Call for submissions – Bulbul, a Middle East literary and arts publication

January 14, 2019

About

Bulbul is an annual publication of art and literature affiliated with Brown University’s program in Middle East Studies. We are interested in art that critically reflects upon the societies, cultures, histories, and stories relevant to the expanded Middle East. We accept submissions of prose, poetry, photography, visual arts, original translations, and audiovisual materials.

Our symbol—the bulbul—is reflective of our posture regarding the Middle East. The bulbul is a songbird, sometimes identified with the nightingale, which lives across a wide variety of environments. The word “bulbul” is found in numerous languages, with no clear sense for which language it originated in, and was introduced into English in recent history. Some bulbuls are migratory, while others prefer fixed habitats. Bulbuls possess a variety of appearances and perform a variety of calls. For centuries, the bulbul has been favored as a symbol by artists of numerous societies. And as with so much of the world, the bulbul is in danger from both immediate and oncoming environmental devastations caused by humans.

We hope to provide a forum for artwork which encourages reflection and critique, challenging paradigms and imagining alternative visions of what society might be and could have been. To that end, we welcome submissions that take part in ongoing conversations about current social issues, including but not limited to class, gender, religion, environment, migration, poverty, identity, violence, and sexuality. We are open to submissions from artists of all backgrounds producing art across diverse genres.

Submission Guidelines

Bulbul publishes artwork across a variety of genres. We encourage submissions from artists of all backgrounds over the age of eighteen, and are open to various forms of art: prose, poetry, photography, visual arts, original translations, and audiovisual materials. While prospective contributors may submit up to three pieces for consideration per round, we will only publish one piece per contributor in a single issue.

Our current submission round closes on May 1st, 2019.

Guidelines

• Prose submissions should be limited to 10,000 words.

• Poetry submissions should be limited to 3,000 words.

• Prose and poetry submissions should be formatted in Courier or Times New Roman 12 pt. font with regular margins. File formats for submissions should be .doc or .docx.

• We accept various forms of visual art, including but not limited to: photography, sketches, line art, comic strips, and graphic art.

• Audiovisual submissions should be limited to 10.00 minutes in length.

• For original translations into English, submissions must be based upon open-source materials or include permission from the original author.

If you have questions regarding other forms of artwork not discussed in our guidelines–such as one-act plays or short graphic novels–please feel free to contact us. 

Please feel free to reach out with questions regarding whether your submission will be considered before self-rejecting–we hope to accommodate as many creative mediums as possible.

Call for Submissions

Bulbul is an annual publication of art and literature affiliated with Brown University’s program in Middle East Studies. We are currently inviting submissions critically reflecting upon the societies, cultures, histories, and stories relevant to the Middle East. We welcome submissions that take part in ongoing conversations about current social issues, including but not limited to class, gender, religion, environment, migration, poverty, identity, violence, and sexuality.

Submissions may take the form of prose, poetry, photography, visual arts, original translations, and audiovisual materials. We are open to submissions from artists of all backgrounds producing art across diverse genres.

Please send all questions and submissions to bulbul@brown.edu. Our current round of submissions closes on May 1st, 2019.