Hear My Voice is inviting poets to submit original unpublished poems of any style to be included in the soon to be released peer –reviewed book “Left Behind: Developmental Dilemmas of the Eastern Cape Province”. If you are interested, please submit your work using this Submission Form (CLICK HERE) by the 23rd of August 2019. Please see below for submission details and format.
About the book
This peer –reviewed book highlights key challenges that confront people in the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape is known for having mounted one of the largest resistances in Africa against colonialism, eventually succumbing to British rule in 1894, and for its long history of resistance against apartheid rule. But 25 years after apartheid, the Eastern Cape remains trapped in structural poverty. This book will provide a profile of the socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the province and will highlight issues relevant to the development and implementation of policies aimed at fighting poverty in the province. In particular, the plight of the former homeland areas of the Eastern Cape is a recurring theme. The former Transkei remains the poorest and most multiply deprived area in South Africa, having shown very little improvement since the dawn of democracy. Patterns of migrant labour reminiscent of the apartheid era persist due to a lack of opportunities, resulting in fragmented families and net outward migration and consequent depletion of human capital. The book has three themes.
The book is edited by:
Prof Monde Makiwane, Ms. Ntombizonke. A Gumede, Prof Somadoda Fikeni and Dr. Wanga Zembe-Mkabile
Themes
Theme 1: Socio-Historical perspectives: looks at the great political history of the Eastern Cape and their resistance against colonialism and apartheid. It presents an overview of various kingdoms and chiefdoms through different historical epochs and also present the role of traditional leadership reaction to colonial dispossession, anti-colonial and apartheid/Bantustan nationalist liberation struggles. The challenges that disadvantaged the promotion and preservation of the cultural heritage of the Amapondo in the past and in the present is highlighted.
Theme 2: Poverty and Social Exclusion: documents the level of poverty and social exclusion of the contemporary Eastern Cape. The decline in the socio-economic landscape of the region is documented in this section; together with continued decay of social institutions. The section produces hard evidence that shows that the Eastern Cape has degenerated to be one of the poorest regions in South Africa.
Theme 3: Family dynamics and societal expectations: outlines the family and community structures of the Eastern Cape. These structures have been largely affected by circular migration, which has resulted in families that is distributed across vast geographical areas, connected by mobile phones and sustained through remittances. Social institutions which play an imperative role in sustaining fractured families are explained in this section.
Subjects of interest (but not limited to):
- Religion and charismatic churches
- Education
- Divorce and Xhosa men masculinity
- Family issues and migration
- Service delivery
- poverty and unemployment
- Any socio-economic issues that matter to you that would fit within the context of the Eastern Cape Province
Submission Procedure
Author(s) should provide all identifying information, including name, title, institutional affiliation(if applicable), address, phone numbers, and email.
Poetry. Original work on any of the topic fitting into the themes and keywords, in any style, will be considered. Only work that has not been published elsewhere will be considered.
Formats of Contributions
Written contributions should be submitted in the following format:
File type: Microsoft Word
Font: Arial
Size: 12 pt
Line spacing: 1.5
All written submissions should include the following:
Bio: 100 - word author biography, including email address
Bio picture: head-and-shoulders photo in 300 dpi jpeg format
Contributors are encouraged to provide photos and/or graphics to illustrate their submission
Selection and Editing Process
All submissions are peer reviewed.
Reviewers comment on the suitability of a text for publication in the book, as well as provide comments to help develop the piece further for publication if required. Contributors may be asked to rework the piece accordingly. In this case, upon resubmission, the piece will be assessed by the book editors and a final decision made regarding its publication.
Please note that the editors reserve the right to edit contributions with regard to length and accessibility or reject contributions that are not suitable or of poor standard.
The deadline for submissions is 23 August 2019. Poems should be submitted using this form Submission Form (CLICK HERE) as soon as possible. Authors of the selected poems will receive a modest honorarium.
Should you encounter any issues when trying to submit your poems or if you have any inquiries contact Ishmael Sibiya via admin@hearmyvoice.co.za