Call for Artist Submissions: Author Talks / Spoken Word

Supercrawl’s Author Talks & Spoken Word Committee is pleased to release its Call for Submissions for 2023. Supercrawl is a free annual outdoor art and music festival in downtown Hamilton, showcasing a diverse and dynamic lineup of music, art, fashion, performance, talks, crafts, food and fun. Supercrawl 2023 will take place on James Street North from September 8–10, 2023

What Are We Looking For?

Over the years, Supercrawl has presented local authors in a variety of ways, from online, on demand readings to vibrant spoken word street performances to more traditional author talks and signings.

We are looking for the best new books, fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama by writers who know how to engage audiences and are intrigued by the ability to reach thousands of listeners in an outdoor presentation. We are also looking for dynamic spoken word artists or multi-genre literary performers who are comfortable performing in an exciting street festival setting. Audiences are estimated at approximately 80,000-90,000 people over the duration of a performance day.

Supercrawl was founded out of a desire to showcase the city’s cultural vibrancy and eclectic arts landscape, and remains dedicated to honouring, showcasing and celebrating all varieties of creative work. Supercrawl prioritizes curating a diverse and representative festival lineup. We recognize our responsibility to amplify voices that have traditionally been marginalized, both in our communities and in society as a whole.

Supercrawl is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, and strives to create an environment in which all participants may flourish. We are committed to removing systemic barriers to access and opportunity, and welcome artistic proposals from artists of all backgrounds,  including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, women, people with disabilities, and members of equity-seeking communities. Submissions will be evaluated and selected by a small jury of artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.

Fees & Resources

Supercrawl will pay all writers a reading fee (Canada Council rate) for presentations at the festival. Costs such as travel and accommodation, where necessary, may be covered and will be addressed on an individual basis. Artists will also have access to a production team to assist with staging, lighting and technical aspirations. Supercrawl will also be assigning significant resources to promotion of the event and selected artists leading up to the festival, and during the event. The festival will provide schedule signage, produce posters and handbills, and include programming details both in printed materials and on the Supercrawl website.

Dates & Location

Literary performances at Supercrawl 2023 will take place the evening of Friday September 8, as well as during the afternoon and evening of Saturday September 9 and Sunday September 10.

Submission Package Requirements

Describe what makes the writer(s) you’re proposing a great fit for our open air festival in Hamilton. Include promotional material (catalogue copy, bio, blurbs, etc), to give us a sense of their particular strengths. Remember: For author talks, the committee needs to see the writing. Please forward links to ARCs or electronic review copies as available. If a full manuscript is not available, let us know when it might be, and please consider sending links to us a sample.

For literary performers, please include the following as well:

• Contact info (artist name, email, phone number);
• Location (i.e. city/town, province/territory/state, country);
• Website URL (if applicable);
• Performer bio;
• Links to high-quality MP3s (3-5) or audio streams or videos;
• Links to press coverage; and
• Notable performances (festival and otherwise) in the last three years.

CLICK HERE FOR SUBMISSION FORM

Deadline for submissions: Friday, March 31, 2023 at 11:59pm ET.​ Late submissions will not be considered.

Successful applicants will be contacted in early May 2023.

Applicants are encouraged to contact organizers to receive clarification and/or additional information as needed to develop proposals.

Top: Nathan Ripley/Naben Ruthnum at Supercrawl 2019. Bottom: Eddie Lartey of Hamilton Youth Poets at Supercrawl 2019