CivicLeicester, a community media channel is inviting and accepting poems and short fiction on the theme, Settled Status or Indefinite Leave to Remain for All.

The editors will also consider poems and short fiction exploring themes that include:
● lived experience of being a migrant or an undocumented migrant or seeking refuge in Britain and the Irish States,
● migrant, undocumented migrant or refugee experiences of rural and urban life, education, housing, work, healthcare, immigration and asylum systems, and
● the hostile environment.

The call for submissions is inspired by how, in Britain and the Irish States, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, several coalitions, including the Status Now Network (SNN), Members of Parliament (MPs) and groups that are concerned about the welfare of refugees and migrants are calling for settled status or indefinite leave to remain to be granted to all people who have insecure immigration status or are undocumented or in the legal process so that the people can access healthcare, housing, food and vaccines.

The group also welcome submissions from writers of all ages, based anywhere in the world. Submissions should respond to or explore the themes set out in this call for submissions.

Send the poems and short fiction to [email protected] by 11pm on Wednesday, 30 June 2021.

Submission Guidelines

● Poems should be 40 lines or less, and short fiction, 100 words or less.
● The poems and short fiction should be on the theme, Settled Status or Indefinite Leave to Remain for All.
● Submissions must be in English. In the case of translated work, it is the translator’s responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder of the original work.
● If submitting a poem or short fiction which has been previously published, please give details of where it has appeared and confirm that you are the copyright holder.
● Ideally submissions will be typed single spaced and submitted either in the body of an email or as a .doc attachment.
● Please include a short biography of 50 words or less. This will be included in the anthology if your poem is accepted. If you do not send a biography, it will be assumed you do not wish your biography to appear in the anthology.
● You may submit a maximum of three poems or three pieces of short fiction or a combination of poems and short fiction. You do not have to submit all three at the same time, but the editors can only consider a maximum of three submissions.
● They welcome submissions from writers of all ages, based anywhere in the world.