“… In this way, too, poems are en route; they are headed toward. Toward what? Toward something open, inhabitable, an approachable you, perhaps, an approachable reality.”—Paul Celan, tr. Rosemarie Waldrop.
Cha is accepting submissions for a new poetry-focused section titled En Route on our main website www.asiancha.com. We welcome a wide range of poems on any topic from poets with a connection to Asia. Translations into English are especially encouraged, including from endangered or underrepresented languages. We seek poems that think and feel concurrently, guiding readers to places hitherto unexplored. Submissions will be read on a rolling basis and should adhere to the guidelines outlined below. We aim to respond within three months, but it can take longer.
Guidelines:
▚ Up to four previously unpublished poems/translations in the same document separated by page breaks. The number of pages in total should not exceed eight pages.
▚ All submissions should be sent via email to ericyip@asiancha.com with the subject line “En Route: [your initials]”.
▚ For translations, please confirm ahead of time that translation rights are available. A copy of the original text (not included in the page count) should also be provided.
▚ Simultaneous submissions are welcomed, but notify us as soon as possible if a piece is accepted for publication elsewhere.
▚ Please include a short biography no more than 100 words. A cover letter is not required, but feel free to include any information salient to the work.
▚ Please wait until after a decision has been received before sending a new submission. For authors who have been published in En Route, we suggest waiting for six months before sending new poems.
Cha‘s Poetry Editor Eric Yip is from Hong Kong. He won the 2021 National Poetry Competition and was shortlisted for the 2023 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. His poems have appeared in Best New Poets, The Guardian, Oxford Poetry, and The Poetry Review. His pamphlet, Exposure, was published by ignitionpress in 2024. Visit his website for more information.