I am looking for creative writing pieces on LEICESTER and LEICESTERSHIRE. I would like pieces on the following topics: the city, the county, its people, places of interest, social history, sport or food. You can use the city as a backdrop for your story, or turn it into the main character. It could be set in the past, present or future. It can be a ghost story set in the city, a short story about your love of Leicester City FC, a poem about one of the green spaces, there are no hard and fast rules, but it must capture the spirit of Leicester or Leicestershire. It should show your LOVE of and PASSION for the city.

I was reading my favourite Francophile crime writer, Cara Blacks “Murder in Saint Germain”. Her hero, Aimee Leduc scoots around Paris solving crimes. Paris is the key, the second most important character in her books. Aimee’s partner Rene, mentions Georges Perec and his writing in the story. Perec spent three days in St Sulphice, Paris, watching Paris and its people which resulted in a creative wonder that is “An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris”.

Inspired by Perec’s work, I would like to invite writers and non-writers to help craft Leicester’s own version of “An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris.”

In particular, I would like to read pieces on the following topics: the city, the county, its people, places of interest, social history, sport or food.

You can use the city as a backdrop for your story, or turn it into the main character. It could be set in the past, present or future. It can be a ghost story set in the city, a short story about your love of Leicester City FC, a poem about one of the green spaces, there are no hard and fast rules, but it must capture the spirit of Leicester or Leicestershire. It should show your LOVE of and PASSION for the city.

Submissions invited include:

• Fiction 2,000-4,000 words
• Poetry 50 lines maximum
• Short Story 2,000-4,000 words
• Flash fiction 100-500 words
• Creative non-fiction 2,000-4,000 words
• Essay 2,000-4,000 words

We welcome contributions in your mother tongue, accompanied by an English translation.

Each contributor will receive two complimentary copies of the anthology, scheduled to be published by Dahlia Publishing in October 2019.

You retain individual copyright of your contribution.

You will be given the opportunity to read your work at the launch event.

Deadline for Submissions: 31 January, 2019.