In August 2017, Stripes will publish, A Change Is Gonna Come, an anthology of short stories and poetry for young adults written by authors from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.
Contributors will include a wealth of established writers: Tanya Byrne, Inua Ellams, Catherine Johnson, Patrice Lawrence, Ayisha Malik, Irfan Master, Nikesh Shukla and Lemn Sissay. The cover will be illustrated by Lucy Banaji.
Contributors to A Change Is Gonna Come have been asked to produce a piece of original fiction responding to the idea of change. Whilst the purpose of the book is to represent and celebrate diverse voices and cultural identities, authors have been given the freedom to interpret the theme however they are inspired to do so. There is a socio-political agenda behind the project but the book itself is intended to have wide appeal for a YA readership, with pieces varying in style and genre.
Open Submission for Unpublished and Unagented Writers:
Stripes will also be launching an open call for submissions from unpublished and unagented writers, with room for a number of new authors to be added to the line-up, as an opportunity to discover and nurture new BAME writers. Their intention is that the anthology will launch several long and successful careers.
Literary agent Julia Kingsford of Kingsford Campbell and Sarah Shaffi, Online Editor of The Bookseller and co-founder of the BAME in Publishing network, will act as editorial consultants in selecting stories from the open submissions.
How to submit:
- Any unagented and unpublished writer from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background may submit a story for consideration.
- Submissions must be made via email with CHANGE SUBMISSION in the subject line.
- Submissions must be complete short stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length, responding to the theme of ‘change’, and must be written in the English language and be suitable for a Young Adult readership.
- A word document or PDF of the story should be sent to editorial@stripespublishing.co.uk
- The email should include: entrant’s name, address, telephone number, email address, the title of the story being submitted, the story’s word count and a short biography of the author.
- Submissions must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online, or broadcast, or won a prize in a writing competition.
- Submissions that are under consideration for publication elsewhere are not eligible.
- The panel will not comment on or give feedback on individual stories that are not selected for publication.
- The closing date for receipt of submissions is 28th February 2017 at midnight GMT.
If you’re successful:
- Successful authors will achieve publication in the anthology A Change Is Gonna Come in paperback and eBook
- A payment of £150.
Find out more, how to apply and must read submission Rules & Regulations here.