A contemplation on time, transformation, continuity and obsolescence
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Ageing is perhaps the most universal of human experiences, and yet one of the least examined beyond the confines of the human body. We associate it with the passage of years, the gradual transformation of the physical self, memory, mortality and the inevitability of decline. But what if ageing were understood as a much larger phenomenon—one that encompasses not merely human beings, but everything we create, inherit, believe in, practise and leave behind?
The Ageing of Everything: Reflections on Time, Change and Continuity
Editors: Dr. Roopali Sircar Gaur Ph.D, & Anita Joseph
The anthology explores the ageing of everything: ideologies and institutions, beliefs and traditions, cultures and civilisations, languages and literature, relationships and rituals, art and architecture, technologies and ways of life. Everything has a lifespan, though not everything ages in the same way. Some things grow richer with time; others become irrelevant. Some adapt and reinvent themselves, while others resist change. There are ideas that outlive their creators, traditions that survive their original purpose, and practices that continue through generations without anyone quite remembering why they began. Equally, there are things we discard as outdated, only to rediscover their wisdom decades or centuries later.
The anthology seeks to examine ageing not simply as decay or obsolescence, but as a complex interplay between endurance, evolution, memory and renewal. What happens when beliefs that once shaped societies lose their relevance? When do traditions become heritage, and when do they become impediments to progress? Can cultures age without disappearing? Do languages, institutions and relationships possess their own forms of mortality? What does it mean for an idea to grow old, and can something be timeless in a world governed by change?
Through poetry and prose, the anthology will bring together diverse voices and perspectives to explore the many dimensions of time and its imprint on the world around us. Contributors are invited to look beyond the familiar anxieties of human ageing and consider the larger, often invisible processes through which our world grows older.
At its heart, this is an exploration of what time does to everything—and what everything does with time. It asks what deserves to endure, what must be allowed to pass, and what can be renewed.
The Ageing of Everything is an invitation to reconsider age not merely as a measure of years, but as a condition of existence, a marker of change and, sometimes, the beginning of reinvention.
Themes
- Ageing of Ideologies and Political Systems
- Ageing of Institutions and Social Structures
- Beliefs, Faith and Traditions Through Time
- Cultures and Civilisations: Continuity and Transformation
- Languages, Literature and the Passage of Time
- Relationships, Family and Changing Social Bonds
- Rituals, Customs and Collective Memory
- Art, Architecture and Aesthetic Transformation
- Technology, Innovation and Obsolescence
- Changing Lifestyles and Ways of Living
- Ideas That Outlive Their Creators
- The Rediscovery of Forgotten Wisdom
- Heritage, Identity and Intergenerational Continuity
- Endurance, Adaptation and Reinvention
- Memory, Mortality and the Meaning of Time
- What Should Endure and What Should Disappear?
- The Timeless and the Transient
- Ageing, Renewal and the Future of Civilisation
Submission Guidelines
1. Language: English.
2. Originality: Original and previously unpublished works.
3. Forms: Poetry and prose in all forms and genres inspired by The Ageing of Everything.
4. Length: Poems up to 30 lines; prose up to 2,000 words.
5. Number of Submissions: Each author may submit either up to three poems or one essay.
6. Format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) only. PDF files are not accepted.
7. Author Bio: A brief biography of up to 100 words.
8. AI-Generated Content: Submissions generated wholly or substantially using AI tools will not be considered.
9. Editors reserve the right to refine submissions and author biographies while preserving the contributor’s original intent.
10. Copyright of Contributions: Contributors retain copyright of their individual works.
11. Publishing Permission: Submission grants the publisher permission to publish accepted works in the anthology.
12. Publication Formats: The publisher reserves the right to publish the anthology in different formats and volumes, if required.
13. Copyright of Anthology: Copyright of the anthology rests with the publisher.
*Editorial Rights: The editors reserve the right to select or reject submissions for publication. They also reserve the right to edit and refine accepted contributions, while making every effort to preserve the author’s original intent and voice.
Submission Deadline: 15 January 2027
Publication date: February 2027
Publishers: TDW Publishing. https://tdwpublishing.com/
There is no entry fee or submission fee
BOOK AVAILABILITY: The book will be available in print through major online platforms. Authors may order copies directly through these platforms. Please note that complimentary author copies are not included in the publication arrangement.
HOW TO SEND SUBMISSIONS: Submissions should be sent via email (Subject line: Ageing)
Please include a brief bio and contact information (WhatsApp, Email and Social Links) with your submission.