Call for Submissions – Ideas That Travel
Thanks to the kind support of the Lotto Foundation Berlin, we’ve been able to bring you a variety of new voices through our [pocolit space] project. We want to create spaces to discuss and learn about postcolonialism. One of these spaces is our online magazine and we are seeking out new contributions. This is our 2. call for submissions and we are looking for pieces about “Ideas that Travel”. Please send us your pitch!
In 1982, famous postcolonial theorist Edward Said published his essay “Traveling Theory”. Said shows how enriching it can be when theories developed in one context are adopted in another. However, he also warns against doing so uncritically. Every context is different and therefore requires, for example, in-depth reflection about the interplay between local histories and particular theories, or the use of a different kind of terminology.
The German anti-racism discourse, for example, repeatedly takes up impulses from the US-American context. There are numerous points of overlap. However, the histories of racism in these countries differ – in the US, it is characterized, among other things, by the enslavement of Africans; in Germany, many Black people experienced isolation as a result of the Nazi era. Theories and discourses from other contexts might serve as inspiration for emancipatory movements; but they might also change on the journey, and make different meanings upon arrival. From May to August, we will publish your contributions about the challenges of the (un)translatability of certain concepts, discourses and practices that travel across borders.
We warmly invite you to send us your work that relates to the topic of “ideas that travel”. Which ideas or concepts have moved from one context to another? How have they changed or developed in the process, and were they influential? You are welcome to write creative essays on their general impact, or how these travelling ideas affect you personally. Which people play a role in relation to “ideas that travel”? Would you want to interview them or write a portrait about them? What novels tell stories about “ideas that travel”? Send us your pitch for a review that shows this connection.
Framework:
- Types of text: reviews, essays & interviews (reviews are particularly relevant for poco.lit.)
- Word limit: reviews 300-500 words, essays & interviews 800-1000 words
- Language: English or German, for a non-academic audience
- Payment: reviews 60 €, essays and interviews 120 € (you need a European bank account or PayPal.)
- Contributions from BIPOC are particularly welcome
First, we just want your pitch. You can send the entire piece later (May 20th, or June 15th). Send us your pitch to info@pocolit.com with the subject “poco.lit. space pitch.” Deadline: May 3rd. If your suggestion is a good fit for poco.lit., we’ll discuss further arrangements with you.
We welcome creative, thoughtful and accessible pieces!