Deadline: September 1, 2025
Submit to: submissions@artisansquill.com
Enquiries: info@artisansquill.com

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“Before the printed word, there was the performed one.”

Praise songs. Proverbs. Dirges. Incantations. Lullabies. Folktales.

These are the breaths of our ancestors—oral forms passed from tongue to tongue, across generations. But what happens when these ancient vessels meet contemporary voices, truths, and tensions?

For this special issue of Artisans Quill, we invite writers, poets, performers, and thinkers to reimagine African oral literary forms through a modern lens. We’re calling this issue:

Old Forms, New Words

We want work that revives, remixes, or responds to oral traditions. Let your poetry chant. Let your flash fiction echo the rhythm of a folktale. Let your essays sing like proverbs. Whether you’re working in English, a local language, or a fusion of both—we want to hear what happens when the old speaks through the new.

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What We’re Looking For

Genres (original or translated):

• Praise poetry / Oríkì
• Dirges and laments
• Riddles, proverbs, or aphorisms
• Folktales and fables (traditional or contemporary retellings)
• Call-and-response narratives
• Incantations, lullabies, chants
• Lyric essays and reflections on oral forms
• Audio, performance, or multimedia pieces (via link or file)

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Interpretation Is Open

• A praise poem for a modern woman
• A climate-change folktale
• A lullaby for a child born in war
• A fragmented call-and-response between memory and migration
• A personal essay reflecting on your grandmother’s proverbs

Bring us something grounded, inventive, and emotionally resonant.

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Submission Guidelines

• Up to 3 poems or 1–2 prose pieces (maximum 1,200 words each)
• Attach files as .doc, .docx, or .pdf
• Title your email: Submission – Old Forms – [Your Name]
• Include a short third-person bio (50–80 words) in the body of your email
• Simultaneous submissions welcome. Notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere.

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Submit by: September 1, 2025

To: submissions@artisansquill.com
Enquiries: info@artisansquill.com

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ArtisansQuill publishes original writing with an emphasis on philosophical, spiritual, cultural, and political resonance. Most importantly, we are committed to celebrating literary craft and honoring the roots from which it grows.

Let the ancestors whisper. Let your words answer.
We’re listening.

Full details at artisansquill.com

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