CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
YSJ Folktale Collection –
International Students Cultural Stories project
By Humphrey Chukwuedo, Stela Cambraia Godoy Clementino and Dr Rob O’Connor.
We are looking for submission to a new anthology of global folktales.
We hope you can help us.
What we are looking for:
We are looking for original, quality writing and artistic interpretations of traditional folktales from around the world, produced by YSJU students and staff only. We welcome folktales from all global cultures. Lesser known, regional folktales from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland would also be welcome.
Written work should be in English and should be no longer than 1000 words. We also welcome a submission of the tale in its original language alongside your English version, although please note that this is not essential to your submission. All work should be sent in Word or PDF formats. If writing poetry, the equivalent word count is 30 lines.
We also welcome artistic interpretations of folkloric figures from around the world. Please send these to us in jpeg files if possible.
All work should be original. Copyright will remain with the creators.
Multiple submissions are welcome, but please send separate emails for each submission.
Submission does not guarantee acceptance.
All submissions should be sent to YSJUFolklore@gmail.com by Thursday 28 March, 00:01 GMT. Submissions from YSJU email accounts only please.
More information regarding the project can be found below.
Supervision, support and outcome:
The work will be edited by a team of students from January 2024. This will be done with as light a touch as possible to ensure that original meanings are kept. All people submitting must be willing to work on their creative piece alongside one of our editors. This is vital to ensure that the folk tales are effectively communicated.
The anthology will be compiled, edited and produced during the academic year 2023/24, so publication will be before the summer break.
An online PDF version of the anthology will be produced. Since there are no paper costs aligned with this, the stories will be printed in English alongside the traditional language when provided. The project team will explore the potential for printed copies, but costing may mean that only English versions are included. This will be confirmed as the project progresses.
Got questions? Contact for more information: Dr Rob O’Connor r.oconnor@yorksj.ac.uk
About the YSJU Folklore Project:
It is a known fact that with globalisation, family values are being eroded and almost extinct. Acculturation and enculturation have made it worse that even some persons have begun to forget the values that formed the fabrics of which their nations were formed. Hence there is a need to always keep afresh these values in the minds of the contemporary generation. These values include truthfulness, unity, strength, communal living and sharing, helping the elderly and the needy, being industrious and hardworking, being religious, shunning insidious acts, humility and respect for older persons, goal or target setting and volunteering.
The book
The book project proposed is a mini compendium of folktales researched and compiled from all over the world. It will also be pictorial, showcasing culture and belief of different continents. It will contain stories that are already known in those countries or continents but with a twist to embolden family values and told as though from an indigene without totally distorting the facts of the original stories. There is no limitation to casts in such stories as they could include humans, animals, gods, or non-living things.
The Idea
The idea of the book is to let the world know that family values should not be extinct, and it is the same in all parts of the world that everyone has a story, a history and a background which should never be forgotten. The book should portray equality and inclusiveness.
About this project
This is an individual project being proposed by a student and staff member here at York St John University. The aim is to produce an online, PDF format of the collection to be distributed amongst students at the university to encourage an understanding of different global cultures. Print editions could be produced but this project does not currently have any financial support.
