Sunday Submissions: ‘The Best Asian Short Stories 2019’
Jordanian short-story writer Hisham Bustani is editing the 2019 Best Asian Short Stories anthology, and he’s looking for your experimental, translated works:
Bustani is particularly looking for more submissions “of works of in translation from Asian languages into English, especially from Arab Asian countries: Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Yemen.”
The annual collection — in which Bustani’s work has previously been featured — is published by the Singaporean publisher Kitaab. From the submission guidelines:
The focus of our 2019 issue is experimentation and we are looking for well-crafted stories that employ innovative narrative styles and writing techniques, take a multifaceted approach to their themes, encourage the reader to actively engage in (re)imagining the story, and seek to expand the boundaries of the short story genre.
We know that Asia speaks a diverse set of languages that express themselves in unique ways and endeavor to represent this linguistic and expressive diversity by encouraging the submission of translations from Asian languages into English. Submissions written directly in English are also welcome and will be considered on an equal basis. The anthology will be published in the last quarter of 2019.
All submissions will receive contributor copies; three editor-chosen works will also receive cash prizes.
Submissions between 3000-5000 words should be e-mailed to TBASSv2019@gmail.com before March 31, 2019. There is a $5 submission fee for those who can afford it; those who cannot should email kitaab.sg@gmail.com for a waiver.