CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR NEW PORTUGUESE CANADIAN ANTHOLOGY

The previous success of Memoria: An Anthology of Portuguese Canadian Writers, initially published in 2013 and reprinted in 2021, has inspired us to seek out fresh voices from the vibrant Portuguese Canadian literary community. We are excited to announce that submissions are now open for our second anthology, slated for publication in the fall of 2025.

We are looking for well-crafted pieces that delve into pivotal events or immigrant/diaspora experiences, shedding light on the writer’s connection to Canada or Portugal (or its former colonies). We want to see fiction and nonfiction with strong personal narratives, diverse voices, and unique details—writing that defines, challenges, or contributes to our identity as Portuguese Canadian writers. We are particularly interested in lived experiences and perspectives historically underrepresented in the Portuguese Canadian diaspora, work that questions the dominant cultural view and stretches beyond “Saudade” and sentimentality to examine the unusual and unexpected.

Submissions can be emailed to arquipelago@shaw.ca as a Word document, double-spaced, 12 pt. Cambria or Times New Roman.  Subject line: New Anthology Submission. Include your name and contact information (primary email, telephone #), the title of your submission, and a brief synopsis in the body of the email. The submissions will be evaluated via a blind-judging process, so do not include your name or any other identifying information apart from the title on the submission itself.  Established writers are welcome to enter, and we encourage emerging and new writers to take the opportunity to submit.

We prefer to see original, unpublished work but will consider previously published writing. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately your submission has been accepted elsewhere.  The submissions will be evaluated via a blind-judging process, so do not include your name or any other identifying information apart from the title on the submission itself. 

Please submit ONE of the following:
Up to four poems of any length
Short fiction up to 3,000 words
Essay, travel writing, or other literary nonfiction up to 3,000 words
Novel extract of up to 3,000 words  (The extract must work as a stand-alone piece of writing.)

The deadline for submission is November 30, 2024. Selected contributors will be announced in February 2025. Chosen pieces will be copy-edited to conform to house style, but submissions requiring substantive edits will not be considered.

Rights and Payment
Selected writers will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology and an honorarium of $200 CAD. For each story chosen, we ask for exclusive First World English Language rights for six months after publication and non-exclusive World English anthology rights in print and electronic formats. This means that the anthology has the right to publish the story first and in subsequent versions of the anthology, and contributors will retain rights to their stories and are free to submit their stories for reprint six months after the publication date.

A note on “Portuguese Canadian” writing: You might be a Portuguese immigrant born in Portugal or one of its former colonies, a Canadian-born child or grandchild of Portuguese immigrants, have Portuguese heritage and were raised in a Portuguese-speaking household, following Portuguese cultural practices; or are Portuguese Canadian and live elsewhere. This also applies to mixed/biracial people with Portuguese heritage. Please get in touch with us if you are unsure whether these guidelines apply to you.