Editor’s note: the following is a call for submissions for a new anthology from our partners at Belt Publishing.
The Black Midwest Anthology: Call for Submissions
Submission Deadline: DECEMBER 1, 2019
Belt Publishing, in conjunction with the Black Midwest Initiative, is developing an anthology of essays, poems, and artwork to be published in 2020. Submissions are encouraged by participants of the inaugural Black Midwest Symposium being held at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities from October 17-19, 2019, as well as members of the wider public.
This anthology is meant to explore the various meanings and experiences of blackness throughout the greater Midwest and Rust Belt regions of the United States. We’re looking for compelling narratives, thought-provoking analyses, and impactful commentaries that are able to render the complexities of the region meaningfully to a broad audience and will be relevant for years to come. While we anticipate the stories of major cities like Detroit and Chicago will be represented, we’re also looking to represent the stories of people living in smaller cities and rural areas where the lives of black residents have more often gone unacknowledged by traditional news and media outlets. We also especially encourage submissions that explore issues around immigration, queerness and sexuality, religious difference, and disability.
We will consider nonfiction personal essays and critical commentaries between 300 and 2000 words, as well as poetry and artwork that is directly related to the region. We are not accepting fiction.
Authors can submit multiple pieces. Original pieces will be given priority, but we will consider previously published pieces if the author has the rights to the piece and provides the original publication information. Accepted submissions will be edited in coordination with the author. Contributors will each receive a small honorarium.
The anthology will be edited by Peoria native Terrion Williamson. She is author of Scandalize My Name: Black Feminist Practice and the Making of Black Social Life, associate professor of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota, and director of the Black Midwest Initiative.
To submit a piece for consideration, please:
-Include the author’s full name, contact information (email, phone number, and address), and a short bio of 50-100 words in the body of the submission email.
-Provide a short abstract or explanation of the piece of 50-100 words.
-Write “Submission” in the subject line of the email.
Submit contributions and questions to: [email protected]
For details about the Black Midwest Symposium: theblackmidwest.com/symposium
