Call for Poetry and Spoken Word
Are you an aspiring poet exploring spoken word performance? Are you an established writer experimenting with new ways to engage your audiences?
This call for submissions aims to explore poetry in its many forms and traditions.
We are inviting submissions of written poetry and, for the first time, video recordings of spoken-word.
We strongly encourage submissions in mother tongues and/or oral languages, provided they are accompanied by an English translation or include English subtitles.
Send us your work either in written form or as a video recording.
Deadline: 22 October 2023, 23:59 in your time zone.
Eligibility
This call is open to poets and spoken word artists who are writing and performing individually or as a collective. Only one submission per writer or collective will be considered.
This opportunity is open to all Commonwealth citizens, aged 18 and over. We encourage submissions from young writers and from countries with fewer publication opportunities.
Entries must be original and unpublished. Please note that previously published work, whether in print or online, in whole or in part, will not be considered. Let us know immediately if your work has been submitted elsewhere and has been accepted for publication.
Submission guidelines
For poetry on the page, we accept entries in English and entries translated from any language into English. If a translated work is selected, we will publish the original work and its English translation.
For spoken word, we welcome work in mother tongues and/or oral languages, provided it contains subtitles in English or a word document containing an English translation.
How to submit your entry
Entries should be submitted via the online entry form. Select one of the two categories in the submission form and attach the following:
1. Poetry on the page: up to 3 poems in a single word document (up to 100 lines in total), Font: Arial 12-point, Line spacing: single
2. Spoken word video: a video recording via the submission form with a maximum runtime of 3 minutes. If the video is not recorded in English, the submission should include English subtitles or be accompanied by a text document containing an English translation.
Submissions are selected anonymously. Please name your file with only the title of the work and enter all personal information in the application form.
Send us a summary of your creative experience or a description of the work (300 words maximum). Let us know if you need any support with your submission, whether to record your poem or add English subtitles. You can also inform us here if the entry is from a collective.
We will contact successful entrants by February 2024. Up to 24 pieces will be selected by a team of poets and spoken word artists and published over the year. You will be paid a fee if your work is accepted for publication.
We are unfortunately unable to provide feedback on individual submissions.
If you have any questions or technical issues when submitting your work, please email us via creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.
Deadline: 22 October 2023, 23:59 in your time zone.