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Comfort Food

Zine

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Timeline

Pitches are due: June. 1st, 2022 by 11:59pm EST

Announcement by: June. 6th, 2022 by 11:59pm EST

Final project due by: July. 5th, 2022 by 11:59pm EST

Food isn’t simple—outside of food being one of our most basic needs, food - how we make, consume, and talk about it - is a large part of our social, cultural, and political worlds. Food has the power to sustain us, build community, and produce feelings of joy. However, food, in particular the lack of food, is at the core of many of the world's injustices. The impact of colonialism, imperialism, and fascism on food justice, sustainability, and sovereignty has caused stark consequences for human and non-human life. Needless to say food is complicated and bears further conversation. 

 

Comfort food is a zine that explores food and the meanings, memories, and relationships entangled in what we eat (or don't eat). Comfort food is typically understood as food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to the person making or eating it. With this in mind, the zine looks to redefine and reimagine our relationships to food, while at the same time centring critical conversations. Comfort food looks to uplift 2SLGBTQIAA+, disabled, neurodivergent, mad/mentally ill, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour), and poverty- or working-class voices on the complicated nature of food, and how we can nourish ourselves, our communities, and our world.

What should my submission be about?

Below are some prompts/topics to give you a sense of what we’re looking for. Most importantly, these prompts/topics are meant to inspire, not constrain!

 

Prompts:

  • What does food mean to you?

  • What is your relationship to food?

  • How are views on food impacted by race, gender, and class?

  • What is the connection between food and community? Food and culture?

  • What is the complicated relationship between food and mental wellness?

  • What does food sovereignty and sustainability mean to you?

  • What stories, emotions, questions, relationships does “food” bring up for you?

  • How has the pandemic changed cooking and eating?

  • Who are the people you learned to cook from?

  • What foods or meals are important to you?

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General topics:

  • Food Justice

  • Food Sovereignty

  • Food Systems

  • Environmental Justice

  • Food as medicine

  • Food Culture

  • Hunger

  • Mental wellness

  • Fat liberation 

  • Community Food Projects

  • Gardening 

  • Sustainability 

  • Youth & Food

  • Food Movement

  • Food Workers

  • Food & Race

  • Food & Gender

 

What type of work can I contribute?

We’re looking for text- and image-based works, which may include illustrations, photography, and written pieces. Content can range from:

  • Visual art

  • Collages

  • Mini essays

  • Poetry

  • Declarative statements

  • Constructive criticisms

  • Narratives

  • Information about group activities

  • Cartoons

  • Creative writing

  • Letters

  • Any type of cultural and political expression

  • Activities

  • Lists

  • Satire

  • Dialogues/interviews

  • Reflections

 

We are also looking for Recipes! 

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We will only publish original content. Content that has been plagiarized, appropriated, or previously published will not be accepted. Please appropriately credit and cite any work that has been used for inspiration or reference.

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Final Submission Guidelines

  • There is a maximum of 1500 words (for written pieces) or up to 3 letter-sized pages (for visual pieces) per submission, though we especially welcome shorter pieces! Our goal is to include submissions from a wide variety of individuals/groups and to accept as many as we can.

  • Please submit visual pieces as 300-600 dpi .jpeg, .png, or other common, non-proprietary, image file format.

  • We cannot accept physical art pieces. Please provide either pictures or a scan of the work in one of the formats described above.

  • We will also accept submissions (e.g., YouTube videos) via QR code.

  • Please submit text-based pieces as a .docx or .rtf file.

  • Provide a brief bio of up to 150 words (written in the third person) including the name under which you would like to be published (e.g., all or part of your name, a penname, a group name, or ‘anonymous’).

 

Submission Guidelines for Proposal

  • If you already have completed work that would fit the zine, you are more than welcome to submit it. However, we do not expect people to complete their piece before being accepted to the zine. Instead, we ask that you submit a short pitch.

  • Pitches should be 250 words or less and can include visuals.

  • Your pitch should include a brief description of your topic and what medium you will be using (i.e., visual, poetry, collage, etc.).

 

How do I submit my proposal?

Each contributor may submit up to two pieces of work. Please submit your work to the using this Google Form. You’ll be asked to provide the following details:

  • Your full name

  • Name/alias for publication (optional)

  • Pronouns (optional)

  • A short bio (2-3 sentences)

  • The title of your work

  • Description of your work 

  • Contact info for us to follow up (will not be published)

  • You will be prompted to upload any additional materials.

 

If you do not have a google account or have any issues accessing the form, email submissions are also welcome. Email submission must include the information listed above and can be sent to hello@transcareplus.org.

 

Honoraria

A one-time honorarium will be issued for all accepted submissions. If your piece is selected for publication, you will be paid $50CAD upon final submission. If a piece is co-authored/created each person will receive $50.

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Recipe submissions will receive $15 each!

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