Invitation to submit essays on 'Otherhood'

Editors Alie Benge, Lil O’Brien and Kathryn van Beek are working with Massey University Press to create a collection of essays, Otherhood.

Otherhood will explore a common experience that still feels taboo, in a collection of personal essays that tell the stories of people without children.

"As editors and writers, we want to give voice to these people and more: to those who are motherhood-adjacent, those who’ve chosen to remain child-free, those who didn’t get to choose, and those who through bereavement or blended family dynamics ask themselves – am I a mother or am I other?"

"We especially want to hear from people who are often left out of mainstream narratives around motherhood, such as the LGBTQIA+ community, people from our disabled community, or people who have experienced unusual circumstances related to pregnancy."

They are looking for essays between 1500 to 4000 words that engage with the theme of 'otherhood from women, and gender-diverse people."​

Essays should be submitted by 5pm 31 May 2023.

For more information see the Otherhood project website.