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IPA launches call for nominations for 2025 IPA Prix Voltaire
The Geneva-based International Publishers Association (IPA) today launches its call for nominations for the 2025 IPA Prix Voltaire for exemplary courage in upholding the Freedom to Publish and enabling others to exercise their freedom of expression.
Freedom to publish is one of the founding principles of the IPA. Its protection and promotion is one of IPA’s key objectives. In many countries, publishers who provide authors with the means to disseminate their written ideas run the same risks as the writers themselves. Their work requires immense courage and a values-based, altruistic commitment. The Freedom to Publish is far from guaranteed around the world, with daily attempts by governments, extremists or private interests to intimidate, attack, imprison and even kill publishers.
The closing date for nominations is 23 February 2025, after which the nine publishing professionals that make up the IPA Freedom to Publish Committee will identify a longlist before agreeing on a shortlist and selecting the 2025 laureate. The IPA 2025 IPA Prix Voltaire ceremony will take place at the World Expression Forum (2-3 June 2025) in Lillehammer, Norway.
What’s the prize?
The recipient will receive 10,000 Swiss francs funded by a range of generous sponsors:
Learn more: here
Omenana Submissions
Omenana Speculative Fiction Magazine is open for submissions until February 20 2025.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
We want art, fiction, and non-fiction from artists and writers from Africa and the African Diaspora. If you are unsure whether that includes you, please read this definition by the African Speculative Fiction Society about who is African for clarity.
Fiction and art must be speculative (Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror or Magical Realism) and must involve characters, settings or themes directly related to the African continent. All stories and art must be in English (translations welcome), must be original works (no fan fiction, sorry), and previously unpublished.
We are very much interested in works that explore alternative futures for Africa and people of African descent. We would also like to see explorations of the past as well as new interpretations of myths, folklore and magic.
Above all, we are looking for original ideas and excellent writing.
Non-fiction can be essays or reviews, but must deal with our interest in African speculative fiction.
We do not accept poetry, drama or film scripts.
We no longer accept simultaneous submissions.
OUR REQUIREMENTS:
All work must be submitted by e-mail to [email protected] as a single attachment in one of the following file formats: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .odt.
Include a cover letter in the body of your e-mail providing your contact details (name–not the pseudonym you write under–address, email and phone number), a brief publication history, a bio of no more than 100 words and a profile photo.
Both fiction and non-fiction should please follow this Standard Manuscript Format.
•Short fiction should be no more than 5,000 words.
•Creative non-fiction and essays should be no more than 3,000 words.
•Flash fiction pieces should not exceed 1,000 words each.
•Reviews should be between 800 and 2,000 words.
•Graphic fiction and visual art should be sent in as a .jpg file.
•Please don’t send revised drafts of works that you have previously submitted, unless we specifically ask for them.
•Do not send us art if it has been published anywhere other than on your portfolio unless we specifically request it.
Omenana will pay $20 for every story published. We pay for commissioned art, depending on our budget.
Only submissions that follow the criteria above will be accepted and we can only communicate with writers whose work we’ve accepted at the moment.
Learn more here
Ninth Letter Print Edition Submissions
Ninth Letter is published semi-annually in print at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. We are interested in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work.
We do not accept previously published work, including self-published work on websites, blogs, etc. Simultaneous submissions are welcome! Please send a message withdrawing your poem(s) or flash piece(s) immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Please only send only one submission per genre at a time. We ask that previous contributors wait three years from your publication date before submitting again.
We accept electronic submissions via Submittable. We do not accept submissions by email attachment. Email submissions will not be read.
General Print Submission Guidelines
Submission Period:
Ninth Letter accepts submissions to our print issues before – Feb. 28.
For poetry, please submit 3-5 poems (max. 8 pages) at a time.
For fiction and creative nonfiction, submit one story or essay up to 8,000 words at a time. For flash, you may submit up to 3 pieces with a total word count totaling no more than 4,000 words.
Publication Terms and Payment:
Authors whose work is selected for this web issue will be offered payment of $25 per poem or $75 per piece of prose, plus an exclusive discount for a one-year print subscription.
Learn more here : Ninth Letter Print Edition Submissions
New Contrast : Deadline: February 28
Devoted to publishing the best of South African poetry, prose and art
We would like to see the conscious indication of the craft of poetry, the use of poetics to give a particular quality to the material presented. This should be more than just stream of consciousness writing, with strong lines being used to drive home the ideas or insights which the work presents. Above all, the poems must say something which applies to more than just the writer, something which speaks to the wider band of readers who will read the work. As far as the short story, or short fiction goes, the writing must be clear and vigorous.
It must engage the reader and through the building of tension create a satisfying or challenging resolution of tension by the end of the piece. We concentrate on publishing primary material and not secondary criticism or theoretical or philosophical arguments. We favour material which addresses the South African context, or our Africanness, but ‘quality’ remains the first tickbox for whatever the context or location of the narrative or reflection might be.
• Preferred file formats: DOC or DOCX.
• For images: Submit JPEG files with a minimum size of 2MB.
• Poetry submissions: Submit up to 3 poems, with a maximum of 65 lines per poem.
• Alternatively, you may submit one piece of short story, non-fiction, or a novel extract (up to 4,000 words)
• Please submit a review, memoir, essay, criticism, or reflective/opinion piece (up to 1,500 words).
• Cover letter: Every submission must include a cover letter. Tell us a bit about yourself and your work, and please include a 50-word author bio written in the third-person.
• Email: Please ensure your email address is included somewhere in the document.
• Simultaneous submissions: If your submission is being considered by another publication, please mention this in your cover letter or email.
Learn more here: New Contrast
The Lincoln Review : Deadline: March 1st
We seek innovative work from both established authors as well as emerging and underrepresented voices. At The Lincoln Review, we actively encourage writers, artists, and photographers who come from marginalised and underprivileged backgrounds. We want to hear the stories of BAME, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and disabled creatives.
Our general submissions are open from 1 September – 1 March each year. Send only one submission at a time. No previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as we are notified of acceptance elsewhere. If you have a pending submission, please wait for a response before submitting again. Our average response time is 3–5 months. Please do not query until 5 months have passed.
Please note that current students and staff at the University of Lincoln may not submit work. Undergraduate and postgraduate alumni, as well as past employees of the University of Lincoln, are asked to wait three years before submitting work to the journal.
We are now reading submissions for Issue 6.
We consider:
•flash fiction and essays (up to 2000 words)
•creative nonfiction (up to 2000 words)
•poetry (up to 4 poems)
•art and photography (portfolio of up to 6 pieces)
•comics (up to 7 pages)
•book reviews (please query us first)
•interviews (please query us first)
Please submit your work as a single Word document (or up to six jpgs in one Word document for art and photography submissions) via the following link: SUBMIT
