The Kaleidoscope Chronicle Issue 3 Calling for Submissions
Hello, HSUHK Students, Staff, Writers and Artists in or from Hong Kong!
We are thrilled to announce the call for submissions for the third issue of The Kaleidoscope Chronicle, the literary journal hosted by the Department of English at HSUHK. The theme of the upcoming issue is Soundscapes of Hong Kong.
What does Hong Kong sound like?
We are interested in the sounds that surround us: the familiar and unexpected, the mundane and overwhelming, the fragments of conversation we hear. What do we discover when we pay closer attention? What sounds have disappeared, or become so ordinary that we no longer notice them? And what sounds elude us, only to resurface through memory, chance encounters, or changes in the city around us?
We also invite explorations of the city’s linguistic and cultural soundscape: languages we speak or hear, phrases and voices we remember, and sounds from film, music and popular culture that connect us to particular places, moments and shared memories—sounds we miss, crave, welcome or dread.
The Kaleidoscope Chronicle was launched in 2025 with its inaugural issue, which explored the work of Hans Christian Andersen. The second issue took the moon as its theme, bringing together creative and academic writing. For our third issue, we turn our attention to listening to Hong Kong and to the many ways we experience, remember and understand the city.
We invite submissions from students, writers and artists in or from Hong Kong, as well as those who have a close connection to the city. Start with a sound, and see where it takes you.
We welcome submissions in the following categories:
- Short fiction & creative non-fiction: Up to 5,000 words;
- Poetry: Up to 3 poems, 6 A4 pages in total, prose poetry, found poetry, and erasure poetry welcome;
- Translation: The above guidelines for fiction/non-fiction and poetry should be followed, and a copy of the translated text should be submitted along with the translation. The translator is responsible for acquiring permission to publish;
- Video Poems/Essays & Sound Recordings: 3-15 minutes;
- Hybrid & Experimental Forms: As you can imagine;
- Academic Essays & Reviews: 2,000-5,000 words for academic essays, or 1,000-2,000 words for reviews, acceptable formats include students essays or project papers that follow the MLA documentation style;
- Artworks: photographs, drawings, paintings, illustrations, and any other related works.
Submission Guidelines
- Submit your work(s) to engjournal@hsu.edu.hk by 31 January 2027. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Indicate your submission category in the subject of the email. If you are a HSUHK student, please include your student number, name, degree programme and School in your email.
- If your works are in textual format, we will accept Word documents only. If the works are images (including found poetry or erasure poetry), we will accept JPEG files no larger than 3 MB.
- Please include a 100-word author/artist bio.
- There will be an honorarium for accepted work.
FAQ
- What are the incentives of the open call?
All selected writers will receive a complimentary copy of the beautifully printed journal. The e-journal will be registered with ISSN and DOI*, a credential that can significantly enhance your writing career. Your work will also be included in the permanent collection of the HSU library database.
*DOIs may only be applicable to certain articles. - Who will be reviewing my work?
All submissions will be reviewed by the editorial board of The Kaleidoscope Chronicle, which consists of teaching staff from the ENG faculty. - When will I be notified of the submission result?
All contributors will be notified of the outcome of their submissions by the end of March 2026.
For further enquiries, please visit the journal webpage. We look forward to reading your work!
