SUBMISSIONS
The Modernist magazine is a quarterly print publication. You can submit an article or a photo story at any time, although we do work ahead of schedule on a theme by theme basis.
If you have an idea, we'd love to hear from you - please get in touch if you are interested in submitting an article. We are looking for essays or photo stories (around 1000 words) that focus on set themes below within twentieth century architecture and design. Our main focus is architecture, or art and design related to architecture such as interiors, glass, murals, furniture etc. These can be from anywhere in the world but we do like to feature lesser known examples. At present we are working with guest editors for each issue, which is a collaborative process. For questions relating to specific upcoming issues, please contact the relevant guest editor (details below).
As always, we invite contributors to interpret the theme in their own inimitable manner and with a broad imagination.
Issue 52: NUCLEAR
Contributions are sought for short articles (1,000 words or less) with strong visual content, as well as photo and image essays, for the summer 2024 edition of the Modernist Society's quarterly magazine, the modernist. The magazine is currently tackling the letter ‘N’: as we hit issue number 52 the modernist is about to go NUCLEAR.
The atomic age promised so much, heralding the creation of a new frontier, yet the detonation of the first nuclear bomb – Little Boy, used in the bombing of the Japanese city Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 – changed the course of history forever. Any shred of atomic optimism quickly turned to paranoia and uncertainty post-WW2 once the Cold War began to heat up, while vast resources were spent protecting ourselves (and/or potentially destroying our enemies) as the global climate turned to one of fear.
The infrastructure created for nuclear power and weapons leaves us with a rich resource for potential articles. Bunkers and military construction are an obvious source of inspiration, as are nuclear power stations. Tell us what you know about Transffnydd Power Station by Basil Spence, or perhaps you are intrigued by Dungeness? What about the influence the atomic age had on midcentury design, for example Googie architecture in the USA, Brussels’ Atonium, the Eames coat hanger, or even fashion designers such as Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin? Or, on a different tangent, how about an article about some of the pioneers of atomic research such as Manchester’s own Rutherford, Williams and Kilburn?
Cold War paranoia and the threat of nuclear apocalypse had a profound effect on culture. We’d love to see submissions on films such as ‘Dr Strangelove’, ‘On The Beach’, ‘The Terminator’, ‘The Andromeda Strain’, ‘Threads’ and ‘Goldfinger’, TV programmes such as ‘The Edge of Darkness’ or ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’, the books of Ray Bradbury or Raymond Briggs, and even music: ‘The Nightfly’ by Donald Fagan perfectly captures the tensions of mid century suburban America, while ‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood highlights the absurdity of Mutually Assured Destruction.
We would also be keen to feature graphic design work associated with the ‘promotion’ of the nuclear age: pamphlets and posters issued by governments such as those that would help us, as the famous campaign put it, ‘protect and survive’. In contrast what about the protest posters of Ken Briggs and Ian McLaren for CND?
There is plenty of scope. As always, we simply ask you to be creative with your ideas.
Please send proposals directly to editor Ashiya Eastwood (editor@modernist-society.org) by Wednesday 29 May, 5PM BST. We kindly ask that you refrain from sending full articles at this stage; just a few sentences and/or images outlining your idea is all we need.
All those who submitted proposals will be contacted by Friday 31 May 5PM BST. If your proposal is accepted, final articles and accompanying images will be required by Friday 28 June 5PM BST.
The issue is due for publication in September 2024.
See www.the-modernist.org for further details of the publication.
Please note, The Modernist magazine is a not for profit social enterprise run on a shoestring, and relies on the generosity of like minded people and fellow travellers to share their ideas, words and pictures with us and our readers. There is unfortunately no budget available to pay fees for contributions as articles and photographs are requested in a spirit of friendly collaboration.
We might not be able to reply to every submission. Our apologies if you do not receive a response.
For further information and general submission enquiries please contact editor Ashiya Eastwood editor@modernist-society.org
Thank you
The Modernist
CONTRIBUTOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS
It is the responsibility of the contributor to ensure that any content submitted to The Modernist does not infringe legal rights.
This includes submitting work that; could be libellous or maliciously false; be obscene or indecent; infringe copyright, moral rights, database rights, trade mark rights, design rights, rights in passing off, or other intellectual property rights; infringe rights of confidence, rights of privacy, or rights under data protection legislation; constitute negligent advice; constitute an incitement to commit a crime; be in contempt of court, or in breach of a court order; be in breach of racial or religious hatred or discrimination legislation; be blasphemous; or be in breach of official secrets legislation.
All contributors must obtain permission to reproduce images and any other non-original content prior to submission.