Can you imagine a rapid transition to a better world? Climate action group Extinction Rebellion is looking for entrants for its first international writing contest: the ‘XR Solarpunk Storytelling Showcase’, organised by XR Wordsmiths.
Words alone won’t resolve the climate and ecological emergency, but they can provide the hope and inspiration we need; the XR Solarpunk Storytelling Showcase provides an opportunity for you to do exactly that, by sharing your vision of an equitable and sustainable future, and inventing healthier heroes and myths to galvanise and guide us towards the rapid transition we need.
We want to use our collective imagination as a tool against the climate and ecological emergency. Imagination unlocks the impossible and releases it into the realm of ‘possible’. Through radical re-imaginings of the world, we can get closer to creating a future which is positive and healthy for all life.
When you think about the future you want for the planet, what visions does your imagination conjure up? How would human societies interact with nature? How do you think a plant or an animal would describe its place in the world, and how it came to be so? What changes (from the smallest detail to large structural changes or technological innovations) would transform today’s world into the world you imagine? If we can imagine it, we can work towards it.
This writing competition rides the wave of the Solarpunk movement – a genre of art and literature that envisions a future in which humanity, nature, and technology exist in harmony. Solarpunk’s main ethos lies in finding solutions for a more sustainable and egalitarian world through rebellion against the status quo. Read more about Solarpunk here.
The winning entries will be decided by an amazing panel of judges including eco-poet and writer Helen Moore, children’s climate fiction writer Gregg Kleiner, Ecofiction Youtube vlogger Lovis Geier, and Green Party politician Zack Polanski. Winners will have their stories published in the XR Global blog in addition to a range of other prizes, including three £1000 scholarships to the world’s first global online climate school terra.do, an illustration by Goodwives and Warriors based on your story, bicycles, experience vouchers, and (of course!) books. Our prize pool is still growing and developing, so if you or your organisation would like to collaborate somehow or donate something awesome, let us know! Winning entries will be announced before the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow begins.
Whether you are totally new to the world of eco-fiction or a seasoned enthusiast, this contest is open to any adult, teenager, or child who wants to combine their passion for writing with getting the message out there about the climate and ecological emergency. If you’d like to get in touch or have any questions, please reach us at xr-writers@protonmail.com.
More info and how to submit: http://xrwordsmiths.com
