ANTI:
Toward a Contemporary Bahamian “Anti-thology”
NEW SUBMISSION DEADLINE: December 31st, 2023, 11:59 p.m.
ANTI:
(noun):
A person opposed to a particular policy, activity, or idea
(prefix):
- Opposed to; against; contrary
- Combatting or defending against
- Physically opposite; reverse in position or direction
- Preventing or curing
- Relieving or neutralizing
- The opposite of
- Acting as a rival
- Unlike the conventional form
Poinciana Paper Press is now welcoming submissions that engage with the theme “ANTI” toward an experimental exhibition and publication: a contemporary Bahamian “Anti-thology”.
About “ANTI”
Used freely in combination with words and elements of any origin, “anti-” is a powerful and shapeshifting prefix. Mostly known for its contrarian use to show opposition to something (antithesis, antipathy), “anti” communicates a strong conviction to defend a stance (antiracist, anti-establishment). At its core, “anti” is the opposite of what’s typically expected–such as something against convention (anticlimax) or someone acting as a rival (antihero, anti-Christ). And at its most simple, “anti” implies positionality, an awareness of where you stand ideologically, or just an opposite physical location or position (anticlockwise, Antarctic).
At the same time, “anti” is also used to indicate something that is preventing, relieving, curing, or neutralizing (antidote, antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-anxiety). At first this seems paradoxical to its initial combative impression, but “anti” is simply a counterpart–it exists only in opposition to its same kind, exerting energy in the opposite direction. As such, “anti” is like a mirror, a disruption and reflection of scattered rays of light, a reversal of image, making visible what has always been there but intentionally unseen. Anti is a reckoning, a (re)claiming, an awakening–the chance to see an alternative reality, and within that reality, to make visible our whole selves.
Call for Works
Wield your mirror. We are interested in work that takes a stand. Work that confronts and disrupts the status quo, the phrase “that’s not Bahamian.” Work that makes visible the realities of our Bahamas, especially the parts we would rather not see. Work that imagines an alternative to the way we live now, especially toward a more equitable, safe, inclusive, and thriving nation. Work that invites complexity to the one-dimensionality of “The Bahamas” and how it looks and functions, to the conventional “Bahamian” and how they act and look and live. Work in first-person. Work that doesn’t consider the oppressive gaze of tourism, doesn’t need to perform “Bahamian”. Work that dispels the nostalgic, the mythology of the “good old days”. Work that lives in the here and now, but that also sees the thread of historical oppressions that tether the present to the past. Work that cuts this thread; that unravels; that weaves a new web.
Work from the marginalized; the fringe; the invisible; the silenced. Work from the uncategorized; the stateless; the liminal. Work from the self-aware; work that uses its power to empower others; work that is calling from inside the house. Work from the shapeshifters; the covert; the subversive. Work that is paying attention; work that is alarmed; working that is daring; work that is unexpected; work that is hopeful. Work that has had enough. Work that doesn’t act one way at home and another on the job. Work with any type of hair, piercings, tattoos, accents, bodies. Come as you are. You are the anti.
With this call for works, we are inviting collaboration from contributors in helping us to imagine what an “anti-thology” looks like. Typically, anthologies are published collections of literary works chosen by a single compiler, group, or institution. However, being “anti”, we remain simply a facilitator to the participants who will shape this collection with their contributions.
Poinciana Paper Press welcomes “anti” submissions of any kind for this “anti-thology”: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, research papers, artists books, songs, performances, manifestos, visual two-dimensional works, sculpture, installation, graphic design, mural, live painting, live writing, zines, graphic novels, prints, collage, erasure, broadsides, ceramics, video, photography, and any in-between intersections. We are particularly interested in unconventional or unexpected submissions. Do you write policy or work in urban planning or disaster prevention or some other area of expertise? We are strongly interested in policy and proposals that would radically transform and heal our nation: gender equality, disaster prevention, free and safe public transport, green spaces, etc.
Perhaps you’re a teacher–what is the “anti” syllabus? Are you a yoga instructor? Yoga sequence welcome. Tattoo artist? We love that–let the “anti” designs rip. Are you an artisan who makes handmade goods? What does the “anti” scented candle look like, or the “anti” straw craft, or the “anti” textile pattern, or the “anti” necklace, or the “anti” shoe? What “anti” recipes could be contributed–what bush tea remedies? What fusion? What cakes? Are you a DJ who could create an “anti” playlist or soundtrack? Spells or sermons? AI-driven compositions? We welcome proposals for site-specific installations and submissions that are live demonstrations, short workshops, discussions, or anything else you can imagine which can take place during our exhibition.
About the Exhibition/Publication
The “Anti-thology” itself will culminate in an experimental exhibition and publication, taking place in January 20-21st, 2024. This weekend-long event will include a display of submitted work, as well as a schedule of activities and events formed by received proposals and announced closer to the weekend. The “anti-thology” will be an organic, expansive display that visitors and participants can continue to contribute work to as the weekend commences and they take part in the various activities that invite them to engage with “anti”.
Submission Deadline & Details
The deadline for submissions & proposals is December 31st, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. There is no application fee.
You do not have to be a Bahamian citizen or resident to contribute, nor do you have to reside in New Providence.
Submissions and proposals should be sent to sonia@poincianapaperpress.com with the subject “ANTI proposal” in the subject line. Please introduce yourself and/or include a brief bio (100 words), and share the TITLE and MEDIUM of the piece(s).
Please note the following formats and limits based on your media/submission type:
Proposal: word or PDF attachment, one page
Literary works (text): word or PDF attachment
Poetry: Up to 6 pages
Prose: Up to 12 pages
Papers: word or PDF attachment. Up to 20 pages. Include summary.
Image: jpeg attachment, G-drive folder link, or website link, up to 5 images
Video or audio: G-drive folder link or website link
Poinciana Paper Press’ Community Standards:
Poinciana Paper Press is a Center for Writing, Book Arts, and Publishing that creates opportunities for engaging with books and their allied crafts in order to advance the diversity of voices in Caribbean art and literature and empower cultural ownership and voice. We reject the colonial bibliophilic past with its erasure of marginalized voices and outsider’s gaze. We value all stories and experiences, providing a culturally safe, collaborative, and accessible and inclusive space to find your voice. We value the knowledge and skills each individual brings to the studio and classroom in shared artistic production, and we build a critical cultural dialog with our environment and resources. The press is a community tool for socially-engaged art practice, and we uphold freedom of the press and freedom of expression with care, aligning our advocacy with progressive, humanistic, subversive, and intellectual motivations. The press is not a tool for hate speech, and as such, submissions that do not align with our core values as stated will not be considered.
Questions & Comments:
sonia [at] poincianapaperpress.com