Questions of credibility and power have long lingered at the intersection of storytelling and society: When a young person brings a claim against someone in a position of authority or public influence, whose voice gets prioritized? How do our biases shift when the accuser is a young boy targeting a woman, or a well-regarded young woman calling out a member of the clergy? These provocative, unaddressed questions form the thematic backbone of a new short story anthology, *Believe Me When I Say*, which has officially opened its call for original submissions from writers across all experience and age groups.
Conceived by Antigua and Barbuda-based author Kimolisa Mings, the anthology carries a core mission: to lift up and showcase literary creativity from writers who call the twin-island nation home, while also creating a collection that resonates with global audiences. Unlike many anthologies that lean into simple, black-and-white narratives of guilt and innocence, *Believe Me When I Say* centers the complex, nuanced gray areas that shape how society responds to accusations. All selected stories must revolve around a central accusation, fitting into one of four specific narrative frameworks that challenge conventional assumptions: the accused committed the act and concrete evidence exists; the accused committed the act but no evidence is available; the accused did not commit the act and no evidence exists; or the accused did not commit the act despite the presence of incriminating evidence.
Writers are asked to anchor their work to a core prompt: A young person accuses a person of influence of sexual or power-based exploitation. Submissions must fall between 1,500 and 5,500 words to fit the anthology’s formatting requirements. The submission process carries no entry fee, making the opportunity accessible to emerging and established writers alike. Simultaneous submissions to other publications are permitted, though contributors may not submit the same story to multiple of the anthology’s narrative categories. One key rule restricts the use of generative artificial intelligence in the creation of submitted stories, prioritizing original, human-led storytelling.
For writers whose work is selected for publication, the terms are creator-friendly: authors retain full copyright of their work, and each accepted contributor will receive two complimentary paperback copies of the finished anthology. The collection will be distributed both locally in Antigua and Barbuda and to international audiences, offering participating writers a chance to share their work with a global readership. Organizers frame the project as both an opportunity for publication and a creative challenge: to craft layered, complicated stories that transcend cultural borders and push back against simplistic cultural narratives around power, accusation, and truth.
The submission window will close at 11:59 pm on August 15, 2026. Full submission guidelines, entry forms, and additional details about the anthology are available on the official project website at www.believeme268.carrd.co.