The Present Underworld: Rooted Wayfinding in Fragmentary Times

PRINT & AUDIO SUBMISSIONS

 
 

This anthology, tentatively named The Present Underworld: Rooted Wayfinding in Fragmentary Times, will invoke a visual and narrative journey through an underworld inhabited by more-than-human beings, curious artifacts, textures, feelings, and fragments of wisdom that are slowly united to experience a semblance of connection, sense- and place-making. Formats include a printed book with an accompanying vinyl record that will also be available by digital download and offered at sliding-scale for community accessibility.

 
 
 
 

Themes include

  • Meaning making within an age of isolation, grief, and loneliness

  • Underworld mythology

  • Questions of “the monstrous”

  • Wayfinding in the shadow realm  

  • Practices of gratitude and community building

  • Emotional regulation in the face of an accelerating, fragmented world

  • Making sense of a world with no hero, no cure, no savior

  • Reunion with the world and connection to the more-than-human

  • The holobiont and decentering the human story

 

Submission Guidelines

  • Please submit as soon as available, no later than Jan 1, 2024.

  • If you have confirmed your participation but are not ready to submit files, share your bio and a note letting us know when to expect your material with Button No 1.

  • Writing submissions: Maximum of 3000 words or close (DOC or DOCX file type)

  • Artwork: Grayscale or Black/White, CMYK, 300 DPI (JPG, PNG, or TIFF)

  • If total files are over 500 MB, reach out to design@forthewild.world for further instruction

 
 
 

What happens next?

OUR PUBLICATION PROCESS

The publishing process will span out over the next year and you can expect us to reach out a number of times.
Your steps will include…

1
Contribution
Join us by submitting your work.


2
Relationship & Reciprocity
Review and sign your publishing contract.
Connect us with the preferred method to receive your contributor honorarium.


3
Editing
Review any suggestions or minor edits of your work using Google Docs.


4
Design
Review and accept final presentation of your work.

5
Community Outreach
Share about the pre-sale and book launch. Help us get the anthology into your community.
We’d like to share the anthology with institutions, shelters, prisons, libraries, community commons, and beyond.

6
Receive
Receive your copy by mail, explore it for yourself,
and continue to share!

7
Journey with Us
We’re planning on celebrating the launch through a series of on-location talks and other experiences.
If you’d like to join us along the way, let us know.