Culture Matters!

Working People’s Stories in Contemporary Ireland

Call for submissions

Culture Matters is taking an initiative in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis to compile a second anthology of working-class writing. We hope it will be one way for working people to creatively express their anxieties, experiences and thoughts about various aspects of their lives in these troubled times.

Our first anthology of working people’s poetry from contemporary Ireland, The Children of the Nation, was a success in the U.S. and Europe, as well as in Ireland. This second volume will focus on short prose: flash fiction, short stories, anecdotes, epigrams, memoirs and other kinds of life writing (diary, letter/email, essays, blogs, and black and white images).

Relevant themes that come to mind include the Climate Emergency, the Coronavirus Crisis, Working Women, More Than Profit, and Community and Global Solidarity – but also quite simply your everyday experience as a working person in contemporary Ireland. We are unable to offer fees for publication, but will supply free and discounted copies to contributors.

Here are the stipulations:

·         One or two submissions per person, unpublished in print

·         Maximum of 2,500 words per submission

·         In English or Irish (if in Irish, our international readership will appreciate your English translation, please)

·         Black and white images should be jpegs of photos, drawings, cartoons etc., no bigger than 1MB.

·         A brief biography outlining your connection with the working class, 150 words max.

·         Deadline for submission: 31 July 2020.

·         Submissions to be sent to: irishstories2020@yahoo.com

You retain copyright on any submissions but your material may be published in print and online by Culture Matters.

Jenny Farrell

Associate Editor

Culture Matters

March 2020.