Theme

Submissions for Humanity are open until
18 February 2026

Each edition of Opal Age Tribune follows a different theme. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about the current theme, including inspiration, the kind of vibe you should channel, and pieces that have previously been published in Opal Age Tribune. If you’re looking for detailed information about how to submit, go here.

humanity

humanity

What does this theme mean? This theme channels everything that makes us who we are as individuals and as communities as a whole, and the stories, hopes, dreams we carry that make us alive and human. We’re exploring the interconnectedness of our experiences, both earth shattering and minuscule.

Have you ever recognized yourself in the selfie of a stranger on your screen? Do you ever smell the scent of vanilla and get taken back to a certain day, in a certain place, where you were once ten years younger and can now never return? What recipes do you have from your great-great-great grandmother, moth bitten and yellowing but worth more than gold? How do you feel in a crowd? What piece of history crosses your mind and makes you feel like you can do anything? How do you feel when you catch eyes with a stranger? Whose hand do you want to hold the most?

What are we looking for? We’re looking for your own interpretation of the theme. This one is broad!

Specifically, we’d love to see: community histories (both non-fiction and fiction), short stories, photography, visual art, poetry, reflections on architecture, reflections on native flora/fauna, imagined futures, philosophies, interviews, mini-autobiographies and biographies.

We accept submissions expressed in most mediums with the exception of video and audio creations. More mundane requirements are outlined in depth on our submissions page.

Who can submit? Anyone and everyone. Aspiring creatives or those who have already been in the spotlight. See our submissions page for more details.

falling in love too fast, messiness, collectivism, celebration of imperfection, queerness, generations, multiculturalism, generational wisdom, interconnectedness, cultural exchange, cultural diversity, networks, love, celebration of difference, hubris, story telling, care, profound feelings, inexplicable sorrows, inexplicable hope, existentialism, something bigger brings us together, infinitely diverse, wit, “madness,” art (different mediums of expression), architecture, curiosity, irrationality, fleeting, circles, infinite change, endlessly complicated, cycles, mysteries, pendulum swings, contradictions, beauty, “indomitable human spirit,” relations, oneness, sassiness, time weaving/ folding, the rawness of cruelty and triumph over evil, hopecore, future generations, yearning, and of course, queer joy.