We invite writers to contribute their short and longer fictions to CultureCult’s upcoming anthology, “Mono No Aware“
“Mono no aware” is a Japanese term that captures the deep awareness of the transient nature of life and beauty, evoking a gentle sadness at their passing. It is the bittersweet realization that all things are fleeting, and it invites us to appreciate the ephemeral moments that make life beautiful. Stories in this anthology should resonate with the theme of transience, evoking the delicate beauty found in moments that are destined to fade.
THE FINAL DATE OF SUBMISSION IS JULY 21, 2024
Come up with your own story or feel free to take inspiration from one of our writing prompts below:
1) When I fell for a young artist’s ephemeral installations in nature, I should’ve known that her creations always get reclaimed by the elements, sooner than later.
2) We are on a quest to photograph the fleeting bloom that appears once every hundred years atop a mountain which is (almost) impossible to climb.
3) After accidentally attaining the keys to eternal life, an ordinary man becomes acutely aware of the fleeting nature of life and the world around him
4) An intelligent species that only lives for a day. When a researcher stumbles upon one of the greatest discoveries in science, her ideas about life as we know it is about to change.
5) She obsessively travels from one moment of grief in time to another. He keeps trying to lead the time machine to moments of beauty, but she refuses to give up control.
6) A soldier in a bygone war writes a series letters to a loved one, aware that each letter could be their last.
7) Two lovers separated by memory meet once a year under a cherry blossom tree, not knowing each meeting is both their first and their last.
8) As a family leaves their beautiful ancestral home during a genocide, a man explains to his son how change has been the only constant in human history
WE ARE ACCEPTING:
Short Story: (between 1500-8000 words) Send no more than ONE short story
Flash Fiction: (between 100-1500 words) Send no more than TWO flash fictions
We are accepting TRANSLATED WORKS as well. Submission of translated works must be accompanied by a statement declaring that the translator has obtained the author’s permission and their publisher’s, if required.
Simultaneous Submissions are welcome but the author must inform us by e-mail as soon as the submitted piece is accepted elsewhere. Pieces cannot be withdrawn once CultureCult Press informs the author of its acceptance for publication.
We consider reprints but generally do not publish them unless they are absolutely exceptional.
At present, we are unable to pay our contributors.
Each contributor shall receive a COMPLIMENTARY DIGITAL COPY of the anthology as soon as it publishes.
Manuscripts should directly be sent to CultureCultMagazine@gmail.com
Emails must have the subject line “Submission for MONO NO AWARE“
Each piece MUST be attached with a short bio (preferably within 100 words) and, if possible, a photograph of the author to go along with publication.
Please submit your files in the following formats: .doc /.docx /.txt. DO NOT submit PDFs.
CultureCult Press and its imprint use non exclusive rights to publish in its anthologies and website. Authors are free to republish their work anywhere else once it has been published.
Please submit only original pieces. CultureCult Press or the editor/s of the anthology shall not be responsible for any disputes arising out of plagiarism or copyright infringement.
NOTE: We try to reply within a month after receiving submissions. However, replies can be delayed under unforeseen circumstances.
