Category: News

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Right Here, Right Now Flash Fiction Competition

This competition is now closed. Thank you to everyone who has submitted!

Paper Lanterns are delighted to announce our flash fiction competition! The theme is “Right Here, Right Now.”

Have you got lots of ideas about the current ways of the world around you? Are you looking for a short but sweet way to express all that you feel and think about the events in your life? Then this is the competition for you. 

Details: 

  • This competition is now closed. Thank you to everyone who has submitted!
  • The competition is open to anyone over 13 years old (teens and adults alike!)
  • Submissions are divided into two categories:
    • 13-18 years old
    • 19+ years old
  • Submission fee is €3
    • All funds raised go directly towards the production costs of our journal and paying our contributors for issue two. 
    • There will be an opportunity for you to sponsor a writer’s submission, with our “pay it forward” system. 
  • We will announce two winners in July, one in each category.

The winning stories will be published on the Paper Lanterns website and each winner will receive a €15 prize.

Rules: 

  • Flash fiction entries must be max 400 words
  • The theme “Right Here, Right Now” can be interpreted in any way you like
  • There is no limit on the number of entries
  • Entries must be suitable for a teenage audience 
  • Entries must not be published elsewhere (if you are submitting simultaneously, please let us know if you are accepted elsewhere)
  • Please submit your entry in a Microsoft Word document, size 12 font

Do NOT include your name anywhere within the flash fiction document – we want to keep the judging process anonymous!

How to submit:

Follow this easy, two-step system

Step One:

  • Donate €3 to our Ko-fi page (this counts as your submission fee!)
  • Include your full name when you donate 
  • You will be given a receipt for your donation – take a screenshot of this or save it as a PDF (very important step!)
  • Each submission costs €3 to enter (if you are entering two pieces of flash fiction, please donate €6 – for three entries, please donate €9 – and so on).
  • Our Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/paperlanterns

Step Two:

  • Fill out our submission form (name, email, etc)
  • You will be asked to upload proof of your submission (the screenshot / PDF of your receipt!) 
  • Upload your flash fiction entry as a Microsoft Word doc (please label the document as follows: Flash Fiction Competition – “title of the writing piece”)
  • Do NOT have your name visible on the Word document (to keep the judging process anonymous)
  • If you are submitting multiple entries, please upload them as separate documents)
  • Our submission form: https://forms.gle/Eok7w6mkMAxy5SnS6
  • And you’re done!

Can’t afford the fee?

Accessibility is an important part of our goals here at Paper Lanterns, which is why we are implementing a “pay it forward” system for this competition. 

  • If you would like to sponsor a submission fee (or a few!) – firstly, thank you very much!
  • Secondly, you can donate on our Ko-fi page. Be sure to include your name and a note saying, “PAY IT FORWARD.”

If you are a writer who is experiencing financial difficulties and would like to avail of the Pay It Forward system, drop us an email at paperlanternsjournal@gmail.com and we will help you out. 

If you have any questions about the competition, feel free to contact us at paperlanternsjournal@gmail.com 

Good luck!

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Paper Lanterns Online Open Mic Fundraiser

Hello! Welcome to the Paper Lanterns Online Open Mic Fundraiser!

When: Thursday May 28th at 7pm
Where: From the comfort of your own home
How much: €3

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will be hosting this fundraiser online.
So, get ready for an evening of readings; poetry, short stories, and more! We will be showcasing the works of many talented folks throughout the night. The event is open to anyone over the age of 13 years – whether you want to watch or to perform, all are welcome!

All funds raised from this event go towards the production costs and contributors fees for issue two.

So, how does it work? Follow this simple three-step process to make sure you don’t miss out on this exciting fundraising event!

STEP ONE – BUYING YOUR TICKET
Tickets cost €3 per person. This step applies to both performers and attendees.

We ask you to buy a ticket by donating €3 on our Ko-fi page. You will be sent a PayPal receipt to your email. Be sure to save this receipt, it acts as your ticket! You can take a screenshot of this receipt on your phone or computer, or you can save it as a PDF.

Of course, if you wish to donate more than €3, we will be forever grateful for your generosity!
Ticket sales will close on Thursday May 28th at 6pm (one hour before the event!)

Order your ticket here: https://bit.ly/2AyBjGO

STEP TWO – REGISTRATION
This step is important, this is how we will get you into the event! This step applies to both performers and attendees.

Fill our the registration form below, including your name and email.
You will be asked to upload your proof of purchase (the screenshot / PDF of your ticket) here. Without this, you will not be registered for the event.

Performers: you will be asked to upload / share a link to your video for the open mic. We also ask you to provide a short bio (max 100 words). You will be asked to confirm the following:
– That the content of the video is suitable for a teen audience. Paper Lanterns will review all videos and reserve the right to deny any performances that are deemed inappropriate.
– That if you are a performer under the age of 18 years, you will be asked to sign a parental consent form, without which you will not be permitted to perform.

Some tips for performers recording videos:
– Make sure you film horizontally
– Try have lots of lighting so we can see your lovely faces!
– Speak loud and clear! Good audio is key
– The deadline to submit videos is midnight on May 27th
– There is a limited number of performance slots, which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.


Register here: https://forms.gle/zjgb9Efnf7RpNH4j8

STEP THREE – SIT BACK AND ENJOY
You’ve done all that you need to do!

We will be in touch over email just before the event starts on Thursday May 28th at 7pm. You will be given an exclusive link to watch the videos of the performers as they go live.

Thank you for your support and enthusiasm for Paper Lanterns. We are so excited to showcase lots of wonderful talent and to share an evening with you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at paperlanternsjournal@gmail.com

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Launch of Issue 1 – Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our launch! We were delighted to receive such wonderful support. You can watch the launch as a playlist on our YouTube channel.

Enjoy readings from Aoife Sheehan, Celia Jenkins, John Britton, Evangeline Henry, Esmée Kidd and Joe Byrne.

Submissions for Issue 2 are open until May 13th. Find out more here.

Issue 1 is now for sale – you can buy a copy here

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Fund It Campaign

In light of the madness that March brought, we have had to change our plans. We had been arranging to supply our journal to approximately twenty bookshops across Ireland. Sadly, these bookshops have had to close until further notice. So, for now, we are aiming to print within the next month and we will sell directly from our website. 

We have set up a Fund It campaign to get Issue 1 over the finish line. When you donate through Fund It, you pledge money and get rewards. It is a great way to pre-order the journal!

You can find out more from one of our founders, Grace, below.

You can head to our Fund It page here – https://fundit.ie/project/paper-lanterns-ya-literary-journal-1

Thank you for the support and we can’t wait for everyone to see our first issue!

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Paper Lanterns Interviews Karina Clifford

Karina Clifford is a bookseller with Dubray Books. An avid reader, she created the #ReadIrishWomenChallenge in April 2019. Several writers and readers engaged with this challenge on social media, where a prompt would be given each day to name a book written by an Irish woman writer that fits the criteria:

“A book that made you laugh.”

“A book based on mythology.”

“An award-winning book.”

This year, the challenge will consist of a brand-new list of prompts. We spoke to Karina about her inspiration and the future of the initiative.

What inspired you to create the #ReadIrishWomenChallenge last year?

One of my main inspirations was reading Anne Enright’s essay, “Call Me George,” first published in the London Review of Books, now collected in No Authority: Writings From the Laureateship.  She wrote piercingly and persuasively about the lack of representation of women in the book reviews in Irish papers. Both books written by women and book reviews by women received far less space than similar pieces by and about men’s writing. I also participated in a March reading challenge by a UK writer in which only UK/US writers were mentioned; Irish writers seemed completely non-existent! So, the two came together in my head – I wanted to put the spotlight on Irish women writers.

Have you discovered any authors or works through this initiative that you wouldn’t have known about otherwise?

Yes! Sheila Pim was a successful crime writer in the 1940s and ‘50s. She incorporated her knowledge of botany, beekeeping, and gardening to add details to her plots – and also to give a fascinating picture of everyday Irish life during that time. I’m also delighted to say that a lot of people told me that they had encountered Irish women YA writers for the first time thanks to the challenge – and they loved them!

How do you decide what prompts to include in the challenge?

A mix of genres I’d like to highlight and areas I’d like to discover more about!

What kind of changes have you made this year and why?

I feel like books have a remarkable ability to spark and foster discussion about the world we live in, which is why one of the prompts this year is “A book about social change.” Irish society has seen a lot of changes so it will be interesting to hear about the writing that reflects this.

What do you see for the future of the #ReadIrishWomenChallenge?

I’d love to see some events tied in with the challenge, such as an evening of people gathering to read out favourite passages written by Irish women authors and discussing them. That would be amazing!