The Garden Party Collective presents: Neurodivergent / Intersectional writers! (Poetry Contest #3)

For our third poetry contest (January 2025), Jacob Jardel has selected "Neurodivergent / Intersectional writers":

When I pitched this contest idea, I was thinking about those of us who are neurodivergent and part of other historically excluded groups. Oftentimes, we get the perspective of a writer from a singular aspect of their identity: autistic or queer or nonbinary, ADHD or Indigenous or Black, mentally ill or physically disabled or poor. But we exist in multiple identities at once. To quote Kassiane Asasumasu, coiner of the term neurodivergent, the point is that it’s “not another damn tool of exclusion. It is specifically a tool of inclusion.”

This contest is here to celebrate that inclusion, the and that we navigate daily, all the while critiquing (whether passively or actively) the or that we compartmentalize ourselves into for the sake of societal illusions of neatness. By embracing that and, we also embrace the multiple definitions and multiple realities that come with being neurodivergent. There is no default neurodivergent person or experience. In that same manner, there is no default way to write about that neurodivergent and—just as long as it comes from your neurodivergent perspective. We’ve been written about for so long. This our chance to show that we do—that we have been doing—the writing, too.

SUBMISSION PERIOD: January 19th - January 25th, 2025, please send your submissions to:

gardenpartycollectivecontests@gmail.com

WHAT WE OFFER:

At least 3 poems will be picked as winners by the lead judge (Jacob Jardel) and the collective, with featured publication and promotion!
Each winning poet will have their choice between 1) a $50 payment, or 2) choosing a charity of their choice (either in their community or we can share a small list of reputable choices), which GPC will match for a total donation of $100!
- Much love to Concīs for their charity-donation model as our inspiration

GUIDELINES:

All submission entries should be accompanied by a 2-4 sentence bio with any relevant links in the body of the email. Please include the titles of your poems in the body of the submission email, and attach your poetry contest manuscript as a pdf / doc / docx to the email.

ADDITIONALLY:

Entries must be ~3 pages max, with up to 3 poems
- IE—at maximum, you can submit a single 3-page poem, OR three 1-page poems, OR a 2-pager and a 1-pager, etc.
- All poems should be included in one document (not separately)
Please start each poem on a new page
No previously published work
All styles are welcome—traditional, experimental, hybrid, etc.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please keep us in the loop if you hear back elsewhere
Please include your pronouns in your bio/submission so we can properly refer to you <3
& one entry per person, please

Any entry received after the selected dates will not be considered for publication. We read every manuscript, and will select our winners within two months of submissions!

Thank you for your trust in us!!!