Black Inc. is excited to announce that submissions are open for Growing Up Indian in Australia, a new anthology, edited by Aarti Betigeri.

We are looking for non-fiction pieces that deal with any aspect of growing up Indian in Australia. We encourage submissions from writers across a range of ages and experiences.

Submissions can be in any manner, tone or style, but should not be academic or scholarly. They should be written in first-person and be honest accounts of lived experience – positive, negative or anything in between.

Editor Aarti Betigeri says: ‘It can take some fancy footwork to grow up Indian in Australia. We’re a visible minority, but to date, there’s been little in the arts to reflect our unique reality of shape-shifting between two cultures. This book will speak to the experiences of those thousands of young Indian-Australians who spend their days trying to navigate that tricky terrain. It will make them laugh, commiserate, weep, cringe – and ultimately, realise that they’re part of a much wider shared experience than they might have thought existed.’

Submissions should be between 1000 and 4000 words and must be received by 5pm on 1 March, 2023. Late entries will not be accepted.

Please email submissions to [email protected]

FAQ

Q – Who is defined as Indian?
A – Those who trace their lineage to the pre-Partition Indian subcontinent (modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, along with India). This can include Fijian-Indians, Indians hailing from Africa, Singapore or Malaysia, or elsewhere.

Q - What does ‘growing up,’ mean?
A – ‘Growing up’ can refer to childhood, adolescence or your evolving identity as an adult.

Q - I’ve never been published before. Does this matter?
A – No.

Q – Will you accept poetry or fiction?
A – No.

Q – If I have submitted for a previous Growing Up anthology, can I submit again?
A – Yes, though we recommend making sure your piece is tailored to this one.  

Q – Should I avoid writing about abuse / self-harm / sex / illegal drugs, etc?
A – We encourage all contributors to write honestly about their experiences. As the anthology is partly aimed at teenagers, during the editing process we may suggest some modifications to avoid unnecessarily explicit content, but pieces will not be excluded on this basis.