From left to right and top to bottom: Svetlana Nekrasova ("Crimea in Winter"), Evan Woodnorth ("Trouty Fingers"), Anastasiia Pereverten ("Hotel Odesa"), Jon Schubin ("Summer Before the War"), Isabelle DeSisto ("On Duty"), Charles Crabtree ("Echoes of Greece"), Taylor C. Zajicek ("Trabzon Tea Garden"), Taylor C. Zajicek ("Stairway to Nowhere")
Calling all storytellers!
In Spring 2025 we collected photographs from across the Black Sea region. They capture coastal villages, contested borders, bustling port cities, and the quiet spaces of daily life. While in many ways the images speak for themselves, we are excited to announce a summer writing contest that amplifies their voices. We invite you to take a break from the sunshine, pour a glass of lemonade, select any image from our Black Sea Frames photo collection, and compose a story inspired by it.
Selected works will be featured on our website this fall as part of a digital storytelling exhibit.
Guidelines:
Your work must be original and unpublished.
Length: up to 1,000 words (we’ve been told a picture is worth that much!)
Genre: fiction, nonfiction, or prose poetry
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Selections announcement: October 6, 2025