Notice! Currently Accepting Submissions!

Works are to be submitted by February 6, 2015
 The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College at the City University of New York publishes the Killens Review of Arts & Letters, a twice-yearly literary journal that provides widely known authors and artists, as well as emerging writers, poets and artists, and educators and students opportunities to create and expand the canon of literature produced by writers of color. Presented at the Tenth National Black Writers Conference, the Killens Review of Arts & Letters is a journal that began with the commitment to support the mission and work of the Chair for the late John Oliver Killens, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, activist, educator, and founder of the National Black Writers Conference at Medgar Evers College.

 

The Killens Review of Arts & Letters includes essays, fiction, short stories, creative nonfiction, art, poetry, and interviews by an array of writers of the African Diaspora. The journal also aims to feature the works of those Black writers who may have been left out of the Western literary canon. It is important that we continue to provide and remind the general public, students, faculty, and those in the literary and publishing communities about the significance of the broad range of works produced by Black writers.  For submission guidelines see below.

Call for Papers:

The Spring/Summer 2015 issue of the Killens Review of Arts & Letters seeks submissions, fiction, essays, poetry, and artwork that reflect the impact of activism in contemporary literary works and art.

Works are to be submitted by February 6, 2015.

THEME:

Killens Review of Arts & Letters, Spring/Summer 2015

The Next Wave 

In 1926, Langston Hughes noted that “We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. …We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”

It’s been nearly 90 years since Hughes offered his credo, and writers across the African diaspora have been and continue to create bold and imaginative narratives in works covering a wide range of genres that have fulfilled his call.

Under the theme of “The Next Wave,” the Spring 2015 issue of the Killens Review of Arts & Lettersseeks submissions of fiction, essays, poetry, and artwork that represent the literature and language that are influenced by current events in the Americas, the Caribbean, and throughout the African diaspora.

The Killens Review of Arts & Letters is a peer-reviewed journal that welcomes Black poets, novelists, short story writers, playwrights, journalists, essayists, scholars, emerging writers, and artists whose literature and art speak to the general public and to an intergenerational range of readers represented throughout the African diaspora.

 

Submission of Material

The Killens Review of Arts & Letters is published once or twice a year by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. The Killens Review seeks book reviews, essays, short stories, creative nonfiction, art, poetry, and interviews related to the various cultural, sociopolitical, and historical experiences of writers and artists from the African diaspora. The aim is to provide well-known and lesser-known authors as well as educators and students opportunities to create and expand the canon of literature produced by people of color.

While the Killens Review of Arts & Letters welcomes unsolicited material, we prefer to publish original material, i.e. first-ever publication. Unless otherwise selected by the editors, we cannot run a piece that has previously appeared elsewhere in print or on the Web. Please submit to only one category at a time: essay, fiction, interview, poetry, prose, and art. We aim to respond to your submission within two months.

 

Essay, Fiction, and Prose

• Please send one piece at a time. We have no set maximum length or minimum length for prose submissions. (The average word count is about 1,500–2,000 words.) Most submissions, however, are between 2,000 – 4,000 words.
• Please set up your submission in letter-sized format, with ample margins, double-spaced, using a standard typeface (e.g., Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial) and font size (12 point is best).
• Include your name, title of the work, and page numbers on your submission.
• Also include a one- to two-sentence bio about the author. If the submission is an academic essay with references, please include your bibliography at the end.

 

Please do not submit book manuscripts.

Poetry: Please send up to three poems.

Art and Photography: We welcome all types of image submissions. Please include a short note about the context of the images and title and/or caption information. Please include no more than six hi-res jpegs (at 300 dpi).

Electronic and Postal Submissions

Kindly e-mail material to writers@mec.cuny.edu with “Killens Review” in the subject heading.

Please include a brief introduction of yourself and of the work being submitted.

On the first page of your submission be sure to include:

• 1. Your name
• 2. Telephone number
• 3. e-mail address

 

Please make sure the pages are numbered.

Or mail material to

Center for Black Literature

Medgar Evers College, CUNY

1650 Bedford Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11225

 

 

RE: Killens Review

Material will only be returned if the sender includes a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE).

The  Killens Review of Arts & Letters  is published by The Center for Black Literature (CBL) at Medgar Evers College, of the City University of New York, 1650 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; telephone: 718-804-8883

Material in this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBL. The Killens Review of Arts & Letters cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or artwork.

Mission

The late John Oliver Killens, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, activist, educator, and founder of the National Black Writers Conference at Medgar Evers College, shared these inspiring words with an audience after a public reading for the publication of his landmark book Youngblood. In this spirit, The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College publishes the Killens Review of Arts & Letters, a biannual literary journal aimed to provide established writers and artists, as well as emerging authors, poets, visual artists, and educators and students opportunities to create and expand the canon of literature produced by writers of color. With its inaugural issue, presented at the Tenth National Black Writers Conference, the Killens Review of Arts & Letters began with the commitment to support the mission and work of the John Oliver Killens Chair. The Killens Review of Arts & Letters includes essays, creative nonfiction, short stories, art, poetry, and interviews with authors and artists. Each publication will offer writers and artists, and scholars and students the chance to share their work. The journal will also feature the works of those writers of the African diaspora who may have been left out of the Western literary canon. It is important that we continue to provide and remind the general public, students, faculty, and those in the literary and publishing communities about the significance of the broad range of works produced by Black writers.