Voices Blog

Palestine Series Submissions

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Polyphony Lit is seeking submissions for a Voices Blog series on the current conflict and humanitarian crisis in Palestine. In this series, we're seeking out stories buried under the rubble and we seek to amplify the voices of Palestinian writers during a time of strife and uncertainty.

 

This is an open call for poetry, fiction, CNF, and nonfiction articles. We are primarily seeking work written by Palestinian creators aged 12-25 (this could include writers currently living in Palestine, writers who are refugees due to the recent conflict, or writers of Palestinian descent from around the world who are looking for a platform to express their views on the recent conflict). However, if you believe that you have a valuable perspective to share on the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, we are open to multiple perspectives.

 

Please keep in mind that through this series, we intend to examine current events through a humanitarian lens, with a focus on how the conflict affects the lives of civilians.

 

Selected works will be featured in the blog series, which will launch in 2026, if we receive enough submissions.

This submission opportunity is separate from Polyphony Lit's seasonal issues. Submissions for this category will be considered for blog publication and not for publication in our seasonal issues. Constructive critique will not be provided for submission to this blog series.

 

To read some works from our previous blog series, please check out "Love in the Time of Banned Books" and "Wake Up, the War Is Here."

 

Submission Guidelines​

• Submissions will open on November 6th 2025 and will remain open until January 31st 2026 or until we reach our submission cap of 200 submissions.

• Please note that this is a separate submission category from Polyphony Lit's Volume 20 and Polyphony Lit's seasonal contests.​ Constructive critique will not be provided for submission to this blog series.

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Writer Qualifications​

• We are primarily seeking work written by Palestinian creators aged 12-25 (this could include writers currently living in Palestine, writers who are refugees due to the recent conflict, or writers of Palestinian descent from around the world who are looking for a platform to express their views on the recent conflict). However, if you believe that you have a valuable perspective to share on the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, we are open to multiple perspectives. Please keep in mind that through this series, we intend to examine current events through a humanitarian lens, with a focus on how the conflict affects the lives of civilians.

• We will primarily consider works written in English. However, if you would like to submit a piece written in Arabic or another language, then please email julian@polyphonylit.org to inquire if any our editors would be open to provide translations in another language.

• Submit a maximum of three pieces.

• If submitting multiple pieces, please upload as separate submissions. Multiple pieces submitted in a single document may be withdrawn, and you may be asked to resubmit your pieces separately.

• We accept simultaneous submissions and work that has been published elsewhere. If submitting previously published work, please send a message in Submittable noting where and when your work has been published, and if it is eligible for republication. If it is accepted for publication elsewhere after submitting to Polyphony Lit, please notify us immediately but do not withdraw your submission if you are still interested in publication at Polyphony Lit. If we accept a previously published submission for publication, we will acknowledge the place of the original publication.

• Submissions for the blog series are not eligible for the Claudia Ann Seaman Awards.

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Length

• Poetry must be 80 lines or less.

• Fiction and creative nonfiction must be 1,800 words or less.

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Formatting

• Do not put your name on the piece, as all work is blind juried.

• Submissions longer than one page should have the page number inserted at the top (right or left side) of every page, as it would help our Judge specify the location for their commentary.

• We accept submission in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats.

• We prefer common conventions:

  • Color: Black & white

  • Font Size: 12 pt throughout, including titles

  • Font Type: Times or Times New Roman

  • Margins: 1-inch at the top and bottom, and 1.25 inch at the left and right. One space after periods. There should be no extra returns after paragraphs unless you have a meaningful reason for the extra space.

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Using Submittable

• Please upload submissions through Submittable. We do not accept email submissions or hard copies via mail.

• Upload only one piece per submission file; to submit more than one piece, make more than one submission file.

• Submissions are free

• There is a submission cap of 200 submissions, so we may close submissions for the contest before the deadline if we receive 200 submissions. We recommend submitting early, to ensure that you do not miss the deadline.

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