Today The Root, a G/O Media brand and one of the largest sites covering Black news, politics, culture and opinion, announced a creative partnership with HBO – a branded writing contest for emerging Black writers – inspired by HBO’s new series, Lovecraft Country.
The contest, titled For The Love Of The Craft, offers an opportunity for emerging Black artists to lend their voice to the short fiction contest, to have their writing reviewed by expert digital editors at The Root, as well as talented television writers from HBO, and ultimately have their work featured and published on The Root.
The Love Of The Craft contest, launching Wednesday, September 2 and produced by G/O Media’s award-winning content studio, G/O Media Studios, will announce a single writing prompt, inspired by themes from Lovecraft Country, with hopes to uncover new Black voices and the passionate storytelling of fiction writers.
Participants will have two weeks to submit their short fiction of less than 750 words, before finalist stories are judged by an editor from The Root as well as Lovecraft Country’s co-executive producers and writers, Jonathan Kidd and Sonya Winton-Odammten, and a winner is chosen.
The HBO series Lovecraft Country follows protagonists as they embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America. The journey leads them to overcome both literal and fictional monsters among the terrors of racist white America.
“We’re asking our readers at The Root to look these historical monsters in the face,” says Danielle Belton, Editor-in-Chief at The Root. “The Root has always had a commitment to sharing Black stories and this partnership with HBO’s Lovecraft Country is a wonderful way to showcase Black short story fiction and literature. We’re excited to be co-presenting this competition, encouraging the creative talents of our readers.”
“HBO’s Lovecraft Country, created and written by Misha Green, stands as an incredible moment in sci-fi history,” says Jackie Gagne, SVP Multicultural Marketing, WarnerMedia. “We have seen how the series has sparked conversations among our audiences, and the way the stories within the series mirror experiences, both metaphorically and not so far from the current events happening today. That’s the power of storytelling. We’re proud to follow in Misha’s footsteps and help empower Black genre creatives to share their stories. We’re very excited to partner with The Root, to help reclaim this space, and bring For The Love Of The Craft, to fruition.”
The winning writer will have their story published in a branded feature running on The Root in mid-October, in addition to receiving a $5,000 prize and a writing mentorship from HBO’s Kidd and Winton.
For the full list of writing guidelines, official rules, and writing prompt, please continue to The Love Of The Craft landing page.
https://www.theroot.com/got-love-for-the-craft-your-short-story-could-win-our-1844859279
