Last chance for emerging writers

Monday, May 11th is the final deadline to apply to the open call from the online magazine Druhá : směna, in collaboration with the Biennale Matter of Art. The call is aimed primarily at emerging authors who have not yet had the opportunity to publish their texts. The project's goal is to subject this year's biennale theme to broader critical reflection and expand opportunities for emerging writers.

As part of the project, three texts will be created. Their development will be supported by the magazine's editorial team through practical guidance, joint calls, and feedback on the finished text. Each author will receive a fee for their text. The texts will be published in the August issue of Druhá : směna, which will reflect the themes of this year's Ve věci umění biennale, whose fourth edition, titled Necessary Wishes, will take place from June 12th to September 13th, 2026, in Prague and Pardubice.

Anyone can submit a text proposal. Send your text 'pitch' via druhasmena.cz, where you will also find the details of the open call.

The call's theme is queer migration and queer diasporas. What do the essential desires of queer people outside the so-called core states look like? A socio-economic system based on exploitation drives millions from their homes. What does moving to new regions look like for those who defy heteronormative ideas of the 'right person' in countries of the global North? What conditions do they encounter in the punitive systems of detention centers, prisons, and institutions like ICE or Frontex? What possible paths out of this cruel environment, towards something that at least approximates a dignified life, do they find? What do queer movements in Eastern Europe and the countries of the global South have in common? And can they find common tools for emancipation?