In the past year we have witnessed chaos and cruelty on an epic scale. While capitalism fuels armed conflicts across the known world, it simultaneously facilitates the broadcast of genocides in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo; we have all been implicitly asked to pick sides.

But what of those who do not choose? Of those that do not feel it is there place? — What creates the duty of community and who are its participants? What is its role? Lampblack’s Community issue seeks to interrogate these questions through writing.

This fourth issue of the Lampblack Magazine will feature authors who have participated in our various programs, as well as those we have yet to meet. By combining these elements, we hope to affirm and expand our community while giving readers a broader sense of today’s Black writerly thought and insight into where we stand during a world in conflict.

Offer us work that best represents who you are as a writer. We will consider all submissions, regardless singularly on the strength of its craft. If you are looking for a prompt, feel free to write about what community means to you.

Submission Guidelines

From March 1st until April 1st, Lampblack is accepting submissions of previously unpublished poetry, prose and criticism for its Community issue.

Please submit no more than 5 pages of poetry or 15 pages of prose via email to magazine@lampblacklit.com. Please include your name, the title of your submission, and the genre you are submitting to in the subject line of your submission.

We will pay $350 for accepted submissions in any genre. If your work is accepted, please be aware that Lampblack will likely ask you to take part in promotional readings and events. 

We encourage you to read our Lab[our] issue to gain a sense of our aesthetic, which is available on our website and in local independent bookstores. If you cannot afford to purchase one of our Founders’ issues and would like to read it before submitting, please reach out to us at magazine@lampblacklit.com informing us of your situation and we will ensure you are provided with a digital copy of the magazine free of charge.

*Lampblack is an organization committed to the advancement of Black literature through direct aid, programs for writers and readers of Black literature, and publishing a magazine dedicated to voices from the Black diaspora. We strive to challenge common conceptions of “Black” literature in what we publish in our magazine. Be bold. Be provocative. Be transgressive. Be yourself.