The WordSpring writing conference committee of Butte College is compiling creative written and visual art works for our upcoming anthology, After/Ashes: A Camp Fire Anthology. We are looking for original creative writing (essays, poems, short stories, & hybrid genre work) as well as some visual art (photos, drawings, etc.) that deal directly with the events and aftermath the Camp Fire, the most destructive and deadly fire in California history, which swept Butte County in November 2018.

As writers ourselves, we have already begun to process and metabolize the events of the fire through art; we want to give a home to the artwork of others who will or have done the same. We recognize art's power of helping us triumph over tragedy. Ultimately, we want to show that hope, progress, and creativity can come from destruction, that art can help overcome trauma for both individuals and our community.

With that in mind, we are seeking stories of not just devastation, but also the rebuilding process; not just death, but also rebirth; loss, as well as reconnection; trauma alongside healing; growth out of damage; stories and art featuring both immediacy and recollection; stories that signal not just the end, but a new beginning. Our goal is to generate a collection of work that tells our stories, provides hope, and gives a home to art borne out of the trauma of the event and its aftermath.

Submissions open Dec. 29, 2018 and run through Feb. 8, 2019. All submissions should be original works and property of the submitter. Simultaneous submissions and previously published work will be accepted, as long as the author maintains the publishing rights. If you must withdraw your work, you can do so inside the submission manager via Submittable.

Proceeds from the sales of After/Ashes: A Camp Fire Anthology will go toward waiving student registration fees for our annual WordSpring Creative Writing Conference, to be held on Saturday, April 27th at Butte College.