Special Announcement: Two Anthology Calls

Announcing two anthology calls!

The Metaphor Tree: an anthology of ekphrastic poetry

Blood Dance: an anthology of dark ekphrastic flash fiction

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The Metaphor Tree: an anthology of ekphrastic poetry

Symbols, motifs, signs, portents, and metaphors are essential elements of art history, literature, and our personal experiences. In this ekphrastic anthology call, we are looking for poetry that explores the rich territory of symbolism through visual art, cultural or historical significance, and a personal lens. What do objects, colours, numbers, and images in art conjure for you? What do they symbolize? What are the symbols that have unique significance to you and what do they mean to you?

You can interpret this theme in any way that makes sense to you. Some symbols are placed into art on purpose and hold specific cultural meanings, such as the cross, the ankh, or the poppy. Some are unintentional and resonate with you apart from the artist’s intention. Some symbols are universal. And some hold meaning to you alone.

This poetry anthology will be published by The Ekphrastic Review under the imprint Ekphrastic Editions. 
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1. Submit up to five poems of any lengths.

2. We are open to all forms of poetry. This anthology call is for poems only, no fiction or essays. Prose poetry is welcome.

3. Poems must explore the theme of symbolism, in any way you interpret this theme. They must be ekphrastic. We define “ekphrastic” as “creative writing inspired by visual art.” The poem can be about any painting or artist, or the art can be a springboard for your imagination. The artwork is your choice.

4. Submit all poems in one word document that does not include your name in the file itself or in the file name.

5. Selected poems will be included in the anthology. All decisions of The Ekphrastic Review are final.

6. The anthology will be published as a paperback anthology, and will be available on Amazon. The anthology will also be available as a PDF virtual file. 

7. No fees to submit, and no payment. Accepted authors will receive a virtual PDF copy of the anthology.

8. Deadline is May 1, 2026.

9. Put METAPHOR TREE SUBMISSION in the subject line.

10. Authors will be notified of acceptance or decline with regrets by August 1, 2026.

11. The book will be published late in 2026.

12. Include the title, artist, nationality of artist, and date of artwork creation, along with a link to the image. Example: after Sunrise, by Jane Doe (Belgium) 1904.
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13. For this anthology, we are seeking only unpublished works. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us right away if you need to withdraw your work.

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Blood Dance: an anthology of dark ekphrastic flash fiction

Dark themes and horror are longstanding and important themes in art history and literature, as humans grapple with fear, uncertainty, the meaning of evil, and the unknown. Just a few of the themes that artists and writers have addressed in this way include murder, war, vampires, ghosts, hauntings, plagues, sadism, violence, and more. This anthology is open to all dark themes in any way you interpret them.

The possibilities of ekphrasis in horror or dark fiction, and in dark flash fiction, are infinite, but there are few publications in journals or books that explore ekphrasis in this way. We hope this anthology will change this and contribute to the interest and proliferation of this form.

We are looking for ekphrastic flash fiction that grapples frankly with these important themes and questions, but we want work that is literary and artistic, rather than focused on gore and gratuitous violence. This line is admittedly blurry but something to keep in mind. 

This flash fiction anthology will be published by The Ekphrastic Review under the imprint Ekphrastic Editions. 

1. Submit up to five flash fictions under 1000 words, including title.

2. We are open to all forms of flash fiction, from 50 to 1000 words. This anthology call is for dark ekphrastic flash fiction only, no poetry.

3. Stories must explore dark or horror themes. We are looking for literary explorations, not gratuitous gore. They must be ekphrastic. We define “ekphrastic” as “creative writing inspired by visual art.” The flash can be about any painting or artist, or the art can be a springboard for your imagination. The art is your choice. The artwork that inspires you may be dark or horror-themed, or it may be any painting that inspires a dark story.

4. Submit all flashes in one word document that does not include your name in the file itself or in the file name.

5. Selected flashes will be included in the anthology. All decisions of The Ekphrastic Review are final.

6. The anthology will be published as a paperback anthology, and will be available on Amazon. The anthology will also be available as a PDF virtual file. 

7. No fees to submit, and no payment. Accepted authors will receive a virtual PDF copy of the anthology.

8. Deadline is May 1, 2026.

9. Put BLOOD DANCE SUBMISSION in the subject line.

10. Authors will be notified of acceptance or decline with regrets by August 1, 2026.

11. The book will be published late in 2026.

12. Include the title, artist, nationality of artist, and date of artwork creation, along with a link to the image. Example: after Sunrise, by Jane Doe (Belgium) 1904.
 
13. For this anthology, we are seeking only unpublished works. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us right away if you need to withdraw your work.