The Cave Canem Prize
Cave Canem
APPLICATIONS OPEN: April 1, 2025
INFO: The Cave Canem Prize supports the work of Black poets to overcome the obstacle of publishing their first book of poems. Awarded to one poet annually, the Prize recipient receives a monetary award, as well as having their manuscript published by one of our partner publishers, Graywolf Press; University of Pittsburgh Press; or University of Georgia Press.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Cave Canem Prize, which was launched in 1999. To commemorate this historic milestone, Cave Canem has increased the monetary award to $10,000. The inaugural Prize winner, Natasha Trethewey, will judge the 2025 Cave Canem Prize.
AWARD: Winner receives $10,000; publication through Graywolf Press in Fall 2025; 15 copies of the book; and a featured reading with the selected judge, presented by Cave Canem.
ELIGIBILITY: All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press.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.
Black authors of chapbooks and self-published books with a maximum print run of 500 copies are also eligible to apply.
Please note that in the event that an applicant has submitted the same manuscript to other competitions and receives an award, they must disclose this information to Cave Canem. By applying, the Cave Canem Prize 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 chosen. 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.
cavecanempoets.org/programs/#cave-canem-prize
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Oroko Radio Poetry Residency
Oroko Radio (Accra, Ghana)
DEADLINE: April 3, 2025 by 6pm GMT
INFO: Now accepting applications for our first-ever Radio Poetry Residency!
We are seeking five poets whose verses, and process in itself, grapple with our collective struggles—from political upheaval and ecological crisis to community reconstruction and the complex territories of human consciousness. We encourage the experimental exploration of radio’s distinctive qualities as a medium.
The residency also offers an exciting opportunity for poets to engage in critical dialogue, nurture new perspectives, and most importantly, collaborate as a cohort to expand the boundaries of literary broadcasting freedom.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Please send submissions to: BLACKTANGERE@GMAIL.COM
A 300-400 word statement about yourself and creative practice. Be sure to include: * How your poetry engages with any of the proposed themes * Previous experience with collaborative or cohort-based projects (if any) * What you hope to explore during this residency
A 150-200 word statement describing your interest in radio as a medium for poetry
As attachments: 3-5 poems that best represent your work, and at least (1) of the poems MUST be an audio-recorded file.
oroko.live/news/oroko-radio-poetry-residency
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CREATIVE CAPITAL AWARD
Creative Capital
DEADLINE: April 3, 2025
INFO: The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of bold, innovative, original, and imaginative new artistic works. In addition to unrestricted project grants from $15,000 up to $50,000, the Award offers transformative professional development support including strategic advising, peer mentorship, industry connections, and community-building opportunities. Grants are awarded via a national, democratic, open call, external review process.
For the 2026 grant cycle, Creative Capital invites professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Creative Capital seeks project proposals for formally and/or conceptually innovative works in all disciplines, including, but not limited to, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and multimedia, dance, theater, playwriting, jazz, opera, music, experimental film, documentary and narrative film, poetry, and fiction.
Creative Capital welcomes a full range of artistic approaches and thematic inquiries, including boundary-pushing formal explorations, as well as projects that engage urgent social issues of our time. Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that Creative Capital has not previously funded. For example, for this grant cycle, Creative Capital also seeks strong visual arts projects dealing with fentanyl, veterans/military, or wealth inequality.
The Creative Capital Award seeks project proposals in the following disciplines:
Visual Arts: architecture & design, craft, drawing & illustration, ecological art, installation, painting & printmaking, performance art, photography, public art, sculpture, social practice, sound art, video art, technology, and socially-engaged visual art
Performing Arts: dance, jazz, multimedia performance, music, musical theater, opera, theater, playwriting, technology, and socially-engaged performing arts
Film: animation, documentary film, experimental film, and narrative film
Literature: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry
A diverse cohort of approximately 50 artists will be selected for the Creative Capital Award through an external review process. Our goal is to support artists and new works across a range of disciplines, themes and ideas, geographic regions, identities, ages, and career stages. See recent Creative Capital Awardees and Projects for 2025, 2024, and 2023.
Creative Capital’s transformative giving approach is built on the principle that artists need funding as well as networks and advisory services in order to realize ambitious projects and build thriving careers. Recipients of the Creative Capital Award receive access to a full range of professional development services over a five-year period. These services include strategic planning, legal and financial advising, marketing and communications strategy, peer mentorship, and industry networking opportunities.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
ROUND I: Project Proposal
Creative Capital welcomes project proposals for original, imaginative, impactful new artistic works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially-engaged projects are welcome in every category.
Along with a project title, one line project description (50 words max), project description (500 words max), bio, resume, and artist website (recommended), applicants will answer the following questions:
Creative Capital supports formally and conceptually innovative and experimental work. How does your project idea take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? (150 words / 1,000 characters max)
Place your work in context. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
What kind of impact do you hope your project will have, and why? What specific audiences and/or communities will the project engage? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
Creative Capital awards artists at catalytic moments in their careers. How is this a catalytic moment in your practice? How will your proposed project or new work act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
Creative Capital provides professional development services and community-building opportunities for awardees and encourages a spirit of mutual generosity and exchange among our artists. How would this support and being part of the Creative Capital community be impactful for you? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
In addition, applicants will submit one (1) work sample from a completed, past work.
Visual Arts applicants will submit one Image Sample or Video Sample.
Performing Arts applicants will submit one Video Sample.
Film applicants will submit one Video Sample.
Literature applicants will submit one Writing Sample.
ROUND II: Project Details
Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round II will submit additional materials to support their application:
Project itemized budget
Project timeline (1 page)
Work samples (see Application Handbook for guidelines)
Proof of eligibility
ROUND III: Panel Review
Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round III will be asked to:
Confirm collaborators (if applicable)
Submit project updates (optional, 100 words max)
Full application guidelines are outlined in the Application Handbook.
2026 OPEN CALL APPLICATION TIMELINE:
These dates may change.
March 3, 2025: Round I application portal opens
April 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time: Round I application deadline
June 2025: Notification of advancement to Round II
September 2025: Notification of advancement to Round III: Final Panel Review
Early 2026: Public announcement of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and State of the Art Prizes
Artist Eligibility
US citizen, permanent legal resident, O-1 visa holder, or Tribal ID holder
At least 25 years old by application deadline
Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline
Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program
May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year
May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year
State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2026. Prize recipients must provide proof of residence in the state or territory to receive the grant.
Projects that are not eligible
Projects whose main purpose is promotional
Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization
Curation or documentation of existing work
Projects that will premiere or be completed before October 1, 2026
More questions? Email awards@creative-capital.org. No phone calls please.
creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award
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THE STATE OF THE ART PRIZE
Creative Capital
DEADLINE: April 3, 2025
INFO: Through the 2026 Open Call process for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients of the State of the Art Prize, a new national, two-year initiative, which aims to recognize one artist residing in each U.S. state and its territories, with an unrestricted grant of $10,000 per artist. All applicants to the Creative Capital Award will be automatically considered for the State of the Art Prize and will be evaluated for the Prize using the same criteria; there is no separate application process. State of the Art Prize recipients will also have access to a suite of online professional development resources, including the Creative Capital Curriculum and Artist Labs, Artist Opportunities, and online community-building opportunities.
State of the Art Prize recipients may apply again to future open calls for the Creative Capital Award. However, artists who have already received the Creative Capital Award may not apply for the State of the Art Prize. Both the State of the Art Prize and the Creative Capital Award are one-time awards.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
ROUND I: Project Proposal
Creative Capital welcomes project proposals for original, imaginative, impactful new artistic works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially-engaged projects are welcome in every category.
Along with a project title, one line project description (50 words max), project description (500 words max), bio, resume, and artist website (recommended), applicants will answer the following questions:
Creative Capital supports formally and conceptually innovative and experimental work. How does your project idea take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? (150 words / 1,000 characters max)
Place your work in context. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
What kind of impact do you hope your project will have, and why? What specific audiences and/or communities will the project engage? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
Creative Capital awards artists at catalytic moments in their careers. How is this a catalytic moment in your practice? How will your proposed project or new work act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
Creative Capital provides professional development services and community-building opportunities for awardees and encourages a spirit of mutual generosity and exchange among our artists. How would this support and being part of the Creative Capital community be impactful for you? (150 words / 1,000 character max)
In addition, applicants will submit one (1) work sample from a completed, past work.
Visual Arts applicants will submit one Image Sample or Video Sample.
Performing Arts applicants will submit one Video Sample.
Film applicants will submit one Video Sample.
Literature applicants will submit one Writing Sample.
ROUND II: Project Details
Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round II will submit additional materials to support their application:
Project itemized budget
Project timeline (1 page)
Work samples (see Application Handbook for guidelines)
Proof of eligibility
ROUND III: Panel Review
Applicants selected by our external reviewers to advance to Round III will be asked to:
Confirm collaborators (if applicable)
Submit project updates (optional, 100 words max)
2026 OPEN CALL APPLICATION TIMNLINE:
These dates may change.
March 3, 2025: Round I application portal opens
April 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time: Round I application deadline
June 2025: Notification of advancement to Round II
September 2025: Notification of advancement to Round III: Final Panel Review
Early 2026: Public announcement of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and State of the Art Prizes
Artist Eligibility
US citizen, permanent legal resident, O-1 visa holder, or Tribal ID holder
At least 25 years old by application deadline
Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline
Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program
May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year
May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year
State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2026. Prize recipients must provide proof of residence in the state or territory to receive the grant.
Projects that are not eligible
Projects whose main purpose is promotional
Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization
Curation or documentation of existing work
Projects that will premiere or be completed before October 1, 2026
More questions? Email awards@creative-capital.org. No phone calls please.
creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award
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Call for Submissions: Incarcerated Writers & Families
Massachusetts Review
DEADLINE: April 4, 2024
INFO: INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES is a special Massachusetts Review issue that seeks to center and honor the literary art of incarcerated writers and their families.
With INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES, a special issue, the Massachusetts Review intends to extend the definition of families and broaden the portrait of lives impacted by our justice system to include that most basic unit of our society, the family. We are interested in traditional families but also in alternative forms of caretaking, parenting, and kinship that have a long history in queer and/or BIPOC communities.
The Massachusetts Review seeks writers who can reveal more about how the concept of family might be transformed by those who are on the inside. When the bonds with their loved ones outside are severed, what kind of familial care emerges between people who are still incarcerated, in spite of the carceral system's tactics for dividing and isolating them from one another?
In the spirit of the stunning documentary Time, created by Garrett Bradley, the Massachusetts Review wants to publish stories, poems, essays, hybrids, and art that follow the struggles of families to confront, survive, and triumph over the challenges that incarceration creates for both prisoners and their families. We seek writing and art that traces the tragic aftermath and long-term effects on children and families that too often result from a system that we euphemistically call “correctional.” We are also interested in how communal caretaking that redefines what "family" means (and what justice means) contributes to the overall goal of prison abolition. In widening our focus to include family members as well as the incarcerated, we hope to give a more accurate portrait of the toll of our prison-industrial complex and also include readers who haven’t yet confronted the Kafka-esque dilemma of standing directly before the law.
INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES is a special MR issue that asks for your personal essays, stories, interviews, poems, hybrids and visual art about incarceration and its direct and indirect impacts. Your essays, stories, interviews, poems, and/or hybrids might (but do not have to) engage these questions:
How can a family persist in the face of incarceration’s barriers and obstacles?
What is the impact of incarceration on the radius of care beyond the individual imprisoned?
How do definitions of family shift, contract and/or widen in the carceral environment?
SUBMISSION INFO: Submissions should be no more than 7,000 words for prose (fiction, nonfiction), hybrids, up to 6 poems for poetry, or up to 3 pages of visual art. We are interested in submissions from people who are most marginalized by oppressive systems, to include trans, gender queer, poverty-born, incarcerated, justice-involved, system-impacted, disabled, neurodivergent, BIPOC, colonized, people living on the frontlines of climate crisis, and others.
COMPENSATION: Published writers will receive $300 upon publication.
Please send work as a Word or PDF attachment to themassreview@gmail.com and indicate the special issue and genre in the subject line (i.e. "INCARCERATED WRITERS & FAMILIES: Fiction").
If online submission is not possible, please mail work to:
The Massachusetts Review
400 Venture Way
Hadley, MA 01035
PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS OF PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK.
themassachusettsreview.substack.com/p/mr-call-for-papers
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BIPOC ARTIST RESIDENCY AT SITKA CENTER
Portland in Color / The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology (Otis, OR)
DEADLINE: April 4, 2025 by 11:59 PM PT
INFO: The Portland in Color Residency at Sitka Center was created to establish the foundation for a partnership between our community organizations in an effort to collectively support artists of color in Oregon.
Artist residency programs can offer creatives at all stages a supportive place to rest, dream, and/or create as they see fit, without the expectation of production or output. It can be a meaningful, regenerative process to have time and space away from existing routines and setting, yet we recognize that residencies can be inaccessible to artists so this initiative seeks to address some barriers of access by waiting application fees, including a modest stipend of financial support, and flexible scheduling.
In 2025-2026, The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology will offer 2 residency spots for a Portland in Color collaboration, with the opportunity for 2 artists of color to be in residence at Sitka Center for up to a month.
DETAILS:
Residency Period: October 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026
Duration: 2-4 weeks (length and dates to be determined by your availability)
Eligibility: Open to BIPOC artists over 18 years old residing in Oregon who have not previously participated in a Sitka artist residency.
Location: Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, 56605 Sitka Dr, Otis, OR 97368
Funding availability: $600 stipend flat fee
Notifications: All applicants will be notified by email by April 30th, 2025.
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SITKA RESIDENCY
The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology (Otis, OR)
DEADLINE: April 4, 2025
APPLICATION FEE: $30
INFO: Sitka residencies provide time and space for self-paced work and reflection in an inspiring natural setting. Residents from a broad range of art, writing, performance, science, education and interdisciplinary practices come to Sitka to create and explore away from the familiar contexts and constraints of daily routines, and free from external expectations.
Sitka Residencies offer dedicated time and space for artists, writers, scientists, educators and interdisciplinary creators to immerse themselves in independent work amid the remarkable ecology of Cascade Head and the Oregon coast.
Sitka residents enjoy solitude as well as opportunities for self-directed exchange and collaboration in a supportive environment, free from outside pressures, drawing inspiration from a landscape that invites discovery, reflection and renewal.
Residencies, ranging from two weeks to three months between October and May, are awarded through an annual juried process and provided free of charge. Some Sitka residents also receive living and travel stipends as part of their awards.
RESIDENCY DETAILS:
Facilities
Each resident is provided with private living and, if needed, studio space. Residences include living, sleeping, bathroom and kitchen areas, equipped for basic cooking. Laundry facilities are available on campus. Wi-Fi is provided in both residences and studios. Residents are responsible for their own transportation, food and supplies.
The Sitka Center is a non-smoking and non-vaping environment. Please avoid strong scents, as some individuals have allergies. Candles and incense are not permitted. Pets are not allowed on Sitka’s main campus or at our 80 acre nature preserve.
Sitka is family-friendly, and partners are welcome to stay or visit. Please inform the Sitka office if you have overnight visitors.
We are located about seven miles from the nearest grocery store, in Lincoln City, a small coastal town. The area receives about 98 inches of rain annually, so rain gear is essential for outdoor activities.
Cost
Living and studio spaces are provided free of charge. There is a $30 application fee to cover administrative costs. Residents are responsible for their own travel, food, supplies and other expenses. If the application fee is a barrier, please contact Sitka at info@sitkacenter.org for a fee waiver.
Accessibility
Sitka’s studios, office and library are ADA accessible, with one ADA-compliant cabin. Some areas on our steep campus may be less accessible. Please contact us with any specific needs or concerns. Certified service animals are welcome with prior disclosure and permission. Sitka has housing options for families with children of different ages or residents who are caretakers. Please indicate any housing needs in your application. Sitka has an extremely limited ability to host a pet or emotional support animal in a single off-campus cabin. Please do not count on being able to bring your pet when you apply.
Collaborations
Collaborating teams should submit one application. Please note if you will need sperate sleeping accommodations.
Studio Supplies and Materials
Sitka provides basic studio equipment, including easels, task lights, tables, and chairs, as well as a printing press and a small ceramics studio. Residents must bring their own materials for their work, and we can discuss specific needs ahead of time.
Solitude and Engagement
Residents can engage with other residents and the local community in their own ways. We host a Zoom Resident Talk event where each resident shares their work. Participation is encouraged but not required.
Expectations
Residents are asked to present at a Resident Talk event, complete an exit survey and leave their assigned residence and studio clean and in the same condition as when they arrived. There are no expectations regarding creative or scientific productivity and no culminating report or presentation is required.
Commitment to Equity
The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology affords equal opportunities to applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to equity and inclusion and believe different voices and perspectives strengthen our organization and amplify Sitka’s impact.
MATERIALS NEEDED TO APPLY:
References – Name and contact information (your references will be sent a form to complete).
Application – Complete responses to all application questions.
Resume – Submit as a .doc, .docx or .pdf file.
Work Samples – Provide examples of your current work in formats that best showcase your practice.
Visual artists, designers and architects: 8-10 high quality images of your most current work.
Creative writers, journalists, playwrights and poets: 2 writing samples of up to 10 pages. For shorter works (poetry, short prose, etc.), submit 4 samples of up to 5 pages each. Excerpts are accepted for all writing forms. (.doc, .docx or .pdf)
Scientists: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files (if applicable) and up to 2 writing samples (up to 10 pages each) (.doc, .docx or .pdf).
Musicians, composers, performers and Film Makers: 2-4 audio or video files (mp3, video files or links) of your most recent work. Excerpts are encouraged for longer works.
Curators, educators and social practice artists: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files and up to 2 writing samples of a maximum of 10 pages each.
Interdisciplinary practitioners: Any combination of images, files and text that reflects your most current work, up to 6 images or files and up to 2 writing samples of a maximum of 10 pages each.
sitkacenter.org/residency-at-sitka/
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Brown Handler Residency
Friends of the San Francisco Library
DEADLINE: April 6, 2025 at 11:59pm PST
INFO: Friends of the San Francisco Public Library (Friends) is pleased to announce this year’s application for the 2025-2026 Brown Handler Residency. Created by Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler in 2018, this residency supports the creative expression of diverse San Francisco-based writers, offering time, space, and a connection to the public through the Library. The Brown-Handler Residency offers five San Francisco writers a free, year-long studio space, a connection to the SF Public Library system, and opportunities to engage the public through literary programming.
Reflecting the Library’s mission as a democratic, public, and accessible institution, we are committed to supporting writers from a wide spectrum of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and genre.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Residencies will be offered to five San Francisco-based writers for one year, open to:
Fiction writers
Nonfiction writers
Children’s writers and illustrators
Poets
Playwrights/screenwriters
Both emerging and established writers are welcome to apply. Priority will be given to applicants who can most benefit from access to space, support, and connection.
There is no cash award offered for the residency.
There is no requirement to publish a work at the end of the residency, but candidates must be
working on a personally significant project.
Residents will be required to participate in at least two Library events and programs.
THE SPACE:
The writing space is located at the office of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library at 1630 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 (between Carolina & Wisconsin). It is a rich, supportive environment with Friends staff working during regular business hours. The large writing space is in the front of the office, with a vast window overlooking Jackson Park. The back of the building houses thousands of donated books, sold to support the Library’s programs and services.
It is important that residents can work well in an office community of this arrangement. The office will not be perfectly quiet nor without exciting bustle. Residents will have 24-hour access to the space, though, seven days a week — plenty of quiet time without staff around.
BENEFITS:
Dedicated, free space to focus on your creative work 24-hour access to Friends’ writing salon conveniently located near Potrero Hill Storage, printers, copier, kitchen, bathrooms, free access to the internet, and a Friends’ email address for business use, if desired
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY:
As the Library is a public place, it cannot designate a permanent space for a writer. However, residents can be paired with neighborhood library branches in relationships of support and exchange. Residents often have relationships with a library “host branch,” and Friends’ staff will help facilitate the relationship to ensure a quality experience as a “special author” at select branches.
Opportunities are available for residents to participate in library programs and activities that promote their work and public engagement with writing. (i.e. toddler and children’s reading circles; teen book clubs; branch literary and cultural events; and special readings/activities designed by you and the Library staff)
PROMOTION:
Marketing and social media exposure through Friends’ Communications Department and the Public Relations Department of the Library Readings at books sales and events coordinated by SFPL or Friends
friendssfpl.org/residency.html
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African Voices Call for Fiction, Poems, Art & Essays Celebrating Harry Belafonte
African Voices
DEADLINE: April 11, 2025 by 11:59pm ET
INFO: African Voices invites submissions for the Summer/Fall 2025 issue focused on the artistry and activism of the late Harry Belafonte. This issue will be guest edited by award-winning poet, author, and artist Keisha-Gaye Anderson.
Harry Belafonte's decades-long work of blending his artistry and activism to promote civil rights and human rights in the United States and beyond helped to foment significant social change in his lifetime, from his work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to his role in the anti-apartheid movement.
This issue will showcase fiction, art, poetry, and essays that exemplify some of the areas that Belafonte was passionate about, including racial equity, social justice, human rights, community empowerment, the interconnectedness of the cultural production of the African diaspora in the Americas, and the power of literacy and the arts to positively transform lives.
“Artists are the gatekeepers of truth," said Belafonte. "We are civilization’s anchor. We are the compass for humanity’s consciousness.” The issues that Belafonte worked to advance in his life in terms of Civil Rights and human rights are particularly resonant at this moment. We want to share your work that reflects and ponders these themes.
Please include your short bio and contact information with your submission.
What we’re looking for:
Fiction – no more than 2,500 words
Essays – no more than 2,500 words
Poetry – three to five poems
Artwork – three to five images
File types accepted: Word, PDF, JPEG, TIFF.
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2026 Writer-In-Residence
Hedgebrook
DEADLINE: April 14, 2025
INFO: Hedgebrook is a nonprofit organization serving women-identified writers. Our retreat program is located on Whidbey Island near Seattle where writers come to write, rejuvenate and be in community with each other. Hedgebrook welcomes all women-identified writers representing diversity in citizenship status, nationality, current place of residence, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, trans* identity, age, disability, professional experience, and economic resources. We welcome applicants, published or not, who embrace the mission and opportunity to be a member of Hedgebrook's community.
Writers join an intimate and diverse community of six residents at a time who share a home-cooked meal, their work, their process and their stories, in addition to the time spent in solitude.
Applications will be accepted in the following genres:
Non-Fiction
Poetry
Screenwriting
Playwriting
Fiction
https://hedgebrook.slideroom.com
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Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency
The Adirondack Center for Writing
APPLICATION PERIOD: April 14 - May 19, 2025
APPLICATION FEE: $30 (There is no cost to attend the residency)
INFO: The Adirondack Center for Writing offers a free, two-week residency annually in autumn to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at a lodge on Twitchell Lake in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Six residents will be chosen: three from the Adirondack region and three from anywhere in the world. Quality of written submissions is the primary consideration when accepting applications.
The residency is generously provided by the estate of Anne LaBastille, who wrote books capturing challenges of the region, including Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake from her cabin on Twitchell Lake. During the residency, writers will paddle to the site of her property and explore the lake with locals.
The Lodge at Twitchell Lake provides an abundance of physical space, and each resident has their own bedroom and bathroom. There are plenty of writing spaces in and around the property. Internet access is available, but limited (email ; Zoom ). Most cell phones will not work (a landline is available).
IMPORTANT DATES:
Residency Dates: September 21 – October 5, 2025
Notification: July 2025
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
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.
Writing Sample: Please send up to 10 pages of your best writing in the genre you will working in at the residency. Prose: 10 pages max. Poetry: 10 poems max. NOTE: Make sure your name does not show up anywhere in your writing sample. Writing samples that include your name will not be considered. Quality of written submissions will be our primary consideration when accepting applications.
We do not accept printed applications. Contact info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org or 518-354-1261 with any questions.
https://adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency/
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2025 Breakout! Writers Prize: For outstanding undergraduate + graduate student writers of POetry + prose
Epiphany Magazine
DEADLINE: April 15, 2025
INFO: The 2025 Breakout! Writers Prize is officially open for submissions. The Breakout! Writers Prize brings visibility to and supports outstanding undergraduate and graduate student writers. Winners have won the PEN/Dau Prize and gone on to get agents, publish books, and discover new careers in publishing.
This year’s prize judges are: Victoria Chang for poetry, and Hilary Leichter for prose.
PRIZE:
Two Writers, One in Prose and One in Poetry, Will Each Receive:
A $1000 cash prize
Publication in the Summer 2025 issue of Epiphany
A one-year subscription to Epiphany
To apply you must have been enrolled in an accredited university, at least part-time, for the academic years 2024 or 2025. The prize is open to both undergraduate students and graduate students receiving a Masters degree. PhD candidates are not eligible. Students need not be specifically enrolled in MFA programs or creative writing programs.
https://epiphanyzine.com/features/2025-breakout-prize
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2025 POETRY Contest
Fugue
DEADLINE: April 15, 2025
ENTRY FEE: $20
INFO: Submissions are currently open for Fugue’s 2025 Poetry Contest.
GUIDELINES: Submissions should include 1-3 poems per submission in a .doc, .docx (preferred), or .pdf document. Multiple submissions are considered as long as a separate fee is paid for each.
PRIZE: The contest winner in poetry receives $1,000 and publication in Fugue’s 2025 print issue. One runner-up is also published. All submissions will be read by at least two editors, and ten finalists will go on to our judge. All submissions will be considered for general publication in Fugue.
JUDGE: This year's poetry judge is Donika Kelly. Donika Kelly is the author of The Renunciations, winner of the Anisfield-Wolf book award in poetry, and Bestiary, the winner of the 2015 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and a Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Kelly’s poetry has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Publishing Triangle Awards, the Lambda Literary Awards, and longlisted for the National Book Award. A Cave Canem graduate fellow and recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, she has also received a Lannan Residency Fellowship, and a summer workshop fellowship from the Fine Arts Work Center. She earned an MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin and a PhD in English from Vanderbilt University. Her poems have been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. Donika lives in Iowa City with her wife, the nonfiction writer Melissa Febos, and is an associate professor in the English Department at the University of Iowa, where she teaches creative writing.
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New Southern Voices Poetry Book Prize
Hub City Press
DEADLINE: April 17, 2025
SUBMISSION FEE: $25
INFO: Hub City Press is pleased to announce that Derrick Austin will judge the tenth biennial New Southern Voices Poetry Book Prize. The prize will now award an increased advance of $1,500 and publication to the winner. Submissions open on January 1, 2025.
ELIGIBILITY:
Submitters must currently reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or West Virginia and have resided there for a minimum of 24 consecutive months. (Residency will be verified before prize winner is announced.)
Submitters may have published no more than one previous book or have no more than one book under contract at another publisher.
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 GUIDELINES:
Hub City Press will accept typed poetry manuscript submissions between January 1 and 11:59PM April 17. The winner is announced in the summer.
Manuscripts should be 48-120 pages, 12 point Times New Roman or similar typeface.
Simultaneous submissions of the same manuscript to other publishers or contests are acceptable but please notify us by email (submit@hubcity.org) if your manuscript has been accepted elsewhere.
While translations and manuscripts in languages other than English are not acceptable, manuscripts that occasionally use words from other languages are acceptable and welcome.
No revisions of submitted manuscripts will be allowed during the contest.
This contest is read blind. Do not include a bio or acknowledgements page with your manuscript. All manuscripts must be read anonymously by our readers, editors, and judge. 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.
JUDGE:
Derrick Austin was born in Homestead, Florida. He received a BA from the University of Tampa and, in 2014, an MFA from the University of Michigan. He is the author ofTenderness (BOA Editions, 2021), winner of the 2021 Isabella Gardener Award, and Trouble the Water (BOA Editions, 2016), selected by Mary Szybist for the 2015 A. Poulin Jr. Prize. A Cave Canem fellow, he is the recipient of fellowships from The Wisconsin Institute of Creative Writing and Stanford University. He currently lives in Oakland, California. Derrick is a former Hub City Writers Project writer-in-residence, and we are thrilled to welcome him back as our tenth judge of our poetry prize.
The New Southern Voices Poetry Prize is open to poets who have either never published a full-length collection of poetry, or who have only published one full-length collection. Entrants must currently reside in and have had residency in one or more of the following states for a minimum of 24 consecutive months: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. (Residency will be verified before the prize winner is announced.)
Manuscripts should be between 48-120 pages for this contest. Submissions will be taken through online submission only. All manuscripts will be read anonymously by first-level judges and eight finalists will be submitted to Derrick Austin, who will select the winner and runner-up. This contest is guided by the CLMP Code of Ethics.
FAQs:
I have never published a collection of poetry before. Am I eligible?
Yes! The New Southern Voices Poetry Book Prize is meant for emerging writers who either have never published a collection or have a maximum of one previously published poetry collection.
I was born in / grew up in / attended school in one of the 11 states listed, but have since moved away. Am I eligible?
Unfortunately, no. The contest is open only to writers currently living in the Southern states listed in the guidelines. If you don't currently live in one of those states you are ineligible for the prize. You must currently live in one of the listed Southern states and have lived there for 24 consecutive months.
I have lived in two of the listed states (for example: North and South Carolina) in the last 24 months. Am I eligible?
Yes! As long as you've lived in the South, moving between states is fine.
Questions?
If your question is not answered above, email kate@hubcity.org.
hubcity.submittable.com/submit
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “AMPARO” MICRO-ISSUE
Dominican Writers Association
DEADLINE: April 21, 2025
INFO: AMPARO, that uniquely Dominican sense of protection that goes beyond physical shelter. The arms that held you, the sacrifices made in silence, the “bendición” that followed you out the door like an invisible shield.
We’re launching “Palabras del Alma,” a new bi-monthly micro-issue series exploring Dominican emotional concepts, and our first theme is close to our hearts.
GUIDELINES:
Submit your poetry, flash fiction, micro-essays, or testimonios reflecting on maternal protection, family guardianship, or community shelter.
300-1000 words (or 1 poem, max 1 page)
English, Spanish, or Spanglish welcome – “en el idioma que te salga del corazón”
Email submissions to: editor@dominicanwriters.com
Subject line: “AMPARO SUBMISSION - [Your Name]”
Selected pieces will be published in our May Substack issue, with a virtual reading to follow.
“Bajo mi ala” as our mothers would say. “Mientras yo viva, tú no pasas trabajo” as our grandmothers promised. What does AMPARO mean to you?
dominicanwriters.substack.com/p/call-for-submission-amparo
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Call for submissions: ‘Birds: Witnessing the mathematics of flight, of song, of movement…’
Women Who Submit
DEADLINE: April 25, 2025
INFO: The Women Who Submit blog is now open for submissions for our bi-monthly publication.
Send us your poetry, flash fiction, or brief essays that explore BIRDS in all their glorious, known and unknown complexities. We want work that peeks into those moments when a flock transforms what we see into new territory, when a single song breaks the morning into remembering, when migration patterns map themselves onto your geography. Work that captures the preciseness of flight: the way wings cut through air or how the presence of birds marks territories in our urban (or rural) spaces.
Your story, essay, or poem might delve into the biomechanics of how or why the bird flies, tell the story of the red-shouldered hawk, document the exact moment you counted the fifth mockingbird on the bird day trail, or it might share your connection to the ancient language of bird song. Whether your words lean into physics or document the way you watched a nest appear outside your window, we want to read work that takes flight. Every single pun intended.
Work will be selected for the May & June publication.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The WWS blog accepts original, unpublished pieces no more than 2,000 words.
Work should be 12 Times New Roman, double spaced (single-spaced for poetry) with one-inch margins
Email the piece as an attached .doc or .docx. If images are included, please do not send attachments (we’ll ask for them if the piece is accepted).
Include a short cover letter in the body of the email that states how you heard of Women Who Submit, your genre, where you reside, and a short 50-word bio.
Simultaneous submissions under more than one theme are accepted. You can submit to any themes throughout the year, as long as the decline has not passed.
Send to the Managing Editor, Jessica Ceballos y Campbell at blog@womenwhosubmitlit.org with the theme you are submitting under and the word “Submission” in the subject line. e.g.: “Dreams Submission”, “Rain Submission”
Contributors whose work is accepted will receive $75 per piece, upon publication.
*Note: As an editor & publisher, Jessica Ceballos y Campbell disengages from writing that perpetuates violence through racist, xenophobic, classist, sexist, misogynistic, ageist, ableist, homophobic, and/or transphobic ideologies.
womenwhosubmitlit.org/submit-to-us/
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Letras Boricuas Fellowship
Flamboyan Arts Fund
DEADLINE: April 30, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. (AST)
INFO: The Letras Boricuas Fellowship is an opportunity sponsored by the Mellon Foundation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund that awards individual grants of $25,000 to literary writers who identify as Puerto Ricans. The program began in 2021 and has named three cohorts of Letras Boricuas Fellows to date.
The fellowship’s call for 2025 will open Tuesday March 18, 2025. The next round for Letras Boricuas will open in 2026. Twenty-four writers will be selected annually in 2025 and 2026. The fellowship supports writers working within one of the following literary genres: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Spoken Word and Playwriting.
In addition to providing unrestricted funds to support writers in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. diaspora, Letras Boricuas seeks to encourage literary practice, connect writers, expose writers’ works to a wider audience, and support the creative development of works that celebrate Puerto Rican lives and culture.
The fellowship program aims for each group of grantees to include writers from different literary genres. Applications will be accepted in Spanish, English, or both languages.
GUIDELINES: Please read the following guidelines closely, as our application requirements may have changed from previous years and aspects of the program have been adjusted for 2025. Learn more about Letras Boricuas on www.letrasboricuas.org
FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE:
Online Application Period - March 18 to April 30, 2025
Application Period Ends - April 30, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
Evaluation and Selection Period - May 1 to September 30, 2025
New Letras Boricua Cohort Announcement - Fall 2025
ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION PROCESS:
ELIBILITY: To determine eligibility and be considered for this fellowship, the applicant must meet and adhere to the following criteria:
Must be 21 years of age or older at time of application
Self-identify as Puerto Rican
Must be a current resident of Puerto Rico or reside in the United States (50 states)
Must present original work
Must have or create an account at www.submittable.com
Must complete and submit the application on time by Wednesday April 30, 2025. The application portal closes at 5:00 p.m. (AST).
Former Letras Boricuas Fellows are not eligible to rapply for an additional fellowship.
Writers of multiple genres must select one eligible genre in which to complete the application
Applications from publishers, organizations, or institutions will not be considered.
Employees or contractors of the Flamboyán Foundation and the Mellon Foundation are not eligible. Immediate family or people living in their household cannot apply either.
SELECTION PROCESS: The new Letras Boricuas cohort, made up of twenty-four writers, will be chosen through a two-step nomination and selection process by committee members. The Selection Committee, appointed by the Mellon Foundation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund, consists of experienced writers, literary experts, and former Letras Boricuas Fellows.
Eligible applications will be reviewed based on literary merit, the latter of which may include work samples that display some or all of the following characteristics: originality, imagination, creativity, a strong point of view, a unique voice, facility with language, technical skill and craft. Financial status will not be taken into consideration.
It is recommended to closely review all required materials listed in the guidelines. The application has specific requirements for each genre; each applicant can apply in one literary genre. Incomplete applications or applications that do not meet specifications will result in disqualification. Late applications will not be accepted, without exception.
NON-ELIGIBLES: The following publications will NOT be considered as demonstrating eligibility or as valid work samples:
co-authored or co-published works
academic writing (dissertation, thesis, critical essays, research, textbook chapters, etc.)
journalism (articles, reporting, pieces of criticism including book or
other reviews, opinion pieces, etc.)
biographies
graphic novels
wordless books
cookbooks
song lyrics
screenplays or television scripts
opera theater plays (libretto)
any other works that are not considered literary.
Decisions by the Flamboyan staff regarding eligibility are final. Due to the high number of submissions, we are not able to provide individual feedback on any application.
Letras Boricuas Boricuas does not discriminate based upon age, color, national origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
flamboyanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/guialetrasingles2025-2-1.pdf
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The Megaphone Prize 2025
Radix
DEADLINE: April 30, 2025
ENTRY FEE: $12
INFO: The Megaphone Prize is an annual contest from Radix Printing & Publishing Cooperative dedicated to the discovery of timely, urgent, and interrogative collections from debut writers of color.
This year, the prize is open to poetry collections by debut writers of color.
The Guest Judge for this year’s prize is author Safia Elhillo.
PRIZE: One winner will receive $1,000 and 20 author copies. At Radix, we pride ourselves on the production of superior quality, purposefully designed books.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
From March 1 through April 30, we’re open to poetry collections that shift, exalt, renew, entangle, tear and suture, and consecrate something deep within us. When we say poetry, we mean wonder, fluidity, joy, percipience, disruption. We’re not tethered to any forms or constructs; we like poetry that helps us reimagine our relationship with the written word.
As is the case with every Radix publication, we are looking for work that believes the personal is political, that comes from a place of deep interrogation and critique of one’s self and society at large, that is rebellious at heart, and that seeks to question the status quo.
We’re looking for manuscripts between 48 to 90 pages. This is excluding of front matter and table of contents. Individual poems may have been published in journals or limited-run chapbooks, but not in full-length collections and at least 40% of the collection should be unpublished at the time of submission. Manuscripts translated from other languages will not be considered, although it is perfectly alright (and even welcome) for the manuscript to invoke other languages. Only single-author submissions will be considered at this time. Simultaneous submissions are fine so long as they’re withdrawn immediately on acceptance elsewhere.
We like collections bound by a clear narrative throughline, where the opening and closing poems are bookended in dialogue, where there is intertextuality between the poems—where a single pulsating heart beats through the entire manuscript.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Open to debut writers of color writing in the English language (not exclusively), residing in the USA at the time of publication. Should not have published a full-length collection in the genre of submission. Chapbook publications are okay.
There is an entry fee of $12. As a small press, charging an entry fee allows us to offset expenses incurred from running the contest. If you are unable to pay the fee at this time, please email meher@radixmedia.org, and your submission fee will be waived. 25 fee waivers are available.
Please submit a manuscript between 48-90 pages. Your manuscript must be a single Word or PDF document. Please include a title page and table of contents page. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, OR ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IN THE MANUSCRIPT. Please do not include a dedication page or publishing acknowledgements at this stage. Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines will be immediately disqualified. Poems can be single-spaced.
The manuscript should ONLY include the following: Title page, table of contents, followed by poems. Epigraphs can be included.
Translations and self-published books are not eligible. The manuscript must be the product of one single author.
In the cover letter, please include a short synopsis on your collection, a list of acknowledgements for the published poems in the collection, and a brief third-person bio with pronouns.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us ASAP if your collection is accepted elsewhere.
Please direct all questions to meher@radixmedia.org
ABOUT RADIX
Radix Printing & Publishing Cooperative is a worker-owned independent press and print shop based in Brooklyn, New York. We publish new ideas and fresh perspectives, prioritizing the voices of typically marginalized communities to get to the root of the human experience.
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The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry
Beloit Journal
DEADLINE: April 30, 2025
READING FEE: $15 per entry
INFO: Beloit Journal welcomes submissions to the Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry.
PRIZE: $1,500 prize for a single poem
2025 JUDGE: Nikky Finney
GUIDELINES:
Submit 1-3 unpublished poems on any subject in any style up to a maximum of 10 pages per entry. (We enjoy long poems!)
Reading fee of $15 per entry. A limited number of complimentary entries are available to poets for whom the fee presents a hardship. Contact us at bpj@bpj.org for more information.
Submitters paying the reading fee may purchase a discounted 1-year subscription to the BPJ. (An additional shipping charge applies to international subscribers.)
Simultaneous submissions welcome. Please notify us immediately of publication elsewhere by leaving a message in Submittable.
We regret we that cannot accept entries after the deadline or changes to poems after submission.
Please no translations (though we are happy to see these during our regular reading periods).
Kindly refrain from placing your name anywhere on the attached manuscript.
The editors will consider all submissions for publication.
Finalists will be notified in the summer; the winner will be announced and published in the Fall issue of the BPJ.
We follow the CLMP Guidelines for contests and are committed, in all we do, to the highest ethical standards. If you are a personal friend, family member, or student of any BPJ editor or of the judge, or if you are a former or current intern or staff member of the BPJ, please refrain from submitting.
bpj.org/submit/rich-award-guidelines
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Chapbook open reading period
Gasher
DEADLINE: April 30, 2025
ENTRY FEE: $8
INFO: Gasher is seeking chapbooks of any genre during our open reading period.
GUIDELINES:
Please submit manuscripts between 20-37pgs of writing.
Please include a brief bio with your submission.
We accept simultaneous submissions. Please, let us know immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere.
Once work is submitted, it can not be revised or edited. Please do not email revised versions of the original works or attach revisions to your submission on Submittable. We will not consider it.
Manuscripts must be submitted as either .pdf or .docx
No images that would need printing in color are allowed.
Currently, Gasher Press is only accepting submissions for chapbooks from those who reside in the U.S.
We publish perfect-bound chaps with ISBN. Our chapbooks are sold exclusively through the Gasher website and book fairs. Authors receive 10 copies of their chapbook upon publication.
gasherjournal.submittable.com/submit
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS ON GRIEF
Ebony Tomatoes Collective
DEADLINE: April 30, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
INFO: After generations of unbridled loss and trauma, Black folks from across the diaspora have much to mourn. We’re interested in stories that capture grief in its many forms and faces.
Think: The mundane griefs that pepper our lives as a result of intergenerational trauma. The silence that follows going no-contact with family members who do not accept our queerness or religious differences. The loss of temperate seasons as a result of widespread environmental catastrophe. The altars we maintain for our ancestors and all the love and wisdom they were not able to share with us.
While we encourage you to interpret the theme of grief broadly and authentically, here are the types of stories our three editors are most excited to read.
OUR WISHLIST:
Ava is seeking:
Personal essays or short stories about experiences with poverty, abuse, or marginalization
Stories on the impact of intergenerational trauma, complex trauma, and PTSD
Speculative or horror fiction
International writers, Afro-Latine writers, or those outside of urban centers
Cecilia is seeking:
Longform pieces or poetry about how grief lives in the body and somatic experiences
Surrealist pieces
Writers with disabilities, chronic illness, mad and neurodiverse writers
Yumna is seeking:
Essays about going no-contact with family due to queerness or religious beliefs
Stories that explore grief related to climate change and environmental crisis
Essays on the experience of growing up in predominantly white spaces
Queer writers from East and West Africa
COMPENSATION:
All writers will be compensated $0.04 per word for up to 1,000 words.
The selected editorial artist will receive a stipend of $80 for illustrating the issue based on the selected writing.
Non-writing submissions will be compensated on a case-by-case basis depending on length, medium etc.
Payments will be sent upon completion of the issue via Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
GUIDELINES:
Please submit up to 3 poems.
3,000 word limit for essays and creative non-fiction.
4,000 maximum word count for fiction.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Please email all writing submissions to submit.ebonytomatoescollective@gmail.com by Tuesday, April 30th, 2025 at 11:59PM EST to be considered.
To apply as an editorial photographer, email us with former work samples by Tuesday, April 30th, 2025 at 11:59PM EST to be considered. Painters and visual artists are encouraged to apply. Please note you don’t have to create any new work for your application.
Please include “ISSUE 24” in your email’s subject line along with a brief biography (3-4 sentences, in third person) in your email.
ebonytomatoescollective.com/submit/
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U.S. Writers Aid Initiative
PEN America
DEADLINE: May 2, 2025
INFO: PEN America is an organization of writers and their allies, and that solidarity is never more important than when members of our literary community face crises. PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative, part of the PEN America Writers Emergency Fund, offers grants for writers in the United States facing acute financial need following an emergency situation.
The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, translators, and journalists in addressing short-term financial emergencies. To be eligible, applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. The fund is limited, and not every application can be supported. Grant decisions are made on a quarterly basis by a volunteer committee of literary peers in consultation with PEN America staff, using the following guidelines to evaluate professional credentials:
Publication of one or more books. (Writers who are only self-published or published by a press that charges for publication are not eligible.)
Multiple essays, short stories, or poems appearing in literary anthologies or literary journals (either online or in print) in the last two years.
A full-length play, performed in a theater by a professional theater company. Productions in academic settings qualify if the author is not a student at the time of the production.
Employment as a full-time professional journalist, columnist, or critic, or a record of consistent publication on a freelance basis in a range of outlets during the last two years.
Contracted forthcoming books, essays, short stories, poems, or articles for which the name of the publisher can be provided.
Other qualifications that support the applicant’s professional identity as a writer.
The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is not intended to subsidize writing-related expenses, such as residencies, sabbaticals, computers, printing, shipping, travel, or publicity services. Applications received on or before the following quarterly deadlines will be reviewed before the last day of that month.
ELIGIBILITY: Writers currently enrolled in degree-granting programs are also not eligible. Writers do not have to be Members of PEN America to receive a grant, but all recipients of emergency funding will be given a complimentary one-year PEN America membership.
PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is made possible by generous support from an anonymous donor , PEN America Members, and other supporters. Questions may be addressed to writersfund@pen.org
pen.org/us-writers-aid-initiative/
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Literature Grant
Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation
DEADLINE: May 5, 2025 (or if we reach our limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first)
INFO: The world is a story and the writer, the story teller. In writing stories we are trying to make sense of our world by seeking what is real, by rejecting what is false, and by exercising the greatest of our mortal gifts in pursuit of the immortal.
DESCRIPTION: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction and poetry.
SUBMISSIONS: To ensure that each submission receives the attention it deserves we will be only accepting 40 applications for each of our categories.
AMOUNTS: Up to $10,000.00
ELIGIBILITY:
Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction and poetry (*please see note regarding plays below)
The applicant must be the originator of the written material.
Grants will not be made for the purpose of research only.
Grants will not be made for equipment.
Writers applying applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.
Grants awarded in this category may fund costs associated with continuing the composition of work submitted. Such as:
Course Reduction (if you're a Teacher/Professor)
Salary Replacement
Living Expenses
Research Expenses
Travel Research Expenses
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Up to and no more than a 15 page PDF of the work, for the Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection and Executive Committee to download and read. Please make sure your links are correct and not password protected. If they are not correct or have password protection your application will be declined and not reviewed by the Selection Committee.
A short description of the project.
A short author biography of the person(s) involved.
Budget must not exceed the amount of $10,000.00.
List of costs of how you plan to use the grant funds.
(Please review our lists of Approved and Ineligible Budget Items for Literature Grant Funds, located below)Travel and Research costs within the United States must demonstrate a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.
You may not apply for International Travel and Research Costs.
If you are hiring fact checkers / editors / research assistants please be aware that we prefer that individuals providing these services are located in the NYC area.
Writers applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.
We ask that the completion of your manuscript is no sooner than 90 days after this application's due date (no sooner than August 1, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than June 17, 2026).
Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.
You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.
* Regarding Plays - We Don’t offer support for playwrights in our literature category, we encourage playwrights with a finished script to apply for a grant in our Performance category which offers funding for stage production.
caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page