The Climate Vanguard is calling for applications for its Climate Futures Prize. The Climate Futures Prize is a fiction story contest that encourages young people to channel their creativity and imagination into liberated visions of the future.
Stories of planetary liberation are critical in grounding our struggle today. They offer a sense of direction in a dizzying world of compounding crises.
In difficult times, stories of future liberation motivate us. In revolutionary times, they guide us.
If you need guidance, here are some elements to consider in your story:
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The radical transformations needed to stop Earth systems collapse and build a liberated future
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What it looks and feels like to live in a post-capitalist world where human needs are met within planetary boundaries
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A world of decolonization and global justice
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Societies that centre care, joy, compassion, and interbeing
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Recognition that the pathway toward progress will necessitate work, struggle, sacrifice, and adaptation to ongoing planetary destabilisation
We love stories that transport the reader, offering a rich sense of time and place with strong character identities, landscape descriptions, and vibrant cultures. We also encourage authors to think about the purpose of the stories. They should offer readers active hope, empowering them to step into action and fight for a just, habitable world.
Diverse story themes are welcomed, everything from love stories to adventure stories, whimsical stories, mysteries, and thrillers. Ultimately, we want to see your visions of the future.
Rules
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Story time horizons should, at a minimum, reach into the 2100s
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The story must be 2,000 to 4,000 words
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All authors must be 25 years old or under
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Stories need to be written in English. Recognizing that this may not be the first language for many authors, the judges will place emphasis on the content of the story, not the language.
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Stories must be original and not have been previously published
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Only one submission per entrant
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Submissions can be co-authored
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Submissions are only accepted through the submission form
Visit the official website here to apply.
