Call for submissions: Who has the right to swim?

Water could be a few steps away from you, yet material and invisible barriers can keep you from it or push you in: fences, warning signs, construction sites, resorts, reservations, clothes, dialects, or citizenship. 

In this issue of Ward, we invite you to think of seas, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water, both full and dry, as sites shaped by access. Who gets to enter the water, and who is kept away? Who visits it for leisure, and who is forced to cross it? Who works in it, and who gets to enjoy it? What creatures do we allow to live by and within it? Who decides what you can do, when you can do it, and how?

We’re looking for submissions from those who live near the water, long for it, fear it, and who are excluded from it. Kindly submit your work by December 31, 2026.

• List general information

  First and last names (anonymous submissions are also accepted)

  Hometown

  Short bio (interests, background, experience, etc.)

  Submission title

  Submission description (what inspired it?)

  Social media accounts

• Identify submission type

  Text: 

  Includes poetry, short stories, articles, plays, etc. 

  Accepted file types: 

  Sent as text or in doc or .docx

   Visuals: 

  Includes all types of art, and must be scanned and sent 300 dpi resolution. 

  Accepted file types: 

  .pdf, .png, or .jpg

  Video:

  Includes performance art, short films, documentaries, etc.

  Accepted file types:

  URLs to uploaded videos on YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

  Hybrid:

  Includes a combination of the previously mentioned types

• Submit your work

  Email the requirements with the subject line “Submission: Who has the right to swim?” to contact@wardnt.com by December 31, 2026.
  You will be contacted shortly after submission.