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Youth Speaks is now accepting submissions for our poetry Anthology!
For over a decade, the Youth Speaks anthology has immortalized the voices of young poets throughout the Bay Area and across the globe. The publication began in 1997 with our first self-published anthology, then in 2004, Youth Speaks partnered with McSweeney’s to create the book and CD set My Words Consume Me, and in 2006 published Hearts Shaped Like Cities with our own First Word Press. In 2008, we continue our dedication to publishing the words of young writers, and we want you to be involved!
Our anthology is a compilation of poetry by young people around the country who have shared their poems at our under-21 Open Mics, attended our free after school workshops, participated in our in-school residencies, competed in our Annual Teen Poetry Slam and participated in Brave New Voices, the National Youth Poetry Slam Festival. The anthology is an opportunity for Youth Speaks to highlight the written works of the youth we serve, giving shine to those who craft specifically for the page.
About The Press
Because of Youth Speaks' continuous growth and increasing connections
to poets across the country due to the success of Brave New Voices
, it is only appropriate that the Anthology becomes national. While the writers, distribution scale, and overall scope has evolved over the years, the goal of the Anthology remains the same: transporting the writing of young people from the stage, notebook, and memory to the published page.
Youth Speaks established First Word Press in 2003 to publish the first manuscripts of young writers. All books and CDs feature the collected poems, plays, short stories, and other writings of the best young writers who have demonstrated exemplary skill in and dedication to Youth Speaks programming. Past authors and artists include George Watsky, Katri Foster, Dalia Yedidia, Kirya Traber, Chinaka Hodge, Adriel Luis, and Ayoka Stewart. In addition to the publication of individual manuscripts, the Youth Speaks’ Anthology serves as an ideal method of canonizing and documenting an array of the works of the Bay Area’s best emerging wordsmiths.
WHO CAN SUBMIT?
All young writers are encouraged to submit.
To be considered for publication in our anthology, writers must be under the age of 21.
HOW TO SUBMIT
If you would like to submit please email a maximum of 3 pieces or five pages. All works must be Left Justified, and 12 point Times New Roman Font. Entries should be emailed* as a Word document attachment to anthology@youthspeaks.org.
At the top of your entry please include your:
Name
Age
School
Email
Contact Phone Number
City of Residence
How you first got involved with Youth Speaks
Please include the word "SUBMISSION" in the subject line of your email.
Any entries that do not follow the submission guidelines will not be considered.
* If you do not have access to a computer--
Please call Chinaka Hodge at 415.255.9035, ext. 14 to ask about other ways of submitting your work.*
APPLICATION TIMELINE
The Youth Speaks Anthology will be released in July of 2008 at Brave New Voices, The Annual Youth Poetry Slam and Festival in Washington, D.C.
In order to ensure that the publication is ready in time, we must stick to a few key deadlines:
January 15th, 2008: First Round Deadline for Submission.
January 30th , 2008: First Round Applicants informed of decision/revisions requested.
February 15th, 2008: Second Round Deadline for Submission.
February 28th, 2008: Second Round Applicants informed of decision/revisions requested.
March 15th, 2008: Final Round Deadline for Submission.
March 30th, 2008: Final Round Applicants and Slam Finalists informed of decision/revisions requested.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you and reading your work. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions. Youth Speaks … because the next generation can speak for itself.