Ode to Death

Who will we be when we face death? When he comes to take our soul away, will he grant the poets and artists some mercy and let them complete their final act? When the walls of the theatre collapse, and the audience leaves, will death still allow us to carry on our last performance?These are questions still left unanswered. 'What is death' was the phrase that had carried me all these years from a journey for answers to pursuing my dream of finally launching a magazine. From countless tries to launch one back in 2022, then 2023, June 10th marks the start of this journey I have chosen to take alone with all your support.I may have not found the answer to my question yet, but I can say, death is something everyone has a bit of in their heart, in their touch, in their voice. When they said 'words can kill', 'you have poison in your touch', they really meant it. For to search for death does not mean to search everything which life has abandoned, but it means to search yourself. For the greatest trick death might have placed on us was to convince us that it was a complete separate entity.For what is death if not humans themself?

—, Ade, founder of Ode to Death

about us

Koi fish—used as a symbol of strength in Japan—stand as a symbol of the inevitable mix of unity and bravery for us. The legend of the koi dragon in Japan tells the story of a koi fish who had climbed up a waterfall against all odds. We believe that in this world of dictatorship where creativity is declining, we can also stand together and win against all odds.But where does the name 'Ode to Death' come from? Words and paint are two things which will live long past us, a single proof that our soul had stepped into this world. The world where many words remain buried in the depths of one's heart, it is only death which will uncover and listen to them. Ode to Death is all about the words misread, the letters unsent, the poems unfinished, the art abandoned, and the trembles not noticed within one's heart.

submissions

we accept poetry, prose, and art in all forms, including photography, fanfictions, wip snippets and all genres of writingour guidelines:
⋆ 12-19 ages only
⋆ for submissions needing feedback, mention it in the email title
⋆ a cover letter is not required however it is highly preferred with your submission
⋆ submission is accepted in google doc, word, of pdf format, please do not use any other
⋆ for anonymous submissions, please mention it beforehand
⋆ going by the theme is preferred, but leniency is given
⋆ simultaneous submissions are allowed, but let us know if the work is submitted somewhere else
⋆ previously published work is not accepted at the moment! submitting any AI work will automatically result in rejection.we try to reply to all submissions as soon as possible, but since we're youth-run, some delays are expected.email your submissions to us at [email protected]

issues

we are currently accepting submissions for our first issue; each of our issues have two sections with different themes

1.1: Biomimicry

'understand nature to understand death'A practice that learns from nature to help solve human issues—and find hope. Is death the falling of the leaves or the melting of the snow? Is it hiding within the crash of the thunder, or the sound of the rain?'Our ability—perhaps our curse—to emotionally and intellectually understand death is deeply ingrained in our genetics.Inkeeping with the phrase 'understand nature to understand death,' we are looking for submissions deeply connected with nature. From descriptive to symbolic, using literary language and imagery is highly recommended.

1.2: Slumber

'a man is no doubt defined by his unconscious mind''Sleep is the brother of death'—It is said that sleep is temporary absence of the soul from our body. It is indeed a demo version of death. But when these two entities join hands and play games to steal your soul, would we really know?Without the soul, man is subject to its unconscious brain, imagination running without will. Under these circumstances, it is often that we face our longings and fears in the form of dreams and nightmares. To want is a human nature, and this theme encourages writers to embrace them and write about them.Dreams and Nightmares will both branch out into multiple sub-topics, such as love, wants and needs under dreams, and fears, discomfort and death under nightmares.

coming soon!

join us

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