Firewalkers Anthology

We have extended the deadline for submissions until June 21, 2012

Spiritual breakthroughs. Mad gifts. Visionary meltdowns. Do these themes resonate with you? We are publishing an anthology of creative non-fiction about what is called mental illness and mystical experiences, shifts in consciousness and unexpected blessings. We are interested in creative nonfiction and essays that show insight and quality of writing.

The sort of stories we are looking for will raise questions: How do you know the difference between a mystical experience and psychosis? Are there hidden gifts in our madness? They say "some seeds only sprout after a forest fire". Who did you become, after the fire?

Submission Guidelines

Submissions can be emailed as an attachment to malaina@vocalvirginia.org.

Submissions must be in 12pt Times Roman font, double-spaced, with numbered pages (max 20). All submissions should be accompanied by a one paragraph author biography. One submission per person. No poetry please.

Writers will retain all rights to their work. Previously published work will be considered. There is no payment at this time. Please consider it a donation to a worthy cause and a chance to define this experience that may be labeled as “mental illness’ in our own terms.

The anthology is being planned as a self-published book. Our first book, Firewalkers: Madness, Mystery and Beauty was also self-published and has sold over 1300 copies and 10,000+ people have visited our website, read the book or attended a Firewalkers event.

Deadline is June 21, 2012.

Some Helpful Links

Here is a link to a story that originally ran in the San Francisco Bay Guardian by Sascha Altman DuBrul:

http://theicarusproject.net/articles/the-bipolar-world

I include this link because it gives a good feel for one type of story that would fit very nicely into this project.

I am adding a link here to the foreward from Firewalkers: Madness, Beauty and Mystery written by Brian Parrish. "Stirring the Coals"