The YWCA invites Sonoma County writers to address the issue of domestic violence through poetry, flash fiction and memoir for October 2014’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Authors and poets are free to explore the topic from many perspectives, focusing on a more personal approach, a social level, the viewpoint from victims, children, loved ones, those who witness the violence, or those who work in the field, such as doctors, police, therapists.
The YWCA defines domestic violence as threatening behavior that seeks to control and exercise power over another. This behavior can include one or all of the following: emotional abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse, and/or threats of abuse or violence to a partner’s children or pets.
Short fiction and personal narrative pieces should not exceed 1000 words. Up to three poems may be submitted, but the total number of pages of poetry shall not exceed three.
Entries should be in Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced. Poetry may be single spaced. Please submit electronically in a Word document, sending to the following address: wingpoet@gmail.com
Include author’s name, address, phone number, and e-mail address, as well as a 50-word writer’s autobiographical statement.
The deadline is Sept. 10, 2014.
For any questions, please contact Michelle Wing at (707) 478-1460 or wingpoet@gmail.com, or Misty Bastoni, Volunteer Coordinator at the YWCA, (707) 303-8401.
The YWCA will host four separate nights of author readings in Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Cloverdale in October, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
For more information on the YWCA Sonoma County, YWCA USA and YWCA World, please visit our website .
