Caitlin Press invites submissions from Canadian writers who have had a personal experience of post-partum depression for a non-fiction anthology edited by Oga Nwobosi and Christina Myers.

BEYOND BLUE will feature diverse stories from all aspects of the post-partum mental health spectrum, from PPD, PPD/A, PP/psychosis and more, written by the birthing parent, partner parent and/or adoptive parents. We want to hear about all the experiences under the PPD umbrella, from the hospital rooms to the nursery, the therapist’s couch to the support group, from the grief to the unexpected joys, the dark days and the sunny ones—the heartbreak, healing and hope to be found in this experience. We particularly invite marginalized writers to submit, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and all others who may not see their stories told in mainstream narratives.

We are seeking previously unpublished essays of no more than 2,500 words. Contributors will receive financial compensation for accepted pieces, one free copy of the book delivered to a Canadian address and will be entitled to a discount on all purchased copies of the book.

Please send submissions to ppdanthology@gmail.com as a Word document attachment.
Include a 100-word bio. Deadline for submissions is May 31, 2024.

Editor Bios:

Oga Nwobosi is a former journalist who started her career at The Vancouver Sun before expanding into television as a reporter, associate producer and news-break anchor at Global Television. Her passion for writing, storytelling and travel led her to a position as a national reporter and bureau chief at The Weather Network. There, she reported on events like the deadly Pine Lake tornado in Alberta and the unprecedented forest fires in British Columbia and the Prairies. She is Guyanese by birth, Nigerian by descent and currently lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children.

Christina Myers is a writer, editor and former journalist. Her novel, The List of Last Chances (2021), was longlisted for the 2022 Leacock Medal, shortlisted for the Fred Kerner Book Award and won a Canadian Book Club Award. Her next book, a collection of essays titled Halfway Home: Thoughts from Midlife, is forthcoming from House of Anansi this spring. Her writing has appeared in magazines, journals, online and in a dozen anthologies; she was also the editor of the non-fiction anthology BIG, published by Caitlin Press in 2020. She is a member of Da’naxda’xw First Nation, though grew up all over Canada, and has lived in North Surrey for almost fifteen years. She was the 2023 Ambassador for the Federation of BC Writers.