Written submission guidelines
Before submitting, please take a moment to consider the following submission requirements. Jacaranda Journal accepts works of fiction and non-fiction (up to 2,500 words in length), and poetry (up to 4 poems of no more than 75 lines each) from Australian writers.
We ask that written submissions be formatted in the following way:
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12 pt Times New Roman (or similar), double-spaced.
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docx. or pdf.
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Labelled with name and type (e.g. JaneDoe_Poetry OR JohnDoe_Fiction).
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Please flag content where necessary.
Maximum word lengths are a guide. If your piece falls a little outside of these guidelines, but is a good fit for Jacaranda, it will still be considered. Anyone can submit to Jacaranda Journal multiple times, excluding the winners of our competitions.
Visual art and cover art submission guidelines
Before submitting, please take a moment to consider the following submission requirements. Jacaranda Journal accepts works of photography and art (up to 8 pieces) from Australian artists. All submissions will be considered for the cover art competition as well as publication within the print.
We ask that visual art is submitted in the following way:
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png. or pdf.
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Labelled with title of the piece and artist name (e.g. LakeHeart_JaneDoe).
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Please flag content where necessary.
AI guidelines
AI is strictly prohibited.
We ask that, alongside visual art submissions, there is appropriate evidence supplied of authenticity, such as art progress pictures, photos from different angles, or other photos of the same subject (other photos provided for proof do not need to be high quality and won't be judged for submission). For digital art, you may additionally be asked to provide a recording of layers.
For all submissions, we utilise AI detection rubrics.
Authenticity evidence should be sent to the jacarandajournalsubmissions@gmail.com while the visual art is submitted via the form below. Please include the submission title and 'evidence' in the email subject line (e.g. LakeHeart Evidence).
Memento Mori (prompt)
Memento Mori / Remember you must die.
The Latin phrase is not just an invocation of death, it is an invitation to remember. To remember that we are finite. And that everything we touch, build, nurture, and love will one day come to an end.
Memento Mori is the charred remains that lay on scorched earth. The sunburnt skeleton. It is to remember those who passed peacefully, and those who did not. It is the recognition of unjust death. It is to remember our history and act against those who wish to repeat it.
It is a mirror held up to us, our choices, and asking: if this was the last breath, would it be enough?
It is not just a morbid fixation, but a radical lens with which we can view the world—revealing what matters, stripping away illusion, and urging change.
To remember that you must die is to remember that you are alive. That you can begin again. That endings are fertile ground for transformation. In our ends, there is clarity and potential.
Memento Mori is not just about death—it is about living fully in its shadow.
Jacaranda Journal invites you to reflect on the raw, the quiet, the beautiful truth of endings. We seek poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual art that wrestles with mortality, impermanence, injustice, and the fierce, fragile beauty of remembrance.
Submissions Closed
