This newsletter is published every Wednesday.
1. Anansi: Call for Submissions
Flame Tree is producing a hardcover series brimming with myths and short stories. Each book brings back to life a classic mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales. For the book on Anansi (West African & Jamaican trickster folk hero), they are requesting submissions which explore new angles to the character: have him follow alternative paths, present different viewpoints, imagine new futures, or perhaps pursue story lines that are hinted at in the original tales.
Deadline: 23rd June 2024. | Pay: from $180 per piece
Things to note:
Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails.
Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology.
They will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline.
Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although some may be paid earlier than that.
Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel.
Let us know in your submission email whether your story would be a reprint or is currently unpublished.
Submit to anansi@flametreepublishing.com
2. WSA-N Creative Non-fiction Anthology (Nigeria)
Writers Space Africa-Nigeria is seeking Creative Nonfiction pieces that explore personal, societal, or internal struggles on the theme “Invisible Battles”. Works should be based on nonfiction stories that are often unseen or overlooked but profoundly impact individuals or communities.
Deadline: 25th June 2024. | Pay: Unstated amount for 3 winners
Things to note:
Submissions are solicited from Nigerians resident in the country or in the diaspora.
Submissions must be the writer’s original works of creative nonfiction.
All submissions must be written in English. For indigenous language use, include a translation.
Submission length should be between 1,500 to 2,000 words.
Submitted document should be in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, submitted as a Word document.
Submissions should align with the theme of “Invisible Battles” encompassing personal struggles, mental health challenges, social issues, or cultural dilemmas.
We encourage raw, honest, and thought-provoking storytelling that sheds light on untold experiences.
Submissions must NOT have been previously published elsewhere.
Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
By submitting, authors grant permission for publication in the anthology while retaining copyright of their works.
Email submissions to the email: wsanigeria.anthologies@gmail.com with the subject line: “Title of your work – Your Name,” and include author contact information and a brief bio in the email body.
3. Brittle Paper Call for Submissions: #EndSars Protest
The editor Chibueze Darlington Anuonye—in collaboration with Brittle Paper—calls for submissions of essays and creative nonfiction pieces that speak to and about the EndSARS protest, which took place in Nigeria between September and October 2020. The theme is “Who Gave the Order: The History of a People’s Movement”.
Deadline: June 30th 2024. | Renumeration: $100 per piece
Things to note:
The anthology will comprise pieces that account for the experiences of Nigerians during the EndSARS, related events before and after the protest, and how these moments and encounters shape the lives of Nigerians, as well as the image of the nation.
They accept only electronic submissions via email (chibuezedarlington@yahoo.com).
Submission header should read “Submission for Who Gave the Order.”
Submission word count should be between 2,500 to 5,000.
Multiple or simultaneous submissions will not be read, accepted or acknowledged.
Accompany your submission with a short bio of not more 200 words.
They are only interested in personal and previously unpublished essays and creative nonfiction pieces. However, if you are not comfortable with writing but would love to narrate your account orally, please contact them, as they might have an idea on how you could contribute to the anthology.
For more info, see here.
4. Call for Submissions: Critical Constellations
“A critical constellation is a made-up term for an artistic phenomenon that’s happening all the time: poets talking to each other intimately and specifically about each other’s works outside of the public eye.”—Editor. To read more about the theme, click here.
Deadline: 1st July 2024 | Renumeration: $500 per piece
To note:
They are looking for: Poetic lineages: writing critically about one poet who you learned from and another whom you’ve taught
Two or more poets each writing critically about the same poem, perhaps by someone they both know
Letters to young poets, variously conceived
Letters to past and future selves
Essays on pieces you once hated or loved, and that you now respond differently to
Essays that express ambivalent critiques about a poem or book of poems
Blurb, letter of recommendation, or shelf talk satire
Submission pitches should be emailed to Dilettante Army (dilettantearmy@gmail.com).-
A successful pitch will include: a field of inquiry
the objects of your analysis
what you want to say about them
key points of support for your argument
other thinkers whose work is in conversation with yours
your essay’s relevance to the issue’s theme
They do not publish personal essays.
For more information, click here.
5. Arc Poetry is accepting Submissions
For the Fall 2024 issue, Arc Poetry is looking for submissions around the theme of “Home” and all of the relationships we can have with our physical or metaphorical homes.
Deadline: 1st July 2024. Pay: From $50
Guidelines:
Submissions must not exceed 3 poems.
If you have submitted to Arc’s general call for submission, you may still submit work this issue. Submitting poems for this issue does not count towards the three poems per calendar year limit.
If you are submitting 2 or 3 poems, you must submit these as separate files. All poems must be sent as individual submissions.
6. Gently Rippling Waves - The Prize
Gently Rippling Waves is a platform dedicated to showcasing the abundant talent thriving within the Commonwealth, celebrating the beauty of language and the power of storytelling. They are calling for poetry and flash fiction entries under the theme Disappearing Cultures.
Deadline: 31st July 2024. | Prize: $150 (for Poetry only)
Rules:
The competition is open to individuals from Commonwealth countries.
All submissions must be written in English or transcribed.
Entries should be standalone pieces and cannot be excerpted from longer works.
Entries must be previously unpublished, and must not have been awarded or placed in any other competition.
Entrants must be 18 years old at the time of submission, and not more than 35 years old.
Each participant is limited to one entry per category.
Entries must be poems of up to 45 lines, or stories not exceeding 100 words.
To read more about the theme, click here.
7. National Playwright Competition in partnership with HEINEKEN Beverages (South Africa)
The competition seeks to discover and award emerging playwrights and so only writers who have not had their scripts or other work professionally produced and staged are eligible to enter. Previously unpublished and unproduced South African scripts that celebrate and enhance inclusivity and social cohesion will be eligible for consideration.
Deadline: 3rd August 2024. | Prize: Total of R45,000 + Production
Submission guidelines:
The competition is open to debutante scriptwriters who are over the age of 18 years and residents of South Africa, and have completed high school
The winner of which will have his/her play produced at The National Arts Festival 2025, at various theatre houses across South Africa.
Please submit a brief synopsis and 10 page writing sample of your proposed script in the form of a scene, a couple of scenes or even a short play that could be developed into a full length script. Do not submit a full-length script at this stage.
Proposed script must be the participants own work and can be written in any South African language.
Participants must submit the script under a pseudonym. Participants must ensure that his/her name is not on the cover page or anywhere else on the script. The participants’ full names must however be set out in the competition entry form.
For more guidelines and to submit, click here.
8. Call for Disability and the Speculative Poetry Anthology
Diability Poetics owned by Akua Lezli Hope, Grand Master of Fantastic Poetry (SFPA), is seeking entries for a speculative poetry anthology. “I seek “biofuturity” for persons with disabilities via speculative poetry and find real life inspiration provided by AstroAccess whose goal to include disabled people in space exploration, whose disabled zero-g flights were huge news. I seek exploration of “criptopia’—environments that challenge compulsory able-bodiedness standards in contemporary society.”—Akua
Deadline: 15th August 2024 | Pay: Unstated honorarium
Guidelines:
No gore, no violence, no ableism.
Maximum: 4 poems
Send as separate attachments in doc, docx or pdf file formats
File name: title of poem last name of poet
Include bio 150 words max, in body of email
Previously published poems are considered, but no more than one among a set of poems. Poet must have permission to reprint.
For writing inspiration click here.
Send to speculativepoetry@gmail.com
Technical Writing
9. Syndica is Hiring a Technical Writer
Syndica is creating the Cloud of Web3. We supply the most critical applications in Web3 with enterprise-grade RPC infrastructure and developer tools tailored for the Solana ecosystem. They are looking for a technical writer to collaborate with other engineers to design, implement, and maintain documentation, technical articles, and social media announcements, and other development-focused content.
Deadline: Unstated. | Location: Remote. | Pay: Unstated
Requirements:
A talented technical writer with a knack for writing about complex new technologies.
3+ years of experience in technical writing and/or total technical experience.
Experience creating technical social media content and building world-class documentation resources.
An ability to learn new tools quickly and apply that knowledge to create engaging content for readers.
A bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience
10. Bunny.Net is Hiring a Technical Content Writer
bunny.net is the place where individual imaginations gather together to solve next-generation internet challenges. they are looking for a technical writer who will distill complex networking concepts into engaging content, case studies, and guides, enhancing user understanding of our products.
Deadline: Unstated. | Location: Remote. | Pay: Unstated
Requirements:
3+ years of experience as a Technical Writer
Ability to articulate complex ideas with clarity and precision in written English, ensuring content is engaging and accessible to all readers.
Solid understanding of networking, security, CDN technologies, and internet infrastructure.
Research skills and the ability to quickly understand new technologies and concepts
Experience with content management systems and the ability to organize, manage, and update content
Basic knowledge of creating or directing the creation of visual aids like diagrams and charts to complement written content.
Strong editing and proofreading skills to ensure the content is free of errors, consistent in style and tone
Good organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Familiarity with design tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Figma) is a plus.
Knowledge of SEO best practices and the ability to optimize content for search engines is a plus.
Previous successful experience with remote-first positions.
Prose of the Week
The Cancer That Ate Us Whole| Joemario Umana
What breaks open conscience and guilt like a blunt machete hacking a coconut?
The voice of an Almajiri begging for daily bread at my compound’s gate, “Alaro! Alaroya!” entered my room to meet me midway into the two hundred naira masa I’d bought that evening for my dinner. I opened the notebook on my phone and wrote, “Lord forgive me for not feeding the hungry, for I too, am hungry.”…
Poetry of the Week
The Melody of Our Songs| Issac Igbinigie
Our voices are broken
Like the torn skin of a talking drum,
The rhythm of our songs does not fit the
Dance steps of the “bata dancers.”
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Masego ke ao! (Good fortune!—Tswana, Botswana.)