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M A Y D A Y
An Aotearoa call to action
The world is in trouble.
A state of emergency.
This is a call to action.
Submissions open May 1 – May 31. Seeking previously unpublished contemporary works with a submission period of one month beginning on May Day, May 1st.
This anthology aims to express a collective sense of immediacy and urgency about our times: the climate crisis, the forever wars, the stoked-up technological threats, the intense disregard for diversity and human rights, and more – our anxieties about the present and the future, the precariousness of now.
Sometimes what’s happening may feel almost unbearable, so let’s celebrate, too, hope, empathy and belief in the power of creatives and creativity to undo and ameliorate global conflict. Get up, stand up. Celebrate our common humanity.
We’re speaking out from Aotearoa. Join the mission. We welcome your submissions:
- poetry up to 60 lines
- flash fiction/ creative nonfiction / prose poems up to 400 words
- short non-fiction (political or personal protest themes) and topical essays up to 2000 words
- visual artworks, black and white: visually stunning drawings, graphics, woodblocks, cartoons, photographs, etc. – pdfs or jpegs for art submissions
- Submit up to 2 pieces; include your name, location and email contact
Who can submit:
- All citizens and residents of Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Only humans. Absolutely no AI-generated or AI-adjacent submissions. This volume is for artistic voices that, even if crying out against the worst parts of humanity, are holding up the best parts of humanity. By the people, for the people.
How to submit:
- Email 1-2 works to At the Bay | I te Kokoru: aotearoastories@gmail.com
- Word docs, please – no pdfs (except if needed to show layout/ design)
- Email your original work between May 1 and May 31, midnight.
Contributors will be paid: it takes all of us to make this work.
Edited by David Eggleton, Michelle Elvy & Siobhan Harvey
NZ Poetry Shelf 