Greenville nonprofit the Emrys Foundation is accepting submissions until Jan. 30 for its Young Emrys Journal, a literary magazine completely written by Upstate students in grades three through 12.
“Instead of adults telling kids stories, Young Emrys is about kids telling stories to each other and to the adults in their community,” said Emrys Foundation board member Adrienne Burris. “Nobody gives it a second thought when a child reads a story written by an adult. But real magic happens when the reverse occurs and a child writes a story, sees that story get published and knows that members of the community are reading it. I’ve seen firsthand that it can be a life-changing and empowering experience for that child.”
The Young Emrys Journal was created when Burris, who oversees the project, approached the board about publishing stories and poems written by kids across the Upstate.
“Young Emrys is a wonderful way to further Emrys’ efforts to increase our community’s awareness of the power of storytelling, which contributes significantly to the vitality and vibrancy of our region,” Josephine McMullen, Emrys Foundation board president, said. “Young Emrys is so important because children’s voices are sometimes marginalized by adults. When’s the last time you read a short story written by a third grader? Children are an integral part of the diversity of our region, and their values, experiences and perspectives should be a part of our community’s conversation.”
In addition to giving children representation, Young Emrys is actively reserving 50% of its acceptances for young authors who are Black, Indigenous and people of color, said Burris.
Interested students may submit their work for free through Jan. 30. Individual editorial feedback on submitted pieces is also available upon request for a nominal fee of $9.95.
Once the pieces are selected, they will be printed in a professional-quality literary magazine format in late spring 2021 and distributed for free to the reading public across the Upstate in a variety of venues, including libraries, bookstores and retail establishments.
The Emrys Foundation will also hold a public reading to give contributing authors the opportunity to present their work before an audience.
For more information, visit emrys.org/young-emrys.
