Call for submissions: How do we remember?

Reflections of the Soul by Um Kalthoom Al-Alawi, featured in Ward’s first issue

We asked you this question in the past few months and introduced you to some initiatives and publications that answer it. Ward itself is an attempt at remembrance. It remains a living memory, documenting the Saudi art scene and its growth as we live and witness it. But this is just one way — remembering is a multi-sensory process and collective responsibility, fueled by an urgent need to understand and demystify our past, present, and future. Depending on our experiences and backgrounds, this process varies drastically. 

We invite you to contribute to our upcoming issue, How do we remember? We’ll learn and try to answer this question together. How do you identify erased histories? How do we locate the first seeds of our family trees? How can we capture what we can’t see or touch, like our wedding songs and food recipes? How do we preserve and categorize our photo albums and documents? How do we document our surroundings, neighborhoods, and cities? 

We’re looking for essays, stories, poems, photographs, collages, songs, films, or any contributions that answer our questions or ask new ones on remembering and memory. Send us your submissions by August 1, 2025.

  • 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

  • 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

  • Email the requirements to contact@wardnt.com by June 1, 2025. You will be contacted shortly after submission.

Khaled AlqahtaniComment