Czech Romani Studies journal Romano džaniben seeks personal stories on the subject of safety
The Romani Studies journal Romano džaniben, which publishes on the culture, history and language of Romani people, has published a call for literature from Romani people. The journal is seeking personal memoirs or stories on the subject of safety and/or threat for publication in an upcoming issue.
The subject of safety is topical in association with what is being called the “securitization” of Romani people, i.e., the artificial creation of security problems for the purpose of defending anti-Romani policies. The journal wants to present the perspective of Romani men and women, how they feel and what they do to cope with a feeling of threat or, on the other hand, of safety in their lives.
“The entire issue of Romano džaniben in the second half of 2023 will concentrate on the subject of safety,” the editors of Romano džaniben write in a press release sent to news server Romea.cz. Those interested can write about specific situations when they did not feel safe and add their personal reflections on those situations now that time has passed.
“For example, you can write about how the experience influenced you or those around you, what such a situation tells us about the lives of Romani people in your area in general,” the editors write. It would also be possible to write a literary text where the behavior of characters in a story is influenced by a sense that their safety is threatened.
“Or they could write a poem expressing their emotions and experiences. This could be a lyrical expression or a description of a personal experience,” the editors say in their press release.
According to Romano džaniben, the subject of safety or threat can be understood in a broad sense. “This could range from situations where one’s safety is just at stake (what do I avoid doing because I perceive it to be dangerous; what do I do to make a situation safer; how do I avoid the situations I have perceived as potentially dangerous; what do I perceive to be a safe social space, etc.), to decisions that were important in life where safety played a role (changing or choosing one’s employment, place of residence, school, etc.), to situations of direct physical threat,” the editors explain.
You can send your pieces in Czech, Romani or Slovak by 10 June 2023 to dzaniben@email.cz. Editors will choose which ones to publish in Romano džaniben.
The authors chosen will receive an honorarium. Everybody participating will get a copy of the journal free of charge.
