Usawa: Call for Submissions - June 2025 Issue
MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE
Isn’t premonition memory of the future? Did Proust say writers have a blurred memory of things they do not know?
Memory by Priya Sarukkai Chabria,
Calling Over Water
Time flows linearly. We move forward and then memories sneak up and take us back or rather, bring to the present what once was. And in dreams instead of falling downwards, the sand in our hourglass may start moving up.
All memory is imagination. All dreams are…well dreams.
Imagining, dreaming, and remembering by their very nature resist censor. Are they acts of resistance then? Then writing in their language must be too.
When we mine your dreams tomorrow what would we find?
For its Summer 2025 Issue, Usawa Literary Review invites contributions in genres of poetry, short fiction, reviews, interviews, essays, and creative non-fiction, based around the theme, ‘Memories of the Future ’.
There is no submission fee.
Deadline: 25th April 2025
We pay 1000 INR/12 $ for an accepted piece.
Section Guidelines
Poetry:
Please submit 4-6 poems.
Usawa will be publishing unpublished poems only. However, poems that have been shared on the author’s social media are acceptable.
If you have previously published work that strongly resonates with our theme kindly share the same with our Poetry Editor, Babitha Marina Justin, at:
stating why you would like the piece to be considered. The body of editors will review it collectively and take a decision accordingly.
Short Fiction:
Submit short fiction of length between 2000-5000 words.
While our primary focus is on literary fiction that explores the depth and complexity of the human experience, we are also open to exceptional works of genre fiction that push boundaries and offer fresh perspectives. Bring us stories with emotional depth, vivid characterization, and inventive storytelling.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Smita Sahay, can be reached at:
for queries.
Translations:
Include at least 4 poems or a text ranging from 2000-5000 words for consideration. The translation should be alongside the source text.
Please ensure that you have the original author’s consent and mention the same in your submission. Include the original author’s short bio and photograph if possible.
Our Translations Editor, Sonakshi Srivastava, can be reached at:
for queries.
Book Reviews:
Submit 1000-1500 word book reviews. Reviews can be of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction books.
Submission Guidelines for Book Reviews
Our Reviews Editor, Ankush Banerjee, can be reached at:
for queries.
Nonfiction:
Submit nonfiction of length up to 5000 words.
We are looking for pieces that reflect honesty of the experience, personal or from the point of witness. What are you subverting? Why? Send us well-crafted writings, especially essays, or even hybrid pieces, in a way that we look at the world anew even though the facts remain the same. We’re most excited by not only reading about things little known or talked about, but also by pieces that subvert and surprise.
Our Nonfiction Editor, Smita Sahay, can be reached at:
for queries.
Visual Narrative submissions:
Please send up to six-eight stand-alone photographs or photo essays in .jpeg format at 300dpi along with an artist statement or a paragraph about the inspiration behind your piece to our Visual Narratives Editor, Priyanka Sacheti at:
priyanka@usawa.in
We are looking for images which see the world anew, the camera revealing what our gaze sometimes overlooks. There are so many ways of looking and we are particularly interested in those images moving away from and challenging the patriarchal/male gaze. We would also like to see images where the framing of a subject is as much a story as the subject itself.
We welcome both landscape and portrait-oriented images as well as colour and black and white images.
Visual Narratives FAQ
Interview Submissions:
The interview piece should have at least 5-8 questions. Kindly mention whether you have taken the interview in person, by any virtual tool, or through questionnaires. Kindly include a short description of 100 words, highlighting what made you choose the individual.
We are looking for interviews of people from every sphere of the society. Since our world is built with dreams, hard work, kindness, and compassion, our objective is to understand people who embody these traits in their work. Our idea is to acknowledge and celebrate an individual’s contributions towards shaping the society.
Our Interviews Editor, Kabir Deb, can be reached at:
for queries.
More information and submission form here.
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