Poems wanted for Prayers of a Secular World
Inkerman & Blunt calls for submissions to their next poetry collection
Prayers of a Secular World.
This book will be a collection of poems like prayers that resonate and are relevant to our secular society. Prayers of a Secular World will be released in May 2015 so we need your poems by Friday 29 August 2014.
The term ‘Secular’ has come to connote ‘atheist’ when it means ‘of the world, not of the cloister’. Australia is a secular society made up of atheists and believers, and many of those believers attend church, or temple, synagogue or ashram; many consider nature as their temple, and many simply lean into their god in moments of crisis, or joy, opening their prayer with, ‘It’s been a long time since…’, or they might just say, ‘thank god I got that parking space’, ‘thank god I met you…’, or ‘thank god my house didn’t burn down’.
Selecting Editors Jordie Albiston and Kevin Brophy are looking for poems of wonder and celebration, poems that mark the cycle of the day—dawn, midday, evening, night—the seasons, the progression of planets, the evolution of weather; poems of becoming—first steps, first words, transitions, epiphanies and inspirations; poems of belief and of doubt, pleas for protection, poems of remembrance and blessing, of forgiveness and redemption, poems of gratitude.
Please check out the submission guidelines for further information. Remember, submissions must be your own work, and submitted as a hard-copy postmarked no later than Friday 29 August 2014.
Jordie Albiston
Jordie has published eight poetry collections. Two of her books have been adapted for music-theatre, both enjoying seasons at the Sydney Opera House. Jordie’s work has won many awards, including the 2010 NSW Premier’s Prize. She lives in Melbourne.
Kevin Brophy
Kevin has published thirteen books of poetry, fiction and essays. He teaches poetry and short fiction in the Creative writing program in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne. In 2009 Kevin was awarded the Calibre Prize for an outstanding essay. He lives in Melbourne.
