Kokoro Press is a student-run press that has been established at Susquehanna University as part of its Small Press Publishing and Editing course. This course is part of the curriculum at the Susquehanna’s Writers Institute, a thirty-years strong program fostering strong writing skills at the collegiate level, as well as the Publishing and Editing program. Kokoro is accepting submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid work until October 18. The dedicated Susquehanna students on the staff will produce two chapbooks as well as three digital works on the Kokoro Press website. They have been working under the guidance of faculty member Hasanthika Sirisena, a published writer and experienced publisher.
Kokoro Press is accepting submissions of prose between 18 and 44 pages. Submissions of prose should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins and page numbers. Submissions of poetry should be single-spaced, Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins and page numbers; Kokoro Press understands that exceptions to spacing and font may be vital to the meaning of poetry submissions. Writers may also submit an artist statement relating to Kokoro Press’ theme.
Kokoro Press believes that within everyone is a head, heart, and soul which exist in concert within themselves and with all others. They also believe in self-discovery, the complexity of the human spirit, and understanding that the lives of others are equal to our own, often with unassuming yet impactful intricacies. Within these beliefs, we understand ourselves, the fabric of our existence, and the body of work for which they are searching. Kokoro Press welcomes the kind of work that bridges worlds, tunnels to their cores, and, most importantly, sees this in the context of the self.
“The act of creative writing is an implicitly public one. Writers want to reach readers and audiences. A class like Small Press, where students create their own chapbook competitions and then edit, design, print, launch, and market their beautiful publications, is fundamental to a department dedicated to reading, writing, and publishing literature,” said Glen Retief, Director of the Writers Institute at Susquehanna University.
You can find Kokoro Press on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @SUKokoroPress, and at https://sukokoropress.wixsite.com/explore. Submissions can be sent to SUKokoroPress@gmail.com.