The Theme of our Essay Anthology is…

Swan Songs

A literary examination into the music and sounds that make up Black life.

How has music been foundational in your life?

What are the sounds that make up a Black community?

In 2014, Fred Moten wrote “Dancing is what we make of falling. Music is what we make of music's absence” Black musicology studies asserts that music and sound are foundational to Black life: shaping cultural identity, anchoring Black liberation movements, working as a repository for ancestral memory, and acting as vital tools for joy, resistance, and survival.

We invite you to:

Explore the hum of Black life, amplify Black music histories, improvise with experimental forms, voice your personal music stories, record music events in your community, blend traditional writing conventions. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for being here! Please read our FAQs before submitting your work below.

Submission window closes on 4/7 at 11:59pm EST.

    • Word limit: 3,000 words.

    • Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double spaced.

    • Submit all writing as a .doc, .docx, or pdf file.

  • We do! We just ask that you swiftly inform us if your work is accepted elsewhere so we can remove the piece from our submission pool.

    • Kawandi has a strict no AI use policy for all work featured in our magazine.

    • Work submitted to the magazine that was created with the help of AI will result in an immediate rejection and permanent ban from submitting to Kawandi in the future.

    • Please don’t submit work created with AI, we will know.

    • 3rd person perspective.

    • 50-75 words

    • Your pronouns.

    You can include information such as:

    • Your current area of residence and your hometown.

    • Recent or notable publications if applicable.

    • Any relevant honors, awards, or goals.

    • Your interests and intriguing personal details that connect to your writing. (i.e., a hobby, the reason you began writing, etc.)

    • Where/how people can keep up with your work.

    • Anything else you'd like to write about yourself or your work

  • All writers who submit by 4/7 will receive a response by 4/12.

  • We are unable to offer payment for this publication, but will open submissions for paid publication with our late Summer issue.

  • Please feel free to reach out to kawandimagazine@gmail.com for any additional questions!

Submit