Issue 2 Contest

Epic Threads — Volume II Submissions & Writing Contest

Epic Threads is now accepting submissions for Volume II. We welcome work on any topic related to antiquity, broadly defined, and encourage contributions from students, early-career scholars, and independent writers alike.

At its core, Epic Threads is a project of imagination grounded in scholarship. We believe that the Classical world — from Greece and Rome to the ancient Near East — is not a relic to be preserved behind glass, but a living landscape of human stories, still relevant, still raw, and still echoing in our collective memory.

Through creative re-engagement, we seek to draw the past into the present, and invite it to speak anew.

Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis, and authors whose work is accepted for publication collaborate closely with the editorial team through a guided revision and editing process.

In addition to general submissions, Volume II will feature a thematic section on Homer and a creative writing contest.

 

Submission Guidelines

We welcome bold, thoughtful, and carefully crafted work inspired by antiquity. Submissions may take the form of fiction, poetry, dramatic writing, creative nonfiction, or experimental and hybrid forms.

  • Length: Submissions (for contest eligibility) must not exceed 4,000 words.
  • Focus: Work should engage meaningfully with antiquity and be grounded in some form of historical evidence, even where creatively reimagined.
  • Citations: Any historical sources or references should be appropriately cited.
  • Originality: Submissions must be previously unpublished.
  • AI Policy: Submissions must be entirely original and not generated using AI tools.

We also invite authors to include a brief preface or afterword if they wish to reflect on the historical grounding, interpretive choices, or creative process behind their work.

Our editorial team values writing that demonstrates both historical depth and literary craft, as well as a willingness to take creative risks while remaining in meaningful dialogue with the past.

 

Eligibility

Submissions are open internationally. While we especially encourage students and early-career writers to submit, the contest is open to all.

 

Publication

All submissions are considered for publication in Epic Threads. Authors retain full copyright of their work. Those selected for publication will work closely with the editorial team through a collaborative revision process.

 

Writing Contest — $1000 in Prizes

To be eligible for the contest, submissions must be received by April 17 @11:59PM EST, 2026.

Prize winners will be announced at our Homer Day event on Friday, April 24, 2026.

Epic Threads is grateful to the Department of Classical Studies and the Shalom Trust at the University of Waterloo for funding the following awards:

  • $250 — Best Submission (University of Waterloo)
  • $250 — Best Submission Overall
  • $250 — Best Homer-Themed Submission
  • $250 — Best Creation at Homer Day

All submissions are considered for publication.

 

Homer Day — April 24, 2026

Homer Day | Friday, April 24, 2026
University of Waterloo (Dragan Lab) | Hybrid Event

The Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies (WIHS) is pleased to present Homer Day, a full-day event dedicated to the enduring power, adaptability, and cultural afterlife of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

The event is open to all, free to attend, and will include lunch and refreshments throughout the day, offering an excellent opportunity for conversation, collaboration, and community-building across academic and creative worlds.

Hosted in the Dragan Lab at the University of Waterloo, with portions of the program accessible via Zoom, Homer Day brings together scholars, writers, students, and members of the public for a dynamic exploration of Homeric epic across disciplines.

The program will feature academic papers by leading scholars, alongside creative workshops and performances.

RSVP details and the full program schedule have been released on the WIHS (Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies) website event page.
For the event information and any updates, visit: WIHS Homer Appreciation Day Event Page

 

For questions, please contact us at: epicthreadsjournal@gmail.com