Pitches (Abolition, Incarceration)

Scalawag is now seeking pitches for our 5th annual Abolition Week! This year, we focus on the wretchedness of Empire: its endless expansion and the carceral technologies invented to make this possible.

We invite contributors to explore how the combined forces of Western imperialism and plantation legacies create conditions fueling genocidal arrangements in the US South, Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Haiti, El Salvador, and other underdeveloped/exploited spaces across the world’s "Souths".

This is an opportunity to get creative: drawing connections between the realities of prison, the expansion of the carceral state, and the imperialist system that depends on these forces in the US, and beyond.

With Abolition Week 2024, we invite critical political engagement with the ongoing genocides, slavery, and exploitation that have produced, and continue to reproduce, the global status quo.

As always, essayists, artists, and poets are also welcome to submit work detailing and exploring the conditions of their incarceration.

We'll prioritize pitches from current and formerly incarcerated writers. That said, folks who have a deep understanding of the prison system, and/or who work closely with/are related to/in community with incarcerated folks (current or former) are welcome to submit.

How to pitch us: In a few paragraphs, tell us about the story, how you plan on telling it, and why you'd be great to write it. Let us know the primary outline and goals of the story, as well as any reporting you've already done on the topic.

The deadline for pitches is 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, July 7th. Please email pitches to team@scalawagmagazine.org.