Call for submissions

She Writes History - Print Publication

MARION invites creative responses from writers in the ACT and surrounding regions to contribute to She Writes History, a publication developed as part of our recent collaboration with She Shapes History. 

This project draws on research exploring women writers across Kamberri/Canberra. We invite original writing that engages with the stories, places and themes explored through the She Writes History walking tour.  

Engagement with the tour is encouraged but not required.

All selected submissions will be paid.

KEY DATES

Submissions open - Tuesday 7 April
Submission close - Friday 31 July
Review period - August
Final selections - September
Public launch - November

What we’re looking for:

  • Creative nonfiction

  • Essays

  • Graphic narratives

  • Hybrid or experimental forms

  • Poetry

  • Short Fiction

Submissions may respond directly to the tour content, or more broadly to themes as they relate to women’s writing and literary histories in the ACT, including:

  • Place, memory and the built environment 

  • Women’s histories and legacies

  • Visibility, absence and erasure

  • Reinterpreting history and social change

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Conditions:

  • Submissions are accepted from writers based in the ACT and surrounding regions (see Eligibility Map). Eligibility may also be considered for writers with a strong connection to the region, including through birth, family ties, or sustained involvement through study or work.

  • Free to submit

  • Writers must be Australian citizens or permanent residents

  • Submissions are open to writers aged 18 and over

  • Writers may submit one piece for consideration

  • Submissions must be original and unpublished

  • Work must be the writer’s own and not generated by AI

  • Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere

  • Submissions should be complete works. Selected pieces will undergo light editorial refinement.

Length:

  • Prose submissions: 600–4,000 words

  • Poetry: up to 50 lines‍ ‍

Final lengths may be adjusted in consultation with selected writers during the editorial process.

Formatting:

  • Submissions should be provided as a Word document.

Images and permissions:

  • If submissions include images or visual material, contributors must hold the rights or permissions required for publication

  • MARION may work with selected contributors to resolve image licensing where relevant

Your submission should be sent as an attachment via email to creative@marion.inkby no later than 11:59pm 31 July 2026.
Your email should include:

  • Name and contact details (including phone number)

  • Residential postcode (to confirm eligibility) or a brief note outlining your connection to the ACT region.

  • A short bio (50–100 words), to be used for publication if selected

  • Title of the work

This project has been made possible with an ACT Heritage grant