Open Call: Mach mit! Open Mic – Voice, Echo and Location

DE

Open Call | Deadline: August 15, 2026

Join us! Open Mic – Voice, Echo, and Location

Middle Ground: Nepal Literature Festival

Language springs from a desire to tell a story, to retell it, and in this way to draw closer to what I seek to recognize or understand.
—Tsering Wangmo Dhompa[1]

This year’s edition ofMiddle Groundfocuses on the literatures of the Himalayas and explores the region’s rich literary traditions, oral cultures, and multilingual landscapes. Open Mic Night expands this exchange by inviting voices from all backgrounds to explore how language can convey place, memory, and belonging.

Middle Ground’s Open Mic Night celebrates the diversity of literary expression. Participants explore the significance of spoken language and migration in the formation of identities and create a space for emotions and new connections. All poets and storytellers are invited to bring their texts to the stage under the theme “Voice, Echo, and Location.”

Are you fascinated by the expressive possibilities of language—its rhythms and silences, its textures and sounds? Do you seek out the echo of memory in your work, or do you transport your audience to special places through vivid descriptions? Experienced performers are just as welcome as those presenting their work for the first time. Everyone is invited to present their piece in their preferred language.

We welcome all submissions in the form of poems, spoken-word pieces, and other formats that relate to the theme “Voice, Echo, and Location”: Whether it’s poetry that captures the cadence of a particular dialect, prose that traces the echo of historical events, or stories that bring a specific place to life through literature.

You are cordially invited tojoin Middle Groundon its literary journey. Together, the participants form a chorus of diverse voices that reflects a rich, varied, and closely interwoven literary landscape.

[1]Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, interview with Shelly Bhoil, “Of Exile and Writing: An Interview with the Tibetan Poet Tsering Wangmo Dhompa,”Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 47, no. 2 (2011). https://rupkatha.com/rules-of-language-in-rules-of-the-house-study-of-tsering-wangmo-dhompas-tibetan-english-poetry/?, Translation: HKW Team

Submission Guidelines

To participate, please send a sample of your work toopenmicnight@hkw.deas a text file (.doc or .pdf). Maximum length: 1,000 words (short text or excerpt). Submissions may be in any language, provided an English translation is included. An English translation is not required for submissions in German.

Submission deadline: August 15, 2026

Selected authors will be contacted by September 1, 2026, at the latest.

The Open Mic Night will take place on October 3, 2026.

Please keep in mind that each performance is limited to six minutes. And bring your energy, your passion, and your willingness to listen.

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EN

Call for Submissions: Open Mic—Voice, Echo, and Location

Middle Ground: Nepal Literature Festival

Open Call | Deadline: August 15, 2026

Language stems from a desire to tell, to retell, and, in a way, to get closer to that which I seek to know or comprehend.
—Tsering Wangmo Dhompa[1]

This year’s edition ofMiddle Groundfocuses on the literatures of the Himalayas, exploring the region’s rich literary traditions, oral cultures, and multilingual landscapes. The Open Mic expands this conversation by inviting voices from all backgrounds to reflect on the ways language conveys place, memory, and belonging.

Middle Ground’sOpen Mic event is a vibrant platform that celebrates the diversity of literary expression. Contributors explore how orality and migration shape identity, creating a space where words come alive, emotions collide, and connections are forged. All poets and storytellers are welcome to share their work related to the theme “Voice, Echo, and Location.”

Are you captivated by the possibilities of language—its rhythms, silences, textures, and sounds? Does your work explore the echoes of memory, or transport us to specific locations? Whether you’re an experienced performer or a first-time participant, you’re invited to take the stage and share your talent in your preferred language.

Submissions in the form of poetry, spoken word, and other formats that resonate with the recurring theme of “Voice, Echo, and Location” are welcome. This could be poetry that captures the cadence of a specific dialect, prose that explores the lingering echoes of historical events, or storytelling that vividly brings a particular place to life.

You are warmly invited to joinMiddle Ground’sliterary journey. Together, contributors create a tapestry of voices that reflects a rich, diverse, and interconnected literary landscape.

[1]Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, interview with Shelly Bhoil, “Of Exile and Writing: An Interview with the Tibetan Poet Tsering Wangmo Dhompa,”Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 47/2 (2011),
https://rupkatha.com/rules-of-language-in-rules-of-the-house-study-of-tsering-wangmo-dhompas-tibetan-english-poetry/?

Submission Guidelines

To participate, please submit a sample of your work toopenmicnight@hkw.deas a text file (.doc or .pdf). Maximum length for submissions: 1,000 words (short text or excerpt). Texts are accepted in any language provided an English translation is included. For texts submitted in German, no English translation is required. 

Submission deadline: August 15, 2026

Selected authors will be notified by September 1, 2026

The Open Mic Night will take place on October 3, 2026

Please note that performances will be limited to six minutes. Remember to bring your energy, passion, and an open ear for fellow performers.