The pages are crinkling in excitement for the 2nd annual Freedom Festival’s Online Lit Mag. A Literary Arts magazine published online filled with prose and poetry submitted by talented writers in the Caribbean. Words married with local photography. Collaborated on and coordinated by Nailah Imoja.
The Gine On Freedom Festival is under the theme Bridging the Gap for 2021. For the online lit mag this year we are prompting our talented writers to submit short stories and poems that link to Barbadian traditions. Have your word distributed to thousands around the world, with eager eyes able to enjoy your craft easily accessed from any craft.
We are challenging you to creatively weave a tale and scribe poetically about any of our traditional folk characters but translated in a modern setting. Can you create a piece that can make readers look over their shoulder for the Steel Donkey? Or can you show the richness of Bajan traditional character can compete with any story of a cinematic universe.
Guidelines
Contributors can submit once in both categories; short story or poetry. Short stories should be no more than 1000 words. Submissions will be open to adults only. Adults: 18+ years. Submissions to editors will be anonymous, with the coordinator ensuring confidentiality. Submissions should be made to this link by the deadline July 27th, 2021.
Do you happen to have a favourite a Bajan story or poem that you would just love to add your piece of magic to? Well we are igniting a prompt to help you add to your favourite local universe. Create your version of fan fiction based a Bajan story. We will also be sharing some traditional local tales to add to the inspiration as well.
Guidelines
Contributors can submit once in both categories; short story or poetry. Short stories should be no more than 1000 words. Submissions will be open to adults only. Adults: 18+ years. Submissions to editors will be anonymous, with the coordinator ensuring confidentiality. Submissions should be made to this link by the deadline July 27th, 2021.
Folk Fan Fiction Call!
Emancipation. Freedom. What does it mean? To us Emancipation is an ongoing process, not just freedom ‘given’ by a former oppressor, but the essence of living in full truth. George Lamming talks about this in his work, but we want you to talk about it in your own words, emancipation as a becoming of self.
Check out the summaries, follow the links to read what you’re intrigued by and give us your take. Maybe show the point of view of another character or write the backstory or the follow up of the action; maybe inhabit the world in a completely different way. We are so excited to see what you come up with!
Corn Curls and the Red Bicycle by Shakirah Bourne
A young girl, raised by a volatile grandfather tells a story about how she acquired forbidden treats like Corn Curls and a bicycle. Through her innocent literal eyes, the reader sees far more sinister motives behind the granting of her wishes.
Passage by Kevin Jared Hossein
Rum shops are notorious for ol’ talk, and no one can gossip quite like a man with a liquor loosened tongue. They say that loose lips sink ships; this story set in mountainous Trinidad turns on the devastating consequence of telling tales.
Let’s Tell This Story Properly by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Grief is a visceral and wily beast, so too is the way of love and marriage it seems. In the wake of her husband’s recent death, at their home in the U.K, a woman returns to Uganda to bury him. She realises that some secrets are right under your nose, and only the teller of a story gets to name the villain.
Introduction to Ossie Moore
There are multiple Ossie Moore jokes, you can get some more traditional ones in the book by G Addinton Forde entitled Ossie Moore. One favourite is Ossie and a friend are out Payne’s bay fishing when the boat runs into difficulties and starts to sink. Ossie and the friend end up in the water where it is discovers that the friend cannot swim. Ossie swims to shore for safety and on arrival says ‘good uh save muh self, now I can go back and save he!”.
Also check page 2 of De Mortar Pestle by G Addington Forde and the section about the Lazaretto. What might it have been like to be one of the last 5 patients in that hospital? Or look at page 40 for the section on Lowther’s Pond, what a story that would make!
The process of freedom is layered and has stages we may recognise as part of the Barbadian and Caribbean experience: a call to action against an oppressive system or group; freedom to access material things, freedom to move to places with more opportunities for wealth and health; freedom to live the life you dream of right where you are. The stories and jokes all engage with different aspects of getting these freedoms. We want YOUR WORDS this IS a Fan fiction call after all.
Acknowledging Addastories a website of Commonwealth Writers exhibiting stories and poems of writers from all over the former British Empire- you know, the commonwealth. Acknowledging The National Cultural Foundation Barbados’ online library resources. Make sure to acknowledge and credit the original work and authors when you submit your fan fiction!
The editor will select ten poems and stories that will be beautiful showcased in a digital publication illustrated with the work of local photographers. The lit mag will be published digitally in August.
Have a look at last year’s publication right here! Any questions or queries you may contact us at wuh@gineon.com.