Sinister Wisdom: SWANA Dykes
Call for Submissions

The SWANA Dykes issue of Sinister Wisdom will highlight poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, oral histories, visual art, and genre-bending work from Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) dyke, lesbian, queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming artists.

Submissions from Black transgender and gender non-conforming artists will be prioritized. The SWANA region is often referred to as “The Middle East.” This terminology is Eurocentric and homogenizes a vast region that consists of people of diverse histories, ethnicities, cultures, religions, and languages. SWANA serves as a regional signifer rather than a political or racial one. Artists from the SWANA region as well as various SWANA diasporas are welcome to submit.

We want work that showcases SWANA dykes in their most authentic element, work that calls upon SWANA dykes who are ready and willing to tell their stories, SWANA dykes who are looking for a home for their stories. We’re seeking work that deconstructs social categorization - racial, gender, nationalist, religious, and sexual categorizations placed upon those deemed other by imperialism, colonialism, and
militarization. Art that interrogates the experiences of violence against diasporic people and that decries violence perpetuated within the SWANA region—such as the U.S. Muslim Ban enacted in 2017, the Kafala System, an abusive system against migrant domestic workers, and the 75+ years of the occupation of Palestine.

This issue of Sinister Wisdom aims to create conversations surrounding the diverse experiences of SWANA dykes and recognize their stories in different mediums. We’re seeking work that explores the myriad of ways dykes relate to each other—art that celebrates sex, sensuality, and romantic love. Art that is lustful and intimate. Art that is bitter and sardonic. Art that is craving and crying at the same time.

We want pieces that explore the different ways dykes relate to the world at large—art that thrashes against hetero- and cis-normative confines. Art that seeps with rage against militarization and memorializes those lost to warfare and violence. Art that is full of love for those who fight against repression and cultivate futures for their loved ones.

Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, oral histories, visual art, and genre-bending work will be accepted through September 20th, 2024 to March 30th, 2025. Written pieces can be in any language but must include an English translation. Artists are welcome to add a pseudonym under which they would like to be published if there are privacy concerns. Previous publication experience is not required. Submissions are accepted through the Sinister Wisdom Submittable and should be submitted as one document of up to 10 pages, along with a brief bio and any applicable social media.

We look forward to reading your piercing, insightful, critical, hilarious work.