Black Warrior Review Now Offering No-Fee Contest Submissions to Black Writers
Black Warrior Review is a biannual print literary magazine that has been publishing exciting established and emerging literary talents since 1974. The journal is published by the students in The University of Alabama’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.
In an effort to do their part and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, they have gathered donations to launch an effort to provide free contest submissions for up to 400 Black writers to their annual writing contest. This will not be a one-off initiative, but a sustained effort they will continue into the future. In their July 28 announcement, the BWR staff stated “This is part of a much larger effort/wish of the BWR staff to do away with contest fees, but an undertaking such as this has to start somewhere, and in this pivotal moment this is our focus.”
They recognize this effort alone is not enough and are doing their best to continue to prioritize ways in which they can make their journal a more equitable place where all Writers of Color can feel welcomed and supported.
The 2020 contest judges are Paul Tran, Lucy Corin, Mayukh Sen, and C Pam Zhang. Categories are Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Flash. The winners of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry will receive $1,000 and publication in the Spring 2021 issue. The Flash winner will receive $500 and publication in the Spring 2021 issue. Deadline to submit is September 1.
