Tag Archives: opportunities

EOIs are open for RMIT’s non/fictionLAB and Mekong Review

RMIT University’s non/fictionLAB is proud to partner with Mekong Review to commission a new series of short, collaboratively-written literary works or criticism (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics work, book reviews etc) for publication in forthcoming issues of the international publication.

Mekong Review, under the managing editorship of Kirsten Han, is a quarterly English-language magazine of arts, literature, culture, politics, the environment and society in Asia, written by people from the region or those who know it well. From its founding in 2015 by Minh Bui Jones, its aim has been to provide a fresh perspective: one that covers Asian histories, lives and cultures through emerging regional voices. Its approach is close to that of publications like the New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books—that is, basing its writing around new publications of interest—but its view is distinctly Asian. Contributors are requested to please familiarise themselves with the content and style of Mekong Review.

In line with the publication’s position as a cosmopolitan and free press in Asia, this series will examine the notions of space and place through creative exchange and collaboration between writers from Australia and SE Asia. Questions that these pieces might consider/respond to include: What are the pressing conversations or exchanges we might have today about space, place, home, housing, belonging and/or unbelonging? How do writers understand and/or represent place and space? How does the politics of place inform our writing/art? What kinds of spaces do we create through writing? What opinions do we share or differ on regarding space/place phenomena? How might we approach the writing of place together from our respective positions?

Works will be commissioned IN PAIRS but published as a single work. We would like one writer to be based in Australia and one in the SE Asia region. You might like to discuss and debate a book, cocreate a poem, story or comic, review one another’s books, interview one another, or anything in between or beyond! It is up to you to choose your writing companion and approach.

There will be up to EIGHT works commissioned. Prose: 1000-1200 words; 50-60 lines poetry; comics up to half a page (dimensions W 24.96 x H 16.74 cm).

How to submit your EOI:

Interested contributors need to submit:

  • 150-word abstract articulating the form and nature of the intended work
  • Bios for each author
  • A piece (or excerpt) of writing by each contributor in the form (e.g. fiction, review, poem)proposed in the abstract (or similar sample of writing).

Please submit the above to both Sree Iyer sreedhevi.iyer@rmit.edu.au and Kirsten Han kirstenhan@mekongreview.com by 20 January 2024. Decisions on abstracts will be made by first week of February 2024, and final pieces will be due on a rolling basis as negotiated with Mekong Review. *

*Please note that the first issue in the series (May) has a deadline of 20 March for final pieces. Please indicate in your submission if you would be able to make that deadline.

Industry-based writers (ie non-salaried practitioners without university affiliation) will be paid for their work.

Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor role at University of Melbourne

The School of Culture and Communication is seeking a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor to play a leadership role in the development of innovative teaching practices in the School. Essential criteria include a PhD in any of the School’s disciplines – creative writing is one of these.

Applications close 1 December.

2023 Australian Short Story Festival Program

The full program of events, including workshops, panels, book launches and more, is now available on the Australian Short Story Festival (ASSF) website. With a star-studded lineup of storytellers from across Australia and overseas, the 2023 festival is one not to be missed! The festival will be held at the Fullarton Park Community Centre in the City of Unley in Adelaide from the 9th to the 12th of November. Tickets are available to purchase now, with discounts for students, concession card holders and City of Unley residents. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit the ASSF website.

2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize Longlists Announced

Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA), in partnership with Australia’s leading essential building and infrastructure services provider ARA Group, is excited to announce the Longlists for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize.

This year’s Longlists traverse a vast tapestry of settings and eras, delving into tales of love against prejudice, the resilience in the face of societal shifts, and the enduring spirit of individuals amidst challenges. From sun-soaked Australian landscapes to the complexities of medieval England and the turmoil of wartime Europe, the stories underscore the potency of historical fiction to illuminate the intricacies of human nature, evoke untold tales, and spotlight the shared tribulations and triumphs echoing through time.

The Longlist for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize – Adult Category is:

The Longlist for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize – Children and Young Adult (CYA) Category is:

The ARA Historical Novel Prize is worth a total of $100,000 in prize monies. The Prize will award $50,000 to the Adult category winner, with an additional $5,000 to be awarded to each of the remaining two shortlisted authors. In the Children and Young Adult (CYA) category, the winner will receive $30,000, while the two shortlisted authors will receive $5,000 each.

The 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize Shortlist will be announced on Wednesday 27 September 2023. Winners will be announced on 19 October 2023. For more information about the awards and to see last year’s winners, please visit the HNSA website.

Call for Abstracts: Beyond Words: Interdisciplinary Intersections of Creative Writing andWellbeing

EDITORS: Dr Caty Flynn (The Genre Lab.) & Professor Ursula Hurley (University of Salford) CALL DEADLINE: 500-word abstracts by FRIDAY 6th OCTOBER 2023
CONTACT: bookandvolumeofthemind@gmail.com


CONTEXT
The phrase “creative writing” is used in wellbeing interventions as a catch-all term for many forms of practice. Currently, there is scant research to back up claims of efficacy, and little insight in terms of what the actual benefits of specific creative writing practices are, why these benefits occur, and how we can utilise this knowledge for shaping such practices so that we can get the most out of them. We believe passionately that creative writing can, indeed, improve wellbeing. But, we want to present a collection of investigations into the mechanisms of why and, by doing so, lay blueprints for how. This important intersection between wellbeing and creative writing has yet to be addressed robustly and this collection attempts to do so.

Creative writing research is inherently interdisciplinary. As Mi Csikszentmihalyi explains,
“being able to braid together ideas and emotions from disparate domains is one way writers express their creativity” (263). Science and psychology recognise the broader implications of creative writing’s applicability, evidenced by a wealth of developments over the last century, including but not limited to the explicit influences apparent in everyone from Freud to Damasio to Hofstadter, to Narrative Psychology (see Sarbin, 1986) and Drama Therapy (see Jones, 1996). Theorists of all disciplines typically turn to storytelling to elucidate their points. But, what can creative writing do for these fields beyond offering metaphors or analogies (useful as that may be)? What can creative writing do in terms of application, theory, communication, and creative conceptualisation with regard to wellbeing? In this proposed collection, we seek to move beyond metaphor towards mutual enrichment.


The overall purpose of the volume is to showcase innovative methodologies and new theories, highlight benefits and challenges, offer frameworks and directions for future research, and encourage new developments at the intersection of creative writing practice and wellbeing. Our enquiry considers the implications for creative practice; psychological and therapeutic practice; self-help; intersectionality, social justice and transformation; and experimental scientific research.

SUGGESTED THEMES/TOPICS
We aim to be inclusive in terms of discipline, approach, and background. We encourage both single-author and collaborative submissions, and chapters which incorporate practice-based research or creative or hybrid forms into process or presentation, thereby making form as well as content part of the research, as well as more traditional academic chapters. We are interested in chapters that foreground specific genres of writing or specific areas of wellbeing, and those which take a broader view. We encourage personal investigations as well as social research. Essentially, we are open to receiving any creative and robust response to the brief from any and every disciplinary perspective, to showcase the diversity of current practices and their transformative potential.


Of particular interest is interdisciplinary work that can creatively raise issues, themes, and topics such as:

  • Creative writing as a practice through which to shift perspective, question given rules and habitual behaviours, and imagine things otherwise.
  • Connections between the processes and concepts of writing and those of the cognitive and social sciences. Comparative essays on concepts from psychology, mental health, neuroscience, sociology etc with concepts from creative writing i.e., stories and brain processes, rhetorical/literary devices as biological/psychological/emotional functions/tools.
  • How can we make creative writing concepts accessible beyond literacy, vision, or any other barrier which impedes engagement? Chapters might imagine brail or audio methods, oral storytelling, dramatic or musical performance, games, and/or inclusive social facilitations.
  • Re-imaginings, syntheses, or innovative extensions of traditional or existing theory from an interdisciplinary lens – i.e., creative writing and psychology.
  • Case-studies, evaluative reports, cameos, co-constructed content or other outputs from creative writing wellbeing intervention trials or projects.
  • The capacities of creative writing to constitute a free and accessible mode of self-care for a large demographic of people in ways that support intersecting social inequalities observable in accessing effective mental health, wellbeing, and self-development support.
  • Are all types of creative writing good for us? Are certain types of writing “better” for us or more transformational, and others “worse” for us or regressive? In terms of reading or writing, particular genres or styles or movements or periods or practices.
  • Specific genres & their wellbeing potential / mental health utility/resonance; specific mental health conditions explored through the lens of creative writing; specific outcomes – self-expression; reconceptualisation; control; confidence; change; perspective; reflection; etc.
  • Evolutionary advantages of creative writing.
  • Disciplinary, sectoral, and/or any other challenges, difficulties, issues, or barriers in creative writing wellbeing research, development, engagement, and evaluation, including but not limited to ethical procedure, methodology, engagement, skillset, resources, knowledge base, facilitation, publication, funding, collaboration, and interdisciplinary working. How can we transform or overcome these challenges?
  • Robustly researched theoretical essays regarding the “why” and “how” of wellbeing/self-development benefits which emerge from creative writing.
  • The potential of creative writing for social change, resisting injustice, and transforming perceptions.
  • Methodologies for creative writing & mental health research and innovation.
  • Theoretical, experimental, and creative investigations of concepts and practices such as journaling; self-expression; life-writing; self-writing; and so on.
  • How can we build co-construction, community involvement, and social engagement into creative writing wellbeing projects?
  • Everyday utility/application of creative writing concepts/practices for self-care/expression/development.
  • The future of writing for wellbeing – directions/next steps; predictions/hopes; necessary changes; potential problems.

All chapters must constitute fully-integrated interdisciplinary work – a dialogue between fields, rather than a reading of one discipline through another in a one-way dynamic. All of these topics/ideas can be approached in whatever genre of writing feels appropriate. However, we do expect there to be rigorous interdisciplinary research, reading, and critical thinking underpinning even the most creative or experimental chapter. We interpret creative writing broadly, so do contact us if you are unsure about definitional boundaries.


Format: We invite 500-word Abstracts for 5,000-10,000-word chapters (negotiable). Please include up to 5 keywords and a brief biography of the author(s) which includes an institutional affiliation and your contact email.


Send your abstract to: bookandvolumeofthemind@gmail.com

Deadline for Abstracts: 06/10/2023.
Accepted authors will be notified 20/10/2023.
Accepted chapters to be delivered no later than 19/04/2024.
Editorial team: Dr Caty Flynn (The Genre Lab.) & Professor Ursula Hurley (University of Salford)


REFERENCES
Cozolino, L. (2010). The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2013). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Perennial.
Damasio, A. (2000). The Feeling of what Happens. London: Vintage.
Freud, S. (2008). The Interpretation of Dreams. Oxford: Oxford’s World Classics.
Hofstadter, D. (2007). I am a Strange Loop. Philadelphia: Basic Books.
Koestler, A. (1975). The Act of Creation. London: Picador.
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (2003). Metaphors We Live By. London: University of Chicago Press.
Prentiss, S. and Walker, N. eds. (2020). The Science of Story: The Brain Behind Creative Nonfiction. London: Bloomsbury.

Australian Short Story Festival Mentorship

Submission deadline: Friday 25th August 2023

This incredible opportunity is open to emerging Australian or permanent resident short story writers who do not have a full-length, published collection. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a three-month long remote mentorship with award-winning Irish short story writer and playwright, Paul McVeigh. During this time, you will work with Paul to develop three short stories across three months of mentoring from October to December 2023.

This opportunity is made possible by the Australian Short Story Festival and an Australian Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) grant.

About Paul McVeigh:

Paul’s debut novel, The Good Son, won The Polari First Novel Prize and The McCrea Literary Award, and was shortlisted for many others including The Prix du Roman Cezam. Paul began his writing career as a playwright and comedy writer. His short stories have been in numerous anthologies, journals and newspapers, as well as on BBC Radio 3,4 & 5, and Sky Arts. He co-founded London Short Story Festival and is associate director of Word Factory, London, ‘the UK national organisation for excellence in the short story’ The Guardian. He co-edited Belfast Stories and edited the Queer Love anthology and The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices. He has judged numerous literary prizes and his writing has been translated into seven languages.

To apply:

Send us your best short story under 5,000 words. Stories can be published or unpublished and of any genre or theme. Stories will be read and selected by Paul McVeigh.

Send your submissions to theaustralianshortstoryfest@gmail.com

Include in your email your full name, preferred email address and phone number as well as a short bio and a short paragraph (50-100 words) explaining why you would benefit from this mentorship.

Applications are due by midnight on Friday 25th August 2023. The winner will be contacted by the end of September 2023. Any questions to be directed to Gillian Hagenus through info@australianshortstoryfestival.com

Call for Abstracts | We Need to Talk: The 28th Annual Conference of the AAWP

The deadline for submission of abstracts is 28 July 2023, 11:59PM (AEST). 

The 28th annual conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs is hosted by the University of Canberra’s Centre for Creative and Cultural Research. 

The event will be held on Ngunnawal Country; we acknowledge with gratitude that we have been welcomed to walk on this unceded land, and pay our respects to their elders, past and present, and emerging.  

We invite proposals for conference papers, panels, or performances that focus on issues that demand personal, social and institutional attention; and we are very interested in proposals that are collaborative, dialogic, improvisational, and/or performative.  

Please consider the following list of starter-topic areas as you construct your abstract/proposal:  

Orality – e.g. 

  • Spoken word forms 
  • Writing/improvising for performance 
  • Song / chant 
  • Script/screenplay 
  • Audio and transdisciplinary storytelling modes 
  • Yarning Circles 
  • Podcasts 

Poetry – e.g. 

  • Performance poetry 
  • Transformative practice 
  • Collaborative work 
  • Ecopoetry
  • Poetry of resistance

Essay – e.g. 

  • Intimacy 
  • Lyrical or dialogic essay
  • Writing as conversatio, or collaboration
  • Reading as intimacy 
  • Manifesto / diatribe / rant 

Sustainability – e.g. 

  • The environment and living in the more-than-human world 
  • Traditional ways of knowing, being and storying 
  • Economic and political engagement in writing/by writers 
  • Object writing 
  • Alternate knowledge systems 
  • Umwelt 

Queering Writing – e.g.  

  • Decentred and diverse voices 
  • Indigenous stories 
  • Neglected art forms 
  • Queering forms 
  • AI / Chat GPT – implications, limitations, possibilities  
  • Gatekeeping 

Arts/Health – e.g.

  • Writing, reading, and wellbeing 
  • Transdisciplinary practice for health 
  • Creative interventions and trauma 
  • Working beyond the academy (outreach, communicating research) 
  • Silences in academia 
  • Care for the author 

(or other topics, though we do ask that you aim to accommodate the theme of the conference in your work)

The deadline for submission of abstracts is 28 July 2023, 11:59PM (AEST). 
Proposals should include: 

  • your name
  • your university or other institutional affiliation 
  • your e-mail address  
  • the title of your proposed paper 
  • your abstract (250 words max) 
  • identify whether it is for a paper, a panel, or a performance
  • a short bio (100 words max).  

Please submit your queries to jen.webb@canberra.edu.au.

NB: while everyone is welcome to attend the conference, only current AAWP members are eligible to present. You can find membership details, prices, and online sign-up options here. 

VI Premium Virtual Edition | European Course for Teachers of Creative Writing

Enrolments are already open until March, 15th, 2023.

From the 21st to the 23rd of March, 2023, the EACWP launches the sixth Premium Virtual Edition of its European Course for Teachers of Creative Writing. Worldwide participants are welcome to join us.

In the spirit of abundance, gratitude and enjoyment of a new rising year to come, EACWP are delighted to announce a course they have longed for that has finally come true: a pedagogical proposal on both the sensual, Dyonisian experience of the body up to the sacred, Apollonian, even mystic experience of the soul approached from the complementary and intertwined disciplines of Food, Drink and Drug Writing. Just as a garden of earthly, literary delights.

The enrolment process for the sixth virtual edition of our Teachers Training Course, which, as in its regular format, will comprise three different workshops that will take place on Tuesday, 21st, Wednesday, 22nd and Thursday, 23rd of March (2023) from 17.00 to 19.00 (CET).

For more details, visit the EACWP website.

Call for papers: EACWP VI Pedagogical Conference 2023

The deadline for submissions has been extended to March, 24 (2023).

The EACWP Conference is a biannual event devoted to foster a European and Worldwide dialogue on the different approaches to creative writing education. The VI EACWP conference will take place in Madrid, in the locations of Casa Árabe (The Arabic House) and in the context of Escuela de Escritores 20th anniversary, from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 May 2023. The on-line format for proposals will only be accepted for the Multilingual Workshops. 

Central to the conference will be an acknowledgement of the importance of creativity and how enhance it through the practice of writing. In times of crisis – probably, the only possible times – writers can make creativity a permanent way of living as artists, continuously questioning, developing and reformulating our craft.

Visit the EACWP Conference website for further details.