CultureCult Press invites poetry submissions for “Ruthless“, a forthcoming anthology of thematic poetry from CultureCult Press that confronts psychological cruelty in all its forms.
THE FINAL DATE OF SUBMISSION IS MARCH 25, 2025
This collection hopes to document the invisible wounds of emotional and psychological abuse—wounds perpetrators routinely deny, dismiss or minimise, subjecting victims to a secondary trauma of invalidation and, essentially, erasure.
Psychological cruelty can manifest in numerous forms, perfected and deployed with calculated precision:
- Gaslighting: Manipulating someone into questioning their own reality, memories or perceptions
- Silent treatment: Using withdrawal and silence as punishment, leaving wounds that make no sound
- Emotional neglect and attack: Consistently neglecting someone’s emotional needs while maintaining plausible deniability & attacking them or make them feel weak for having said needs.
- Humiliation: Public or private ridicule designed to diminish self-worth and establish dominance
- Verbal abuse: Using words as weapons to control, belittle or instill fear
- Constant criticism: Relentless fault-finding that gradually hollows out confidence
- Identity-based cruelty: Targeting someone based on their gender, sexuality, race, beliefs or other aspects of identity
- Isolation: Methodically cutting someone off from support systems until they have nowhere to turn
- Passive aggression: Indirect expressions of hostility that can be easily denied when confronted
- Invalidation: Systematically rejecting or dismissing someone’s thoughts and feelings until they no longer trust themselves
The insidious power of psychological cruelty lies in its invisibility—no physical scars remain as evidence. Perpetrators invariably deflect accountability with practiced phrases: “you’re crazy,” “that never happened,” or “it’s all in your head.” These dismissals transform the initial harm into a deeper wound—the denial that anything occurred at all.
“Ruthless” harbours no illusions about changing those who refuse to acknowledge their cruelty. This anthology exists not as a vehicle for transformation, but as a cold documentation of what is—acknowledging painful truths with no expectation that acknowledgment alone changes anything fundamental about a world where cruelty continues, unchecked and unnamed.
CultureCult Press looks forward to receiving work from poets of all backgrounds, particularly from those whose voices have been systematically silenced or dismissed.
WE ARE ACCEPTING:
Poetry: (Maximum 50 lines) Send no more than THREE pieces
We are accepting TRANSLATED POEMS as well. Submission of translated works must be accompanied by a statement declaring that the translator has obtained the poet’s permission and their publisher’s, if required.
Simultaneous Submissions are welcome but the poet 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 their 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.
Poems should directly be sent to CCAnthologySubs@gmail.com in a single doc file. Each poem should ideally begin on a separate page. Please include your full legal name and contact information on the first page of the document.
Emails must have the subject line “Submission for RUTHLESS“
Each submission MUST be attached with a short bio (preferably within 100 words) and, if possible, a photograph of the poet 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 typically reply within a month after receiving submissions. However, replies can be delayed under unforeseen circumstances.
