Post by NZBC on May 13, 2007 12:34:30 GMT 12
Speech is a form of empowerment and the expression of creative voices is one of the most significant forms of empowerment any community can undertake.
Contributions are sought for a book of creative writing addressing the Asian experience in New Zealand. This is your chance to get published alongside your contemporaries and have a say about what it means to be an Asian New Zealander today.
Writing which addresses any of the following areas is especially encouraged: Growing up an Asian New Zealander; Work & the Workplace; Intercultural Friendship & Romance; Women¡¯s Issues; ¡®Gaysianz¡¯ & ¡®Lesbasianz¡¯ Come Out; and Past Memory & Future Hopes.
If you have questions or want more details, contact Daniel McKay (dmckay@purdue.edu). Send hard copies by 31st July 2007 to:
Anthology Project, PO Box 6236,
Upper Riccarton 8442, Christchurch, New Zealand
Guidelines:
1. Writing is to be in English, though authors may employ words or phrases from other languages should the writing clearly benefit from it.
2. All forms of writing are acceptable (poetry, short stories, nonfiction¡) to a recommended maximum of 6,000 words per piece. Include a stamped addressed envelope (SAE) if you wish it returned.
3. Writers may send any number of pieces they like, though are advised that only work which reflects a good standard of writing is likely to receive full consideration.
4. The writing is to be your own original work and not submitted elsewhere for simultaneously consideration.
5. Submissions should include a cover sheet providing your name, full contact details, and target chapter area. Electronic copies of your submission will be sought as works are short listed for inclusion. Please be patient!
Information for Contributors
Project Details
Uniquely dedicated to a particular community, the purpose of this project is to bring together a talented range of writers to explore some of the most pressing themes of what it means to be an Asian New Zealander. Although publications from this group are becoming gradually more visible, a selection of works within one volume is likely to both enhance the writers¡¯ profiles and also benefit the general public through the literature¡¯s greater accessibility. Regarding the type of literature sought, poetry, short stories (fiction or nonfiction), and personal essays are all valid and acceptable writing forms.
It is hoped that submissions will capture something of the ¡®feeling¡¯ of what it means to be Asian or Asian descended in New Zealand. The culture of immigrant communities obviously changes over time (and space) but it survives, and grows ¨C and is growing, dynamically, prominently, and above all creatively. Sometimes this growth is dizzying, alarming even, but Asian communities are experienced at transitions. This anthology is obviously concerned with those transitions, past, present and future. It is creativity in process. It is about change ¨C national, emotional, familial, and communal. Above all, it is about expression.
In the wider social context, the project offers a chance to redirect issues away from the fringe of society toward centre stage. Long term, this may partly be accomplished through the availability of this text for teaching purposes. The readership is therefore imagined to contain a significant number of nonasians as well as those who seek to better comprehend their own community. Writers should take the multiple readerships this anthology faces into account when fashioning their submissions.
That said, a ¡®sanitised¡¯ approach toward satisfying every possible reader is unlikely to leave themes properly addressed. It is for this reason that the anthology¡¯s chapters are structured to encourage the expression of particular viewpoints; viewpoints which might otherwise be marginalised, both outside and potentially within the Asian New Zealand community. In sum, the book offers a chance for any writer, published or emerging, to put across their perspective on issues relevant to the Asian New Zealand community.
Chapter Summaries
The following chapters are suggested as guidelines for the type of themes your writing might deal with. Each is about either a particular issue (such as relationships across boundaries) or a particular group¡¯s opinions (such as women¡¯s). Though writing which falls outside these parameters can also be submitted, contributors are encouraged to use the following as prompts for their work.
Part 1. Shout Space: Growing up an Asian New Zealander
Have you ever felt that an issue or experience is so important that it should be shouted for all the world to hear? As a moment of awakening, few times in one¡¯s life are as significant as childhood and youth. ¡®Shout space¡¯ implores the necessity for a ¡®space¡¯ (cultural, literary, political, visual¡) where little or none existed before. This opening chapter will give due and sufficient space to the youth experience of Asian New Zealanders. Possible themes: coming-of-age, the generation gap, family issues, media representations, neighbours & neighbourhoods, (bi)racial identity, and school communities.
Part 2. About the Place: Work Eth(n)ics
Asian New Zealanders can be seen about the place. They own shops, sit on committees, write newspaper columns, and do jury service just like any other Kiwi. But language issues (presumed or real), prejudice from one¡¯s peers, and cultural stereotypes can make things difficult. Where are you in your work and where do you want to go? What is it ¡®about the place¡¯ which helps or hinders you? This chapter will be devoted to this important and universal concern. Possible themes: legal history, the glass ceiling, racial stereotyping, social activism, and individual stories.
Part 3. About Face: Intercultural Friendship & Romance
In a multicultural society, no face is automatically foreign ¨C or is it? Superficially, most relationships begin with a face, but not every face communicates the same messages and sometimes it depends who you¡¯re talking to. Chapter 3 celebrates those relationships which have transcended the ethnic/racial divide, as well as paying special note of how disillusionment can arise. The potential of intercultural encounters to bring joy or pain into one¡¯s life will make this chapter a highly emotive one. Possible themes: love, (mis)trust, disappointment, compromise, enduring friendship, and racial-sexual stereotypes.
Part 4. In-gendered Divisions: Women Speak Out
In a nation with a woman Prime Minister, women¡¯s rights may seem both prominent and secure. But how is it for Asian New Zealand women today? This chapter provides you the opportunity to speak for yourselves about life within the Asian New Zealand community. What is expected of you, and not expected of you? How do you communicate your opinions and feelings? Is your life contented and fulfilled? Harmonious or fractured? What compromise needs to be struck between preserving traditions and fulfilling ambitions? Possible themes: family roles, individual aspiration / sacrifice, changing traditions, marriage, the ¡®foreignness¡¯ of feminism, breaking trends, and lessons for others.
Part 5. Dis-membered Society: ¡®Gaysianz¡¯ & ¡®Lesbasianz¡¯ Come Out
Of every ethnic/racial group in New Zealand, people of Asian descent are least likely to express their gay, lesbian or bisexual identity. Yet the discomfort which denial brings is hard for anyone to ignore. This chapter will feature pieces exploring the causes (familial, societal, psychological¡) which enforce this silence. What does it mean to ¡®come out¡¯ in an Asian community, and in New Zealand as a whole? What is it like to be a sexual minority within an ethnic/racial minority? How much solidarity exists within the community to support gay, lesbian, and bisexual rights? Possible themes: sexual repression, awakened identity, communal support / tension, and crossed boundaries.
Part 6. Re-membered Communities: Past Memory and Future Hopes
This chapter will conclude the anthology by examining the memories which Asian immigrants bring to New Zealand, how these intersect with their future; how children are being raised; what role (if any) religion plays in their lives; and how they see their lives in New Zealand society. In this way, the anthology will leave off where communities first began: with your own individual journey. Possible themes: travel, language learning, assimilation, personal beliefs, names & naming (of oneself, or one¡¯s children), homesickness, and first encounters.
Submission Information
Here are the specific guidelines for submitting your work:
1. Writing is to be in English, though authors may employ words or phrases from other languages should the writing clearly benefit from it.
2. All forms of writing are acceptable (poetry, short stories, nonfiction¡) to a recommended maximum of 6,000 words per piece. Include a stamped addressed envelope (SAE) if you wish it returned.
3. Writers may send any number of pieces they like, though are advised that only work which reflects a good standard of writing is likely to receive full consideration.
4. The writing is to be your own original work and not submitted elsewhere for simultaneously consideration.
5. Submissions should include a letter providing your name, full contact details, and target chapter area. Electronic copies of your submission will be sought as works are short listed for inclusion.
6. Sent submissions to:
Anthology Project, PO Box 6236,
Upper Riccarton 8442, Christchurch, New Zealand
Contributions are sought for a book of creative writing addressing the Asian experience in New Zealand. This is your chance to get published alongside your contemporaries and have a say about what it means to be an Asian New Zealander today.
Writing which addresses any of the following areas is especially encouraged: Growing up an Asian New Zealander; Work & the Workplace; Intercultural Friendship & Romance; Women¡¯s Issues; ¡®Gaysianz¡¯ & ¡®Lesbasianz¡¯ Come Out; and Past Memory & Future Hopes.
If you have questions or want more details, contact Daniel McKay (dmckay@purdue.edu). Send hard copies by 31st July 2007 to:
Anthology Project, PO Box 6236,
Upper Riccarton 8442, Christchurch, New Zealand
Guidelines:
1. Writing is to be in English, though authors may employ words or phrases from other languages should the writing clearly benefit from it.
2. All forms of writing are acceptable (poetry, short stories, nonfiction¡) to a recommended maximum of 6,000 words per piece. Include a stamped addressed envelope (SAE) if you wish it returned.
3. Writers may send any number of pieces they like, though are advised that only work which reflects a good standard of writing is likely to receive full consideration.
4. The writing is to be your own original work and not submitted elsewhere for simultaneously consideration.
5. Submissions should include a cover sheet providing your name, full contact details, and target chapter area. Electronic copies of your submission will be sought as works are short listed for inclusion. Please be patient!
Information for Contributors
Project Details
Uniquely dedicated to a particular community, the purpose of this project is to bring together a talented range of writers to explore some of the most pressing themes of what it means to be an Asian New Zealander. Although publications from this group are becoming gradually more visible, a selection of works within one volume is likely to both enhance the writers¡¯ profiles and also benefit the general public through the literature¡¯s greater accessibility. Regarding the type of literature sought, poetry, short stories (fiction or nonfiction), and personal essays are all valid and acceptable writing forms.
It is hoped that submissions will capture something of the ¡®feeling¡¯ of what it means to be Asian or Asian descended in New Zealand. The culture of immigrant communities obviously changes over time (and space) but it survives, and grows ¨C and is growing, dynamically, prominently, and above all creatively. Sometimes this growth is dizzying, alarming even, but Asian communities are experienced at transitions. This anthology is obviously concerned with those transitions, past, present and future. It is creativity in process. It is about change ¨C national, emotional, familial, and communal. Above all, it is about expression.
In the wider social context, the project offers a chance to redirect issues away from the fringe of society toward centre stage. Long term, this may partly be accomplished through the availability of this text for teaching purposes. The readership is therefore imagined to contain a significant number of nonasians as well as those who seek to better comprehend their own community. Writers should take the multiple readerships this anthology faces into account when fashioning their submissions.
That said, a ¡®sanitised¡¯ approach toward satisfying every possible reader is unlikely to leave themes properly addressed. It is for this reason that the anthology¡¯s chapters are structured to encourage the expression of particular viewpoints; viewpoints which might otherwise be marginalised, both outside and potentially within the Asian New Zealand community. In sum, the book offers a chance for any writer, published or emerging, to put across their perspective on issues relevant to the Asian New Zealand community.
Chapter Summaries
The following chapters are suggested as guidelines for the type of themes your writing might deal with. Each is about either a particular issue (such as relationships across boundaries) or a particular group¡¯s opinions (such as women¡¯s). Though writing which falls outside these parameters can also be submitted, contributors are encouraged to use the following as prompts for their work.
Part 1. Shout Space: Growing up an Asian New Zealander
Have you ever felt that an issue or experience is so important that it should be shouted for all the world to hear? As a moment of awakening, few times in one¡¯s life are as significant as childhood and youth. ¡®Shout space¡¯ implores the necessity for a ¡®space¡¯ (cultural, literary, political, visual¡) where little or none existed before. This opening chapter will give due and sufficient space to the youth experience of Asian New Zealanders. Possible themes: coming-of-age, the generation gap, family issues, media representations, neighbours & neighbourhoods, (bi)racial identity, and school communities.
Part 2. About the Place: Work Eth(n)ics
Asian New Zealanders can be seen about the place. They own shops, sit on committees, write newspaper columns, and do jury service just like any other Kiwi. But language issues (presumed or real), prejudice from one¡¯s peers, and cultural stereotypes can make things difficult. Where are you in your work and where do you want to go? What is it ¡®about the place¡¯ which helps or hinders you? This chapter will be devoted to this important and universal concern. Possible themes: legal history, the glass ceiling, racial stereotyping, social activism, and individual stories.
Part 3. About Face: Intercultural Friendship & Romance
In a multicultural society, no face is automatically foreign ¨C or is it? Superficially, most relationships begin with a face, but not every face communicates the same messages and sometimes it depends who you¡¯re talking to. Chapter 3 celebrates those relationships which have transcended the ethnic/racial divide, as well as paying special note of how disillusionment can arise. The potential of intercultural encounters to bring joy or pain into one¡¯s life will make this chapter a highly emotive one. Possible themes: love, (mis)trust, disappointment, compromise, enduring friendship, and racial-sexual stereotypes.
Part 4. In-gendered Divisions: Women Speak Out
In a nation with a woman Prime Minister, women¡¯s rights may seem both prominent and secure. But how is it for Asian New Zealand women today? This chapter provides you the opportunity to speak for yourselves about life within the Asian New Zealand community. What is expected of you, and not expected of you? How do you communicate your opinions and feelings? Is your life contented and fulfilled? Harmonious or fractured? What compromise needs to be struck between preserving traditions and fulfilling ambitions? Possible themes: family roles, individual aspiration / sacrifice, changing traditions, marriage, the ¡®foreignness¡¯ of feminism, breaking trends, and lessons for others.
Part 5. Dis-membered Society: ¡®Gaysianz¡¯ & ¡®Lesbasianz¡¯ Come Out
Of every ethnic/racial group in New Zealand, people of Asian descent are least likely to express their gay, lesbian or bisexual identity. Yet the discomfort which denial brings is hard for anyone to ignore. This chapter will feature pieces exploring the causes (familial, societal, psychological¡) which enforce this silence. What does it mean to ¡®come out¡¯ in an Asian community, and in New Zealand as a whole? What is it like to be a sexual minority within an ethnic/racial minority? How much solidarity exists within the community to support gay, lesbian, and bisexual rights? Possible themes: sexual repression, awakened identity, communal support / tension, and crossed boundaries.
Part 6. Re-membered Communities: Past Memory and Future Hopes
This chapter will conclude the anthology by examining the memories which Asian immigrants bring to New Zealand, how these intersect with their future; how children are being raised; what role (if any) religion plays in their lives; and how they see their lives in New Zealand society. In this way, the anthology will leave off where communities first began: with your own individual journey. Possible themes: travel, language learning, assimilation, personal beliefs, names & naming (of oneself, or one¡¯s children), homesickness, and first encounters.
Submission Information
Here are the specific guidelines for submitting your work:
1. Writing is to be in English, though authors may employ words or phrases from other languages should the writing clearly benefit from it.
2. All forms of writing are acceptable (poetry, short stories, nonfiction¡) to a recommended maximum of 6,000 words per piece. Include a stamped addressed envelope (SAE) if you wish it returned.
3. Writers may send any number of pieces they like, though are advised that only work which reflects a good standard of writing is likely to receive full consideration.
4. The writing is to be your own original work and not submitted elsewhere for simultaneously consideration.
5. Submissions should include a letter providing your name, full contact details, and target chapter area. Electronic copies of your submission will be sought as works are short listed for inclusion.
6. Sent submissions to:
Anthology Project, PO Box 6236,
Upper Riccarton 8442, Christchurch, New Zealand