PFN – Fruit: Queer Literary Journal Seeking Submissions about: Queer Space

What does queer space mean to you? Where is it? We want you to take us there! You might write about a physical space, past or present, which has queer resonance. It could be fact or fiction. It might be a story, a description, a map. It could be somewhere you’ve been or want to go. It could be a home lived in or designed by queers. It could be a path or a tour. You might want to explore virtual worlds and imagined spaces. Or you might think about the page as a space.

We think of queerness as having a strong connection to space. The word ‘queer’ comes from the word athwart, which means across.[i] The closet is a place which we’re out of or in. And during our daily lives, space is often on our mind: we navigate areas which aren’t designed for us and may be unsafe. We seek out and make our own places. You could read more about queer space here.

Who Can Submit

Anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+ is welcome. We’re particularly keen to platform underrepresented voices. This includes people of colour, trans* and working class authors, and writers with disabilities.

What to Submit

Creative Writing

For us, ‘queer writing’ is disruptive and boundary breaking. We like to read stories which haven’t been told before and stories told in new ways. For example, there are plenty of ‘coming out’ narratives around; we’d only be interested in reading one if it did something new – either by being formally innovative or by presenting a different perspective. We look for writing which disrupts, breaks and plays with language. All kinds of text-based work is welcome, including poetry, short fiction, non-fiction and hybrid pieces. There are no restrictions on what you send us but since this is an inclusive space, we reject prejudiced views.

Guidelines

• Prose word limit: 3000 (shorter pieces preferred).
• Poetry line limit: 100.
• Review line limit: 1500.
• You’re welcome to submit one or more pieces of work up to the word or line limit.
• Please present your writing in .doc or .docx format if possible.
• Please include a short biography in your email.
• If you are a writer based in the North of England, let us know; we’re committed to publishing local talent.
• Simultaneous submissions accepted (but please notify us if your piece is accepted elsewhere).
• We don’t accept previously published work.