Where were you when the clock struck midnight in the very first moments of the 21st century? Did you even exist? I remember where I was. On the roof of The Fortress club just off Old Street, watching the distant fireworks erupt over the river Thames, wondering about the millennium bug, feeling unusually straight and sober.
And now we’re nearly a quarter of the way in. The list of things that have come about is already bewildering, the list of things that haven’t is infinitely longer.
So what is the 21st century. What is its voice? What is its soul? Where are we headed next? What does it feel like to be catapulted into it, to be born into it? What do we want, what do we need, and what the hell is going on!?
’50 Poems for the 21st Century’ is an ambitious project to gather together 50 pieces of text and accompanying images to reflect what has been, what it feels like in the now, and where we might be headed next.
Writers and visual artists of all backgrounds, styles and experience are invited to submit up to three pieces of work that respond to the theme, for publication in print and digital formats in spring/summer 2023.
(Writers whose work relies heavily on layout or visual elements are welcome to use the image submission fields)
Closing date for submissions 30th April 2023.
Submissions are free and our submissions form is here.
Image credit: Rebecca Mendoza – Dawn drawing