Call for Submissions – The Understory: Roots of a New India
“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
— Arundhati Roy
The Understory is not strength through force, but through interdependence, interconnection, empathy, community, and care. It envisions solidarities woven across caste, religion, class, gender, and geography—solidarities that make justice possible.
In a time of polarization and systemic injustice, The Understory asks:
- Where can we choose empathy over apathy, dialogue over division, bridge-building over withdrawal?
- How might our voices, in all their difference, converge to imagine new solidarities and possibilities?
This anthology brings together:
- Voices from the margins naming lived realities and offering testimony
- Personal acts of connection where individuals reimagine how to live in relation with others and the environment
- Collective efforts by artivists, nonprofits, and movements building solidarities at scale
- Visions of futures rooted in empathy, care, and shared belonging
Freedom Tunnel Press grew from the spirit of underground movements depicted in Country of Under. The Understory’s power similarly lies in coming together, in singing our stories into a shared country of possibility.
Already, contributors include a journalist and filmmaker based in North India engaged in grassroots peacebuilding between Hindus and Muslims; Delhi-based graphic narrative artist Ita Mehrotra; Independent documentary filmmaker Nakul Singh Sawhney; Latine trans woman and advocate Giaura Fenris, who channels Hindu deities in her work providing HIV/gender-affirming care—particularly for undocumented people; Indo-Guyanese-American writer Rona Sarita Ramjas; Indian-American multidimensional healer Sonia Arora; cross-cultural artivist Zameen; and artist-designer Niteesh Elias. We’re planning launches in both the US and India, along with ongoing meetings to exchange knowledge and foster dialogue.
What We’re Looking For
Essays (up to 5,000 words): Political, personal, historical, cultural. We seek creative nonfiction pieces, including personal essays, profiles, reportage, literary journalism, and New Journalism.
Fiction (up to 5,000 words): We welcome short stories that illuminate the lived and imagined landscapes of a new India—stories that reckon with rupture and repair, with what divides and what binds. We are drawn to work that foregrounds empathy, complexity, and the multiplicity of voices and experiences across caste, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and region. From realist to speculative, intimate to collective, we seek narratives that imagine connection and courage in the face of polarization, and that ask what belonging might mean in times of change.
Poetry (up to 3 poems): Especially those grounded in rage, grief, defiance, and collective memory.
Interviews (up to 3,500 words): Grounded in the anthology’s themes.
Visual Art: Digital illustration, paintings, prints, photography, collage, protest art. Submit high-res JPG/PNG + a brief artist statement.
Hybrid Forms: Lyric essays, visual-poetic collaborations, graphic narratives, comics, illustrated text, performative scripts, etc.
Submission Guidelines
- You may submit in English or any Indian language, as long as it’s accompanied by an English translation.
- You can submit in more than one category.
- Please include a short bio (100 words max) and any relevant social media links.
FAQs
Do contributors get paid?
We are a small, mission-driven press. Contributors will receive a copy of the book and full credit. Proceeds from this book will go to a non-profit that the contributors decide.
Can I remain anonymous?
Yes. We understand the risks. You may use a pseudonym or publish anonymously.
Is this only for Indian citizens?
No. We welcome anyone in the Indian diaspora, or those whose art engages deeply with the Indian context and its global echoes.
Can I submit previously published work?
Yes, as long as you hold the rights and note where it first appeared.
Any other questions?
Feel free to write us.