Call for Submissions: Mukoli: The Magazine for Peace

At Mukoli, peacebuilding is central to our exploration of the relationship that humans share with other humans; with social, political, and cultural structures; as well as with nature and the environment. We believe that wherever there is a conflict, or a rupture in these relationships, the arts in their multitude of forms – visual, written, spoken, etc. – have the power to heal.

We offer a platform for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and multimedia art creations that engage with our vision. We are especially keen to publish marginalized, conflict-affected artists and writers. We aim to amplify multiple perspectives and aesthetics from globally diverse writing and artistic traditions.

Read on to explore the genres we accept and to familiarize yourself with our submission guidelines and editorial policy.

Our current submission window for the Summer ’24 & Winter ’24 issues is open up to 1 March ’24. Submissions received after 5 February ’24 will be considered only for the Winter ’24 issue.

Poetry

Submit a single document with no less than 3 – and no more than 5 – poems at a time.

No length limit, but we will probably not publish a novel in verse.
Send .doc, .docx, and .pdf files only.

Fiction
Send us your short fiction, including flash.
Submit up to 3 pieces of fiction under a total of 10,000 words in one document.
Only .doc, .docx, and .pdf files are accepted.

Non-fiction
Send us up to 5000 words of your creative non-fiction.
Only one essay at a time.
Submit .doc, .docx, and .pdf files only.

Translations
Currently, we accept translations of written texts from other languages into English only. Send us poems, fiction, and essays in translation.

To submit your translations, follow the guidelines for the specific genre in which you are submitting. For example, for both original and translated poetry, we will accept only 3-5 poems and no more.
Send .doc, .docx, and .pdf files only.

Art & New Media
We are interested in artwork that transgresses across genres, pushes conceptual boundaries, and uses different mediums (textual and/or non-textual) to highlight a relevant issue or tell an engaging story. If you have ideas for submission beyond the ones listed below, write to us at editor@mukoli.net.

We accept independently produced short films, video essays, and cinepoetry that have a run time of 10 mins or less. Submit .avi, mp4, and .mov files.

We also welcome illustrations, photographs, paintings, drawings, and other non-textual creations. Send us a single file of no more than 10 individual artworks that are tied together by a story or a narrative arc. Only .jpg, .jpeg, and .png files are accepted.

Submit your comics and graphic narratives (fiction and non-fiction) of up to 10 pages in a single .jpeg, .jpg, or .png file. We prefer 850-900px wide landscapes.

Finally, we want your sound poetry and spoken word poetry. We also invite you to take our readers on an exploration of traditional oral storytelling art forms from across the globe, or tell them your own. Send us your .mp3, .wav, or .mp4 audio recordings with not more than 10 minutes of content.

Editorial Policy 

• We consider original, previously unpublished work only.

• Any AI generated/assisted content must be acknowledged and declared as such.

• Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please let us know if – and as soon as – your work is accepted elsewhere.

• Please do not submit to more than one category/genre in one reading cycle.

• If your current submission is not a good fit for our magazine, we welcome you to send us your other work in a subsequent reading cycle. Please do not send us the same submission twice. We also do not accept unsolicited rewrites.

• We do not charge a submission fee.

• We aim to revert with a publication decision in less than three months.

• We pay $75 for each accepted contribution.

• Upon publication, we acquire First World Serial Rights and First World Electronic Rights. Following publication, all rights revert to the writer/translator/artist; we only ask that you credit our magazine as the place your work first appeared in.

We accept submissions only through our Submissions Manager. Contact us through the website if a disability or impairment prevents you from using the manager and you need our assistance in the submission process.

Submission link here.