Submit Writing

For those who think with their hands, write from the chest, or have something to say that doesn’t fit anywhere else.

We’re looking for thoughtful, kaupapa-aligned writing to feature on the Provocation Station blog. This isn’t a literary journal, an academic outlet, or a content farm. It’s a space for slow, reflective, sometimes raw pieces that come from lived experience, creative practice, or deep thinking across tangled worlds.

We welcome contributions from Indigenous, queer, decolonial, and cross-cultural perspectives — and from anyone whose voice carries both clarity and care. You don’t need to be a “writer.” Just someone with something real to say.

What We’re Looking For:

  • Short essays or reflections (500–1500 words)

  • Longer-form writing (up to 4000 words)

  • Interviews or conversational pieces

  • Visual-text hybrids (images with narrative, reflection, or conceptual framing)

  • Letters, fragments, or diaristic provocations

  • Process-based writing from artists and thinkers

  • First-person pieces grounded in place, whakapapa, resistance, or refusal

You don’t need footnotes. You don’t need to tidy yourself up. But your voice should come through clearly — present, grounded, and unapologetically yours.

Possible Topics

We’re open to a wide range of writing — but here are some themes and threads we’re especially interested in right now:

  • Identity, whakapapa, and belonging across place or time

  • Creative process as survival, resistance, or ritual

  • Decolonial thinking, Indigenous knowledge, and refusal

  • The politics of softness, rage, memory, and joy

  • Critique that isn’t extractive

  • What doesn’t get said in art school, grant applications, or gallery texts

  • Being an artist outside the centre (geographically, culturally, economically)

  • Making do, making differently, making anyway

  • Art as lived life, not lifestyle

This isn’t an exhaustive list — just a flavour. If your piece doesn’t fit neatly anywhere else but still feels honest and necessary, send it anyway.

How to Submit

You can either pitch an idea or submit a finished piece. We accept both — just follow the relevant instructions below.

Pitching an Idea

If you’re not quite ready to submit a full piece, you’re welcome to send a short pitch instead.

  • Write 1–2 paragraphs outlining what you’d like to write about

  • Tell us why it’s relevant to Provocation Station — what themes or ideas you’re exploring

  • Include a sentence about who you are and where you’re writing from

Email your pitch to: submit@provocationstation.com
We'll let you know if it’s a fit and whether we’d like to see a full draft.

Submitting a Finished Piece

If you’re ready to submit a full piece, here’s what to include:

Cover Page

Please include a simple cover page at the start of your document with:

  • Title of your piece

  • Your full name

  • Pronouns (optional)

  • Location

  • Email or contact info

  • Contributor bio (50–75 words) — to run alongside your piece if published

  • List of images (if included), with:

    • Image number (e.g. Image 1, Image 2…)

    • Caption

    • Credit/attribution

    • Alt text (1–2 sentences for accessibility)

Written Piece

  • Save your piece as a .doc/.docx or a Google Doc with “anyone with the link” access enabled

  • Insert image placeholders like this in the text: <<Image 1>>, <<Image 2>>, etc.

Image Files

  • Attach 1–5 JPG images, named like this: Lastname_Image1.jpg, Lastname_Image2.jpg

  • Make sure image numbers match the placeholders and the list in your cover page

Formatting Guidelines

We’re not fussy — but here are a few things that help:

  • Use 12pt body text in a standard font (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Times)

  • Avoid complex layouts — no columns, tables, or text boxes

  • Use bold or italics for emphasis (not underlining or ALL CAPS)

  • Clearly mark headings and use image placeholders

  • A short references or acknowledgements section is welcome but optional

We’ll handle layout and final editing with care. You don’t need to be polished — but you do need to be clear.

Referencing & Acknowledgement

We don’t require formal footnotes — but we do believe in naming where ideas come from.

Please acknowledge thinkers, kōrero, artists, or influences that shape your writing. You’re welcome to include a short bibliography or reference list at the end if it fits your piece. Inline links or narrative acknowledgements are just as valid.

If your writing draws on mātauranga Māori or wānanga, feel free to acknowledge in ways that align with your own tikanga.

We want to honour intellectual and creative whakapapa — not flatten your voice into someone else’s style guide.

What We’re Not Taking Right Now:

  • PDFs (they mess with formatting — sorry!)

  • Exhibition listings, CVs, or bios without a written component

  • Promotional content or product reviews

  • AI-generated work

  • Reviews of exhibitions or events — we want to make sure that, if we do this, permissions are properly sought and contributors are fairly supported. Our hope is to build a small paid network of reviewers in different cities.

  • Work submitted without care

What Happens Next:

You can submit any time — we read quarterly and respond in March, June, September, and December.

If your piece is accepted, we’ll offer light edits if needed and confirm a publication timeline with you. You’ll retain full copyright and always have final say before anything goes live.

We’re happy to support contributors during the editing process — especially if you're still finding your written voice. We can help shape, tighten, or clarify your piece while keeping your tone and intent intact.

You don’t need to be polished to be published — but you do need to be clear. We’re here to help with that, if you’re open to it.

Interested in Writing Reviews?

We’re not currently accepting unsolicited reviews of exhibitions or events — but we’re working on it.

Our hope is to build a small, paid network of contributors based in different cities across Aotearoa — people who can respond to shows with care, context, and consent.

If you’re interested in being considered, email reviews@provocationstation.com with a short note about who you are, where you're based, and what kind of art or writing excites you.

This might start small — but we want to do it right.