eligible to submit writing for consideration in the anthology, which will be published in the spring of 2024. Last year’s 2023 anthology featured 70 teen writers from all corners of the Adirondack region, including poetry, short stories, plays, memoirs, personal essays, book excerpts, science fiction, and fantasy writing. Over 300 copies of the 2023 anthology have been distributed to date, and 200 teens, family members, friends, and community supporters attended the 2023 book launch. 

ACW has provided an online toolkit for organizations and teachers who are interested in sharing this opportunity with members of their communities, available at adirondackcenterforwriting.org/wildwords. The toolkit provides marketing materials as well as accessible creative writing prompts designed to get teens writing. Submissions are due by midnight on February 29, 2024. 

The Wild Words anthology is a collaboration between Visiting Writer Erin Dorney and the Adirondack Center for Writing as part of the Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) Artist Employment Program. CRNY, a project of the Tides Center, is a three-year, $125 million investment in the financial stability of New York State artists and the organizations that employ them. Dorney will work with ACW through June 2024 on a variety of projects designed to encourage creative writing and readership throughout the Adirondacks.

adirondackcenterforwriting.org/wild-words-2024/

_____

Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award for native american poets + writers

Poets & Writers

DEADLINE: March 1, 2024 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: Indigenous writers who are enrolled members of a Native American tribe in the contiguous United States or Alaska are invited to apply for the 2024 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 Kelli Jo Ford for fiction and Jake Skeets for poetry.

ELIGIBLE WRITERS:

• Poets and fiction writers are eligible to apply if they:

• Are a U.S. resident and an enrolled member of a Native American tribe in the contiguous United States or Alaska for at least two years prior to the application deadline, which is March 1.

• 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 and tribal enrollment, 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 2024. Each will receive:

• A $500 honorarium;

• An all-expenses-paid trip to New York City in fall 2024 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.

2024 JUDGES:

Kelli Jo Ford is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Her novel-in-stories debut, Crooked Hallelujah, was longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, the Story Prize, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the Dublin Literary Award, and the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. She is the recipient of honors and awards including a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, the Paris Review’s Plimpton Prize, a Creative Capital Award, and a Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Artist Fellowship. She teaches writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Jake Skeets is the author of Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers, winner of the National Poetry Series, American Book Award, Kate Tufts Discovery Award, and Whiting Award. His poetry and prose have appeared widely in journals and magazines including Poetry, the New York Times Magazine, and the Paris Review. He holds an MFA in Poetry from the Institute of American Indian Arts. His honors include a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for Arts Projects, a Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship, and the 2023-2024 Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi. He is from the Navajo Nation and teaches at the University of Oklahoma.

pw.org/about-us/maureen_egen_writers_exchange_award

_____

Apogee Journal Reading Periods

Apogee

DEADLINE: March 1, 2024

INFO: We’ll be reading for nonfiction, fiction, and poetry during the month of February 2024 (February 1 – March 1). To share flash, interviews, and reviews with Perigee, please see this page.

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.

To submit to Fiction please click here before submitting your work at the Apogee Journal Submission Manager. You must complete the Submitter Form and submit your story for us to consider your fiction. Please note, these steps apply only for fiction submissions.

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.

apogeejournal.org/share-apogee/

_____

FUTUREPOEM OPEN READING PERIOD 2024

FuturePoem

DEADLINE: March 1, 2024 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: 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. The Guest Editors for this year's open reading period are Gabriela Jáuregui, Shiv Kotecha, and Ronaldo V. Wilson. 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.

You may submit work previously submitted to Futurepoem, as our guest editors shift every year. 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 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 $4. Additionally, there is an option to submit and sponsor someone else's submission for $12.

HOW TO SUBMIT + DEADLINE:
We will accept manuscripts via our online submissions system from February 1 to March 1 2024 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 2026. Our goal is to try to announce selections for publication by mid-July, 2024. Because we are a small organization with limited resources we are not able to provide feedback on submissions.

futurepoem.submittable.com/submit

_____

CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS: POETRY

The National Endowment for the Arts

DEADLINE: March 13, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST

INFO: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement.

Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process in which the criteria for review are the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the submitted writing sample. Through this program, the NEA seeks to sustain and nurture a diverse range of creative writers at various stages of their careers and to continue to expand the portfolio of American art.

The NEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and fostering mutual support for the diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups.

The program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. For FY 2025, which is covered by these guidelines, fellowships in poetry are available. Fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) will be offered in FY 2026 and guidelines will be available in January 2025. You may apply only once each year.

Competition for fellowships is extremely rigorous. We typically receive more than 1,600 applications each year in this category and award fellowships to fewer than 3% of applicants.

WE DO NOT FUND:

• Individuals who previously received two or more Literature Fellowships (poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowships from the NEA.

• Individuals who received any Literature Fellowship (poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts on or after January 1, 2016.

• News reporting.

• Scholarly writing. (Writers who are engaged in scholarly work may wish to contact the National Endowment for the Humanities.)

• Work toward academic degrees.

DEADLINE + ANNOUNCEMENT DATES:

You must submit applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. The Grants.gov system must receive your validated and accepted application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 13, 2024. Late applications are not accepted.

Expect notification of awards and rejections no sooner than December 2024. The fellowship period may begin any time between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, and extend for up to two years.

arts.gov/grants/creative-writing-fellowships/program-description

POETRY — JANUARY 2024

SALTONSTALL FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

DEADLINE: January 7, 2024. by 11:59pm

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts is thrilled to announce our Call for Entries for the 2024 Residency season! Residencies will begin May 30 and run through October 31.

We welcome submissions from artists and writers living in New York State and Indian Nations therein working in the following disciplines:

• Poetry

• Fiction & Creative Nonfiction

• Photography & Filmmaking

• Painting | Sculpture | Visual Arts

Accessible to all artists and writers

Saltonstall has re-centered our mission to make the residency experience accessible to all artists and writers in New York State.

• In 2017, we waived application fees to remove an economic bar to access.

• In 2019, we piloted a one-week residency specifically for artists and writers with at least one dependent child at home.

• And in 2021, we offered a newly-constructed accessible space, so that all artists and writers in New York State could be part of our residency program

There is no cost associated with the residency and no cost to apply.

Artists and writers who are awarded a residency are provided the following:

• $100 per-week stipend + additional stipend support based on financial need. This was a new initiative in 2023. We expect the upper threshold to be approximately $1,000 with priority given to those living below the median household income for their NYS County.

• Artist/writer parents who attend the 7-night residency for parents will receive a $500 stipend.

• writers: a spacious private apartment with ample desk space

• visual artists: a private apartment with adjoining studio space on the same level

• photographers or filmmakers: a private apartment with ample desk space and a fully functional wet darkroom

• all apartments have private baths and a patio or balcony

• hearty chef-prepared vegetarian dinners (we always accommodate for allergies but cannot always accommodate very specific dietary sensitivities.)

• groceries and a 24-hour accessible kitchen

• washer and dryer in each building

saltonstall.org/residencies/application-guidelines/

_____

2024 COURAGE to WRITE GRANTS

The de Groot Foundation

APPLICATION PERIOD: January 7 - February 5, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $22.00

INFO: The de Groot Foundation will award thirty COURAGE to WRITE unrestricted grants to writers in 2024.

Ten COURAGE to WRITE grants of $7000 each and twenty Writer of Note grants of $1500 each. These grants are meant to encourage and support writers as they further or complete a specific project. The Writer of Note grantees are chosen from the pool of finalists for the COURAGE to WRITE grants.

GUIDELINES: Applicants for COURAGE to WRITE grants may be writing in any genre. We welcome projects of fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, YA, children’s books, plays, and screenplays.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Writers over 18 years of age who are actively engaged in a writing project and for whom a monetary boost could help them further or complete a project.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applications:

• are open to individual writers over 18 years of age regardless of race, ethnicity, gender orientation, education, economic situation, geographic origin or location.

• must be submitted in English.

• are not open to family, members of the board or employees of the The de Groot Foundation, Lando family members, reviewers, or the selection committee.

• Applicants must be individuals. Companies or organizations are not eligible.

• If you’ve already received a writing grant from The de Groot Foundation, please wait a year before applying again.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please read this section carefully before preparing or submitting your application. We receive grant applications through the Submittable platform. If you have an account already, click the button at the bottom of this page and login to apply. If you do not have an account, you will need to create a free account in order to apply. You can create an account here: https://manager.submittable.com/signup

Application

There are three parts to your application: 1) a biosketch, 2) the letter of application, 3) your writing sample

1. Your biosketch

a. A brief statement about you, what matters in your work, what you’ve written, what you want to write, and something about you as a person

b. Limited to no more than 100 words

c. Your biosketch will be inserted into a form on the application so have this ready to cut and paste.

2. The letter of application (2-4 pages) which must include:

a. An introduction to the writing project for which you are seeking support (1-3 paragraphs)

b. How this project is important (1-2 paragraphs)

c. How a grant at this time would be helpful to you and how you would use the funds (2-3 paragraphs)

d. Anything else you would like us to know about you as a writer (1 paragraph)

e. Please address the letter to: Dear COURAGE to WRITE Reviewers

f. Please double space your letter of application and use Times New Roman 12-point font.

The paragraph suggestions above are recommendations. Should you wish to add a paragraph in a section and have one fewer in another that is fine as long as the needed information is well conveyed.

3. Writing sample

a. Please submit an unpublished writing sample, which relates to the project for which you are requesting funds. Do not submit a previously published writing sample.

b. Your unpublished writing sample should be five pages.

c. The writing sample, like the letter of application, should be double spaced and in Times New Roman 12-point font.

d. Exceptions:

i. Poetry: Use your original poetry formatting. You do not need to double space the poems. There can be more than one poem on a page.

ii. Screenplay or a play: You may submit up to 12 pages of a sample using the standard formatting for plays or screenplays.

iii. Graphic novel: You may include up to 10 pages of prose and graphics for the writing sample. Please submit by PDF.

IMPORTANT: The letter of application and the five pages of your current writing project must be uploaded as a SINGLE DOCUMENT. Please make sure you have merged them as a SINGLE DOCUMENT before you submit.

Submit your application through the Submittable platform, which you will be directed to below. Make sure your document is ready and exactly as you want it to be before uploading. Once you have submitted an application, you are unable to change it.

Format:

• Use Times New Roman 12-point font and double space your application document.

• Numbering pages is optional.

Application Timeline:

• Grant recipients will receive an automatic notification from Submittable once your application is received.

• Finalists will be notified by the end of April 2024.

• Grant awardees will be notified by the end of May 2024.

Review and Selection:

You’ll be sent a message when your application has been received.

• Stage 1 Review: All eligible applications are read by teams of reviewers. Depending on the discretion of the reviewers, between 40 to 60 finalist applications are chosen.

• Stage 2 Review: Finalist applications are evaluated by the final Selection Committee. This committee chooses the ten COURAGE to WRITE grantees. From the remaining applications, this committee will then pick the 20 Writer of Note grantees.

The Selection Committees are writers and writing professionals who appreciate the challenges of emerging writers. Selection Committee decisions are final. Correspondence will only be entered into with finalists and grantees.

Grantees will be asked to complete a Grant Acceptance Agreement and, if appropriate, a U.S. W-9 tax form. One year after receipt of funding, grantees agree to complete and return a one-to-three-page final report so that we can learn about your project and the grant’s impact on your work.

degrootfoundation.org/courage-to-write-grants/

_____

2024 LANDO Grant

The de Groot Foundation

APPLICATION PERIOD: January 7 - February 5, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $22.00

The de Groot Foundation is thrilled to collaborate with Barry Lando, award winning investigative journalist and former 60 Minutes producer, to provide the LANDO grants for immigration, migration, and/or refugee writing.

GUIDELINES: Applicants for LANDO grants may be writing in any genre. We welcome projects of fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, YA, children’s books, plays, and screenplays.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: Writers over 18 years of age who are actively engaged in a writing project and for whom a monetary boost could help them further or complete a project.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applications:

• are open to individual writers over 18 years of age regardless of race, ethnicity, gender orientation, education, economic situation, geographic origin or location.

• must be submitted in English.

• are not open to family, members of the board or employees of the The de Groot Foundation, Lando family members, reviewers, or the selection committees.

• Applicants must be individuals. Companies or organizations are not eligible.

• If you’ve already received a writing grant from The de Groot Foundation, please wait a year before applying again.

HOW TO APPLY:

We want all applications to be considered. Please read this section carefully before preparing or submitting your application. We receive grant applications through the Submittable platform. If you have an account already, click the button at the bottom of this page and login to apply. If you do not have an account, you will need to create a free account in order to apply. You can create an account here: https://manager.submittable.com/signup

Application

There are three parts to your application: 1) a biosketch, 2) the letter of application, 3) your writing sample

1. Your biosketch

• A brief statement about you, what matters in your work, what you’ve written, what you want to write, and something about you as a person

• Limited to no more than 100 words

• Your biosketch will be inserted into a form on the application so have this ready to cut and paste.

2. The letter of application (2-4 pages) which must include:

• An introduction to the writing project for which you are seeking support (1-3 paragraphs)

• How this project is important (1-2 paragraphs)

• How a grant at this time would be helpful to you and how you would use the funds (2-3 paragraphs)

• Anything else you would like us to know about you as a writer (1 paragraph)

• Please address the letter to: Dear LANDO Reviewers

• Please double space your letter of application and use Times New Roman 12-point font.

The paragraph suggestions above are recommendations. Should you wish to add a paragraph in a section and have one fewer in another that is fine as long as the needed information is well conveyed.

3. Writing sample

• Please submit a writing sample which relates to the project for which you are requesting funds. Do not submit a previously published writing sample.

• Your unpublished writing sample should be five pages.

• The writing sample, like the letter of application, should be double spaced and in Times New Roman 12-point font.

• Exceptions:

i. Poetry: Use your original poetry formatting. You do not need to double space the poems. There can be more than one poem on a page.

ii. Screenplay or a play: Please submit a one to two page synopsis of the screenplay or play and up to 12 pages of a sample script using the standard formatting for plays or screenplays.

iii. Graphic novel: You may include up to 10 pages of prose and graphics for the writing sample. Please submit by PDF.

IMPORTANT: The letter of application and the five pages of your current writing project must be uploaded as a SINGLE DOCUMENT. Please make sure you have merged them as a SINGLE DOCUMENT before you submit.

Submit your application through the Submittable platform, which you will be directed to below. Make sure your document is ready and exactly as you want it to be before uploading. Once you have submitted an application, you are unable to change it.

FORMAT:

• Use Times New Roman 12-point font and double space your application document.

• Numbering pages is optional.

Grant recipients will receive an automatic notification from Submittable once your application is received.

Finalists will be notified by early April 2024.

Grant awardees will be notified by early May 2024.

degrootfoundation.org/2024-lando-grant-guidelines/

_____

JAMES MERRILL WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE

James Merrill House

DEADLINE: January 8, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: In recognition of Merrill’s own contributions to Stonington, and his longstanding generosity, the fellowship provides living and working space and a $1,100 stipend to a writer to complete a project of literary or academic merit. Fellows are also hosted by local community members and organizations.

CRITERIA:

• A writer or scholar with a specific project of literary or academic merit who is committed to full-time residence in Stonington during his or her stay. We regret that the residency is not intended for completion of one’s dissertation. Genres accepted: poetry, fiction, non-fiction, plays.

• A person willing to contribute to the community. It is expected that this will include a reading or a workshop for the community.

• A person of integrity and responsibility who can be entrusted with the Merrill Apartment and its contents.

• We welcome suggestions from applicants about ways in which our fellows might reinforce the community’s links to writing, poetry, and James Merrill’s legacy. 

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY:

• We have six residencies for 2024-25: September 2024 (4 weeks), October (4 weeks) November (4 weeks) February-mid March 2025 (6 weeks) April-mid May (6 weeks) August (4 weeks)

•  For more information about living and working in the apartment, please visit: https://www.jamesmerrillhouse.org/apply

• The Writer-in-Residence program includes a stipend of $1,100 per month, prorated according to the length of stay.

APPLICANTS:

We accept applications for the 2024-2025 residencies between October 1, 2023 and January 8, 2024 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time. Decisions will be made by mid-March A complete application includes the following documents:

1. A resume of four or fewer pages

2. A writing or work sample of ten or fewer pages

3. A statement of your plan of work while in Stonington CT

4. Two letters of reference

5. If applicable, a brief biographical sketch of a spouse or partner who would be residing in the apartment with you. Please note that due to the age and nature of the building we cannot accept pets and it may be difficult for a child to reside there. If you have a child that would need to reside with you during the residency please let us know. Also, please note that the apartment is located on the third floor and is only accessible by stairs.

6. The James Merrill House follows the State of Connecticut guidelines on the COVID-19 pandemic.

jamesmerrillhouse.org/apply

_____

KUNDIMAN RETREAT

Kundiman

DEADLINE: January 15, 2024

INFO: In order to mentor and build community among AAPI writers, Kundiman sponsors an annual Retreat in partnership with Fordham University. During each Retreat, six nationally renowned AAPI 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. This five-day Retreat takes place from Wednesday to Sunday.

CRAFT CLASSES & MENTORSHIP MEETINGS: A nationally renowned AAPI writer facilitates each craft class. Fellows are assigned a home group for the duration of the retreat, and each home group takes one craft class with each faculty member in their genre. Craft classes will not exceed six students. The Kundiman Retreat is generative in nature and so craft classes are focused on new work that is written at the Retreat. Craft classes include a craft talk, readings and prompts / exercises to generate this new work. Poetry and fiction Fellows will receive 30 minute mentorship meetings where they can speak with a faculty member about craft, career, and the writing life. Our hope is that Fellows are able to forge a deeper relationship to their artistic process and are able to encounter their work with renewed focus and energy.

LOCATION: The Kundiman Retreat is held at Fordham University's beautiful Rose Hill Campus located in the Bronx, NYC.

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 can apply to the Retreat.

LOGISTICS: It is expected that Fellows and faculty are in residence at Fordham University 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 would like to explore New York City separate from the Retreat, please make plans to arrive in New York a few days before or after the Retreat to make arrangements for this. 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 be required to be vaccinated and boosted to attend the Retreat, and to take a COVID test before arrival. Masks are required to be worn at all mandatory indoor events except when drinking or eating. Further guidance on COVID protocol will be provided to admitted Fellows at a later date.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Between December 1st 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 of prose (1250 words max). Notification on application status will be given by mid-March.

kundiman.org/retreat

_____

MVICW 2024 Summer Writers’ Conference FELLOWSHIPS

Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing

DEADLINE: January 15, 2024

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.

I - 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.

FELLOWSHIP PRIZES:

• 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.

• Two Second-Place Fellowship Winners (one prose and one poetry) will receive full registration to the MVICW Weekend Writers Series which includes four virtual weekend-long craft seminars on poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Please note: Previous First Prize Fellowship & Contest Winners (who attended the in-person conference) are not eligible to apply. Second-place winners and all virtual conference winners are eligible.

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:

• Payment is $20 per submission. 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.

II - 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.

FELLOWSHIP PRIZES:

• 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.

• Two Second-Place Fellowship Winners (one prose and one poetry) will receive full registration to the MVICW Weekend Writers Series which includes four virtual weekend-long craft seminars on poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Please note: Previous First Prize Fellowship & Contest Winners (who attended the in-person conference) are not eligible to apply. Second-place winners and all virtual conference winners are eligible.

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 - Include a letter of interest (approx. 750 words) in your submission. Please tell us about yourself as a person, an artist, and a parent. We'd like to hear how your family life inspires or challenges your artistic career and how parenthood plays a role in 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 - Include a letter of interest (approx. 750 words) in your submission. Please tell us about yourself as a person, an artist, and a parent. We'd like to hear how your family life inspires or challenges your artistic career and how parenthood plays a role in 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 nonfiction entry. (The submission should not exceed 3,000 words)

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• Payment is $20 per submission. 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 have at least one child under the age of 16 (who lives with you) to qualify for the fellowship.

• 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.

III - 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.

FELLOWSHIP PRIZES:

• 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.

• Two Second-Place Fellowship Winners (one prose and one poetry) will receive full registration to the MVICW Weekend Writers Series which includes four virtual weekend-long craft seminars on poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Please note: Previous First Prize Fellowship & Contest Winners (who attended the in-person conference) are not eligible to apply. Second-place winners and all virtual conference winners are eligible.

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 nonfiction entry. (The submission should not exceed 3,000 words)

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• Payment is $20 per submission. 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 identify as queer-writer.

• 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.

mvicw.submittable.com/submit

_____

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

Penguin Random House

DEADLINE: January 16, 2024 3:00 pm CT (or when 1000 applications have been received)

INFO: Penguin Random House is passionate about encouraging the next generation of readers and authors and promoting diverse voices and stories. For 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 five 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, and spoken-word compositions. This signature program continues to empower and celebrate hundreds of young writers each year.

This 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. 

AWARD:

Awards will be distributed as follows:

• $10,000 Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word

• $10,000 Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry

• $10,000 Fiction/Drama

• $10,000 Michelle Obama Award for Memoir

• $10,000 Freedom of Expression award for book bans prompt

• One hundred (100) Honorable Mention recipients will receive a “Creativity Kit” gift from Penguin Random House.

In recognition of the Creative Writing Awards previously being centered in New York City and as an extension of our longtime work with local schools there, we will also offer an additional first-place prize of $10,000 to the top entrant from the NYC area.

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 2024

• 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 2024

• Submit one original literary composition in English in one of the following genres of poetry, spoken word, fiction/drama, personal essay/memoir, or book bans prompt.

• All submissions must be typed, double-spaced with a minimum 12 point font size and no longer than 10 pages.

• All submissions with multiple pages must be numbered with a page number and total number of pages (Ex. 1/3, 2/3, 3/3).

• A four-page minimum is recommended for the fiction/drama genre.

• Spoken word entries must upload a typed entry along with an emailed audio format file.

• Only one entry per student may be submitted and considered.

• Freedom of Expression entries must write about the provided topic.

learnmore.scholarsapply.org/penguinrandomhouse/

_____

ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM

The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation

DEADLINE: January 18, 2024

APPLICATION FEE: $30

INFO: The Foundation offers three months of rent-free and utility-paid housing to people who specialize in the creative arts. Our eleven artist casitas, or guest houses, are fully furnished and provide residents with a peaceful setting in which to pursue their creative endeavors.

The Foundation accepts applications from painters, poets, sculptors, writers, playwrights, screenwriters, composers, photographers, and filmmakers of national and international origin.

Applications are reviewed by a selection committee consisting of professionals who specialize in the artistic discipline of the applicant. Numerous jurors serve on committees for each: visual arts, music composers, writers, poets, playwrights, and filmmakers. Jurors, who know nothing about the artist's demographics, score in five categories based purely on the merit of the applicant's creative work samples.

Artists in residence have no imposed expectations, quotas, or requirements during their stay on the HWF campus. The HWF’s residency program provides artists with the time and space to create, which in turn enriches the artistic community and culture locally and abroad.

RESIDENCY SESSIONS:

• #1: Jan - Apr, 2025

• #2: Jun - Aug, 2025

• #3: Sep - Dec, 2025

wurlitzerfoundation.org/apply

_____

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Mekong Review

DEADLINE: January 20, 2024

INFO: RMIT University’s nonfiction/lab is proud to partner with Mekong Review to commission a new series of short, collaboratively-written literary works or criticism (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics work, book reviews etc) for publication in forthcoming issues of the international publication.

Mekong Review, under the managing editorship of Kirsten Han, is a quarterly English-language magazine of arts, literature, culture, politics, the environment and society in Asia, written by people from the region or those who know it well. From its founding in 2015 by Minh Bui Jones, its aim has been to provide a fresh perspective: one that covers Asian histories, lives and cultures through emerging regional voices. Its approach is close to that of publications like the New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books—that is, basing its writing around new publications of interest—but its view is distinctly Asian. Contributors are requested to please familiarize themselves with the content and style of Mekong Review.

In line with the publication’s position as a cosmopolitan and free press in Asia, this series will examine the notions of space and place through creative exchange and collaboration between writers from Australia and SE Asia. Questions that these pieces might consider/respond to include: What are the pressing conversations or exchanges we might have today about space, place, home, housing, belonging and/or unbelonging? How do writers understand and/or represent place and space? How does the politics of place inform our writing/art? What kinds of spaces do we create through writing? What opinions do we share or differ on regarding space/place phenomena? How might we approach the writing of place together from our respective positions?

Works will be commissioned IN PAIRS but published as a single work. We would like one writer to be based in Australia and one in the SE Asia region. You might like to discuss and debate a book, co-create a poem, story or comic, review one another’s books, interview one another, or anything in between or beyond! It is up to you to choose your writing companion and approach.

There will be up to EIGHT works commissioned. Prose: 1000-1200 words; 50-60 lines poetry; comics up to half a page (dimensions W 24.96 x H 16.74 cm).

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST:

Interested contributors need to submit:

• 150-word abstract articulating the form and nature of the intended work

• Bios for each author

• A piece (or excerpt) of writing by each contributor in the form (e.g. fiction, review, poem) proposed in the abstract (or similar sample of writing).

Please submit the above to both Sree Iyer sreedhevi.iyer@rmit.edu.au and Kirsten Han kirstenhan@mekongreview.com by 20 January 2024. Decisions on abstracts will be made by first week of February 2024, and final pieces will be due on a rolling basis as negotiated with Mekong Review. *

*Please note that the first issue in the series (May) has a deadline of 20 March for final pieces.
Please indicate in your submission if you would be able to make that deadline.

Industry-based writers (ie non-salaried practitioners without university affiliation) will be paid for their work.

POETRY — DECEMBER 2023

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FICTION, CREATIVE NONFICTION, POETRY, AND VISUAL WORKS

Entre Magazine

DEADLINE: December 4, 2023

INFO: Entre is, primarily, a creative platform for queer Latina/o/x artists, but we are open to publishing works from all artists, regardless of background.

They currently seek submissions for its premiere issue, to tentatively debut in Spring 2024, including previously-unpublished creative fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual works that focus on the queer Latinx experience or any experiences that deal with hybridity, fluidity, and inbetweenness (be it race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, etc.)

Submissions should be previously unpublished; please do not submit any works that have been previously published on personal blogs, social media, or in other magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks.

We will gladly accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere and it will be withdrawn from the consideration process. 

GUIDELINES: All submissions should include (aside from the work) an artist's bio (50-100 words) and a brief statement describing the artist's motivation behind the work--what is the intention of the work? What does the work represent?  

Artists are free to submit multiple works in multiple categories, but please be advised that only one work in one genre will most likely be selected to encourage a diverse representation of artists.

FORMATTING: Written works must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. Fiction submissions should not exceed a maximum of 5,000 words. Poetry submissions should not exceed a maximum of 3 poems. Fiction submissions should be double-spaced, utilize a standard typeface and font size (12 pt), and have numbered pages. Poetry submissions can be single-spaced, but should still utilize a standard typeface and font size. If submitting more than one poem, please start each new poem on its own page.

Visual works must be submitted either as JPEGs (JPGs), PNGs, or any widely-accepted image format (up to 100 MB).  

PUBLISHING:

1. All submissions are subjected to an editing process. If selected for publication, artists will always have the final say as to how their submissions will appear in Entre.

2. By submitting to Entre, artists agree to be published digitally (online) in Entre Magazine. Artists also agree to be potentially promoted on Entre's social media platforms (as they are launched). Social media handles may be included (if provided during the submission process). 

3. After first publication in Entre Magazine, artists will retain all rights to their work.

4. Entre does not provide monetary compensation for publications at this time. 

entremagazine.com/submissions

_____

Black Girl Writers Mentoring PROGRAM

DEADLINE: December 11, 2023

INFO: Black Girl Writers is a free mentoring program for Black women who write. We pair Black women with the best in the industry, from bestselling authors to internationally renowned literary agents, and host online workshops throughout the year.

We are aware that there is a racial disparity in the publishing industry, which is not helped by a lack of knowledge on how to get published. Mentoring is a great way to get your work to its highest standard, which then increases your chances of getting an agent or book deal.

So if you have a completed manuscript, a work in progress, a short story collection, a poetry cycle, a non-fiction proposal—anything—and you would like to be mentored by the very people who sign the deals, please get in touch!

How does it work?

The aim of Black Girl Writers is to connect professional mentors with aspiring writers who identify as Black women for free. Black in this sense includes women of African, Caribbean, Afro-Latin, African-American, and Bi-racial heritage. Women includes cis, trans, and non-binary. We are based in the UK, but accept applications internationally.

These mentors are a mixture of editors, writers, and literary agents.

We will forward your details to your chosen mentor (subject to availability). After an introductory email, you and your mentor will then organise weekly, fortnightly, or monthly sessions together. Monthly mentorships should last between 2-4 months unless your mentor decides to keep you on for longer.

We are currently running on a first come, first served basis, which means mentor spaces get filled very quickly. If your chosen mentor is no longer available, we will work with you to arrange a session with our 1:1 standalone mentors as an alternative.

On rare occasions, we will be unable to find a suitable mentor for your application, but in such cases, we aim to organise a private, tailor-made group session to give unmatched mentees the opportunity to speak to an industry professional in a safe and confidential environment.

Due to increasing demand, we will periodically close our applications. Application windows will generally run from late January - May, and then August - October but we may have to close early if too many mentors are full.

We also organise free writing events with publishing professionals throughout the year. These are a great opportunity to network and ask your burning questions to literary agents, editors, authors, and directors. We always announce our events on the news page.

Future plans of Black Girl Writers include regular meetups to discuss our WIPs, offer support, and collaborate on anthology projects. All of these things will be achieved by potential lottery funding. Please watch this space for future announcements!

blackgirlwriters.org

_____

2024 CAAPP Book Prize

University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry / Poetics and Autumn House Press

READING PERIOD: December 15, 2023 - February 15, 2024

INFO: Founded in 2020, the CAAPP Book Prize is a publishing partnership between the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and Autumn House Press with the goal of publishing and promoting a writer of African descent. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African, African American, and African diasporic experiences.

The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000. Previous winners include Carly Inghram's The Animal Indoors, Jacqui Germain's Bittering the Wound, and Richard Hamilton's Discordant, and Okwudili Nebeolisa's forthcoming Terminal Maladies.

2024 CAAPP Book Prize:

• The reading period opens on December 15, 2023, and is open until February 15, 2024.

• Please submit a manuscript between 48-168 pages.

• Please submit your manuscript as a doc, docx, or pdf file.

• Only one manuscript submission is permitted per person.

• Final Judge: aracelis girmay

About the Final Judge: aracelis girmay is a poet who makes work across genres, including essays, collages, and picture books. She is the author of three books of poems, for which she was a finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Her most recent work is the chapbook and was a flower, made in collaboration with book artist Valentina Améstica. Other recent work has been published in Astra, The Paris Review online, and e-flux. girmay is on the editorial board of the African Poetry Book Fund and is the editor-at-large of the Blessing the Boats Selections (BOA Editions). She teaches at Stanford University.

caapp.submittable.com/submit

_____

2024-2025 WRITING FELLOWSHIP

The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown

DEADLINE: Extended to December 15, 2023

INFO: Since its creation 50 years ago, the Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship has become one of the leading residency programs in the world.

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 Fine Arts Work Center has hosted more than 1,000 Fellows since 1968, nurturing an accomplished and far-reaching alumni network. The impact of the experience is best illustrated by the extensive list of awards Fellows have gone on to win, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellowship, Prix de Rome, Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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/the-fellowship/

_____

Call for Submissions: Mizna 25.1

Mizna

DEADLINE: December 15, 2023

INFO: As Mizna’s twenty-fifth anniversary approaches, we are opening submissions for our Summer 2024 Issue, Mizna 25.1. Although this issue will be unthemed, the editorial team wishes to center and uplift our community in a time of rage and mourning, especially those Palestinian, Armenian, Afghan, Sudanese, Moroccan, and Libyan folks who are living through various forms of colonial, imperial, genocidal, and ecological catastrophe.

We highly encourage submissions from those most affected by these disastrous situations. Furthermore, in a moment where solidarity with Palestine has been met with censorship, doxxing, cancellation of awards and events, and firing from professional positions, we continue to welcome writing from our anti-Zionist comrades as well as those who have been victims of 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 from artists doing 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.

Submitters do not need to be SWANA or Arab identified, but work submitted should be considerate of Mizna’s aesthetic and the social realities of our audiences, as well as be a contribution to ongoing conversations in and beyond our communities. We encourage submitters to read back issues of Mizna before submitting work for consideration.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, 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 1-year subscription to Mizna, and 5 copies of the issue.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Please include a short cover letter (200 words or less) as the first page of your submission, with a brief overview of the work you’re submitting and why you are submitting to Mizna.

• Poets should list out the poems they are submitting, and let us know if there are simultaneous submissions elsewhere.

• 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).

• Include a brief (50 words or less) author bio.

• Add a maximum of one sentence for any additional information you would like the editorial team to know about the work.

• Please submit as .doc or .docx files preferably, or pdfs 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 runover indent.

• Please only submit once per submission period. We are open to submissions from November 15 through December 15. All submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will be discarded unread.

mizna.org/journal/submissions/

_____

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE FELLOWSHIP

Newberry Library

DEADLINE: December 15, 2023

INFO: Newberry Library provides fellowships for writers, artists, and other humanists.

The Historical Fiction Writing Artist-in-Residence 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

• Length: 1 month

• Who can apply: Writers of historical fiction.

newberry.org/research/artists-in-residence

_____

call for submissions

Honey Literary

DEADLINE: December 15, 2023 by 11:59 pm PST.

INFO: Honey Literary is a BIPOC-focused literary journal / 501(c)(3) literary arts organization. They publish two issues each year, one in winter, and one in summer.

To share your work, please upload your .docx or image files to the appropriate category:

• Animals

• Poetry

• Sex+ OR Food and Beverage

• Valentines OR Hybrid

• Essays OR Rants and Raves

• Interviews OR Sticky Fingers

honeyliterary.submittable.com/submit

_____

Starshine & Clay Fellowship

Cave Canem / EcoTheo Collective

DEADLINE: December 17, 2023 at 11:59 pm ET

SUBMISSION FEE: $0

INFO: Cave Canem and EcoTheo Collective are pleased to announce the 2024 Starshine and Clay Fellowship. Developed in 2020, this initiative provides financial and developmental support to emerging Black poets. Named in honor of Cave Canem elder Lucille Clifton, the Starshine and Clay Fellowship was developed to speak to the mentorship Clifton offered Cave Canem Fellows during her tenure as faculty at the Cave Canem Retreat.

Two recipients will each receive:

• A $500 cash award

• A featured reading at the 2024 Wonder Festival.

• A one-on-one consultation with aracelis girmay.

• Publication in an issue of EcoTheo Review.

ABOUT THE JUDGE: aracelis girmay (2003)* is a poet and teacher who makes work across genres. In collaboration with artist Valentina Améstica and the Center for Book Arts, a limited edition chapbook of her new work will be out in the fall (2023). She is the editor of So We Can Know: Writers of Color on Pregnancy, Loss, Abortion, and Birth (Haymarket) and is the editor-at-large of the Blessing the Boats Selections. She is also on the editorial board of the African Poetry Book Fund. For her work, Girmay was a finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature.

cavecanem.submittable.com/submit

_____

call for submissions: the fire inside Volume 3

Zora’s Den

DEADLINE: December 18, 2023 by 11:59pm

INFO: Zora's Den is dedicated to empowering Black women writers, by offering a platform for their authentic stories and unique voices. 

We are currently accepting fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry written by Black women for our third anthology, The Fire Inside, Volume III. 

GUEST EDITOR: Bernice McFadden, award-winning author of Sugar, Praise Song for the Butterflies, and more.

GUIDELINES:

• Poetry: Submit up to three (3) poems with a combined length of no more than five (5) pages.

• Fiction: maximum length of 3000 words. 

• Non-Fiction: maximum length of 2500 words.

• All submissions should be double-spaced (except poetry, which can be single-spaced). 12 point font. Pages must be numbered.

• No experimental forms in any genre.

• No names or identifying information on any pages.

• Upload submission as a Word document (either DOC or DOCX format) or pdf.

• We welcome simultaneous submissions but request immediate notification, if your work is accepted by another publisher.

• Submissions should be original; we will not accept content generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

• Work should not have been previously published in print or online. (including author’s website or blog)

• Accompany your submission with a brief bio.

• All rights remain with the author.

• Each author will receive a contributor copy of the anthology, as compensation.

zorasden.submittable.com/submit

_____

call for submissions: Spring/Summer 2024 print issue

Epiphany Magazine

DEADLINE: December 18, 2023

SUBMISSION FEE: $5

INFO: How quickly the seasons change: We are now open for submissions for our Spring/Summer 2024 print issue in the categories of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art.

Send us work that blooms and withers and speaks through a larger netowrk of root; send us your most honest and original work. We are especially eager to read more nonfiction and works in translation.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Prose: submit one piece at a time, double-spaced / Poetry: submit up to five poems

• Please format submissions in 12-pt font

• We accept simultaneous submissions but please withdraw promptly through Submittable should your work be accepted elsewhere.

• We only consider previously unpublished work.

• All work will be considered for online publication

• Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.

• Translations are welcome with rights permission from the original writer. Novel chapters / excerpts are also welcome.

• Please include a short bio with your cover letter.

epiphanyzine.com/features/open-spring-summer-2024

_____

JANUARY 2024 ANDERSON CENTER WINTER RETREAT

The Anderson Center

DEADLINE: December 22, 2023

INFO: The Anderson Center’s Winter Retreat program is a short-term residency during the organization’s off-season for artists and writers seeking concentrated creative time for reflection and the advancement of their personal artistic goals. A Winter Retreat at the Anderson Center is a fee-based opportunity for up to four artists at a time to live in community and fellowship while working on their own projects in the inspiring setting of the historic Tower View Estate.

The Anderson Center is currently accepting applications for sessions of 1 to 4 weeks in duration from Monday, January 8 to Sunday, February 4, 2023. Arrival takes place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each Monday and includes a short orientation. Check out is by 10 a.m. on Sundays. Spaces are rented on a first come, first serve basis and acceptance is made at the discretion of staff. There is no fee to apply. Application or participation in a Winter Retreat in no way affects eligibility or selection for other Anderson Center Residency Programs.

Practicing artists of all backgrounds and at any stage of their career are encouraged to apply. A self-paced Winter Retreat may be a good fit for artists & writers who need time away from daily responsibilities and distractions to focus on a creative project, visual artists needing access to the Anderson Center’s specific studio facilities, or educators seeking focused creative time during a winter break or sabbatical. A Winter Retreat is also an ideal opportunity for collaborating artists to advance a project or work alongside one another at Tower View.

If you have any questions about Winter Retreats, please contact Program Director Adam M. Wiltgen at 651-388-2009 x4.

RATES, ACCOMMODATIONS, & AMENITIES

The weekly rate for a Winter Retreat at the Anderson Center is $600. A 10% discount is offered to local artists living with in Goodhue County, Minnesota. A 50% deposit is due upon acceptance with the balance due at arrival. There is no fee to apply. Notification of acceptance and confirmation of dates will be emailed within a week of receiving application.

A Winter Retreat in the Historic Tower View Residence includes a private bedroom and a private bathroom, along with access to a fully equipped kitchen, laundry room, living room, dining room, and several common spaces. Bedrooms are equipped with either a king bed, full bed, or twin beds; a desk, a dresser, a large closet, and a comfortable chair.

Linens and towels are provided. The house is cleaned weekly. Couples are welcome and may share bedroom/studio if desired (weekly rate applies to each person). Children and pets (except for certified service animals) are unable to be accommodated during Winter Retreats.

The Granary Printmaking Studio (with a Vandercook 219 letterpress and Charles Brand-like etching press) is available for Winter Retreats for $150/week. The fee for a 15' x 26' visual art studio in the North Studios complex (with a sink, heater, easels, and tables) is $100/week.

The Anderson Center does not supply paper or any visual art supplies. Residents are generally expected to bring supplies and tools with them, or have supplies sent to the Center prior to arrival. All Winter Retreat participants should be able and willing to work independently.

Dancers and choreographers interested in using the Tower View Barn for movement work are encouraged to inquire with staff regarding availability and rates. Musicians and composers interested in utilizing the Tower View Barn (and its Grand Royale piano) are likewise encouraged to make a special request about rates and availability.

The Anderson Center does not hire a chef for Winter Retreats and no meals or groceries are provided. Participating writers and artists are expected to do their own grocery shopping and their own cooking in the fully equipped kitchen. There are numerous grocery stores, gourmet shops and restaurants nearby.

Artists are responsible for their own transportation. Given the time of year, Tower View’s location, and that no food is provided, participating artists and writers staying longer than one week are required to have their own car with them.

CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY

Before December 1, cancellations will be offered a refund of their deposit. Beginning December 1, deposits are non-refundable. Cancellations will not be offered a refund of their deposit on or after December 1.

VACCINATION POLICY

Prior to arrival, all artists are sent a Retreat Handbook outlining many items related to daily life, including the most current safety policies and protocols. The organization's goal is to balance standard pandemic policies and clear expectations while also highlighting areas where communication or flexibility within each cohort might be beneficial or needed.

The Anderson Center Residency Program trusts that artists know what they need most to advance their individual practices and how best to use their time to benefit their own work and reach their own goals. Likewise, artists are empowered to collectively make changes where appropriate and ultimately build the artist community they'd like to see.

At the same time, and as is outlined in the Retreat Handbook, the Anderson Center is committed to supporting artists by creating a safe space for their residency experience. As such, the organization requires all participating Winter Retreat artists to provide proof COVID-19 vaccination (and a booster within the last 12 months) prior to arrival.

Of course even with all of these precautions, by simply participating in an the retreat program with other artists, there is an inherent risk of exposure, even for vaccinated persons, that is beyond the ability of the Anderson Center to control entirely. By applying to this program you are communicating that you are comfortable with that risk and that you are also up-to-date on your COVID vaccinations (or will be prior to arrival). A COVID-19 risk acknowledgement and liability waiver is included in the retreat agreement.

ABOUT THE ANDERSON CENTER

The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, founded in 1995 on the Tower View estate in rural Red Wing, Minn., has renovated and restored 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.

The Anderson Center's flagship artist residency program runs May through October each year and enables artists, writers, musicians, and performers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment to create, advance, or complete work. In addition to community engagement activities through the artist residency program, the organization has a strong history of helping integrate the arts into community life through local partnerships, hosting annual arts events and participating in other community-based initiatives.

LOCATION

The Anderson Center campus is located on the 350-acre historic Tower View Estate, 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 approximately 45 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.

The town is settled on the ancestral homelands of the Mdewakanton & Wahpakute bands of the Dakota people. The City of Red Wing is named after Tatanka Mani (Walking Buffalo), a leader of the Mdewakanton Dakota in the upper Mississippi Valley who wore a ceremonial swan’s wing dyed in brilliant red. In 1815, Tatanka Mani and his people moved their village south to a place they called Khemnichan (Hill, Wood, & Water) in present-day downtown Red Wing. Euro-American immigrants who met him as they advanced into the region in the early nineteenth century came to know him and his village as “Red Wing.”

Since its settlement and eventual incorporation in 1857, Red Wing established itself as a center for agriculture, industry, tourism, medical care, technology, and the arts. The Red Wing Shoe Company and its iconic brands, in particular, continue to have a significant impact on the community’s economic, business, and community development climates. Natural resources abound with Red Wing's riverfront, winding paths through the majestic bluffs, bike trails, and 35 city parks. The Prairie Island Indian Community is located northwest of the city. Frontenac State Park is to the southeast on Lake Pepin. Minnesota State College Southeast Technical’s Red Wing campus is known for its string and brass instrument repair programs. The MN Dept. of Corrections also operates a large juvenile residential facility in Red Wing.

Other amenities include a destination bakery, a chocolate shop, coffee shops, restaurants, the flagship Red Wing Shoe Company store, Goodhue County Historical Society Museum, the Red Wing Stoneware & Pottery store, the Pottery Museum of Red Wing, a Duluth Trading store, the Red Wing Marine Museum, a Target, several pharmacies, a plant nursery & garden center, a Mayo Health System Hospital, a small independent bookstore, and a public library.

theandersoncenter.submittable.com/submit/261191/january-2024-andeson-center-winter-retreat

_____

Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant

History Through Fiction Press

DEADLINE: December 31, 2023

INFO: Are you an Indigenous writer? Are you an enrolled member of a tribal community within Minnesota? Then you're eligible for the Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant.

In conjunction with his forthcoming novel, Reclaiming Mni Sota, author Colin Mustful, and his press, History Through Fiction, will award one Indigenous writer a $10,000 grant to pursue the advancement of their creative writing projects, education, and career. To be considered for the grant, eligible applicants must submit proof of membership to federally recognized Minnesota Indian community, a personal essay, and a writing sample.

PERSONAL ESSAY - The personal essay should be an expression of the writer's journey that clearly demonstrates the writer's intentions to use creative writing to share stories about the past. It should convey the importance of historical storytelling and the value of advancing diverse narratives in historical fiction. It should be between 750 and 1,500 words long.

WRITING SAMPLE - The writing sample should be a sample of the writer's creative writing. It can be any form of fiction or poetry and can be a complete short-form narrative or an excerpt from a longer piece. It can be the writer's published or unpublished work. It should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words long.

TO APPLY - To apply for the Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant, please submit all materials through our Duosuma Submission Manager. Please attach the personal essay and writing sample as a PDF, .doc, or .docx file. Your cover letter should include your full name, tribal membership, email, phone number, and mailing address. Your writing sample should not include any identifying information. The application period begins June 15, 2023 and ends December 31, 2023.

SELECTION + AWARDING - The awardee will be chosen through a reviewal process by Colin Mustful, History Through Fiction, and judges Erica T. Wurth, Linda G. Johnston, and CMarie Fuhrman. The awardee will be selected and notified no later than January 31, 2024. The grant will be awarded by check at a public event or banquet on a date to be determined, but shall be no later than May 1, 2024.

DETAILS + DISCLAIMERS:

• This grant is an effort of Colin Mustful and History Through Fiction and is supported by its contributors and advocates. It is not directly affiliated with any other person or organization.

• The full award will amount to the total earned through the GoFundMe campaign less fees and taxes. Therefore, the final total may not be equal to $10,000.

• The fundraising period for this grant begins June 15, 2023 and ends December 31, 2023. There will be no further contributions made after December 31, 2023.

• The application period begins June 15, 2023 and ends December 31, 2023. The awardee will be chosen through a reviewal process by Colin Mustful, History Through Fiction, and judges Erica T. Wurth, Linda G. Johnston, and CMarie Fuhrman. The awardee will be selected and notified no later than January 31, 2024. The grant will be awarded by check at a public event or banquet on a date to be determined, but shall be no later than May 1, 2024.

• The awardee must be an enrolled member of one of the eleven federally recognized Indian Tribes in Minnesota.

• The awardee agrees to provide the History Through Fiction and Colin Mustful bi-yearly updates on how the grant funding is being utilized. Colin Mustful will publish the updates on his blogs and newsletters. The awardee shall provide four total updates.

duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/form.aspx?id=R1oLKW7-d53F2-R0di9Mz

_____

2024 Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize

Michigan Quarterly Review

DEADLINE: December 31, 2023 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: The Goldstein Prize is awarded annually to a poem of exemplary quality submitted for consideration. One poem submitted for this prize will be awarded $1,000 and publication in MQR. All submissions will be considered for publication.

Please submit up to 5 previously unpublished poems with a total page count of no more than 10 pages. Poets at all stages of their careers are encouraged to submit. Multiple submissions are permitted with multiple fees. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable but please leave us a note to withdraw individual poems if they are accepted elsewhere. All submissions will be considered for publication. This year's final judge will be Lawrence Joseph. The prize is $1,000 and the winning submission will be published in the Summer 2024 issue of the journal.

GUIDELINES:

We accept submissions via Submittable and use its tools to ensure that all identifying information is hidden from our contest readers throughout the selection process.

We ask entrants not to include their names or contact information within the document they upload to Submittable, its title, or its file name.

Up to 20 submissions will be passed on, without identifying information within them, to the judge.

Close friends, relatives, students, and former students of the judge, are excluded from the contest. Likewise, the current Editorial Board and staff of MQR, as well as their immediate family members, are excluded from the contest. Graduates of the Helen Zell Writers Program in the last 3 years and current faculty and staff of that program are also excluded. If any of the selected authors fall under these categories they will be disqualified, and a replacement will be chosen from among the finalists.

We feel acquaintance and/or participation in a workshop (outside of semester-long academic settings) taught by the judge should not be a disqualifying factor, so long as none of the poems in a manuscript is recognizable to the judge.

For the purposes of this contest, we'll call a “close friend” anyone with whom we have regular direct correspondence. And please remember that if a poem is recognizable to the judge, it will be disqualified.

JUDGE: The 2024 judge is Lawrence Joseph.

Born in Detroit, the grandson of Lebanese and Syrian Catholics, Lawrence Joseph is the author of numerous books of poetry, most recently A Certain Clarity: Selected Poems (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020). He is also the author of two books of prose, Lawyerland, a non-fiction novel published by FSG, and The Game Changed: Essays and Other Prose, in the University of Michigan Press’s Poets on Poetry Series. Among his awards are two National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowships and a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation. He is Professor of Law Emeritus at St. John’s University School of Law and lives in New York City.    

mqr.submittable.com/submit

_____

NORMA FARBER FIRST BOOK AWARD

Poetry Society of America

DEADLINE: December 31, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $20 per book

INFO: The Norma Farber First Book Award is given to a first book of original poetry written by a living author who lives in the United States or is a U.S. citizen. The book must be published in either a hard or soft cover in a standard edition in 2023. Translations are ineligible, as are chapbooks.

AWARD: A $500 cash prize goes to the author.

2024 JUDGE: Rio Cortez

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

• Books must be submitted directly by publishers.

• There is a $20 entry fee per book

• Publishers must submit 2 copies of each title.

• No book may be submitted to both contests.

• Books should be sent via USPS.

• Submissions from Poetry Society employees, officers, advisory board committee members, or their immediate families are ineligible.

MAILING ADDRESS

Poetry Society of America
119 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

poetrysociety.org/awards/annual-awards/poetry-society-of-america-book-award

_____

WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS AWARD

Poetry Society of America

DEADLINE: December 31, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $20 per book

INFO: The William Carlos Williams Award is given to a book of poetry written by a living author who lives in the United States or is a U.S. citizen. The book must be published by a small press, non-profit, or university press in a standard edition in 2023. Translations are ineligible, as are chapbooks. A $500 cash prize goes to the author.

2024 JUDGE: Daisy Fried

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

• Books must be submitted directly by publishers.

• There is a $20 entry fee per book

• Publishers must submit 2 copies of each title.

• No book may be submitted to both contests.

• Books should be sent via USPS.

• Submissions from Poetry Society employees, officers, advisory board committee members, or their immediate families are ineligible.

MAILING ADDRESS

Poetry Society of America
119 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

poetrysociety.org/awards/annual-awards/poetry-society-of-america-book-award

_____

Anna Rabinowitz Prize

Poetry Society of America

DEADLINE: December 31, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $10 (checks should be made payable to the Poetry Society of America)

INFO: The Anna Rabinowitz Prize is awarded to poets and their collaborators for venturesome, interdisciplinary work made in the previous year and combining poetry and any other art or discipline.

Work that qualifies includes but is not limited to books that blend visual art and poetry, original performances of dance and poetry (or dance based on poetry) and of music and poetry (including libretti based on poetry) as well as more eclectic collaborations involving poetry and technology, the sciences or math.

Candidates are required to provide materials documenting their projects. These will be key to the judging process. Panels, discussions, and programs focused on dialogue between disciplines rather than the creation of a new work are not eligible.

The finished work should have been produced or published in 2023 but can involve or be based in part on work from any era. All are welcome to apply singly if the work involving more than one discipline has been accomplished alone.

HONORARIUM: $1,000 to be divided equally between or among the principals if not awarded to a single artist.

The prize is established by the children of Anna Rabinowitz to honor her boundless curiosity, creativity, and artistic accomplishments.

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Farid Matuk is the author of the poetry collections This Isa Nice Neighborhood and The Real Horse, and of several chapbooks, including My Daughter La Chola. Matuk’s work has been supported, most recently, by the Headlands Center for the Arts and by a Holloway Visiting Professorship in Poetry & Poetics at UC Berkeley.

SUBMISSION DETAILS & INSTRUCTIONS:

If you are submitting a book or chapbook or printed materials please include:

• One cover sheet for each entry with the following: Name, Address, Email, Phone, and Name of the Award.

• An Artist Statement describing the aims of the work submitted (up to 500 words)

• A Biographical Note (up to 500 words)

• Two copies of the work submitted.

• Submissions from Poetry Society employees, officers, advisory board committee members, or their immediate families are ineligible.

If you are submitting documentation of a performance or artwork please include a thumb drive with:

• Documentation of your work in the following formats: jpeg, pdf, mp3, or mpeg (as applicable).

• A PDF cover sheet which includes: Name, Address, Email, Phone, and Name of the Award.

• A PDF of your Artist Statement describing the aims of the work submitted (up to 500 words)

• A PDF of your Biographical Note (up to 500 words)

• Place ALL files in a folder named: YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME_Anna Rabinowitz Prize

poetrysociety.org/awards/annual-awards/anna-rabinowitz-award

_____

Poetry Society of America individual Awards

Poetry Society of America

DEADLINE: December 31, 2023

INFO: The PSA's Annual Awards are among the most prestigious honors available to poets. They offer emerging and established poets recognition at all stages of their careers, including our student poetry award and book awards for publishers.

Award 1

• The Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award

• $250

• For a short poem, no longer than 16 lines.

• Judged by Tawanda Mulalu.

Award 2

• Cecil Hemley Memorial Award

• $500

• For a narrative poem.

• Established by Jack Stadler, former Treasurer of the PSA, and his late wife, Ralynn Stadler.

• Judged by Kathy Fagan.

Award 3

• Lyric Poetry Award

• $500

• For a lyric poem on any subject.

• Established under the will of PSA member Mrs. Consuelo Ford (Althea Urn), and also in memory of Mary Carolyn Davies.

• Judged by Richie Hofmann.

Award 4

• Lucille Medwick Memorial Award

• $500

• For a prose poem.

• Established by Maury Medwick in memory of his wife, the poet and editor.

• Judged by Sandra Lim.

Award 5

• Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award

• $1,000

• For 10 pages of poetry from a manuscript-in-progress.

• Previously published poems are acceptable; include acknowledgment of publications on your cover sheet. Poems entered as part of a Di Castagnola manuscript may be entered individually in other PSA awards, if they haven’t been previously published.

• Offered in memory of a benefactor and friend of the PSA, and partially endowed by the Estate of Rachel Dalven, and the estate of Ellen Lamon Anderson.

• Judged by Lucy Ives.

Award 6

• George Bogin Memorial Award

• $500

• For a selection of four or five poems that use language in an original way to reflect the encounter of the ordinary and the extraordinary and to take a stand against oppression in any of its forms.

• Established by the family and friends of George Bogin.

• Judged by Claire Schwartz.

Award 7

• Robert H. Winner Memorial Award

• $2,500

• For a manuscript of 10 pages by a mid-career poet who has not had substantial recognition. Open to poets 40 and over who have published no more than one full-length collection of poetry. Poets who have not published a poetry collection are eligible.

• Previously published poems are acceptable; include acknowledgment of publications on your cover sheet. Poems entered as part of a Winner manuscript may be entered individually in other PSA awards, if they haven’t been previously published.

• Established by the family and friends of Robert H. Winner, whose first book of poems appeared when he was almost fifty years old.

• Judged by Nathan McClain.

SUBMISSION DETAILS & INSTRUCTIONS:

• Awards are open to Poetry Society of America members for free.

• The fees for non-members are: single poem awards $10, multiple poem awards are $15.

• Personal identification cannot appear in the submission document anywhere, including in the file name.

• Only one entry per award.

• You cannot submit the same poem to more than one award.

• The exception: Individual poems submitted to the Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award or Robert H. Winner Award may be submitted to another PSA award.

• The submission must not have been previously published or accepted for publication.

• The exception: Individual poems submitted to the Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award and the Robert Winner Award may have been published.

• Simultaneous submissions are fine; if the poem is accepted elsewhere for publication, please withdraw the submission.

• Submissions written by more than one author are not eligible.

• Translations are not eligible. All poems must be original and primarily in English.

• A poem that has previously won a Poetry Society of America award cannot be resubmitted to any of the awards.

• We cannot accept corrections after submission.

• Submissions from Poetry Society employees, officers, advisory board committee members, or their immediate families are ineligible.

• All submissions are judged anonymously.

NOTIFICATION:

• We cannot confirm receipt over phone or email.

• We cannot accept any corrections or revisions to submissions.

• The winners will be announced in late spring.

poetrysocietyofamerica.submittable.com/submit

_____

Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts

DEADLINE: January 7, 2024. by 11:59pm

APPLICATION FEE: $0

INFO: The Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts is thrilled to announce our Call for Entries for the 2024 Residency season! Residencies will begin May 30 and run through October 31.

We welcome submissions from artists and writers living in New York State and Indian Nations therein working in the following disciplines:

• Poetry

• Fiction & Creative Nonfiction

• Photography & Filmmaking

• Painting | Sculpture | Visual Arts

Accessible to all artists and writers

Saltonstall has re-centered our mission to make the residency experience accessible to all artists and writers in New York State.

• In 2017, we waived application fees to remove an economic bar to access.

• In 2019, we piloted a one-week residency specifically for artists and writers with at least one dependent child at home.

• And in 2021, we offered a newly-constructed accessible space, so that all artists and writers in New York State could be part of our residency program

There is no cost associated with the residency and no cost to apply.

Artists and writers who are awarded a residency are provided the following:

• $100 per-week stipend + additional stipend support based on financial need. This was a new initiative in 2023. We expect the upper threshold to be approximately $1,000 with priority given to those living below the median household income for their NYS County.

• Artist/writer parents who attend the 7-night residency for parents will receive a $500 stipend.

• writers: a spacious private apartment with ample desk space

• visual artists: a private apartment with adjoining studio space on the same level

• photographers or filmmakers: a private apartment with ample desk space and a fully functional wet darkroom

• all apartments have private baths and a patio or balcony

• hearty chef-prepared vegetarian dinners (we always accommodate for allergies but cannot always accommodate very specific dietary sensitivities.)

• groceries and a 24-hour accessible kitchen

• washer and dryer in each building

saltonstall.org/residencies/application-guidelines/

POETRY — NOVEMBER 2023

OPEN CALL: DERRICOTTE/EADY PRIZE 

Caven Canem

DEADLINE: November 5, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: Established in 2015 and named after Cave Canem's Co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, the Derricotte/Eady Prize is a collaboration with O, Miami to spotlight exceptional chapbook manuscripts by Black poets.

AWARD: The winner of the prize receives a $1,000 award, publication of their manuscript by O, Miami Books, 10 copies of the chapbook, a residency in The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel in Miami, and a featured reading. Previous judges include: Robin Coste Lewis; Dawn Lundy Martin; Ross Gay; Major Jackson; Danez Smith; Mahogany L. Browne; Lillian Yvonne-Bertram; and Herman Beavers.

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Tara Betts is the author of Refuse to Disappear, Break the Habit, and Arc & Hue. Tara was the inaugural Poet for the People at University of Chicago’s Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture and the Pozen Center. She is currently the Professor of Practice and Poet in Residence at DePaul University’s Peace, Conflict Studies, and Social Justice Program. Tara also coedited The Beiging of America: Being Mixed Race in the 21st Century, a new edition of Philippa Duke Schuyler's memoir Adventures in Black and White, and Carving Out Rights from Inside the Prison Industrial Complex. In addition to writing new fiction, She is working on poems for her second collaboration with Peggy Choy Dance Company and co-editing an anthology of Bop Poems with Afaa M. Weaver.

ABOUT O, MIAMI: O, Miami builds literary culture in Miami, FL. In collaboration with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, O, Miami produces a visiting writer series, a publishing imprint, a poets-in-the-community workshop program, and the O, Miami Poetry Festival, which has the annual goal of every single person in Miami-Dade County encountering a poem during the month of April. O, Miami publishes print books, e-books, zines, chapbooks, posters, and other stuff. The mission of our publishing program is to contribute to a regional identity for Miami-based literary publishing and provide opportunities for South Florida voices to find new audiences. For more, visit omiami.org.

ABOUT THE BETSY HOTEL: The Betsy – South Beach is an award-winning global arts hotel and home of The Betsy Writer’s Room that has hosted over 800 artists, thought leaders, poets and creators in residence. The Betsy is also the home of O, Miami Poetry Festival, Miami Classical Music Festival and host Hotel to many of South Florida’s leading regional charitable, arts and culture organizations. Poetry programs are inspired by the work of mid-century poet Hyam Plutzik, three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and father of Betsy owner Jonathan Plutzik. The Betsy Hotel, located on iconic Ocean Drive, beachfront, is also home of The Betsy Poetry Rail, a public installation that champions the work of 12 writers that shaped Miami Culture.

cavecanem.submittable.com/submit

_____

LITERATURE GRANT

Café Royal Cultural Foundation

DEADLINE: November 6, 2023 at 9:00 am ET (or when they reach their limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first).

INFO: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction, poetry and playwriting.

AWARD: Up to $10,000.00

ELIGIBILITY:

• Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction, poetry and playwriting.

• 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 must be a current resident of 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 resident of 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 and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date.

• Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.

• You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.

caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page

_____

THE 2024 CAVE CANEM FELLOWSHIP

Cave Canem

DEADLINE: November 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: Since 1996, Cave Canem has awarded Fellowships to more than 500 Black poets. Cave Canem Fellows are among the most distinguished poets in the field, not only as recipients of the highest literary honors and critical acclaim but also for their service in communities across the country.

Each year a cohort of 10–20 new Fellows is selected based solely on the quality of their poems. Cohorts encompass a range of different aesthetics and poetic practices (the spoken word tradition, formalism, multimedia performance, text-based composition, etc.), to ensure an equity of voices in our gathering—all united by a common purpose to improve craft and find productive space.

Fellows receive an unparalleled opportunity to study with a world-class faculty and join a community of peers at the Retreat, a week-long series of intensive poetry workshops, thought-provoking presentations, both public & private readings, and creative discourse. Due to our generous community of institutional funders and individual donors, there is no submission fee for the Fellowship application and the Cave Canem Retreat is free to all Fellows.

The Cave Canem Fellowship includes:

• Invitation to the Retreat

• A subscription to MasterClass

• Access to Fellows and Faculty Fund

• Access to exclusive scholarships for select writing residences

• Archival training

• Inclusion in public programming (readings, panels, multigenre collaborations, etc.)

• Subscription to Digest, a bimonthly Cave Canem resource containing community news and exclusive offers

The Retreat will be held from June 9 to June 16, 2024

cavecanem.submittable.com/submit

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE COMMUTER

Electric Lit

SUBMISSION PERIOD: November 13 - 19, 2023 (or until the submission cap of 375 in prose and poetry is met)

INFO: The Commuter is our home for poetry, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives. It publishes weekly on Monday morning, and has showcased the likes of Caroline Hadilaksono, Aleksandar Hemon, Jonathan Lethem, Lindsay Hunter, Tahirah Alexander Green, and Julia Wertz.

GUIDELINES:

• 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.

electricliterature.submittable.com/submit

_____

2023 Poetry Prize

Nightboat Books

DEADLINE: November 15, 2023 at 11:59pm ET

ENTRY FEE: $28 (In the event that the judges do not select a manuscript for publication, reading fees will be returned to all entrants).

INFO: 2023 Nightboat Poetry Prize is now open! The Nightboat editors will select up to four manuscripts for publication.

ELIGIBILITY: Any poet writing in English, including international Anglophone writers. Previous book publication is not a consideration for eligibility. Poems published in print or on-line periodicals, anthologies, or chapbooks may be included, but the manuscript itself must be unpublished. Original work only; translations are not eligible for the prize.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Family members and former students of Nightboat editors may not submit to the contest. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships. Former employees of Nightboat Books, including interns, may not submit to the contest.

FORMAT: Minimum of 48 pages, paginated, no more than one poem per page. Please include a title page (we do not read submissions blind, so it’s fine to include your name), a table of contents, and an acknowledgments page if applicable. You’re welcome to include images in your manuscript, but please note that we are not able to print in full-color.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please notify Nightboat Books immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: Submission of more than one manuscript is acceptable. Each manuscript must be submitted separately, each with a separate entry fee.

INTERNATIONAL SUBMISSIONS: We accept International Submissions.

REVISIONS: The winner will have the opportunity to revise the manuscript before publication. No revisions will be considered during the reading period.

Winner(s) will be announced by April 2024. Winning collection(s) to be published Fall 2025-Spring 2026.

nightboat.org/poetry-prize/

_____

2024-2025 Writing Fellowship

The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown

DEADLINE: November 15, 2023

INFO: Since its creation 50 years ago, the Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship has become one of the leading residency programs in the world.

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 Fine Arts Work Center has hosted more than 1,000 Fellows since 1968, nurturing an accomplished and far-reaching alumni network. The impact of the experience is best illustrated by the extensive list of awards Fellows have gone on to win, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellowship, Prix de Rome, Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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/the-fellowship/

_____

2024 national Prize for Poetry

Philadelphia Stories

DEADLINE: November 15, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $5

INFO: Philadelphia Stories’ National Prize for Poetry is an annual national poetry prize featuring a first place $1,000 cash award. Three runners up will each receive a $250 cash award. The winning and runner up poems are published in the Spring issue. These poems and honorable mentions appear online. Philadelphia Stories’ National Prize for Poetry celebrates risk, innovation, and emotional engagement. We especially encourage poets from underrepresented groups and backgrounds to send their work.

2024 JUDGE: Kirwyn Sutherland is a Clinical Research Professional and poet who makes poems centering the black experience in America. He was one of five poets to represent the Philadelphia Pigeon Poetry Slam Team at the National Poetry Slam in Oakland California in 2015. Kirwyn’s work has been published in American Poetry Review, Cosmonauts Ave., Blueshift Journal, Voicemail Poems, APIARY Magazine, FOLDER, The Wanderer and elsewhere. Kirwyn has served as Editor of Lists/Book Reviewer for WusGood Magazine, poetry editor for APIARY Magazine, and is a Watering Hole fellow. Kirwyn has a chapbook, Jump Ship, on Thread Makes Blanket Press.

GUIDELINES:

• The $5 fee covers the submission of (1) one single poem up to three pages in length. Each poem must be submitted individually. Multiple poems submitted in the same document will not be considered.

• Poets may submit as many individual poems as they like so long as they are each in a single document. There will be a $5 fee for each submission.

• Submission fees are not refundable.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted; however, we must be notified immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. If your simultaneously submitted poem is accepted elsewhere, please WITHDRAW your submission as soon as possible. And congratulations!

• We will only consider work previously unpublished in print or online.

• Poets currently residing in the United States are eligible.

• All submissions should use a 12 pt font and standard typeface (not Comic Sans or Impact, etc.).

• Poets should only upload Word documents [.doc, .docx]. The AUTHOR’S NAME SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE IN THE UPLOADED DOCUMENT.

• Submissions will be accepted via the website. If you have any trouble uploading to the site, please email contest@philadelphiastories.org.

philadelphiastories.org/poetry-contest/

_____

Rising Writer Prize

Autumn House Press

DEADLINE: November 30, 2023

INFO: The 2024 Rising Writer Prize is for a first full-length book of poetry. The Autumn House staff and select outsider readers will serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is Eduardo C. Corral. The winner receives publication of a full-length manuscript and $1,500.

We will announce the contest’s finalists and winner by March 15, 2024.

GUIDELINES:

• Must be the author’s first full-length poetry collection (previous publications of chapbooks and full-length books in other genres are fine)

• The winners will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book

• All finalists will be considered for publication

• Submissions should be approximately 50 – 80 pages

• The reading fee is $25 (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.)

• 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

• You may include a brief bio in the “cover letter” section of Submittable

• Do not include an acknowledgments page in the manuscript

• Feel free to include a table of contents

• Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please let us know immediately if your book was accepted elsewhere

• 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

JUDGE: Eduardo C. Corral is the son of Mexican immigrants. He’s the author of Guillotine, published by Graywolf Press, and Slow Lightning, winner of the 2011 Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition. He’s the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Lannan Foundation Literary Fellowship, a Whiting Writers’ Award, an NEA Fellowship, and a Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University. He teaches in the MFA program at North Carolina State University.

autumnhouse.org/submissions/rising-writers-prize/

_____

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

Kenyon Review

DEADLINE: November 30, 2023

INFO: The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize, created in 2007 to recognize outstanding young poets, is open to high school sophomores and juniors. The contest is named in honor of Patricia Grodd in recognition of her generous support of The Kenyon Review and its programs, as well as her passionate commitment to education and deep love for poetry.

PRIZE: The winner receives a full scholarship to the 2024 Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop. The winner and two runners-up will have their selected poems published in the print edition of the Kenyon Review and on our website.

kenyonreview.org/submit/patricia-grodd/

_____

CALL for submissions: Rhapsody of Regret

Black Fox Literary Magazine

DEADLINE: November 30, 2023 by midnight EST

ENTRY FEE: $12

INFO: Black Fox is accepting submissions for its ninth writing prize. The theme for this round is “Rhapsody of Regret.” We are open to loose interpretations of the theme in any genre, as always.

What lies underneath the weight of regret?

So often, regrets are reminders of roads not taken, words left unsaid, and chances not taken. They echo in the deepest parts of our minds, insisting on what might have been. Whether fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry, we’re looking for work that uncovers the multifaceted nature of regrets. What emotions, lessons, and transformations emerge in retrospect?

Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner that we feel interprets the theme best.

AWARD: The prize is $300 and publication in the Winter 2024 issue.

All submissions are considered for publication in the Winter 2024 issue.

blackfoxlitmag.com/contests

_____

Scholars-in-Residence Program Fellowship 2024-25

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

DEADLINE: December 1, 2023

INFO: The Scholars-in-Residence Program 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 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, three of whom are supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. 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 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. (These short-term fellowships are a recent addition to the Scholars-in-Residence Program, having been offered for the first time in the 2017-18 application cycle; they are funded by an endowment provided by the Ford Foundation and the Newhouse Foundation.)

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.

The deadline for applications is December 1, 2023. The online system will open for new applications on September 1.  Keep checking this page for updates or sign up for our free enewsletter Schomburg Connection.  If there are any questions, please email sir@nypl.org.

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.) Only 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 may apply.

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 in late March.

nypl.org/help/about-nypl/fellowships-institutes/schomburg-center-scholars-in-residency/application

_____

Award for New Poets

Frontier Poetry

DEADLINE: December 1, 2023

SUBMISSION FEE: $20

INFO: This fall, we’re delighted to bring back our Award for New Poets! We’re looking to uplift an up-and-coming poet, with no more than one full-length collection forthcoming or published at the time of submission. We award $3,000 for the winning poem, selected by our guest judge. Our second- and third-place winners receive $300 and $200, respectively. All three winners will be published.

Our judge this year is torrin a. greathouse, whose “Burning Haibun” Frontier Poetry first published in 2017, and who is now an award-winning poet and professor. We love seeing a poet’s origins and the many ways they move and grow in their work, and this award is an opportunity for us to help you along that path! Send us your innovative poems, your passion projects, the work you can’t wait for the world to share in!

ABOUT OUR JUDGE: torrin a. greathouse is a transgender cripple-punk poet and essayist. She received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Minnesota. Their work has been featured in Poetry Magazine, The Rumpus, the New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, and The Kenyon Review. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Effing Foundation for Sex Positivity, Zoeglossia, the Ragdale Foundation, and the University of Arizona Poetry Center. They are the author of Wound from the Mouth of a Wound (Milkweed Editions, 2020), winner of the 2022 Kate Tufts Discovery Award, and DEED (Wesleyan University Press, 2024). She teaches at the Rainier Writing Workshop, the low-residency MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University.

GUIDELINES:

• Submissions are open to new and emerging writers (for this contest, we define this as poets with no more than one full-length published work forthcoming at the time of submission).

• As part of our dedication to the pursuit of a more inclusive publishing world, there is a free submission window for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, person of color) poets at the beginning of the contest until our cap of fifty. Please note the portal will close when we hit our cap.

• Do not include any identifying information in the body of your document.

• Send up to three poems per submission, for a total of no more than five pages. We have no aesthetic or formal requirements and consider all styles of poetry.

• Please submit unpublished poems only.

• We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

• You may submit multiple times, but each submission requires a separate $20 fee.

• Please provide a brief cover letter that includes a short, third-person bio with your publication history and any applicable content warnings.

• Submissions are open internationally, to any poet writing in English. Inclusion of other languages is welcome, as long as the poem is primarily written in English.

• Please do not submit work if you have a personal relationship with the judge.

• If you haven't already, please verify your email address with Submittable for more consistent communication.

• We will not accept AI-generated work for this contest.

• If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ page first. If you don’t find the answer to your question, you can send an email to contact (at) frontierpoetry (dot) com.

frontierpoetry.com/poetry-awards/

_____

Short Forms Contest

Room Magazine

DEADLINE: December 1, 2023

ENTRY FEE:

• If you reside in Canada: $39 CAD

• If you reside in the US: $49 CAD

• If you reside outside North America: $59 CAD

• includes a one-year subscription to Room, beginning with Issue 47.1 (March 2024).

INFO: Our 2023 Short Forms Contest is now open!

Please note: Each entry can consist of one or two prose poems, flash fictions, or flash creative non-fiction works of up to 500 words. Authors are not required to clarify which genre(s) they are writing in, as long as each work is 500 words or less. All submissions, regardless of genre, will be judged in a single category.

AWARD:

• FIRST PRIZE: $500 + publication in Room

• SECOND PRIZE: $350 + publication in Room

• HONOURABLE MENTION: $150 + publication on Room’s website

2023 JUDGE: Tsering Yangzom Lama’s debut novel, WE MEASURE THE EARTH WITH OUR BODIES, was a finalist for The Giller Prize, The Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writers Prize, The Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, and The Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. Winner of the GLCA New Writers Award, the novel has also been longlisted for The Carol Shields Prize, The VCU Cabell First Novel Prize, The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and The Toronto Book Awards.

Tsering holds an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and a BA in Creative Writing and International Relations from the University of British Columbia. A lifelong activist, Tsering is a Storytelling Advisor at Greenpeace International, where she guides and trains people around the world in storytelling. Born and raised in Nepal, she currently splits her time between Vancouver, Canada and Sweden. WE MEASURE is being published in eight languages and ten countries.

roommagazine.com/contests/

_____

Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets 

The African Poetry Book Fund / Prairie Schooner / University of Nebraska

DEADLINE: December 1, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is awarded annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection of poetry. The winner receives USD $1000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal.

The African Poetry Book Fund Editorial Board, including Kwame Dawes, Chris Abani, Matthew Shenoda, John Keene, Gabeba Baderoon, Phillippaa yaa de Villiers, Aracelis Girmay, and Bernardine Evaristo, will judge.

A winner will be announced in early January, with notifications sent shortly thereafter.

ELIGIBILITY: The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets will only accept “first book” submissions from African writers who have not published a book-length poetry collection. This includes self-published books if they were sold online, in stores, or at readings. Writers who have edited and published an anthology or a similar collection of other writers’ work remain eligible.

An “African writer” is taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, who is a national or resident of an African country, or whose parents are African.

Only poetry submissions in English can be considered. Work translated from another language to English is accepted, but a percentage of the prize will be awarded to the translator.

No past or present paid employees of the University of Nebraska Press or Amalion Press, or current faculty, students, or employees at the University of Nebraska, are eligible for the prizes.

MANUSCRIPT:

• Poetry manuscripts should be at least 50 pages long.

• The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. All entries will be read anonymously. Please include a cover page listing only the title of the manuscript (not the author’s name, address, telephone number, or email address). An acknowledgements page listing the publication history of individual poems may be included, if desired. No application forms are necessary. Eligible writers may submit more than one manuscript.

• While we have no specific formatting rules, we suggest sending your manuscript in Times New Roman or Arial, 12 point font, single-spaced. We also prefer one poem per page, meaning a new poem does not begin on the same page on which another ends.

africanpoetrybookfund.submittable.com/submit

_____

Jane Underwood Poetry Prize

The Writing Salon

DEADLINE: December 1, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $15

INFO: The Jane Underwood Poetry Prize was established to celebrate and memorialize Jane Underwood, the founder and long-time director of The Writing Salon who passed away in 2016. Jane was a gifted poet who made The Writing Salon a prominent and respected creative writing school in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was well known for her generous spirit and her direct and encouraging teaching style. A posthumous collection of her poems, entitled When My Heart Goes Dark, I Turn the Porch Light On, was published in 2017. Open to all poets, the prize is awarded for a single poem.

AWARD:

• $500

• Publication of the winning poem at The Writing Salon’s website

• An invitation to do a featured reading at The Writing Salon

FINAL JUDGE: Craig Santos Perez is an indigenous Chamoru from Guam. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of San Francisco and a Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of six books of poetry and the academic monograph Navigating Chamoru Poetry: Indigeneity, Aesthetics, and Decolonization (2022). He is also the co-editor of seven anthologies, including Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia (2019) and Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures (2022)

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

The contest is open to all poets.

• Contestants may submit one entry of up to 3 poems. Poems must be sent in a single file.

• Each of the 3 poems may not exceed 80 lines in length.

• We do not consider previously published work, which includes online publications.

• Files should not include any information that reveals the identity of the author. Any entries that reveal the author’s identity will be discounted.

• File name must include the full or abbreviated title of each poem submitted.

• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Notify us immediately if a poem is placed elsewhere by sending an email to submissions@writingsalons.com.

• Email and mail submissions will not be read.

• All rights revert to the author upon publication of the poem.

• The winner and finalists will be announced at our website.

writingsalons.com/awards-resources/jane-underwood-poetry-prize/

_____

Mesa Refuge Residency

DEADLINE: December 1, 2023

APPLICATION FEE: $50

INFO: Mesa Refuge welcomes a diverse community of writers—both emerging and established—who define and/or offer solutions to the pressing issues of our time. Particularly, it is our priority to support writers, activists and artists whose ideas are “on the edge,” taking on the pressing issues of our time including (but not limited to): nature, environment and climate crisis; economic, racial and gender equity; social justice and restorative justice; immigration; health care access; housing; and more.

We especially want writers of nonfiction books, long-form journalism, audio and documentary film. Occasionally we accept poetry, fiction (Young Adult/Adult Literary), screenwriting and playwriting, photojournalism, personal memoirs (as a vehicle to tell a larger story) and graphic narrative. We tend not to accept academic writing. The potential impact and distribution of your project is also important.

We aim to support a diverse community of writers and welcome applicants that represent a broad spectrum of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, immigration status, religion or ability. Please see our DEI statement for more information about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

We typically have one application deadline during the year: December 1. Applications received in December will be considered for residencies throughout the following year.

As a small nonprofit, our application fee of $50 helps underwrite the cost of application review. However, we do not want the application fee to be a barrier to apply. To request a fee waiver, please email us directly here.

Our application process is anonymous, and the questions are mostly short answer. We require one writing sample (max 2,000 words or 10 pages), a current resume, headshot photo and two references (we do not require letters of recommendation). Applicants will be contacted approximately 8-10 weeks after the application deadline.

Our residencies are two weeks long and there is no residency fee. Additional residency expenses like travel, transportation and food are your responsibility. Our facility accommodates three residents at a time.

2024 RESIDENCY DATES:

• Session 1: March 1-March 14

• Session 2: March 15-28

• Session 3: March 29-April 11

• Session 4: April 12-April 25

• Session 5: April 26-May 9

• Session 6: Oct 18-Oct 31

• Session 7: Nov 1-Nov 14

• Session 8: Nov 29-Dec 12

mesarefuge.org/residencies/application/

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual works

Entre Magazine

DEADLINE: December 4, 2023

INFO: Entre is, primarily, a creative platform for queer Latina/o/x artists, but we are open to publishing works from all artists, regardless of background.

They currently seek submissions for its premiere issue, to tentatively debut in Spring 2024, including previously-unpublished creative fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual works that focus on the queer Latinx experience or any experiences that deal with hybridity, fluidity, and inbetweenness (be it race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, etc.)

​Submissions should be previously unpublished; please do not submit any works that have been previously published on personal blogs, social media, or in other magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks.​

We will gladly accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere and it will be withdrawn from the consideration process. ​

GUIDELINES: All submissions should include (aside from the work) an artist's bio (50-100 words) and a brief statement describing the artist's motivation behind the work--what is the intention of the work? What does the work represent?  

Artists are free to submit multiple works in multiple categories, but please be advised that only one work in one genre will most likely be selected to encourage a diverse representation of artists.

FORMATTING: Written works must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. Fiction submissions should not exceed a maximum of 5,000 words. Poetry submissions should not exceed a maximum of 3 poems. Fiction submissions should be double-spaced, utilize a standard typeface and font size (12 pt), and have numbered pages. Poetry submissions can be single-spaced, but should still utilize a standard typeface and font size. If submitting more than one poem, please start each new poem on its own page.

Visual works must be submitted either as JPEGs (JPGs), PNGs, or any widely-accepted image format (up to 100 MB).  

PUBLISHING:

1. All submissions are subjected to an editing process. If selected for publication, artists will always have the final say as to how their submissions will appear in Entre.

2. By submitting to Entre, artists agree to be published digitally (online) in Entre Magazine. Artists also agree to be potentially promoted on Entre's social media platforms (as they are launched). Social media handles may be included (if provided during the submission process). 

3. After first publication in Entre Magazine, artists will retain all rights to their work.

4. Entre does not provide monetary compensation for publications at this time. 

entremagazine.com/submissions

POETRY — OCTOBER 2023

2024 KWELI FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Kweli Journal

DEADLINE: October 12, 2023 at 11:59 pm 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 11-month writing fellowships.

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/Native, POC, and/or Arab American.

Writers who have NOT yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply.

AWARD:

Three 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 $2,000 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;

• all expense paid writing retreat hosted at Akwaaba.

ELIGIBILITY: Only 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: Submittable will be open for Fellowship submissions from Tuesday, September 12 – Thursday, October 12 only. Submissions for the Fellowships close at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on October 12, 2023. Successful applicants will be informed no later than December 15, 2023. The fellowship period will be January 3, 2024 – December 3, 2024.

PROCEDURE: 

Applications must be submitted through the Fellowship category in Submittable. There is no application fee. 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 and will be returned unread.

kwelijournal.org/kweli-fellowship-program

_____

Resistance & Resilience Prize

Palette Poetry

DEADLINE: October 15, 2023

READING FEE: $20 (for each submission)

INFO: Palette Poetry warmly invite all poets to submit to the Resistance & Resilience Prize! For this contest, we are especially interested in reading poems that reflect upon, live within, wrestle with, uplift, or subvert themes of resistance and resilience. We are looking for poetry of pushback and of survival, poetry that troubles power and poetry that nurtures its readers and writers alike. Send us your very best! The winning poet will be awarded $3000, publication, and a brief interview in Palette Poetry. Second and third place will receive $300 and $200, respectively, as well as publication. The top ten finalists will be selected by Palette editors, and Guest Judge Nicole Sealey will then select the top three winners for the contest.

GUEST JUDGE: NICOLE SEALEY is the author of Ordinary Beast, a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and PEN Open Book Award, and The Animal After Whom Other Animals Are Named. Her honors include a Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, a Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She is a visiting professor at Boston University and teaches in the MFA Writers Workshop in Paris at New York University.

Order Nicole Sealey’s latest collection, The Ferguson Report: An Erasure, here.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Submissions are open internationally, to any poet writing in English—inclusion of other languages is welcome, as long as the poem is largely written in English.

• DO NOT INCLUDE your name or identifying information in the document OR submission title box. If your name is on the submission, in the file name, or in the title box, it will be automatically declined.

• We are only accepting unpublished work. If your poem has been published on a blog or on social media, it is not eligible.

• We accept simultaneous submissions—just please send us a note if your work is picked up elsewhere.

• There is no page requirement, but your submission must be no more than three poems. Please submit all your poems in ONE document. Please begin each poem on a new page and include each poem's individual title.

• Please include a brief cover letter in the cover letter box with your publication history, if any. This section is where you can include your name and/or bio! If you select the editorial feedback option, this section is also where you can name which poem you'd like feedback on.

• Review our FAQ page for frequently asked questions.

• NOTE: If after submitting you notice an error in your submission, please message us rather than withdrawing and resubmitting your submission. We can open it to editing once so you can correct the error.

palettepoetry.com/current-contest-copy/

_____

Reading Period for Obsidian Issue 50.1 

Obsidian

DEADLINE: October 16, 2023

INFO: Manuscript submission guidelines are as follows:

• Include a short cover letter noting the title(s) of the work(s) submitted and citing major publications and awards, as well as any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor.

• Upload your text submission as a Word (DOC, 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: 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.

• Translations are welcome if permission has been granted.

https://obsidian.submittable.com/submit

_____

PERIPLUS Mentorship program

Periplus

DEADLINE: October 27, 2023

FEE: $0

INFO: Periplus is a collective of writers engaged in mentorship and community-building for writers of color. Each year, we select about 50 new Fellows to join our community and be mentored one-on-one by an established writer. Fellows also have access to other resources, including a large and growing community of fellow writers of color and regular events about the craft and business of writing. In assessing applications, we consider the promise we see in applicants' writing samples, while also paying attention to how helpful a Periplus Fellowship could be for their craft and career. Applying and participating is free.

FAQs:

Who are the mentors, and what do they do?

The Periplus mentors are a group of about 50 writers who, having benefited when we’ve belonged to diverse and inclusive writing communities, would like to mentor promising BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) writers in the United States who are earlier in their careers than we are.

We write essays, fiction, longform journalism, poetry, memoir, criticism, and various hybrid or undefined forms, and seek mentees working in those forms. (While several mentors are journalists with varied experience, this collective is geared more toward longform stories—features, investigations, and the like—than shortform reporting; people on the latter track might find more suitable resources through journalists’ organizations such as NAJA, NAHJ, NABJ, AAJA, and SAJA.) We don’t mentor in playwriting or screenwriting. We don’t mentor in writing for children.

The first year of mentorship took place in 2021. This year is our third. Each mentor takes on one mentee, known as a Periplus Fellow. Mentors and fellows will talk for at least 30 minutes every month, about topics that 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. Some of us, though not all, can also read and give feedback on fellows’ work—within certain limits, which mentors can specify. In addition, mentors periodically arrange panels and presentations for the collective; in the past, for example, we have hosted panels of writers, literary agents, book editors, magazine and journal editors, and representatives from graduate creative-writing programs.

Because this is a collective, mentors make big decisions as a group and share some work of running it. That said, the depth of individual mentors’ involvement depends on their particular circumstances. The only requirement is the monthly conversations. Anything else mentors do on top of that—including reading fellows’ work or helping to read applications, for example—is up to them.

Who are the Fellows, and what do they do?

Periplus Fellows, past and present, have played a major role in making Periplus a robust, supportive community. As with the mentors, the depth of individual Fellows’ involvement depends on their particular circumstances. The only requirement, for Fellows, is the monthly conversations with mentors.

That said, there are lots of opportunities for broader engagement on the part of Fellows: planning panels, talks, meet-ups, readings or other events; attending those events; sharing support and resources with the community; and doing whatever else they think would be useful and interesting.

Is any of the work paid? Is there a financial cost for anyone involved?

No one’s work is paid, and there is no financial cost. We’re a collective of writers who want to, and are able to, participate in this community. We like the idea of a low-key, informal, mutual-aid-style project that exists outside of institutions. Though some of us are affiliated with institutions such as universities or magazines, we don’t have outside funding or other institutional support for this project. It’s just us.

docs.google.com/document/d/1-0SRWxJqx4oNbWVmbq4j9JE5INhisz76--U63UbtncM/edit

_____

Forough Farrokhzad Folio

Kenyon Review

DEADLINE: October 31, 2023

READING FEE: $0

INFO: Poet, translator, and filmmaker Forough (or Forugh) Farrokhzad, often referred to as Forough, is a household Iranian name. Her inimitable work, known and loved intimately all over the world, has brought about many translations and transmutations. In celebration of her ninetieth birthday in December 2024, this winter issue folio will newly gather translations by multiple translators of her original Farsi poems (whose rights are in the public domain), alongside writing across genres about, for, and after Forough: essays, stories, poems, and hybrid writing engaging with her through various modes. The folio seeks to complicate rather than complete, to share unusual permutations and under-acknowledged histories. From criticism to personal history, imagined interactions to visual bursts, the prompt is as open as the poet’s distinctive force.

Guest edited by Kenyon Review Fellow Cindy Juyoung Ok.

GUIDELINES:

We consider previously unpublished:

• poetry (up to 6 poems; please format and submit as a single document)

• short fiction and essays (up to 7,500 words)

• flash fiction and essays (up to 3 pieces, up to 1,000 words each; please format and submit as a single document)

• plays (up to 30 pages double-spaced)

• excerpts (up to 30 pages double-spaced) from larger works

Please submit translated work to its corresponding genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama). By submitting, you affirm that you hold first-serial English-language publication rights to the work or else that it falls in the public domain.

You may submit to more than one genre. However, please submit no more than one submission in a given genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama); multiple submissions in the same genre (including multiple submissions with different themes) will be disregarded.

We are not currently considering the following:

• unsolicited interviews

• unsolicited book reviews

• unsolicited artwork

• emailed submissions (please use Submittable)

• previously published material

We consider submissions on Submittable and do not consider paper submissions, except from writers (such as those who are incarcerated) who do not have ready access to the internet. Paper submissions for the current submissions period must be postmarked by the current submission period’s deadline and must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Send hard copies to: SUBMISSIONS, The Kenyon Review, 102 W. Wiggin St., Gambier, OH 43022

We do not accept revisions to submissions once the submission period is closed. Do not send new drafts unless requested to do so by an editor.

We allow simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately if the work has been accepted elsewhere.

For prose and drama submissions, please withdraw your piece via Submittable.

For poetry and flash fiction/nonfiction submissions, please use your Submittable account to add a note to your submission listing the titles of works no longer available for consideration.

We cannot consider additional work in the place of withdrawn work.

We read every submission, and because we receive so many submissions per year, response times will vary according to the volume of submissions. We aim to respond to all submissions within six months of receipt. Feel free to query us at kenyonreview@kenyon.edu for an update if after six months of submitting work you do not hear from us. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Authors will receive a contract upon acceptance and payment upon publication. Authors retain copyright to their work published in The Kenyon Review.

Submitting work to The Kenyon Review adds you to our mailing lists. You may unsubscribe from these lists at any time.

Please be sure to add kenyonreview@kenyon.edu to contacts so that you can receive correspondence from us about your submission.

If you are unable to submit because you have not verified your email address with Submittable and have not received a verification notification, we recommend adding notifications@email.submittable.com to your safe-sender or contact list and attempting email verification again. The Submittable forms require email verification for security purposes. If you continue to experience issues, we recommend you submit a Submittable support request; the support team usually respond quite quickly and can send you your individual verification link directly.

COMPENSATION: We pay $0.08 per published word of prose (minimum $80, maximum $450) and $0.16 per published word of poetry (minimum $40, maximum $200).

We generally follow the Chicago Manual of Style and Webster’s latest New Collegiate Dictionary.

kenyonreview.org/submit/special-calls-for-submissions/

_____

Call for Submissions: Black Appalachia: Past, Present, and Future

Callaloo

DEADLINE: October 31, 2023

INFO: Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts invites submissions for a special issue on being Black and Appalachian, guest edited by Crystal Wilkinson (University of Kentucky). This issue invites essays, critical articles, fiction, poetry, interviews, drama, and visual art. We seek work that speaks to all facets of the Black Appalachian/Black Rural experience—present, historical, and future.

This call for submissions does not seek to define Appalachia simply in terms of geography but hopes to include a variety of writers in a variety of genres and disciplines who expand the notion and reality of what it means to be Black and Appalachian.

Potential topics and approaches include but are not limited to:

• Aesthetics and form in Black literature of Appalachia

• Black artists and writers in Appalachia

• Historical perspectives of Black Appalachia

• Black music in Appalachia

• Teaching Black literature and culture in Appalachia

• Digital and/or archival work on Black culture and literature in Appalachia

• Living in Appalachia as Black people

• Black children’s literature in Appalachia

• Black Art, photography, and other visual studies in Appalachia

• Black futures in Appalachia

• The rural landscape and Black Appalachians

• Black Appalachian foodways

• The Affrilachian Poets

• Black farmers in Appalachia

In addition, work might address one of the following: What does it mean to be Black and living in Appalachia now? In the past? What is Affrilachia? The visibility of Black people in Appalachia; Politics and the Black Appalachian experience; etc.

Submissions must be sent via our submission management system here. Please indicate that your submission is for the Black Appalachia special issue in your cover letter.

callalooliteraryjournal.com/submission-guidelines

_____

Helena Whitehill Book Award

Tupelo Press

DEADLINE: October 31, 2023 by 11:59pm

ENTRY FEE: $30

INFO: The Helena Whitehill Book Award is a prestigious national poetry prize for adult writers. Established in 2002, the Prize has drawn submissions from around the country that have been judged by renowned poets such as Martha Collins, Patricia Smith, and Tony Hoagland.

AWARD: The Helena Whitehill Book Award includes a cash award of $1,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, a book launch, national and international distribution by the University of Chicago Press, a one-week residence at Gentle House on the Olympic Peninsula, and unlike our other prizes, open to submissions of poetry, chapbook or full length, no page limit, and also open to creative non-fiction, no page limit. Manuscripts are judged anonymously and all finalists will be considered for publication. Please read the complete guidelines before submitting your manuscript.

FINAL JUDGE: Jane Wong is the author of the debut memoir, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, out now from Tin House (2023). She is also the author of two books of poetry: How to Not Be Afraid of Everything from Alice James (2021) and Overpour from Action Books (2016).

She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Western Washington University. Her poems can be found in places such as Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019, Best American Poetry 2015, The New York Times, American Poetry Review, POETRY, The Kenyon Review, New England Review, and others. Her essays have appeared in places such as McSweeney’s, Black Warrior Review, Ecotone, The Common, The Georgia Review, Shenandoah, and Want: Women Writing About Desire (Catapult).

WHO MAY SUBMIT:

The Helena Whitehill Book Award is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books. Employees of Tupelo Press and authors with books previously published by Tupelo Press are not eligible. This contest is open to all poets, regardless of prior publication history.

We continue to be impressed by the quality of work we see and generally receive many, many more worthy manuscripts than we are able to publish. In addition, each of our contests and reading periods has a different team of editors, guest editors, esteemed readers, and final judge. And of course our tastes and needs evolve from year to year with each production schedule. For all of these reasons and more, please know you are welcome to submit your manuscript even if you have already entered it in one or more of our contests or reading periods in the past, and even if you have a manuscript pending in a recent submission opportunity. Thank you for honoring us with your work — we’re excited to see what wonders arrive over the transom.

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS + ETHICAL GUIDELINES:

Submit a previously unpublished, full or chapbook-length poetry manuscript, or creative non-fiction manuscript with a table of contents. There is no mandatory page count. All manuscripts will be read and considered with full respect, regardless of length, and no manuscript will be rejected simply because it’s shorter or longer.

If you are submitting a paper manuscript, include two cover pages: one with the title of the manuscript only, the other with title of manuscript, name, address, telephone number, and email address. Cover letters or biography notes are optional; if included, these will not be read until the conclusion of the contest.

If you are submitting a manuscript online, include a single cover page with the title of the manuscript only, so that your manuscript document remains anonymous. Submittable provides fields to fill in your contact information: name, address, telephone number, and email address.

Individual poems in a contest manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies, or chapbooks, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. If applicable, include with your manuscript an acknowledgments page for prior publications.

Simultaneous submissions to other publishers or contests are permitted, as long as you notify Tupelo Press promptly if a manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

Kindly note that poets who have personal relationships, current or recent student-teacher or mentoring relationships with the contest judge, or who have attended a program at the same time that the contest judge served on faculty, are not eligible for this prize. Likewise, poets are ineligible where it is reasonably likely that the contest judge will recognize your work.

Before you submit a manuscript to a Tupelo Press competition, please consider exploring the work of the poets we have published. We’re drawn to technical virtuosity combined with abundant imagination; memorable, vivid imagery and strikingly musical approaches to language; willingness to take risks; and an ability to convey penetrating insights into human experience.

Tupelo Press endorses and abides by the Ethical Guidelines of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), which can be reviewed here, along with more about Tupelo Press’s ethical considerations for literary contests.

NOTIFICATIONS + RESULTS:

Submittable automatically confirms receipt of your manuscript. Beyond this, kindly refrain from requesting an individual response to confirm receipt of your manuscript and/or payment. We receive thousands of manuscripts each year and cannot offer individual acknowledgments. Thank you for your understanding.

Results will be announced in winter 2024 via email and will also be posted on our website.

tupelopress.org/helena-whitehill-book-award/

_____

Start A Riot! Chapbook Prize

Foglifter

DEADLINE: November 1, 2023

INFO: In response to rapid gentrification and displacement of QTBIPOC+ literary artists in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in celebration of these communities’ revolutionary history, Foglifter Press, RADAR Productions, and Still Here San Francisco joined forces to create a poetry chapbook prize for local emerging queer and trans Black writers, indigenous writers, and writers of color. Each year, one poetry chapbook author is awarded publication, a $1,500 prize, and $1,000 to support their book tour/promotion.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Submitter is a QTBIPOC+ literary artist

• AND is a current resident of the larger San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Napa, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Solano, Marin, San Mateo, Sonoma counties)

• AND does not have a previous full-length poetry book publication

MANUSCRIPT DETAILS:

• Poetry (Literally anything that falls under the verse genre—prose poetry, hybrid, etc. We want all your wild experiments!)

• 25 pages max

• Remove all identifying information, including acknowledgments. There should be one title page with the name of the chapbook only.

• Microsoft Word doc preferred; PDF also accepted

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Submissions: September 1 to November 1, 2023

• Results Announced: Spring 2024

• Chapbook Release: June (Pride Month) 2025

foglifterjournal.com/start-a-riot/

_____

Developmental Editing Fellowship for Emerging Writers

The Kenyon Review

DEADLINE: November 1, 2023

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.

ELIBILITY:

• 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:

• Submissions must 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 November 15, 2023.

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 2024.

FAQ:

What is a developmental editing fellowship?

Writers may use these months to work with editors to expand and revise their work. Our Developmental Editors will review and select the writers they will work with. They will reach out to the writer and arrange for an initial conversation by phone or Zoom. Writers 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.

So the fellowship is to learn developmental editing?

No, the fellowship is meant to support emerging writers with developmental editing as they expand and revise a current writing project.

How often will writers communicate with the editor?

Fellows can expect to have monthly hour-long conversations by phone or Zoom with an Editor who will provide feedback and suggestions on the draft.

How long does the fellowship last?

Four months.

When will the developmental internship run?

February to April.

kenyonreview.org/fellowship/developmental-editing-fellowship/

_____

Open Call Derricotte/Eady Prize 

Caven Canem

DEADLINE: November 5, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: Established in 2015 and named after Cave Canem's Co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, the Derricotte/Eady Prize is a collaboration with O, Miami to spotlight exceptional chapbook manuscripts by Black poets.

AWARD: The winner of the prize receives a $1,000 award, publication of their manuscript by O, Miami Books, 10 copies of the chapbook, a residency in The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel in Miami, and a featured reading. Previous judges include: Robin Coste Lewis; Dawn Lundy Martin; Ross Gay; Major Jackson; Danez Smith; Mahogany L. Browne; Lillian Yvonne-Bertram; and Herman Beavers.

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Tara Betts is the author of Refuse to Disappear, Break the Habit, and Arc & Hue. Tara was the inaugural Poet for the People at University of Chicago’s Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture and the Pozen Center. She is currently the Professor of Practice and Poet in Residence at DePaul University’s Peace, Conflict Studies, and Social Justice Program. Tara also coedited The Beiging of America: Being Mixed Race in the 21st Century, a new edition of Philippa Duke Schuyler's memoir Adventures in Black and White, and Carving Out Rights from Inside the Prison Industrial Complex. In addition to writing new fiction, She is working on poems for her second collaboration with Peggy Choy Dance Company and co-editing an anthology of Bop Poems with Afaa M. Weaver.

ABOUT O, MIAMI: O, Miami builds literary culture in Miami, FL. In collaboration with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, O, Miami produces a visiting writer series, a publishing imprint, a poets-in-the-community workshop program, and the O, Miami Poetry Festival, which has the annual goal of every single person in Miami-Dade County encountering a poem during the month of April. O, Miami publishes print books, e-books, zines, chapbooks, posters, and other stuff. The mission of our publishing program is to contribute to a regional identity for Miami-based literary publishing and provide opportunities for South Florida voices to find new audiences. For more, visit omiami.org.

ABOUT THE BETSY HOTEL: The Betsy – South Beach is an award-winning global arts hotel and home of The Betsy Writer’s Room that has hosted over 800 artists, thought leaders, poets and creators in residence. The Betsy is also the home of O, Miami Poetry Festival, Miami Classical Music Festival and host Hotel to many of South Florida’s leading regional charitable, arts and culture organizations. Poetry programs are inspired by the work of mid-century poet Hyam Plutzik, three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and father of Betsy owner Jonathan Plutzik. The Betsy Hotel, located on iconic Ocean Drive, beachfront, is also home of The Betsy Poetry Rail, a public installation that champions the work of 12 writers that shaped Miami Culture.

cavecanem.submittable.com/submit

_____

LITERATURE GRANT

Café Royal Cultural Foundation

DEADLINE: November 6, 2023 at 9:00 am ET (or when they reach their limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first).

INFO: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction, poetry and playwriting.

AWARD: Up to $10,000.00

ELIGIBILITY:

• Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction, poetry and playwriting.

• 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 must be a current resident of 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 resident of 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 and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date.

• Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.

• You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.

caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page

_____

The 2024 Cave Canem Fellowship

Cave Canem

DEADLINE: November 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $0

INFO: Since 1996, Cave Canem has awarded Fellowships to more than 500 Black poets. Cave Canem Fellows are among the most distinguished poets in the field, not only as recipients of the highest literary honors and critical acclaim but also for their service in communities across the country.

Each year a cohort of 10–20 new Fellows is selected based solely on the quality of their poems. Cohorts encompass a range of different aesthetics and poetic practices (the spoken word tradition, formalism, multimedia performance, text-based composition, etc.), to ensure an equity of voices in our gathering—all united by a common purpose to improve craft and find productive space.

Fellows receive an unparalleled opportunity to study with a world-class faculty and join a community of peers at the Retreat, a week-long series of intensive poetry workshops, thought-provoking presentations, both public & private readings, and creative discourse. Due to our generous community of institutional funders and individual donors, there is no submission fee for the Fellowship application and the Cave Canem Retreat is free to all Fellows.

The Cave Canem Fellowship includes:

• Invitation to the Retreat

• A subscription to MasterClass

• Access to Fellows and Faculty Fund

• Access to exclusive scholarships for select writing residences

• Archival training

• Inclusion in public programming (readings, panels, multigenre collaborations, etc.)

• Subscription to Digest, a bimonthly Cave Canem resource containing community news and exclusive offers

The Retreat will be held from June 9 to June 16, 2024

cavecanem.submittable.com/submit

POETRY — SEPTEMBER 2023

2024 Winter Writers’ Retreat

Roots. Wounds. Words.

DEADLINE: September 10, 2023

APPLICATION FEE: $25

INFO: The Roots. Wounds. Words. Annual Writers’ Retreat for Storytellers of Color is a sacred space wherein BIPOC stories are celebrated, and BIPOC storytellers immersed in liberation. At the Writers’ Retreat, Storytellers receive literary arts instruction offered by award-winning BIPOC writers in the fields of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, speculative fiction, writing wellness for Us, and young adult fiction.

In January 2024, Roots. Wounds. Words. Fellows will journey to a virtual sacred space where they will workshop their literary art, perform their work, participate in BIPOC-centered healing and liberation modalities, as well as receive literary arts pedagogy from renowned BIPOC storytellers.

To attend this offering, submit an application through our online system. Prior writing experience is insignificant. Whether you’ve attended a writing workshop before or not holds no weight. All applicants are judged on the merits of their full application, which includes an artistic statement, bio and writing sample.

Our annual Retreat provides BIPOC storytellers with a transformative opportunity to push your pen, strengthen your craft, access literary art professionals, rest and restore, and build the tribe you need to support your writing goals.

RETREAT DATES: January 7 - January 13, 2024

RETREAT LOCATION: Virtual

ELIGIBILITY:

• The Retreat is open to storytellers of color.

• Storytellers of all levels are welcome to apply.

• Storytellers must be at least 21 years old.

• Storytellers currently enrolled in graduate or undergraduate programs are also welcome to apply.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applicants are required to select a category into which your submission fits. The categories are:

1. Fiction

2. Nonfiction

3. Poetry

4. Speculative Fiction

5. Writing Wellness for Us

6. Young Adult Fiction

Your writing sample must match the category you apply for. For example, if you are applying for the fiction workshop, you must submit a fiction writing sample. You are allowed only one submission per category. You may apply to more than one category. However, each submission is separate. You must complete separate applications and pay the submission fee for each category you submit to. 

MANUSCRIPT WORK SAMPLE:

We require a standard format for all fiction, nonfiction, speculative fiction, writing wellness, and young adult fiction submissions. The format is:

• The manuscript may not exceed 10 pages.

• 1-inch page margins.

• Double spaced.

• Text must be in a 12-point serif font (preferably Times New Roman).

• Electronic file names must consist of the writer’s last name followed by the manuscript title. For example, Smith__A Day in the Park. Poets and those with a longer manuscript title can simply use something like Smith__manuscript for RootsWoundsWords

• The manuscript must be submitted as a Word document or PDF

• The applicant’s name and page number must appear on each sheet of the manuscript; for example, Smith, p.1

• If you are submitting prose, you must include a brief note regarding whether the piece stands on its own as a short story or essay, or is an excerpt from a longer project.

• Manuscripts excerpted from a longer project should include a one-page synopsis of the larger project placed at the back of the work sample (the synopsis can be single-spaced and does not count toward the 10-page limit).

We require a standard format for all poetry submissions. The format is:

• The manuscript may not exceed 10 pages.

• May include one or more poems as long as the total number of pages is within the 10-page limit.

• Electronic file names must consist of the writer’s last name followed by the manuscript title. For example, Smith__A Day in the Park. Poets and those with a longer manuscript title can simply use something like Smith__manuscript for RootsWoundsWords

• The manuscript must be submitted as a Word document or PDF

• The applicant’s name and page number must appear on each sheet of the manuscript; for example, Smith, p.1

BRIEF BIO: Each applicant must submit a bio of no more than 250 words.

ARTIST STATEMENT: Each applicant must submit a statement describing their literary art and how it pushes liberation for BIPOC forward. Resources: How to Write a Poetry Cover Letter from The Watering Hole, “Ready, Set, Residency” by Brevity Nonfiction Blog, and Artist Statement Guidelines by Getting Your Sh*t Together Ink.

WHY RWW: Each applicant must describe what they intend to gain from and contribute while at the Writers’ Retreat.

ACCEPTANCES: RWW will work with our Faculty to notify all accepted Storytellers of their acceptance to the Writers’ Retreat by September 29, 2023.

TUITION:

• The Writers' Retreat is virtual and tuition will be $1,300.00.

• Payment plans as well as limited partial scholarships will be available.

DEPOSIT: The Writers’ Retreat is virtual and, as a result, a $700 deposit will be due no later than October 27, 2023. Receipt of deposit confirms your attendance.

rootswoundswords.org/2024retreat

_____

2024 Spring/Summer residencY

MacDowell

DEADLINE: September 10, 2023

INFO: The Fellowship application period for 2024 Spring/Summer residencies at MacDowell is now open.

There are no residency fees, and to defray expenses that accrue during an artist’s stay, MacDowell provides need-based stipends to cover rent, utilities, childcare, and lost income from taking time off from employment, as well as grants to travel to and from the residency.

MacDowell encourages artists to apply in any stage of their career, and from all backgrounds and countries, 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, you should contact the admissions department for guidance at admissions@macdowell.org.

Spring/Summer residencies will take place between March 1, 2024 and August 31, 2024.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

_____

2024 SUMMER/FALL RESIDENCY

Hedgebrook

DEADLINE: September 11, 2023

APPLICATION FEE:

• Applications submitted weeks 1-3: $45

• Applications submitted week 4: $55

INFO: Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports writers from all over the world for fully-funded residencies of two to four weeks (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. They spend their days 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.

Hedgebrook’s mission is to support visionary women-identified writers, 18 and older, whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. Writers must be women, which is inclusive of transgender women and female-identified individuals. Because gender inequity still occurs in all spaces including literary ones, it is part of our explicit mission to support and promote women’s voices. This application is not for alumnae seeking a return stay.

2023 RESIDENCY DATES: July-Oct 2024

hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence

_____

2023 CONSTELLATION AWARD

CLMP

DEADLINE: September 11, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET.

INFO: Underwritten by Penguin Random House, this award is given to honor an independent literary press that is led by and/or champions the writing of people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) individuals, for excellence in publishing. The recipient receives $10,000 and will be announced in November 2023.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Presses must be led by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and AAPI individuals and/or a have a demonstrated commitment to championing books by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and AAPI authors.

• Presses must have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their business practices.

• Presses must be English-language and/or Spanish-language publishers based in the United States.

• Presses must be independent publishers of literary books. (Over half the list must consist of fiction, poetry, drama, and literary prose.)

• Presses must not be primarily self-publishing. (At least 50% of titles must be published by authors not on staff; presses should not charge authors a fee to publish their works/).

• Presses must have a 2-year track record of publishing at least 2 titles a year.

• Presses’ annual net sales must be below $1 million.

clmp.org/constellation-award/

_____

PRINCETON ARTS FELLOWSHIP

Princeton University

DEADLINE: September 12, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

INFO: Princeton Arts Fellowships, funded in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, David E. Kelley Society of Fellows in the Arts, and the Maurice R. Greenberg Scholarship Fund, 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.

We are only accepting submissions for the Programs in Creative Writing, Theater, and Visual Arts for the 2023 Princeton Arts Fellowship application cycle.

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 $90,000 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.

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 would hope to use the two years of the fellowship to develop your work, how you would contribute to Princeton’s arts community through teaching and/or production, and how you have encouraged diversity and inclusion in your artistic practice, teaching, and/or research.

Applicants can only apply for the Princeton Arts Fellowship twice in a lifetime.

arts.princeton.edu/fellowships/princeton-arts-fellowship/

_____

2024 FRESH VOICES FELLOWSHIP

Epiphany

DEADLINE: September 15, 2023 at 11:00 pm 

INFO: Epiphany Magazine is open for submissions for our 2024 FRESH VOICES FELLOWSHIP. This fellowship supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or other writer of color who does not have a BA nor MFA in creative writing, and is currently working outside traditional literary and academic systems. Fellows have the opportunity to work with Epiphany's team in both selecting work for print and online, and in having close editorial attention given to their own work. 

AWARD: 

One Writer, in Prose or Poetry, Will Receive:

• A $2000 stipend

• Publication in a print issue of Epiphany

• A one-year subscription to Epiphany

• 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 during the course of a twelve-month fellowship

• A Q&A to be published on Epiphany’s website

epiphanyzine.com/opportunities-for-writers

_____

LANI’S GARDENS ARTISTS' RESIDENCY

DEADLINE: September 15, 2023

APPLICATION FEE: $20 (Paypal: issilah@gmail.com | Venmo: @kehaulanimusic | CashApp: $LaniPark888)

FEE: $555/month

INFO: Lani’s Gardens Artists Residency’s mission is to serve BIPOC, LGBTQ+ & ally artists & their families by providing them with a transformative island residency experience and a beautiful space in nature to relax, recharge, rejuvenate and create. The residency is located on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Artists live in an off-grid, solar-powered, private & gated, close-to-nature, glamping artists' sanctuary with a round swimming pool, picnic table, fireplace, and meditation tipi and a permaculture food forest with over 100 medicinal and edible plants, berry bushes, flowers, and fruit trees.

ELIGIBILITY: Practicing artists of all backgrounds and at any stage of their career are eligible to apply for a Lani’s Gardens Artists’ Retreat residency. Artists must be at least twenty-one years old. Please note that all eligibility requirements must be met at the time of application. We invite applicants to apply in the following disciplines:

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

• Visual Arts

• Dance

• Theater

• Music Composition

• Architecture

• Interdisciplinary Work

DIVERSITY STATEMENT: Lani’s Gardens Artists’ Retreat actively seeks to invite diverse artists. Lani’s Gardens Artists’ Retreat 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:

• September 1st

• October 2023

• November 2023

• December 2023

• January 2024

• February 2024

• March 2024

APPLICATION TIMELINE & QUALIFICATIONS:

Applications will be accepted annually starting September 1st, until October 1st, at midnight Hawai'i Time. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be contacted by October 1st. To apply, please contact Lani at kehaulanimusic@gmail.com and ask for an Lani’s Gardens’ Artists’ Retreat Application form. For questions, please contact kehaulanimusic@gmail.com with the subject line “Residency.” Or, give us a call at (808) 430-5459.

Applicants are judged by the same criteria across disciplines. We are looking for artistic excellence, sustained impact, and boldness of vision.

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. Lani’s Gardens contacts references only if the application advances. References would be contacted iby either email or phone and would not submit a formal letter.

WORK SAMPLES:

• VISUAL ART - Submit 5 JPEG images that best represent your work. They can be no more than three MB per image.

• 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.

• 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.

• POETRY - Submit eight to ten short poems or excerpts of poems. The total should not exceed 15 pages and should be in PDF format.

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

• 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.

• INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK - Submit three to five work samples. The work samples can be in one type of media or a mixture of media including 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).

kehaulanimusic.typeform.com/to/gBdFe4lR

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Canthius

DEADLINE: September 15, 2023

INFO: Canthius is an intersectional feminist magazine that publishes poetry and prose by writers of marginalized gender identities, including trans, Two Spirit, non-binary, agender, cis women, genderqueer, GNC, and intersex writers. We are committed to publishing diverse perspectives and experiences and strongly encourage Indigenous women, Black women, and women of colour to submit. We also welcome submissions in Indigenous languages.

GUIDELINES: We consider unpublished work of poetry and prose (both fiction and creative non-fiction). We welcome experimental works. Please limit prose submissions to 2500 words and poetry submissions to three poems. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if another publication accepts work you've submitted to Canthius.

Along with your submission, please include a cover letter with your name, home address, email address, phone number, the date, and the name(s) of the piece(s) you're submitting. If you are comfortable disclosing your racial background and/or gender identity in your cover letter, we encourage you to do so. This information will be held in confidence and will be used solely to help us uphold our mandate to publish diverse work. For prose submissions, please include a word and page count in your cover letter. Finally, your cover letter should include a short bio that tells us a bit about yourself and lists your previous publications, if any. Please include a header on each page of your submission with your name.

We respond to all submissions by email. Our average response time is 12 to 15 weeks. Please be sure to designate Canthius as an approved sender to prevent our response from being caught in your email spam filters.

COMPENSATION: Writers accepted for publication will receive $50 for one page, $75 for two pages, $100 for three, $125 for four pages, and $150 for five pages or more, regardless of genre. Contributors will also receive a complimentary a copy of the issue and a discounted price on any further copies of the issue in which their work appears.

Please note that Submittable caps the number of submissions we can receive during each calendar month. Every first of the month, the cap is reset and the forms will open again. For this reason, we open submissions across different calendar months. Please plan accordingly if you can, and reach out to us if you have any difficulty submitting during our open submission periods.

canthius.com/submissions

_____

Anne Spencer Fellowship

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA)

DEADLINE: September 15, 2023

APPLICATION FEE: $30 (If the application fee presents a significant barrier to application, please write to vcca@vcca.com by September 10, 2023, to request an application fee waiver)

INFO: The Anne Spencer Fellowship provides a one-month residency and $1,500 honorarium to writers, visual artists, and composers of African American descent. The VCCA residency at Mt. San Angelo includes a private bedroom with private bath, a separate individual studio, and three meals a day in a community of cross-disciplinary artists.

Anne Spencer Fellows tour the Anne Spencer House & Garden Museum and participate in one of the following in the Lynchburg community: a public presentation; a workshop at Anne Spencer partner schools; or another community-based activity in coordination with the Anne Spencer Memorial Foundation, Inc.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

• Current Eligibility: Writers of African American descent

• Residencies Available: May 1 – August 31, 2024

• Length of Fellowship: One month

• Honorarium: $1,500 upon completion of residency

• Notification by: December 31, 2023

To be considered as an Anne Spencer Fellow, complete the “Application for Mt. San Angelo Residencies, VCCA in Virginia – Summer 2024,” selecting your fellowship interest in Question 2.

vcca.com/apply/fully-funded-fellowships/anne-spencer-fellowship/

_____

Anaphora Writing Residency

Anaphora Arts

DEADLINE: September 20, 2023

INFO: Anaphora Writing Residency is a ten-day program designed exclusively for writers of color. The residency offers workshops, readings, craft talks, and discussions with professionals from the literary and publishing industry. The goal of the program is to nurture emerging and established writers of color, to create opportunities for publication, and establish a wide network of support for writers of different backgrounds.

DATES + FEES: The upcoming residency will run on February 15 - 24, 2024, and will be held virtually. The program costs $2,400, and several partial fellowships are available every year, depending on funding availability. Applications must be submitted by the priority deadline to be eligible for fellowships. Anaphora Fellows and returning alumnx, will have the opportunity to attend the program at a discounted rate.

Applications are now open! The priority deadline is August 31, 2023 (with the final application deadline on September 15, 2023). Please note: the priority deadline has been extended to September 20th, with the final deadline on September 30th. All applications submitted by September 20th will be eligible to receive fellowships.

Applications are reviewed by an anonymous admission board of peers, which rotates every year. Notifications will be sent out starting October 1, 2023 (including notifications of fellowships). A non-refundable security deposit of $150 is required within two weeks of notification; program fees must be paid entirely prior to the beginning of the residency.

If you have any questions, please check out the residency’s FAQ page, or contact us.

WHAT TO EXPECT: The program will provide workshops in poetry and prose, craft talks, daily readings (by guests and program participants), masterclasses, generative sessions, and discussions with professionals from the industry, including literary agents, editors, and publishers.

SPEAKERS:

Chen Chen

Chen Chen is the author of two books of poetry, Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency (BOA Editions, 2022) and When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities (BOA Editions, 2017), which was longlisted for the National Book Award and won the Thom Gunn Award, among other honors. His work appears in many publications, including Poetry and three editions of The Best American Poetry. He has received two Pushcart Prizes and fellowships from Kundiman, the National Endowment for the Arts, and United States Artists. He was the 2018-2022 Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence at Brandeis University and currently teaches for the low-residency MFA programs at New England College and Stonecoast. He lives with his partner, Jeff Gilbert, and their pug, Mr. Rupert Giles.

Chris Abani

Chris Abani’s books of fiction include The Secret History of Las Vegas, Song For Night, The Virgin of Flames, Becoming Abigail, Graceland, and Masters of the Board. His poetry collections are Smoking the Bible, Sanctificum, There Are No Names for Red, Feed Me The Sun: Collected Long Poems, Hands Washing Water, Dog Woman, Daphne’s Lot, and Kalakuta Republic. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the PEN Beyond the Margins Award, the Hurston Wright Award, and a Lannan Literary Fellowship, among many honors. His work has been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, German, Swedish, Romanian, Hebrew, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Dutch, Bosnian, and Serbian.

Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Ingrid Rojas Contreras was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. Her memoir, The Man Who Could Move Clouds, was a Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist. It was a a winner of a California Book Award. Her first novel Fruit of the Drunken Tree was the silver medal winner in First Fiction from the California Book Awards, and a New York Times editor's choice. Her essays and short stories have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Cut, Zyzzyva, and elsewhere. Rojas Contreras has received numerous awards and fellowships from Bread Loaf Writer's Conference, VONA, Hedgebrook, The Camargo Foundation, and the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture. She is a Visiting Writer at Saint Mary’s College. She lives in California.

Naomi Jackson

Naomi Jackson is author of The Star Side of Bird Hill, published by Penguin Press in June 2015. The Star Side of Bird Hill was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and the International Dublin Literary Award. Star Side was named an Honor Book for Fiction by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. It was also selected for the American Booksellers Association’s Indies Introduce and Indies Next List programs. The book has been reviewed by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Kirkus Reviews, NPR.org and Entertainment Weekly, which called Star Side “a gem of a book.” Publishers Weekly named Jackson a Writer to Watch. Jackson studied fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She traveled to South Africa on a Fulbright scholarship, where she received an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. A graduate of Williams College, her work has appeared in literary journals and magazines in the United States and abroad, including The New York Times, Harper’s, The Washington Post, Poets & Writers, and Caribbean Beat. She is the recipient of residencies, grants, and fellowships from Bread Loaf, MacDowell Colony, Camargo Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania’s Kelly Writers House, Hedgebrook, New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Freya Project. Jackson is Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rutgers University-Newark. She was a 2021-2022 Scholar-in-Residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and served as Writer-in-Residence at Queens College. She previously taught at the University of Iowa, University of Pennsylvania, City College of New York, and Oberlin College. Jackson was born and raised in Brooklyn by West Indian parents.

Anjali Singh

Anjali Singh started her career in publishing in 1996 as a literary scout. Formerly Editorial Director at Other Press, she has also worked as an editor at Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Vintage Books. She is best known for having championed Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis after stumbling across it on a visit to Paris. She has always been drawn to the thrill of discovering new writers and among the literary novelists whose careers she helped launch are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Samantha Hunt, Preeta Samarasan and Saleem Haddad. As an agent she represents Bridgett Davis, author of the acclaimed memoir The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother’s Life in the Detroit Numbers; Susan Abulhawa, bestselling author of Mornings in Jenin and Against the Loveless World; Nawaaz Ahmed, author of the debut novel Radiant Fugitives and Rachel Harper, author of The Other Mother. Her graphic novel list includes Rebecca Hall and Hugo Martinez’ Wake: The Hidden History of Women-led Slave Revolts and Gillian Goerz’ Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer as well as forthcoming works by Deena Mohamed, Steenz, Salman Toor, Fouad Mezher and Tessa Hulls. She is on the lookout for character-driven fiction or non-fiction works that reflect an engagement with the world around us and graphic novels for all ages. She grew up between New Delhi and Alexandria, VA, graduated from Brown University and holds a diploma in French language and literature from the Sorbonne. She is a devoted New Yorker but still manages to spend a great deal of time in Rhode Island.

anaphoraarts.com/residency

_____

2024-2025 Cullman Center Fellowship

New York Public Library

DEADLINE: September 29, 2023

INFO: The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers offers Fellowships to people whose work will benefit directly from access to the research collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Renowned for the extraordinary comprehensiveness of its collections, the Library is one of the world’s preeminent resources for study in anthropology, art, geography, history, languages and literature, philosophy, politics, popular culture, psychology, religion, sociology, sports, and urban studies.

CRITERIA + TERMS: The Cullman Center’s Selection Committee awards fifteen Fellowships a year to outstanding scholars and writers—academics, independent scholars, journalists, creative writers (novelists, playwrights, poets), translators, and visual artists. Foreign nationals conversant in English are welcome to apply. Candidates for the Fellowship will need to work primarily at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building rather than at other divisions of the Library. People seeking funding for research leading directly to a degree are not eligible. 

The Cullman Center looks for top-quality writing. It aims to promote dynamic communication about literature and scholarship at the very highest level—within the Center, in public forums throughout the Library, and in the Fellows’ published work.

A Cullman Center Fellow receives a stipend of up to $75,000, the use of an office with a computer, and full access to the Library’s physical and electronic resources. Fellows work at the Center for the duration of the Fellowship term, which runs from September through May. Each Fellow gives a talk over lunch on his or her current work-in-progress to the other Fellows and to a wide range of invited guests, and may be asked to take part in other programs at The New York Public Library.

nypl.org/help/about-nypl/fellowships-institutes/center-for-scholars-and-writers/fellowships-at-the-cullman-center

_____

The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize

Texas Review Press

DEADLINE: September 30, 2023

SUBMISSION FEE: $28

INFO: Established in 1998, The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize highlights one full-length collection of poetry per year.

PRIZE: A $10,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 10 copies of the published book.

2023 JUDGE: Richard Blanco

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• Open to any poet writing in English. Translations are not eligible.

• The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize is not a first book prize, though we welcome first books. The Prize is open to poets at any stage of their career.

• There are no formal restrictions for this prize; we welcome manuscripts of any style/form.

• Poems may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the collection 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.

• Current and former students and faculty of Sam Houston State University are not eligible.

• Family members and current or former students of the final judge or TRP staff are not eligible.

• Current and former TRP authors are not eligible.

• Submitters must be 18+ years of age.

• Submissions are accepted through Submittable only.

*Writers who studied with the final judge or TRP staff for a semester-length period are not eligible. Writers who studied with the final judge or TRP staff for two-week residencies, single workshops, or other instances less than a semester in length are eligible, provided the work submitted is previously unseen by TRP staff or the final judge.

MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES:

• Manuscripts must be between 50 and 100 pages in length.

• Please include a table of contents, title page, and page numbers.

• Do not include an acknowledgments page.

• No more than one poem per page.

• Submissions are anonymous. Please remove any identifying information from the manuscript.

• Submit as a .pdf, .docx, or .doc file format.

• No revisions will be accepted once the manuscript is uploaded.

texasreviewpress.org/submissions/x-j-kennedy-poetry-prize

_____

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS: ISSUE 5 “MOTHERHOOD”

Spoken Black Girl Magazine

DEADLINE: September 30, 2023

INFO: The Black Maternal Health Crisis is threatening the lives of Black moms and babies every day all over this country. In response to this injustice, Spoken Black Girl Magazine is dedicating our next issue to Black moms and celebrating Black Motherhood. We welcome stories from midwives, doulas, and birth workers. This issue calls for stories that represent love and joy of the mother connection, mothers that are ancestors, mothers that come disguised as a teacher or a friend, as well as the challenging moments of motherhood. We also welcome poetry, essays, and short stories, book reviews, recipes and other forms are also welcome as well as photography and visual art depicting motherhood. This will be a print only publication.

For the first time, this issue will be open to any Black-identifying writer or creative regardless of gender as long as the submission answers the prompt and serves to uplift Black women and girls.

COMPENSATION: All accepted submissions will receive $50 in compensation.

spokenblackgirl.com/submit

_____

2024 Breakout! Prize

Epiphany

DEADLINE: September 30, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $10 (includes complimentary 1-year digital subscription to Epiphany)

INFO: The Breakout! 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.

AWARD:

Two writers, one in prose and one in poetry, will each receive:

• A $1000 cash prize

• Publication in the Summer 2024 issue of Epiphany

• A one-year subscription to Epiphany

ELIGIBILITY: To apply you must have been enrolled in an accredited university, at least part-time, for the academic years 2023 or 2024. The prize is open to both undergraduate students and graduate students receiving a Masters degree. PhD candidates are not eligible. Students need not be enrolled in MFA programs or creative writing programs.

SUBMISSION: Applications will be submitted by individual writers. Interested applicants must submit a creative manuscript and a “Statement of Interest,” which includes the creative manuscript title, author’s enrollment status and the name of college or university attended, and an email address and telephone number for the department head of the student’s program of study or academic advisor (if applicable). Prose manuscripts may consist of one short story, a novel excerpt, or a work of creative nonfiction not to exceed 5000 words. Poetry manuscripts may include up to five poems, formatted in accordance with standard poetry conventions using a 12-point font. The author’s name should not appear on the creative manuscript. Please number all pages of the manuscript and include the manuscript title.

JUDGING: Honorees will be selected blind on the basis of the work’s creative merit by a judging panel comprised of Manuel Muñoz, James Cagney, and the editors of Epiphany.

Poetry judge James Cagney’s second poetry collection, Martian: The Saint of Loneliness is the winner of the 2021 James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets. His first, Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour Of Chaos Theory won the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award in 2018. His work has appeared in Alta Magazine and Beat Not Beat Anthology co-edited by Kim Shuck. For more information, please visit JamesCagneypoet.com

Prose judge Manuel Muñoz is the author of a novel, What You See in the Dark, and the short-story collections Zigzagger and The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue, which was shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. He is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. He has been recognized with a Whiting Writer’s Award, three O. Henry Awards, and two selections in Best American Short Stories, and was awarded the 2023 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. His most recent collection, The Consequences, was published by Graywolf Press and in the UK by The Indigo Press in October 2022. It was a finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize and longlisted for the Story Prize. It will be published in Italian by Edizioni Black Coffee and in Turkish by Livera Yayinevi.

His frequently anthologized work has appeared in The New York Times, Epoch, and Glimmer Train. His most recent work has appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, American Short Fiction, Electric Literature, ZYZZYVA, and Freeman’s.

A native of Dinuba, California, and a first-generation college student, Manuel graduated from Harvard University and received his MFA in creative writing at Cornell University. He currently lives and works in Tucson, Arizona.

epiphanymagazine.submittable.com/submit

_____

CALL For POETRY submissions

So To Speak

DEADLINE: September 30, 2023

SUBMISSION FEE: $4

INFO: So to Speak Journal is looking for poetry which is (implicitly or explicitly) intersectionally feminist. Being an intersectional feminist is a commitment to lifelong learning—an intellectually open acknowledgement that systems, institutions, individual people, and places do not operate the same for every person.

We want to read poetry that excites us, that challenges our understanding of form and language. We want poetry that seeks and speaks its own embodied truth. Poetry can be a medium that invites the reader into the poet’s world, and we want to see new worlds, unexplored spaces, and strange landscapes. We’re interested in poems that dive deep into the varied images, identities, and idiosyncrasies you’re exploring. Right now, we’re particularly engaged with intersectional poetry that also explores themes of film and/or ecology. Some poets we adore are Donika Kelly, Oliver Baez Bendorf, Mary Oliver, Aracelis Girmay, Natasha Trethewey, and Claudia Rankine.

FORMAL GUIDELINES:

In your submission, please upload and enter the following information:

• A single doc., docx., or pdf. file with up to 5 poems. Your submission should not exceed 10 pages.

• A Cover Letter that includes your name, address, phone number, email address, how you heard about So to Speak, and brief bio describing your background as a writer or artist and any applicable awards or publications.

• A brief statement about intersectional feminism.

You may enter multiple submissions (ex: 2 submission packets of 10 poems), so long as you pay the submission fee each time.

Find more information on our Submission Guidelines here: http://sotospeakjournal.org/guidelines/.

Find more information on our Mission Statement here: http://sotospeakjournal.org/about-so-to-speak/. 

sotospeak.submittable.com/submit

_____

Call for poetry submissions

Sho Poetry Journal

DEADLINE: September 30, 2023

SUBMISSION FEE: $3

INFO: Sho Poetry Journal is a small-press print journal coming out of a 20-year hibernation. We publish a diverse range of contemporary poetry and seek to champion poets at all stages of their careers, with special attention given to the work of emerging poets.

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

1. Submit up to five unpublished poems at a time. Please include page numbers and your name on every page.

2. Name your file (.doc/.docx) as follows: FirstName_LastName

3. Your cover letter should include the titles you are submitting and a third-person bio (60 words or less).

Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you specify this in your cover letter and send us a message through Submittable if your work is accepted elsewhere.

– If your poem is 'after' another poet, please name the poem it's after, or provide any relevant details in your cover letter.

– We do not accept AI generated work.

RESPONSE TIME: Our average response time is 2 weeks. We attempt to respond to all submissions within one month or less.

PAYMENT: Shō is a print journal. Payment is one contributor’s copy. Authors also receive a discount on the purchase of extra copies.

shopoetryjournal.submittable.com/submit

_____

American Literary Review Awards

American Literary Review

DEADLINE: October 1, 2023

READING FEE: $15 (Multiple entries are acceptable, but each entry must be accompanied by a reading fee. Entries without a reading fee will not be read or considered.)

INFO:Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in the Spring online issue of the American Literary Review will be given for a poem, a short story, and an essay.

Please submit your work using our online Submission Manager. We do not accept submissions via post or email.

Please do not put any identifying information in the file itself; include the author’s name, title(s), address, e-mail address, phone number, and cover letter in the boxes provided by Submittable.

GENRE-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES:

• Short Fiction: One work of fiction per entry ($15), limit 8,000 words per work

• Creative Nonfiction: One work per entry fee ($15), limit 4,000 words per work.

• Poetry: Entry fee covers up to three poems (i.e. one to three poems would require an entry fee of $15; four to six poems would be $30, and so on).

americanliteraryreview.com/contest/

_____

ARTISTS & WRITERS RESIDENCY

Vermont Studio Center

DEADLINE: October 1, 2023

INFO: Each month, VSC welcomes over 50 artists and writers from across the country and around the world to our historic campus in northern Vermont.

All of our residencies include:

• A private room in modest, shared housing

• 24-hour access to a private studio space in one of our 6 medium-specific studio buildings

• 3 communal meals per day (plus fresh fruit, coffee/tea/cold beverages, and cereal available around the clock)

Most residents stay with us for 1 month, so our sessions adhere to a 4-week calendar however, residencies can be scheduled in 2-week increments ranging from 2 to 12 weeks if a shorter or longer stay better suits your needs. Although we accept residents for stays for 2 weeks, we recommend a minimum stay of one month for the fullest experience.

Each 4-week session includes:

• Opening Night Dinner & Reception

• 7 Resident Presentation (“Res Pres”) Nights

• 2 Open Studios Nights

• Public Slide Talks / Public Readings from our Visiting Artists & Writers

• Visiting Writer Craft Talks (open to writers only)

• Opportunities for studio visits/manuscript critiques with Visiting Artists/Writers

Most months, numerous other spontaneous events take place--intimate readings, pop-up shows, group hikes or swims, performances, site-specific installations, movie screenings, dance parties, and bonfires, to name a few.

All events in our monthly program are optional. Our program is designed to enhance your studio practice by providing opportunities to engage with a supportive creative community; you are welcome to participate in as many or as few of these activities as you like. 

FELLOWSHIPS:

• Voices Rising Fellowship - For Black American women fiction writers with demonstrable financial need. This fellowship was established in honor of women writers of color such as Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Zora Neale Hurston, whose voices have inspired so many. This award includes a $2,000 stipend.

• Susanna Colloredo Environmental Writing Fellowship - For a writer whose creative work directly engages environmental issues, awareness, and the complex challenges facing the planet.

• Harpo Foundation Native American Fellowship - This award supports exceptional Native American writers. This award includes a $500 travel stipend.

vermontstudiocenter.org/

POETRY — AUGUST 2023

CALL FOR POETRY COLLECTION MANUSCRIPTS

Scribner Poetry (Simon & Schuster)

SUBMISSION PERIOD: August 1 - 31, 2023 (or until they receive 300 manuscripts)

INFO: Scribner Poetry began publishing its inaugural list in 2023, which includes collections from Airea D. Matthews, Sam Sax, and Diana Khoi Nguyen. To introduce ourselves to new voices and to lower some of the hurdles that poets experience when seeking a publisher, we are delighted to announce an open submission period from August 1, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. ET and lasting through August 31, 2023 or until we receive a maximum of 300 manuscripts. Each submission will be reviewed by a Scribner poetry editor.

Your submission must be a full-length, previously unpublished collection of poems written primarily in the English language.

We encourage a cover page with the title of your submission, your full name and email address, and word count.

In your submission form, please include a short biographical note, your publication history—whether it’s past books, or poems that have been printed in journals or magazines—however, we welcome poets from all backgrounds and levels of experience, whether they’re submitting a debut collection or they’ve published several collections over their lifetime.

Submissions should come from poets who are unagented.

We ask that you do not send us a submission unless you have a completed manuscript.

Writers may submit only once during the submission period. We will contact you directly if we would like to see more.

Please note that we can only accept submissions from U.S. residents who are at least 18 years old.

Please have your manuscript as a Microsoft Word document or PDF only.

To learn more about Scribner Poetry, visit our website.

simonandschuster.com/p/scribner-poetry-open-submission

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ENOUGH SERIES

The Rumpus

DEADLINE: August 8, 2023

INFO: ENOUGH is a Rumpus series devoted to creating a dedicated space for work by women and non-binary people who engage with rape culture, sexual assault, and domestic violence. We want to make sure that this conversation doesn’t stop until our laws and societal norms reflect real change.

We consider personal essays, critical essays, poetry, comics, and hybrid work. We are especially interested in work that considers who has been taught to speak up and who has been taught to be silent, who has access to healthcare and to therapy, and how these inequalities make vulnerable populations even more vulnerable. While we support the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, ENOUGH is its own series and we ask that you avoid using these hashtags in your titles and essays unless you are writing a piece that centers around or investigates the campaigns themselves.

GUIDELINES:

• Prose should be between 1000–3500 words.

• You may submit three poems or five pages of poetry in one submission.

• We can only consider work that has not been previously published (this includes personal blogs and social media).

• All work should have a title.

Please only send one ENOUGH submission at a time. After we’ve responded with a decision, you are welcome to submit again.

therumpus.submittable.com/submit

_____

WRITER TO WRITER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)

DEADLINE: August 15, 2023

INFO: AWP's Writer to Writer Mentorship Program matches emerging writers with published authors who volunteer their time for a three-month series of modules on topics such as craft, revision, publishing, and the writing life. Potential Writer to Writer mentees must be AWP members, but it is free to apply to and participate in the program. You can check your membership status by logging in at awpwriter.org and selecting "My AWP Account" at the top of the page. Please note: if you are not an AWP member, your application will not be considered.

Please fill out the submission form and attach your 10-page writing sample.

The Writer to Writer Mentorship Program is open to all AWP members, 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.

Our mentees come from all backgrounds and levels of experience. If you feel that you can benefit from a mentor's guidance at the current stage in your writing, then you are welcome to apply! 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. 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. You will have opportunities to interact with the others taking part in that session. AWP's membership team will also be there to support you, every step of the way.

Season 19 begins on September 18 and will consist of six lightly structured modules over a twelve-week period, concluding on December 8. You and your mentor will make a commitment to the process—and to each other.

awp.submittable.com/submit

_____

OPEN READING PERIOD FOR WORKS IN TRANSLATION

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: Extended to August 7, 2023 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $15

INFO: Sarabande is pleased to offer an open reading period for works of poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction 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.

It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a proposal familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our bilingual titles and works in translation here.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Translators and authors 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

• A $15 reading fee

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 acc

sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit

_____

THE SARABANDE SERIES IN KENTUCKY LITERATURE

Sarabande Books

DEADLINE: Extended to August 7, 2023 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $22

INFO: Sarabande is proud to be an independent publisher headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Each year since 2005, thanks to the generosity of benefactors from our home state and beyond, we have published a new work of Kentucky literature.

ELIGIBILITY:

This series is for writers and projects with ties to Kentucky. Eligible submissions should meet at least one of the following requirements:

• The author is from Kentucky or lives/has lived in Kentucky.

• The manuscript is set in Kentucky or about a Kentuckian.

Additionally the author must be willing and able to travel to or within Kentucky for readings and public events. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible.

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 by Kentucky-affiliated authors here.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Submissions to the Sarabande Series in Kentucky Literature should include:

• A cover letter that specifies your fulfillment of the eligibility requirements

• A complete, full-length manuscript of poetry, short fiction, or literary nonfiction (48 to 100 manuscript pages for poetry, 150 to 250 for prose). Manuscripts should be paginated with a table of contents and an acknowledgements page.

• A $22 reading fee

Submission of more than one manuscript 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

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Raspa Magazine

DEADLINE: August 15, 2023

INFO: Raspa Magazine publishes creative written work and visual art that narrates the queer Latinx experience. We do not focus on genre or form, but on artistic merit, innovativeness, and potential cultural impact. Raspa Magazine serves as a sustainable space for queer Latinx artist to share work without the fear of being tokenized, with liberty to experiment, and create work with the knowledge that it will be treated with dignity and respect. Our intent is to cultivate an environment that empowers art makers to push boundaries in their process, redefine the literary canon, and reshape art to be more representative and inclusive.

Raspa Magazine accepts submission from February 15 through August 15. We are looking for short fiction, poetry, dramatic works, visual art, creative non-fiction, or creative written work created by self identifying queer Latinxs. We do not accept works written by non self-identifying queer Latinx artists.

Poetry should be submitted in a single word document with each poem beginning on a new page. We usually select more than one piece per contributor so please submit a minimum of 3 pieces and no more that 8 pieces.

Short stories and creative non-fiction should reach a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 3,000 words.

We welcome all submission in either English or Spanish. Spanish language work will be translated into English. Works by self-identifying Latinxs who write in any language other than English or Spanish will need to submit a translation to appear with the original piece.

Visual art should consist of a minimum 5 high resolution JPEG, Photoshop, or TIFF files that are at least 2 megabytes and reach 300 DPI. When possible a link to an artist portfolio is preferred.

Raspa Magazine holds all first serial publishing rights, after publication all rights return to the artist. Reprinted work must have a footnote indicating what issue and year it first appeared in Raspa Magazine.

Raspa Magazine provides monetary compensation for all contributors. Compensation amount will depend on the amount of funding accessible for the particular issue and will be discussed with the contributor if the work should be selected for print.

Please submit all submissions via email to hola@raspamagazine.com with your last name and the word “submission” on the subject line. On the first page of your submission document please include your full name, a valid email address, and a brief bio. Submissions without the requested information will not be read.

raspamagazine.com/submissions

_____

The Other Futures Award 2023

Futurepoem

DEADLINE: August 15, 2023 by 11:59pm EST

ENTRY FEE: $28

INFO: The Other Futures Award is given annually to an innovative, adventurous full-length work that challenges conventions of genre and language, content and form. Send us writing that imagines new lived or literary possibilities, and questions established paradigms.

The winner will receive publication with Futurepoem, an honorarium of $1000, a standard royalty contract, and 25 author copies. We will announce our decision in late 2023. The winning book will be published in 2025.

• PROCESS: All submissions are read by at least two Futurepoem staff readers, who then recommend a limited group of manuscripts to the permanent editors. The winning manuscript is selected by Futurepoem's permanent editorial staff. Our process is identity-hidden, so please be sure that the author's name does not appear anywhere in the manuscript.

• ELIGIBILITY: We welcome submissions by writers at any stage of their career. Manuscripts must be unpublished book-length works of prose, poetry, or multi-genre work. And though we are open to books with visuals, we have a limited capacity to support image-based projects. We publish poetry, first and foremost, and heavily image-based projects will be better served by a different publisher. Previously published poems or chapbooks may be included, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished. Writers who are not U.S. citizens are welcome to send work. Past or present students, colleagues, or close friends of Futurepoem editors are not eligible to submit.

• TRANSLATIONS: We do not publish translations of works originally written in languages other than English. However, previously unpublished texts that engage bilingual or multilingual practices are welcome.

• SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify Futurepoem as soon as possible if your book is accepted elsewhere.

• MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: We accept multiple submissions from the same author. Each manuscript should be submitted separately including a separate entry fee.

• FORMAT: Suggested length is 50 to 150 pages, though manuscripts may be slightly shorter or longer. The Other Futures Award is an anonymized contest. Please include a title page with title only, and a table of contents. The author’s name should NOT appear anywhere in the manuscript.

• REVISIONS: While we are not able to accept revisions during the reading period, the winner will be able to revise their manuscript before publication.

• HOW TO SUBMIT: Please submit online using our Submittable page (futurepoem.submittable.com/submit). We cannot accept hardcopy or emailed submissions. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our catalog before you submit.

• ENTRY FEE: $28. We also offer need-based reduced fees of $18 and $9; please select the fee that is most appropriate for you. You can also choose to partially sponsor someone else’s submission for $35. A fee waiver is available for anyone who may need it — if the lowest fee represents a hardship for you, please email ahana@futurepoem.com with subject line: 2023 OFA Fee Waiver.

futurepoem.submittable.com/submit/267935/the-other-futures-award-2023

_____

2023 Palette Chapbook Prize

Palette Poetry

DEADLINE: August 20, 2023

INFO: Palette Poetry invites you to submit your manuscript to the 2023 Palette Chapbook Prize. Poetry chapbook manuscripts of all styles are welcome—we have no theme or aesthetic preference. The guest judge this year is Danez Smith, who will select the winning manuscript from ten finalists chosen by Palette editors.

The winner will receive $2,000 and Summer 2024 publication, which includes a free, downloadable digital chapbook on our website, fifty physical author copies to share and sell, and the option to enable drop-shipping sales at Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Barnes & Noble, earning 50% royalties on your chapbook. Additionally, thousands of readers, editors, and journals will receive chapbook access through our newsletter. The winner will have creative agency over cover art/design, and also be offered the opportunity to work with Paletteeditors to revise the manuscript.

Submissions are open from June 23 to August 20, 2023. The Chapbook Prize is open to all poets writing in English. We have an extended editorial process for any book that we believe in, so please feel welcome to submit promising work that may not be fully polished yet. We're excited to help the winning book become the best book it can be.

Please do not submit if you have a close or personal relationship with the judge, as this connection would call into question the integrity of the contest.

JUDGE: Danez Smith is the author of three collections including Homie and Don’t Call Us Dead. They have 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 Critic Circle Award, and the National Book Award. Danez's poetry and prose have been featured in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The New Yorker, GQ, Best American Poetry, and on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Danez is a member of the Dark Noise Collective. Former co-host of the Webby-nominated podcast VS (Versus), they are the recipient of fellowships from the Poetry Foundation, Princeton, United States Artists, the McKnight Foundation, the Montalvo Arts Center, Cave Canem, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Danez has been featured as part of Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list and is the winner of a Pushcart Prize. They live in Minneapolis near their people.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Manuscripts must be submitted via Submittable, our online submissions manager, between June 20, 2023, and August 25, 2023.

• BIPOC writers are welcome to submit for a reduced fee of $15 until we reach our cap of one hundred submissions (see here).

• Individual poems may be previously published. However, the manuscript as a whole cannot have been published.

• Multiple submissions are permitted, but each manuscript must be submitted separately with the $25 reading fee.

• Revisions to the manuscript are not permitted after the contest has closed. If selected for publication, you will have the opportunity to revise.

• Submissions are open internationally to any poet writing in English. Inclusion of other languages is welcome, as long as the chapbook is substantively written in English.

• Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us immediately if the chapbook is accepted elsewhere.

• Please include a brief cover letter and any applicable content warnings.

• Do not submit if you have a close or personal relationship with the guest judge.

• Review our FAQ page for frequently asked questions.

• The winner and finalists will be announced in late Fall 2023.

• If you haven't already, please verify your email address with Submittable for more consistent communication.

• Contest closes on August 20th, 2023. 

FORMATTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT:

• Manuscripts must be between twenty to thirty pages, not including front or back matter (e.g., a title page, epigraph, table of contents).

• Each poem should begin on a new page.

• The manuscript should be in a standard 12-point font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Garamond.

• Manuscripts must be submitted as a PDF or Word doc. We highly recommend a PDF, as it will maintain your line breaks, special formatting, etc.

• Do not include your name on any of the pages of the manuscript file. The first page of the manuscript should include the title of the collection only. Contact information goes in your cover letter.

• Please put any acknowledgments in the cover letter field of Submittable and not in the manuscript itself.

palettepoetry.com/current-contest/

_____

Chapbook Contest

Nine Syllables Press

DEADLINE: August 31, 2023

SUBMISSION FEE: $10

INFO: Nine Syllables Press is delighted to announce our first annual chapbook contest. Leila Chatti will be the final judge for 2023. The winner will be awarded $500 and author’s copies. The chapbook will be published within a year. Winners will be announced by February, 2024.

GUIDELINES: Send us an original, unpublished poetry collection of 20-40 pages.

ELIGIBILITY: Any poet who identifies as female can submit their chapbook to the Nine Syllables Press chapbook contest. We especially encourage trans/LGBTQIA++ poets and BIPOC poets to submit their work. Poets can have previously published collections of poetry, but the manuscript you submit cannot have been previously published. Individual poems from the collection may have been published elsewhere. Poets outside the US are also welcome to submit.

JUDGE: Leila Chatti

ninesyllablespress.com/contest

_____

STORYKNIFE WRITERS RETREAT

DEADLINE: August 31, 2023

APPLICATION FEE: $40

INFO: Storyknife provides women 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. 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. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.

Four week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 28th. Two week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 15th OR begin on the 15th and end on the 28th. 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. Written work samples will be uploaded directly within the application. 

• 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. Identifying material is your name, address, or publication credits. This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions. This is an anonymous jurying process.

Diversity

Storyknife is committed to diversity and elevating 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.

Please contact executive director, Erin Hollowell, at ehollowell@storyknife.org to ask about accommodation or to speak further about your needs. Storyknife is welcoming to all and will work with you to meet your needs.

storyknife.org/how-to-apply/

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: YELLOW ARROW JOURNAL

Yellow Arrow Journal

DEADLINE: August 31, 2023

INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2 (fall 2023) is open August 1–31 exploring the power and ephemerality of life’s fleeting moments. Guest editor Leticia Priebe Rocha states,

“As we navigate the turmoil of daily life and the heaviness of what lies beyond our control, it takes an intentional effort to nurture [life’s fleeting] moments into existence and to sustain the life they bring us. For me, this effort is often driven by introspection: What makes you feel alive? What connections have shaped your being? How do you tap into the well of love and hope within you? The act of creation through poetry and art has been a blessing toward answering these questions, empowering me with an openness to receive the ephemeral and inscribe it not only in memory but on the page.”

This issue’s theme will be EMBLAZON

: to conspicuously inscribe or display
: to depict (a heraldic device) on something
: to celebrate or extol publicly

And here are some questions to consider when choosing or writing for this issue:

• What are the experiences that inscribed themselves onto your being and made you who are? Who are the people who adorn your life? Whose lives do you adorn in return? What are the places and contexts that you inevitably herald in all of your interactions?

• Of the ephemeral instants that have embellished your existence, what marks and stays with you? What are the sensations, emotions, and images that anchor you in your own aliveness?

• What is your relationship with time? How do you view its nature, particularly in relation to the fleeting moments that make up the human experience?

• What are the sparks that you strive to ignite during your time on this Earth? How do you hope to illuminate the world when your time comes to an end?

Yellow Arrow Journal is looking for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art submissions by writers/artists who identify as women, on the theme of EMBLAZON. 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 2023.

GUEST EDITOR: EMBLAZON’s guest editor, Leticia Priebe Rocha, earned her bachelor’s from Tufts University, where she was awarded the 2020 Academy of American Poets University and College Poetry Prize. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, she immigrated to Miami, Florida, at the age of nine and currently resides in the Greater Boston area. For more information, visit her website at leticiaprieberocha.com. Leticia’s poem “Lost In” was part of Yellow Arrow Journal PEREGRINE, and she was our .W.o.W. #46 (March 2023). We are excited to work with Leticia over the next few months.

yellowarrowpublishing.com/news

_____

2023 POETRY CONTEST

Black Warrior Review

DEADLINE: September 1, 2023

ENTRY FEE: $20 for each submission ($40 for international submissions)

INFO: Black Warrior Review’s Poetry Contest is now open.

GUIDELINES: Submit a packet of up to 3 poems in one file.

Cover letters are welcome.

Please do not include identifying information in your submission document. We will use your Submittable information to contact you, so please make sure your contact information is accurate and up-to-date.

Multiple submissions are welcome, as are simultaneous submissions. Please notify us immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere.

We accept only previously unpublished work for publication. Winners receive $1000 and publication in BWR 50.2, our Spring 2024 issue. The first runner-up in each genre receive monetary compensation, acknowledgment in the print issue, and online publication (if desired). We may consider any submission for general publication.

Winners will be announced in October.

POETRY JUDGE: Gary Soto

Gary Soto, born and raised in Fresno, California, is the author of thirteen poetry collections for adults, most notably New and Selected Poems, a 1995 finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Award and the National Book Award. His prose titles include Living Up the Street, A Summer Life, Jesse, Buried Onions, and The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy. He has written for the stage, including the libretto Nerdlandia, the musical In and Out of Shadows, and the one-act The Afterlife. He is the author of “Oranges,” the most anthologized poem in contemporary literature. He lives in Berkeley, California.

bwr.ua.edu/submit/contest/

_____

Academy of American Poets First Book Award

DEADLINE: September 1, 2023 at 11:59pm EST

INFO: The Academy of American Poets First Book Award is a $5,000 first-book publication prize. The winning manuscript, chosen by an acclaimed poet, is published by Graywolf Press, an award-winning independent publisher committed to the discovery and energetic publication of contemporary American and international literature.

The winner also receives an all-expenses-paid, six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center, a 15th-century castle in the Umbrian region of Italy, where they will become part of a cohort of accomplished international artists, writers, and composers; distribution of their winning book to thousands of Academy of American Poets members, making it one of the most widely-distributed poetry books that year; inclusion and promotion in American Poets magazine, the Academy’s newsletter, and Poets.org, among other opportunities. 

This award was established in 1975 to encourage the work of emerging poets and to enable the publication of a poet’s first book. It is currently made possible by financial support from the members of the Academy of American Poets. From 1975–2020, the award was titled in tribute to Walt Whitman. Please see a list of Walt Whitman Award winners below.

The judge is Victoria Chang.

poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/first-book-award

_____

2023 Annual Grants

The Ruth Weiss Foundation

DEADLINE: September 1, 2023

INFO: The ruth weiss Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to create opportunities to support poetic artists through our annual grant program.

In 2023, the Foundation will be offering $6,000 in prizes that seek out works of verbal and stylistic originality. The poet ruth weiss was a child survivor of World War II and dedicated her entire life to raising awareness of the ramifications of war on children. 

Most famously, coloring her hair teal to stand out as an anti-war advocate for children. So when people questioned why her hair was teal, she would say, “because war is bad for children.” 

Every child is meant to be safe and free to grow as a child. This year’s poetry prompt will focus on the effects of war on children.

Award winners will be announced November 20th 2023 - United Nations Universal Children’s day

Categories for grant applicants include:

• MAVERICK POET AWARD ($2,500 Grant) - The Maverick Poet Award is open to all poets that embody the spirit of the maverick; whether published or not. Maverick poets question standard assumptions, standing apart, and making the radical an everyday act. Since they are unconventional, and rebellious, writing poems comes naturally to them. The award embodies independence, often taking the non-conformist or unorthodox stance in thought and action.

• EMERGING POET AWARD ($1,500 Grant) - Emergent poets include many writers who have a passion for writing. ruth weiss championed emerging poets throughout her long life as a bellwether writer nurturing the next generation of poets. She supported the up-and-coming, seeking the next new voice. The Emerging poet has an insatiable desire to write poetry. Poetry sets their life’s pattern, whether just starting out or well into a writing journey.

• YOUTH POET AWARD ($1000 Grant) - Poetry provides what youth requires, a path to the genuine, the original, the heretical, the shocking, the sensitive, and the one-of-a-kind human individual. Our secondary schools are full of young people who speak brashly to the world. They have things to say that have never been told in ways that have never been seen before. Once upon a time, the Beat poets invaded the consciousness of a generation by speaking in tongues that resonated with the young. Today there lurks a new battalion of youth who command our attention. They want to take poetry in new directions to suit a new world. We should listen. Accepting submissions for ages 14-18.

• THE SCHOOL POETRY AWARD - $900 - Three $300 School Donation/Poet Grants - For schools and educators fostering safe and inclusive environments for immigrant and refugee children Grades 4 - 12. Three schools and educators submitting a Vision and Personal statement will be eligible to receive a cash award of $300 to be awarded to their school. Students can and do teach us about resilience and bravery. Teachers use poetry to help such students write about their experiences and tell their stories. Our mission in awarding this grant is to help ease the financial burden on schools impacted by war to fund the creative and poetic pursuits of students.

• HONORARY MENTION AWARD - $100 - Gifted to an exceptional poet that stood out, but was runner up to one of the other categories.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: “Every child has the right to health, education, and protection, and every society has a stake in expanding children’s opportunities in life. Yet, millions of children worldwide are denied a fair chance for no reason other than the country, gender, or circumstances into which they are born.” - United Nations.

Humankind is faced with a planet out of balance, beset by poverty, climatic disasters and, most of all, war. They invent new ways of viewing the world, directly influencing people's awareness of moral values and behaviors. They endeavor, awaken interest, and promote action. The mission of ruth weiss Foundation is to encourage poets in their quest to change the world for the better.

Vision and Personal Statement (325 - 400 words max) Submit in writing your journey as a poetic artist and how the funds will help you further your dreams or assist with financial needs.

Write or submit a new poem, never before published.

Poem format: 6x9 Word Document; no more than one pages, 12 - point font. Download Template

English translations of poems written by international poets must stand on their own in English.

ruthweissfoundation.org

_____

FALL 2023 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

A Gathering Together Literary Journal

DEADLINE: September 1, 2023

INFO: A Gathering Together welcomes previously unpublished essays, short stories, poetry, reviews, visual art, and film. If you have other kinds of submissions in mind please let us know.

The journal is published bi-annually, with special features published between issues. Our deadline for submissions for our spring issue is March 1st and for our fall issue, September 1st.

Please take some time to review our content so that you can get a feel for what we would like to publish. The About Us page is also a great starting point for determining if your work is a good fit. As well, the essay, “Inauguration,” in which our founding editors frame what we are trying to accomplish with this space.

A Gathering Together is unable to compensate writers at this time.

All submissions will undergo a blind review. Please remove all identifying information from your submission–with the exception of the title page, which should include your name, a brief bio, and any other information you would like the editorial team to know. Please submit all text in .doc or .docx format, double spaced, size twelve font (unless your poetry or other creative submission requires otherwise). We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work has been accepted elsewhere during the process of reviewing.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Features are generally published January-March or July-September. Our interviews usually consist of a conversation with the artist whose work illustrates the immediately preceding issues, but we are interested in featuring projects, initiatives, and works of all kinds.

Artists: Artists who want to be featured in our upcoming issues are invited to send us a letter of interest, brief bio, and a sample portfolio. See additional guidelines below.

Interviews: Writers who want to conduct interviews are welcome to send us pitches letting us know how the interview and interviewee (artist, performer, community initiative, archive, etc.) would be a good fit for our journal.

GENERAL SUBMISSIONS:

Essays and Creative Nonfiction: Essays should address issues of relevance and import. We are looking primarily to use this space to engage ideas that are not normally considered in popular media or ways that they might be considered differently. If necessary, we encourage the use of either footnotes or hyperlinks. If you would like to skip these, please add a further reading list, so that our readers can engage your ideas in depth. We do not impose a word count, as long as there is a convergence between the idea and its proper elaboration.  

Poetry: Poetry submissions should engage issues of enduring consequence. Please submit between three and five poems that reflect your style. We will choose up to three if we accept your work for publication. Submit all poems in one document using a page break between each poem.

Short Stories: The short story form continues to represent an important format for intellectual production. We seek compelling narratives that tell stories that rebel against master narratives of our existence be it by use of plot, narrative structure, characterization, or another device. Tell us a story we’ve never heard before, or an old one with an ending we’ve not yet dreamed.

Reviews: William Cooper Nell once wrote that “we must be a reading people.” A Gathering Together is above all a place guided by the written word. We are interested in books that may not have gotten the attention they deserved. Less concerned with engaging the “hot new book,” the reviews section will feature works that strike us as necessary reads, regardless of the date of publication. In addition to books, we offer space for reviews of music, independent film, museum exhibitions, and theater. We will accept both essay reviews and standard reviews. There is no word limit—so the same principles about length outlined in the guidelines for essays holds here.

Visual Art: There are limits to words. Art submissions must do the same kinds of work that we expect in other forms. We accept all kinds of submissions. Please ensure that whatever you submit is of publishable quality. Image resolution should be a minimum of 72dpi and the file should be no larger than 2MB. We prefer that they be submitted in .eps, .jpg, .tiff, or .png file formats.

Film: The moving image, too, is a striking way to articulate meaningful ideas. Films should be no longer than 30 minutes. If we decide to share your work, we will require you to upload it to a third-party site, such as Youtube or Vimeo, so that we can embed it on our site.

SUBMISSIONS PROTOCOL:

 All submissions should be sent as attachments to submissions@agatheringtogether.com. In your email, please briefly indicate the nature of your submission and whether you would like it to be considered for our biannual issue or for a special feature.

agatheringtogether.com/how-to-submit/  

POETRY — JULY 2023

LOGHAVEN ARTIST RESIDENCY

DEADLINE: July 15, 2023

APPLICATION FEE: $20

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. 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:

• January 8 – 22, 2024 (2 weeks, preference given to alumni/ae)

• February 12 – March 8, 2024 (4 weeks)

• April 8 – May 3, 2024 (4 weeks)

• May 20 – June 14, 2024 (4 weeks)

• July 8 – 22, 2024 (2 weeks for teaching artists and faculty artists at the university level)

• September 30 – November 8, 2024 (6 weeks)

• January 6 – 20, 2025 (2 weeks, preference given to alumni/ae)

APPLICATION TIMELINE & QUALIFICATIONS:

Applications will be accepted annually starting June 1, until July 15, at midnight Eastern Time. Late applications will not be accepted. 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.
Name all of your submissions using the following naming structure: last name, first name # (Smith, Jane 1).
If the attached work sample is longer than the limits laid out for your discipline, please indicate the section of video or audio you would like the panel to review. If you do not indicate a section, the panelist will review from the start until the time limit is reached.
Note if any submitted work sample is more than four years old.
Provide all submissions in English or accompanied by a translation.

• 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 in PDF format.

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

• 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 - Submit three to five work samples. The work samples can be in one type of media or a mixture of media including 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).

loghaven.org/residencies/apply/

_____

Fifteenth Annual Poetry Contest

Narrative

DEADLINE: July 21, 2023 at midnight PST

SUBMISSION FEE: $25 (includes three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage)

INFO: In a continuing effort to encourage and support talented poets, Narrative is offering prizes and widespread publicity to all winners and finalists. Narrative is always looking for new voices, so all entries will be considered for publication in the magazine.

The contest is open to all poets. Entries must be unpublished and must not have been previously chosen as winners, finalists, or honorable mentions in other contests. Each entry may contain up to five poems. The poems should all be contained in a single file. You may enter as many times as you wish, but we encourage you to be selective and to send your best work.

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 Poetry, Best New Poets, and many others. View the recent awards won by Narrative authors.

AWARDS:

• First Prize is $1,500

• Second Prize is $750

• Third Prize is $300

• Up to ten finalists will receive $75 each

• All entries will be considered for publication

All contest entries are eligible for the $5,000 Narrative Prize and for acceptance as a Poem 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 September 30, 2023. All writers who enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions. 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.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Submissions may contain up to five poems. Your submission should give a strong sense of your style and range. We accept submissions of all poetic forms and genres but do not accept translations. Please read our Submission Guidelines for manuscript formatting and other information.

narrativemagazine.com/fifteenth-annual-poetry-contest

_____

PEN/Bare Life Review Grants

PEN America

DEADLINE: July 21, 2023 by 11:59pm EST

INFO: The PEN/Bare Life Review Grants recognize literary works by immigrant and refugee writers. For the 2024 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 1, 2025, 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.

NOT eligible: Scholarly or academic writing.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please note that the application will require the following, submitted as one PDF file, in the below order.

All documents should be 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: 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.)

• A CV for the author of the project, which should include 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 75 pages. This, exceptionally, should be double spaced for legibility.

pen.org/pen-bare-life-review-grant/

_____

TWH Winter Retreat 2023 Manuscript Coaching Fellowship

The Watering Hole

DEADLINE: July 29, 2023 by 11:59pm

SUBMISSION FEE: $40

INFO: The purpose of The Watering Hole Manuscript Coaching Fellowship is to give up to six unpublished poets of color guidance with their manuscript-in-progress. The poets will spend time in community with each other and under the guidance of one of our former TWH Retreat facilitators.

This program includes:

• Daily virtual classes focused on advanced aspects of manuscript preparation.

• Peer Review feedback on a 35 to 45 page manuscript

• An individual coaching session with your Manuscript Coach

• Access to all Winter Retreat events (including craft talks, readings, keynote, etc.). Fellows may also opt to spend this time revising their manuscript.

• If you apply for this fellowship and do not get in, you will automatically be considered for The Watering Hole Writing Workshop.

RETREAT DATES: December 26-30, 2023

LOCATION: T.B.D.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

• A Query Letter: We ask for a query letter, because once you have one written, you can use it to apply for lots of manuscript publishing opportunities across the industry. Not just for TWH. It just a great tool to have in your toolbox. Writing it to your ideal press carries some energetic weight, too. You might want to pin it to your wall, so that you can see it every day.

• A Manuscript of 10 pages of poetry: If you need help with the basic query letter format, click here for sample outline. You can absolutely write this letter addressed to a press that you'd eventually want to publish with. A Manuscript consists of Title Page + Table of Contents + Acknowledgement Page (for previously published poems) + Sample Manuscript (10 pages). A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must be 21 years of age by December 25th.

• Applicants cannot have a full-length collection either published or under contract for publication.

• Poetry must be original, not translations.

FAQs:

What's the Review Process?

Applications are reviewed and accepted by The Watering Hole graduate fellows who have published at least one book. They have a vested interest in continuing to build TWH Tribe with a wide variety of talents, backgrounds, and aesthetics.

While under review, preference is given to those who follow our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and members of The Watering Hole Facebook Group

What if my Application is Accepted?

Acceptance letters will be e-mailed by August 15.

You must turn in your full manuscript of 35 to 45 pages within 7 days of receiving your acceptance letter.

Deposits of 50% must be made by September 30 and the registration fee must be paid in full by November 15.

Each fellow reviews five of their peer's manuscripts from September 1 to December 1 and gives feedback to their peers.

December 26-30: Fellows meet for the Retreat and turn in their peer reviews.

You can find some basic information at twhpoetry.org, but we are in the process of updating our website. When the time comes, The Watering Hole will send out information about online payment options and the welcome packet upon acceptance.

Additional Information

The Watering Hole sponsors between 50% and 75% (depending on the year) of every fellow's fees. Your portion of this year's registration price comes to approximately $699.

Because of the location change this year, there may not be an option to upgrade to a private room and may not be an onsite restaurant. However, you will likely still have access to a kitchen and nearby fast food and grocery options.

twhpoetry.submittable.com/submit

_____

2023 Words of Resistance and Restoration

Roots. Wounds. Words.

DEADLINE: July 31, 2023 at 11:59pm ET

INFO: Applications are now open for Words of Resistance and Restoration 12-week writing intensive where RWW’s faculty of acclaimed BIPOC literary artists guide justice-involved & impacted writers through generating fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and speculative fiction. Words of Resistance attempts to cultivate healing, resilience, and community for storytellers. The beneficiaries are Black, Latina/e/x, Indigenous, Asian, Southeast Asian, and all BIPOC storytellers who are formerly arrested, incarcerated, and/or under state control, or who have been impacted by the incarceration of a loved one.

The project culminates with a virtual public performance where storytellers perform writing they generated during the intensive. RWW will also publish a professional print anthology containing the pieces they pen.

This offering is completely tuition-less. Application and participation in Words of Resistance and Restoration is completely free.

rootswoundswords.org/rww-resistance

_____

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Plentitudes

DEADLINE: July 31, 2023

READING FEE: $5

INFO: The Plentitudes is seeking submissions of personal essays, short stories, and poems for publication in our Fall 2023 issue.

We are looking for pieces that are aligned with our philosophy: we believe in the power of writing—in its plentitudes of forms, styles, and modes of exploration—to move the spirit, shift the gaze, and offer new perspectives. We publish works from diverse contributors, from emerging writers to more established ones, and we especially love writing offering fresh perspectives and for the now. LGBTQ, BIPOC, and Disabled writers are particularly encouraged to submit. We are an international and multicultural journal, and welcome works from writers from all over the world.

GUIDELINES:

• Personal Essays: 1,500 - 5,000 words, double-spaced, 12 pt. font

• Short Stories: 1,500 - 5,000 words, double-spaced, 12 pt. font

• Poems: No more than 10 pages and no more than 5 poems, in ONE document.

• Unpublished work only.

• Simultaneous submissions permitted but please inform us as soon as you place the piece elsewhere.

• Format: .doc, .pdf, or .docx file.

HONORARIUM: $50 per published piece.

plentitudesjournal.submittable.com/submit

_____

Granum Foundation Prizes

DEADLINE: August 1, 2023 at 11:59pm PT

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.

• 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 the 2021 or 2022 Granum competitions are not eligible.

• Writers who have published more than five books, including chapbooks, are not eligible. Literary journals and anthologies are not included in this count.

• 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.

Applications for the 2023 Granum Foundation Prize and the Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be open from May 1 until August 1 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Winners and finalists will be announced in November.

granumfoundation.org/granum-prize