Literary Cleveland, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio, is currently seeking submissions from Cleveland writers and residents on the theme of “health.” Selected poems, stories, plays and other literary forms will be adapted into a staged reading at Cleveland State University during this year’s Cleveland Humanities Festival on Saturday March 17th and Sunday March 18th.
Contributors are encouraged to interpret the theme of “health” broadly. Submissions from care givers, providers, medical students and patients are welcome. Lit Cleveland also encourages submissions from individuals who may not consider themselves writers but have an important story to tell.
“With last year’s Crossing Borders: Immigrant Narratives, we were blown away by the diversity of voices and perspectives we received, and we’re hoping to hear from individuals who have grappled with health issues or the American health care system in a similarly meaningful and compelling way,” says Lee Chilcote, Director of Lit Cleveland.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 9th. Learn more about the submission process at Literary Cleveland Humanities Festival.
In related news, Gordon Square Review, an online literary magazine that publishes writers from Northeast Ohio and across the country, is seeking submissions for its second issue. Submissions are free, and contributors will be paid $25 per accepted prose piece and $10 per accepted poem.
Gordon Square Review has also announced its first-ever Free Stamp Flash contest open exclusively to writers from Northeast Ohio. Named in honor of the ubiquitous Free Stamp sculpture in downtown Cleveland, the contest is for Northeast Ohio writers submitting flash fiction, flash nonfiction, and/or prose poetry entries of 500 words or fewer. Each entry costs $6, and the winner will receive $250, publication in Gordon Square Review’s second issue, an invitation to read at the Issue 2 launch party, and a voucher for a free Lit Cleveland class. The contest deadline is Thursday, March 15th.
In addition to these opportunities, Lit Cleveland has recently announced a number of new programs, including classes on freelance writing, poetry, playwrighting, nature writing, memoir, creative nonfiction, and revision; a Winter Mixer at the recently re-opened Visible Voice Books; a guided tour for writers at Cleveland Public Library; a craft talk with acclaimed local mystery authors D.M. Pulley and Casey Daniels; and more.
“Our hope is that these programs will help nourish established writers, offer aspiring and beginning writers that added boost of confidence and support, and engage more people in Cleveland’s amazing literary community,” says Chilcote.
For a full list of program offerings, please visit Lit Cleveland. For more info about Gordon Square Review, go to Gordon Square Review.
