Call for Submissions:
Pear Shaped Press is now accepting submissions for a new collection entitled The Feminist’s Cookbook, featuring recipes and accompanying stories of a feminist nature. We would like the tone of this collection to be a combination of humorous, inspiring, and empowering. Recipe names should be feminist-themed and fit into one of the following categories (though we are open to other categories or possibly creating a miscellaneous category as well, titles welcome!), and should be accompanied by high-res color and/or BW photos of both the prepared food and if possible, something to accompany the story that goes with the recipe (old family photo, etc.).
Stories:
What we are looking for in the stories accompanying your recipes specifically are something to give the reader a personal tie to your dish and to Feminism in the kitchen. Stories can be about the mother or other strong woman in your life who taught you this recipe, the breakup that inspired you to start cooking or eating healthier (or more indulgently, no judgment here!), the life or world event that you associate with this dish and the story behind that, or even just a humorous feminist tie-in for what inspires you about this dish and how you have come to reconcile the traditional domestic stereotypes associated with “women in the kitchen” and your awesome, badass, feminine self. Be creative, share a piece of your soul with your dish because cooking is all about our unique identities and coming together to share our stories.
Recipe and accompanying story should be no more than 1,500 words (or fill 3 pages in a standard PDF).
Sections:
- The Culinary Tradition of Feminism – recipes from our mothers, grandmothers, and other strong feminine influences in our lives who taught us about being a woman through the process of making food
- The Lighter Side – healthier recipes and possibly more humorous tales to go with them, but we aren’t placing restrictions on the creative content
- Woman on the Go – instant pot, crock pot, and air fryer recipes, or recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare (active preparation time, cook time can obviously be longer); stories here can range in topics, but we would love some about your awesome career or how you learned to balance your business and domestic life
- Comfort Foods – exactly what it sounds like on the recipe side, with inspirational tales of overcoming challenges, heartbreak, etc. where possible.
- An International Affair – recipes from other countries accompanied by tales of traveling as a woman or how you discovered this dish.
- Baby, It’s Cold Outside – recipes for cold weather and flu & cold season (i.e. matzo ball soup, chicken soup, etc.), stories about smashing the patriarchy, how the ideas of a “woman’s place” and domestic norms have changed since the previous generations, outrageous encounters, etc.
- V is for… – vegetarian and vegan recipes, stories can vary but feel free to talk about your experiences as a vegan or vegetarian woman, empowering stories of strength and encouragement, or body-themed tales.
- Sugar and Spice – dessert recipes and inspiring stories of kindness and sisterhood
- Time for a Drink – cocktail recipes and funny stories about social encounters and the women we surround ourselves with when we want to celebrate or just let loose
Please send your submissions in PDF format with a couple of high-quality photos to accompany the recipe (and the story, if possible) to pearshapedpress@gmail.com with the subject line “Submission for The Feminists Cookbook.” Please indicate in the body of your email which category you are submitting for (or if you have an idea for a new category, let us know), and a brief bio about you and summary of your recipe and the story that goes with it. If your entry is selected for this collection, we will contact you with further details. Happy cooking and writing!