Well, the clocks have gone forward, there’s a grand stretch in the evening and the Easter Bunny is on its way – hurrah! Spring is here along with National Poetry Writing Month (NaPpWriMo) and the 30-Day Challenge is back with all the inspiration you’ll need to write every day in April 2021.
After a tough winter, we look to Spring as a new beginning, a fresh start taking us into the safer, brighter days ahead. For this challenge, we are embracing the possibility of the future and taking our inspiration from The Fool – April’s prankster, the traditional jester who uses folly to conceal wisdom, and the Everyman hero of the Tarot deck.
Although it has been around since the 15th century, the Tarot is not simply a card game or a fortune-telling device, it is the story of the Fool, a free spirit embarking on a new adventure – the challenges they meet and the qualities they must embrace or discover within themselves to arrive at their destination.
In April’s challenge, we will embrace the hero’s journey and follow the Fool’s path through the Tarot, using the beautifully illustrated Ryder Waite cards as our guide. Join me to explore the rich symbolism of the Tarot and its value as a creative, storytelling and mindfulness tool.
In addition to the usual writing prompts, the new Fool’s Gold 30-Day Challenge will include a couple of surprise activities to help clear our minds, stretch our skills and take our creative selves in new directions.
Whether you’re looking for focus, connection or a creative kick-start, the challenge offers a reprieve from the everyday anxieties – plus the tools to build a daily writing habit.
As before, I’m offering an email only version of the challenge for those who want to avoid social media and the internet right now, and have also introduced a new tiered pricing system.
All the information is on the website – just click the button below for details – and if you have any questions, please drop me a line.
I completely understand that this might not be the right timing for you to take part in a challenge and that’s OK.
Nurture your creative self in any way you can – DO WHAT YOU LOVE – play, read, make art, make something with your hands, knit, sew, mend, grow seeds, bring something new into the world this Spring.
It’s March and the poetry list is back and bringing you over 140 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunitiesopen or with deadlines in March 2021!
If you’ve been wondering what happened in January and February, I’ve been at a low ebb for a while now (Exhaustion + YOU-KNOW-WHAT fatigue + Winter + Lockdown = 😥🤒🤕🤧🥴😱) and I finally hit a wall when a bug knocked me on my arse for several weeks in February, incl. my birthday – oh joy…
Self-care is such an important part of surviving in our strange new world – and I don’t mean the pampering and bubble bath kind (although that’s nice too) but recognising our own limitations – physically, mentally, emotionally – working within our actual energy levels at any given time and not over-committing out of financial necessity (not an easy call) or a misguided wish to please others. Let’s just say there have been a lot of plates spinning and crashing at my end. If you’ve been waiting to hear from me, I’ll be in touch with a tube of UHU, a Pritt stick, Blu Tac and a giant roll of gaffer tape very soon. As always, I’m grateful for the understanding, encouragement and support of this community of writers. Take care of yourself and each other as we head toward Spring, new growth, brighter days and – hopefully – happier and healthier times.
I’m starting to toss around ideas for the next 30 day challenge and National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) in April. If you’d like to hear about it as soon as it launches, jump on the mailing list for first dibs on a spot!
Whatever you are writing or sending out in March, I wish you the very best of luck. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share the link on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!
Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)
The Aurora Review – Poetry (quick turnaround / feedback) – open (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Lincoln Review – Poetry, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Essays and more (actively encourages writers, artists, and photographers who come from marginalised and underprivileged backgrounds) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in March 2021, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!
It’s December at last and the year from hell is almost over – hurrah! But there’s still time to eke some goodness out of 2020 by submitting to one of over 130 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunitiesopen or with deadlines in December 2020!
In her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston says:‘There are years that ask questions and years that answer’. I don’t think there can be any doubt that 2020 was a questions year; it made us all reconsider so much that we take for granted, from how we operate as a society to the most basic acts of affection.
On a personal level, it asked me to consider absence, loss and grief, after my Dad died in March. Further losses followed, including a dear writer friend last week. We’ve all had to wrestle with loss this year. At a writing level, it has been a fallow year for putting pen to paper (though not for ideas) and I’ve been wondering how I can build the restorative writing practice for myself that I create for others. I’ve also been pondering how to adapt my teaching offerings to fit the world we’re living in and the levels of stress we’ve all been under for so long. I don’t have answers to all these questions yet but I trust they will come.
For the past 2 years, I’ve kicked off the New Year with a 30-Day writing challenge and I’m bringing it back again in January, with some key changes in keeping with the times. First, all of the Winter Wonderland 2021prompts will focus on good news and upbeat ideas to get the year off to a positive start. Second, they’re not all writing prompts! I’ve built in ‘creative pit-stops’– days where we’ll explore different approaches to creativity and tune up our imaginative skill sets as writers.
The challenge is a great way to set your writing intentions for the new year and avoid the January blues – it’s going to be a lot of fun!
There will be bite-sized daily exercises, inspiration and a supportive and encouraging community of writers in the private Facebook group. Fair warning though – my email list always gets first dibs on new events and the Facebook group is already two-thirds full! If you want to join us on 1 January, be sure to grab a spot before they’re all gone.
The email only version of the daily exercises has proven a winner in previous challenges, for those who want to avoid social media, and it’s back. Just select the ‘Email Only’ Paypal option at the link.
To find out more and book your spot, click the button below.
Thanks to a generous donation, there are two free places available to writers experiencing financial difficulties or from under-represented groups – if you’re a woman, a writer of colour, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, disabled or working class, please drop me a line (in confidence) to claim one of these spots.
Or if you’d like to sponsor a spot for someone or gift a spot on a future writing challenge as a Christmas present – contact me and I’ll take care of it. For prezzies, I can even send you a personalised printable gift certificate so you have something to put under the tree!
In this strange year of loss and isolation, I’m tremendously grateful for the understanding, encouragement and support of this community of writers – who take part in my poetry events and who read this blog. I love working with you and helping you to send your words out into the world. I love hearing about your successes. Thank you so much for your support throughout this year and I hope these lists have helped you find homes for your work. If you’re in a position to give back (see below) it would be very much appreciated.
And as you’re ticking off your Christmas shopping list, remember – poetry makes the perfect stocking filler! Please support writers, small presses and independent bookstores this Christmas.
I wish you a happy, healthy, safe and peaceful holiday season and the very best of luck in sending out your poems this month. Take care and I look forward to seeing you in 2021!
Annual Christmas Request
Creating this list is a labour of love, taking the best part of 20 hours to source, organise and write each month. If you find it useful and would like to show your appreciation, click the button below and make a small contribution toward a writer’s necessities in life, like:
€1.00 (a cheeky wee bar of chocolate or a new pen) €3.00 (a piping hot creamy latte or a new notebook) €5.00 (a lovely cold pint of Guinness or a competition entry) €10.00 (a scrumptious pizza or a new book)
If you have the means, please consider making a monthly contribution. The competitions list is read between 8000-13000 times each month. If everyone who uses the list were to contribute just €1 per month, it would go a long way to supporting not just the list but my work as a writer.
To everyone who has contributed this year, thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. May your poems go out into the world and shine!
Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Lincoln Review – Poetry, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Essays and more (actively encourages writers, artists, and photographers who come from marginalised and underprivileged backgrounds) – open (submit online)
The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in December 2020, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!
Summer is on the wane and with the nights drawing in you’ll need something to keep you busy so here’s a new list with over 130 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunitiesopen or with deadlines in September 2020!
It’s also the strangest ‘Back to School’ season ever. Whether you’re a parent, a student or a teacher, I wish you all well this Autumn as we broach yet another social and health frontier.
We had a fantastic time during the month of August on The Grand Tour 2020 Summer Writing Challenge – a whistle-stop virtual jaunt around Europe in the manner of old-timey toffs visiting France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, writing up a storm along the way! I’m planning one more challenge before the end of the year – be sure to jump on the mailing list so you don’t miss out!
Otherwise, be careful, mind yourselves and each other this month – we’re all in this together. As always, stay creative, stay grounded, stay connected and stay safe.
Whatever you are writing or sending out in September, I wish you the very best of luck. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share the link on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!
Gutter Mag – Poetry, Prose (welcomes those underrepresented in literary publications: writers of colour; with lived experience of multiple socio-economic deprivation; from marginalised ethnic and national groups, LGBTQ writers, and those writing in minority languages) – closes 18 Sept (submit online)
Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in September 2020, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!
After a month in seclusion, I’m back to some semblance of health and sanity, and come bearing a bright new shiny list of over 120 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunitiesopen or with deadlines in August 2020!
First of all, I’m hugely grateful to everyone who contacted me after last month’s list to wish me well during my time off. I was exhausted at the beginning of July but so touched by your lovely messages of support, and to hear how the work I put into the list each month is valued and appreciated by this writing community. Thank you for your kindness and encouragement.
This month also brings The Grand Tour 2020 Summer Writing Challenge – a 30 day virtual jaunt around Europe, with all the travel-themed prompts, ideas and poetic inspiration you’ll need to keep you writing every day in August!
The first writing exercise went live today and there are still a couple of spots available in the supportive Facebook group but, be warned, I’m pulling up the gangplank by end of day tomorrow (Aug 3) to avoid stragglers. Ready to pack a trunk and join us? Find all the info and deposit your shiny guineas here:
Or, if you prefer to ‘wander lonely as a cloud’ on your Grand Tour, there’s a reduced-rate email version of the daily exercises, avoiding social media to work at your own pace – there’s no numbers limit on this option and it will remain available until 8 August.
If you’re too busy for either but would like a little inspiration in the coming weeks, here’s the basic prompt list we’re working with – feel free to dip in when the muse strikes.
If you’d like to hear about future events, sign up to my mailing list for first dibs on the next challenge before it goes public!
Otherwise, be well this month, and mind yourselves – we’re still a long way from normality. Take care of yourselves and each other. As always, stay creative, stay grounded, stay connected and stay safe.
Whatever you are writing in August, I wish you luck. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share the link on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!
August 2020
Impossible Archetype – Poetry (LGBTQ+, all genders) – closes 1 Aug (submit online)
Porridge – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction, Art – closes 1 Aug (submit online)
Modern Poetry in Translation: Dead Women Poets – Translations of work by dead women and non-binary poets (women translators encouraged esp. women of colour, LGBTQ women, working class women, d/Deaf women and disabled women, and those new to translation) – closes 17 Aug (submit online)
The Cormorant – Poetry, Flash – closes 20 Aug (submit online)
Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in August 2020, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!
This August, you are cordially invited to join The Grand Tour Summer Writing Challenge 2020!
On our 30 day European odyssey, you will be following in the footsteps of the great writers and thinkers of the Enlightenment – Byron, Wordsworth, Bosworth, Shelley et al – encountering the cities, landmarks, sights and people of this magnificent continent. A feast for the imagination and the senses, all to be captured in your own writing style and personal travelogue.
Yes, it’s summer and as many of us cannot travel as we usually would, the 30 Day Writing Challenge returns in August with a whistle-stop virtual tour of Europe, in the style of ‘The Grand Tour’ – a traditional right-of-passage in the 17th & 18th centuries for writers, thinkers and aristocratic types in search of art, culture, experience and adventure.
As always, there will be lots of topical travel and locality-themed prompts to spark your imagination and get you writing every day in August.
While our real-life jaunts may be curtailed, The Grand Tour Summer Writing Challenge will whisk you away to pastures new, with bite-sized daily exercises, inspiration and opportunity to explore or vent in equal measure, and a supportive and encouraging community of writers in the private Facebook group.
Whether you’re looking for focus, connection or a creative kick-start, the challenge offers a pleasurable summer escape.
Numbers in the Facebook group are limited and spots are allocated on a first come, first served basis – please book early to avoid disappointment as the last challenge sold out in 24 hours!
Once again, I’m also offering an email only version of the challenge as a reduced price for those who want to avoid social media and the internet right now. You’ll receive all the materials direct to your inbox, without any external distractions. And no need to worry about meeting the challenge timescale – the prompts will be waiting for you in your inbox whenever you feel ready to engage.
I completely understand that this might not be the right timing for you to take part in a challenge and that’s OK. Nurture your creative self in any way you can during this difficult time – ALLOW YOUR IMAGINATION TO TRAVEL – play, read, make art, make something with your hands, knit, sew, mend, grow seeds, try something new. Stay grounded.
For those of you waiting for the new list of poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunitiesopen or with deadlines in June 2020, it will be published tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.
I’ve held it back a day for #BlackOutTuesday – to show respect for the death of GeorgeFloyd, highlight the senseless loss of black lives due to police brutality and protest the disturbing use of state force against the citizens of the US right now.
We all live in a world shaped by racism and now more than ever, we need to acknowledge and understand that Black Lives Matter. This quote from a 2014 essay by Scott Woods is particularly resonant.
If you want to better understand the issues surrounding racism, the POC Online Classroom is curated by and for people of colour and has a fantastic database of reading and resources, including articles, essays and poems on everything from identity to organizing to self care with writing by Audre Lorde, Bell Hooks, Angela Davis, Langston Hughes, Marlon James, Angel Nafis and more. Here are a few relevant sections to check out:
I’ve been thinking about how I could better educate myself and help amplify black voices within the literary community. If you feel as helpless as I do and want to know what you can do to take a stand against racism, here are some of the things I’m pledging to:
Make a donation – to the family of George Floyd, to Black Lives Matter, to Reclaim the Block who work to make communities like George’s safer, without police intervention, or to Minnesota Freedom Fund to help with bail funds for protesters who have been arrested. In Ireland, you can tackle racism by supporting MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland) or MERJ (Migrant & Ethnic-Minorities for Reproductive Justice). Petition your local TDs and councillors to end Direct Provision. If you are in the UK, check out this poem and list of resources by poet, Salena Godden.
Educate myself. Do the work to understand the insidious nature of racism and how it impacts on everyone’s lives. None of us are free from its impact, as Scott Woods explains above. Don’t ask black friends or colleagues to do this work for me. The information is widely available. There are lots of resources being shared under the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on Twitter and Instagram right now. Here are a few ideas to get started:
How to Be an Anti-Racist, Ibram X. Kendi;
This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work, Tiffany Jewell;
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge;
Support the work of black writers and poets. As a writer, read and share their work. Here are some great books to get started:
Citizen, Claudia Rankine;
Don’t Call Us Dead, Danez Smith;
Incendiary Art, Patricia Smith;
The Evidence of Things Not Seen,James Baldwin (pretty much anything by Baldwin);
White Teeth, Zadie Smith;
The Black Flamingo,Dean Atta;
Don’t Touch My Hair, Emma Dibiri;
This Hostel Life, Melatu Uche Okorie;
Correspondences: An Anthology to Call for an End to Direct Provision, ed. Stephen Rea and Jessica Traynor;
The Jhalak Prize is also a great reference point for recent work by British BAME writers.
Amplify. I actively seek out and highlight submission opportunities for Black writers, as well as other marginalised groups, in my monthly poetry list but am painfully aware how few journals and competitions make their work a priority. As an editor or publisher, please ensure your submissions policy is inclusive toward black and other marginalised groups of writers. Make space for their voices.
Listen. Who am I following on social media? Whose voices and experiences am I paying attention to? Am I only listening to voices and experiences that chime with my own? Break out of the echo chamber. Accept that my opinion is neither relevant nor necessary in every conversation.
Know that I will make mistakes. Know that those closest to me will make mistakes and some will not be interested in doing the work. Don’t dig in behind these errors. Learn from them. Apologise and pledge to do better. Continue to hold myself and others accountable for words or actions that are harmful to others. Do this with compassion.
Will you join me?
Don’t forget, when buying books, please try and support local, independent and/or black-owned bookshops.
…they noticed his stutter and probably understood why his mother wanted him out of Chicago during the summer when school was out. Fourteen-year-old Black boys with limps and stutters are apt to try to prove themselves in dangerous ways when mothers aren’t around to look after them.
I realise this only scratches the surface of a pervasive problem and if you have any other ideas or reading recommendations, please feel free to add them in the comments section below. I’ll keep updating this post as more ideas about useful information come to me.
Chatting to writers during the recent #JanuaryWriteOff 30 Day Challenge, it became clear many people find the process of submitting to poetry journals and competitions quite daunting. From formatting to bios to fees, there can be a lot of hoops to jump through and I thought it might be useful to walk you through the process.
What Goes into a Submission?
When you’re preparing work to send out into the world, you will need to put together a package of information comprising some, or all, of the following:
Your work, presented in accordance with the competition or journal’s Submission Guidelines;
A short writer’s bio;
A cover letter and/or a completed application form;
Well, 2020 is the unwanted gift that keeps on giving. The usual October list, alas, became a casualty of a spooky convergence of tech troubles over the past 4 weeks. But never fear! I have donned a tinfoil hat, drawn a circle of salt, cast spells to ward off witching season hexes and put traps down for those pesky mercury retrograde gremlins – all to bring you a bumper crop of over 160 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunitiesopen or with deadlines in October & November 2020!
Here in Ireland, we’re heading into another 6 weeks of social isolation today and if you’re in need of something to beat lockdown lethargy and the Covid-19 blues, the 30 Day Writing Challenge is back in November to help you make the most of this ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’.
30 Days of Autumn promises fun Autumn-themed and topical prompts to spark your imagination and get you writing every day in November, with bite-sized daily exercises, inspiration and a supportive and encouraging community of writers in the private Facebook group. Places fill up fast in the group so book early to guarantee a spot – click the button for more info.
Or, if you prefer to avoid social media right now and work at your own pace, there’s a reduced-rate email version of the daily exercises. There is no limit of participants on this option and it will remain open until 8 November. Just select the ‘Email Only’ Paypal option at the link above.
And if the timing isn’t right for you but you’d like to hear about future challenges, be sure to jump on the mailing list so you don’t miss out on the fun in 2021!
It looks like its going to be a long, tough winter but we’re all in it together so please be careful, mind yourself and each other and take care. As always, stay creative, stay grounded, stay connected and stay safe.
Whatever you are writing or sending out in October and November, I wish you the very best of luck. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share the link on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!
OctoBER & NOvember 2020
Fly on the Wall Press – Poetry & Fiction manuscripts – closes 23 Oct (submit online)
Passengers Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Art – closes 23 Oct (submit online)
Blue Diode Press – Poetry manuscripts (full collections only, welcomes submissions from disabled, working class, latinx, black and Asian poets, LGBTQ+ poets, and any other groups traditionally under-represented in UK poetry) – closes 20 Nov (submit online)
Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Lincoln Review – Poetry, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Essays and more (actively encourages writers, artists, and photographers who come from marginalised and underprivileged backgrounds) – open (submit online)
The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in October or November 2020, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!
Is it just me or does it feel like the beginning of 2020 was about a million years ago? June was a hell of a month but it’s finally over and I’m here with a new list of over 130 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunitiesopen or with deadlines in July 2020.
I’m still reading and thinking a lot about the impact of George Floyd’s death, Black Lives Matter and how to be actively anti-racist in my local and literary community. I’ll probably write more about this soon but in case you missed it here’s my piece from last month with resources, reading lists and work by Black writers and poets – Black Lives Matter: What Can I Do As A Writer?
We’re now in Phase 3 of re-opening after Covid-19 in Ireland with the final phase due to kick off on 20 July and, like many others, I’m both exhausted from the stress and grief of the past few months and nervous about what comes next. The pandemic hit at the end of a particularly difficult 12 months for me and, for my own well-being and to manage ongoing health problems, I’ve decided to switch off in July.
I try to be a good literary citizen online, sharing info on FB, Twitter and Instagram but it really sucks you in, between literary news, social activism, local horror stories like the latest round of sexual abuse revelations involving the comedy, music and entertainments communities in Ireland. I want to be supportive but I also need to look after myself and, right now, I need a break.
Aside from the poetry list updates, I’ll be unplugging from social media and the online world. If you are currently waiting to hear from me regarding a book order or a mentoring session, I’ll be in touch this week with confirmation and/or available dates from August onward. Thanks for your patience.
If you need to contact me for any other reason, please use the website contact form and I’ll be in touch when I’m back up and running in August.
Otherwise, I hope you are all well and keeping it together whether you are still isolating or if restrictions are now easing. Take care of yourself and each other. As ever, stay creative, stay grounded, stay connected and stay safe.
Whatever you are writing in July, I wish you luck. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share the link on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!
The Blue Nib (Web) – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction & more – closes 1 July (submit online)
The Second Shelf – Essays, Creative Non-fiction – closes 2 July (submit online)
Charlotte Mew Chapbook Contest – Poetry manuscript (35 pages max, lesbian-identified poets (see submission guidelines)) – closes 4 July (submit online)
Mineral Lit – Poetry (Black writers only) – closes 5 July (submit online)
Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust Special Commemorative Anthology – Poetry, Essay, theme: Poetry Mentors (emerging Irish/NI writers, especially those under-represented on the basis of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, and membership of the Traveller community; as well as writers from diverse socio-economic backgrounds) – closes 6 July (submit online)
Black Lives Matter Anthology – Poetry, Micro-fiction, theme: any of the images, issues, triggers, histories, lives, demands and outcomes that are being highlighted by Black Lives Matter and current and past protests – closes 7 July (submit online)
Wine Cellar Press – Poetry, Visual Art – closes 8 July (submit online)
Abridged 0-60: Echo – Poetry, Art, theme: Echo & Narcissus, Communication – closes 10 July (submit online)
The Bellevue Literary Review Prizes – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, theme: Health, healing, illness, the mind and the body – closes 15 July (submit online)
Vallum Award for Poetry – Poetry (strongly encourages submissions from LGBTQI2S, Indigenous writers, writers of colour, gender non-conforming writers, differently abled writers or persons with mental or physical challenges) – closes 15 July (submit online)
Fly on the Wall – Poetry, Flash, Fiction, Reviews & Art, theme: Unite (BAME only) – closes 31 July (submit online)
Into the Void: We Are Antifa Anthology – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, theme: Fascism, Racism and/or Police Violence – closes 31 July (submit online)
Lunch Ticket: Amuse-Bouche – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction & more – closes 31 July (submit online)
Magma – Poetry, theme: Dwelling – closes 31 July (submit online)
Not Very Quiet – Poetry, theme: Memoir – closes 31 July (submit online)
Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in July 2020, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!
