Graphic with the words "writing" and "laboratories" in large dark blue font, and small text that reads "cycle 1" over a light blue background with overlapping circles.

OPEN CALL

littoral zone[s], in collaboration with the Foundation for Contemporary Art (FCA), Ghana, is now accepting submissions for the first cycle of its writing laboratories: a program dedicated to expanding critical cultures among literary practitioners and artists working with text.

This inaugural cycle will unfold over two weekends in September 2025 in Accra, Ghana, and will involve:

  • Critical readings and responses to participants’ texts

  • Engagement with selected literary, conceptual, and critical works

  • Collaborative writing exercises designed to expand approaches to text-based practice

The writing laboratories are not writing classes. There are no instructors, and the sessions will be participant-led. For the sake of direction, however, this cycle will be facilitated by Yaw Atuobi, co-curator of littoral zone[s]. The sessions are free. 

One major emphasis of the writing laboratories is a commitment to rigorous reading and experimental practices. The program is built on the conviction that writers and artists thrive best in communities that expand their critical and imaginative range.

There are only a limited number of spots available for this cycle. We are therefore specifically seeking participants who can be physically present in Accra during the last two weekends of September 2025. The in-person sessions will take place on the 20th - 21st and 27th -28th September, 2025. Other sessions will be asynchronous and remote.

There are no genre restrictions: artists, fiction writers, essayists, poets, art writers, cultural critics, reporters, cross- and anti-genre writers, and others are all encouraged to apply. The only requirement is an openness to read and write beyond one’s preestablished interests.

HOW TO APPLY


To participate, please send the following to admin@littoralzones.com with the subject line “Writing Laboratories: Cycle 1”:

  • A short bio

  • A writing sample (no more than 5,000 words)

  • A link or PDF to a critical, conceptual, or literary text not authored by you, which you would like to be considered alongside your writing

The deadline for applications is September 7, 2025. All applicants will be notified of the outcome by September 15, 2025.