Announcing the Yugntruf Zhurnal Writing Contest

From Yugntruf (Youth for Yiddish): the Yugntruf Zhurnal Writing Contest:

Are you the next Sholem Aleichem or Avrom Sutzkever?
We’re looking for young emerging Yiddish writers and poets who need a modern literary platform suited to their unique voices.

That’s because Yugntruf – Youth for Yiddish is reviving its Zhurnal – its Yiddish-language literary journal of poetry, short stories, editorials and articles.

Debuting this August 2012, our new Zhurnal, co-edited by Jordan Kutzik and Leyzer Burko, will be available to Yugntruf members and to subscribers worldwide in both full-color hard copy and online download.

So, if you’re 35 years of age or younger, you’re invited to submit your original, unpublished Yiddish poetry or fiction to our ZHURNAL YIDDISH LITERATURE COMPETITION to win cash awards — and publication in our new Zhurnal!

  • Submissions will be judged by Professors Dov-Ber Kerler (Indiana University) and David E. Fishman (Jewish Theological Seminary).
  • Winning poetry and prose entries will each receive a $500 prize and be published in the 2012 Zhurnal. (Other submissions will be published based upon merit and space available.)
  • Deadline for Zhurnal Competition entries is Monday, June 11, 2012.
  • Please send entries in yidishe oyses (not transliteration) and in html format within the body of your email (not as Word or pdf attachments) to zhurnal@yugntruf.org. No snail mail or hard copy submissions will be accepted. Include full contact information (name, email, phone & address) with your submission.
  • All entries must be original and previously unpublished in print media.
  • Prose entries are limited to 2,500 words; poetry is limited to 60 lines.
  • Winners will be announced at the new Zhurnal’s launch in mid-August 2012.
  • Yugntruf is also accepting original photography, graphics and artwork by young visual artists for our new Zhurnal. Please send all submissions (black and white or color) in jpg or tiff format to zhurnal@yugntruf.org.

    For more information, email us at zhurnal@yugntruf.org.

    Express yourself in mame-loshn to a global audience of readers, and help us foster a new generation of Yiddish writers!

    (Thanks to Josh Lambert for sharing the news of this conference with me.)