DECENNALIA
LITERATURE EXPO
. . . AND THE WINNERS ARE!
—Drum Roll Please—
1st PLACE
AFTER THE SCREAMING STOPS
by Michael Bailey
It ends not in a bang, not a whimper, but a click. Like someone flipping a switch, but instead of a light turning on, every fist unclenches, every gun drops, every missile freezes mid-air like a child’s mylar balloon caught in a tree. And it happens all at once, everywhere. You’re halfway through honking your horn and flipping the bird at the guy who cut you off when the rage evaporates like spit on a summer sidewalk. The silence is so loud it makes your teeth hurt.
FULL STORY
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Michael Bailey is a multi-award-winning writer and editor. He is originally from Limón, Costa Rica.
2nd PLACE
A Summons to the Revolution
by Donna Faulkner
Everywhere humanity is living on its knees. A summons rings out for a universal conversation. Ordinary people, tired of their tiredness, are invited to sit around a campfire
on a beach.
They come from everywhere.
There’s one rule: You can only talk whilst in possession of the
staff. It passed in turn to everybody. No subject is taboo. This hui only concludes when
everyone present has nothing left to say.
FULL STORY
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Donna Faulkner is a Poet, Writer, and Artist with thought provoking work and a lot of cool merch at: https://linktr.ee/donnafaulkner.
3rd PLACE
Inside the Bubble
by Mord McGhee
We do not know who stopped the bombs from falling, but it was ten years ago to the day. I remember it clearly. The tears as we reconnected, coming out from the tunnels beneath Mermaid World. Beyond the bubble of the theme park, though, the vibrant city lay in ruins, its streets echoing with the heavy silence of annihilation. We weathered the storm in this paradise by the sea with whimsical architecture and aquatic theming, and it became the sanctuary for survival. I was below the castle, and even though it was a decade earlier, I still recall the rumbling beneath my feet, and the day it ended.
FULL STORY
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Mord McGhee is the author of Ironblood and a video artist.
The judging at the top is usually very close. Our diverse group of judges does a “blind” rating of all submissions. We then get a mathematical average from those ratings. Often winners are separated by .05 or less points, although some do stand out. This is the first year we received a number of entries that were AI generated work. We do specify in the parameters of the Expo that we accept only human-generated material for our Expos. We may change that one day when we have enough staff and resources to jury the added complexity, but at this time we do not have that.
The bottom line is that we really enjoy these entries. Thanks to everyone who participated – it was really interesting!
WHAT DOES A WORLD AT PEACE LOOK LIKE?
Have You Ever Thought YOUR CREATIVE WORK Should Be In A Magazine?
Have You Ever Thought You Could “RULE THE WORLD” Better Than Those Who Are Now In Charge?
COOL! Now’s the chance to SHARE YOUR LITERARY BRILLIANCE!
Enter ZO’s LITERATURE EXPO
and Share YOUR DREAMS for A Better World!
Imagine if in our current world, right now, a Force more powerful than any human put an end to ALL war and violence. Forever.
Where would your characters start in repairing our world from the damage that war and violence have done? How would they craft a better world?
How would your characters celebrate and live in the peaceful aftermath?
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Flash Fiction Prompt
In under 700 words, create a story of a world in the aftermath of violence, on a new path of peace!
EVERYONE ENTERING THE COVER EXPO IS SUBJECT TO THE PARAMETERS WRITTEN HEREIN. PLEASE READ. ALL ENTERING AGREE TO THESE PARAMETERS UPON SUBMISSION OF THEIR ENTRY.
ZO’s creative Expos are designed as expository contributions to our expanding community of artists. As such, the goals are not only to find the creative piece judged best — but also to reveal the wealth of work that we receive. The deadline for this EXPO is December 28, 2024. Our Team and Judges will choose top favorite COVERS, POETRY & LITERATURE from those submitted.
Awards for this Expo will be $50 to each winner. First Place winners are also eligible for a one-year ZO Gold Level City Curator Page (Award Value $240). City pages are our unique advertising platform and we believe it highlights our connected global talents. We consider our awards an honorarium for great work. We do not ask for exclusivity to publish the works, nor do we need anything other than a photo for art entries. (City Curator pages are for creative businesses, individuals or your favorite Hero or Shero)
Our concept for the literary theme comes from Decennalia (Latin for “10th Anniversary”). These were Ancient Roman festivals celebrated with games every ten years by the Roman emperors. The festival owed its origin to the fact that in 27 BC, Augustus refused the supreme power offered to him for life but would consent to accepting power only for ten years. (Wikepedia)
ZO is curious as to how the Dreamers that visit our website would change the world in 10 years.
THANKS A MILLION
TO ARTITUDE FOR SPONSORING FREE ENTRIES TO ALL OF OUR EXPOS!
We encourage you to pursue an imaginative awakening, knowing that all reality starts with a thought –the goal: to be unfettered, to live infinitely, and to find yourself. No matter what age you are, continue to learn, grow and awaken that part of the self that lies hidden in the cerebral cortex, waiting to birth a new creation. We want you to live a path of creative bravery with us. We consider ourselves “artists in the midst of a new renaissance.” Many have paved the way before us, and we join with all who walk in the realm of creative possibilities. Explore your community, country or inner mind, then send us your creations that fit our Expo categories . . .
We want to foster the artistic essence that you were born with. Show us what your imagination looks like, invite us into your reality and wow us with your radical dissonance. ZO Magazine is excited to be a part of your unique creative journey. Everyone has at least one masterpiece inside.
Warm regards,
All of us at ZO Magazine and Artitude
LITERATURE JUDGES
We are so grateful to the many ARTISTS who have allowed us to feature their art and creativity on our pages! A Record of these “Brilliant Human Beings” is forever etched into our hearts and on this ZO-Nextions page when the connection goes deeper than first contact. Many of our Winners go on to be contributors to our Multidisciplinary Highlights! THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!
If 2024 is anything like the past several years, we believe it will continue to be a time of “Interesting and Challenging Change”
Position yourself among friends and please connect with our growing community of artists-supporting-artists
ZO MEDIA EXPO JUDGES OVER THE YEARS
Check out content from our prior Expos!
As the whole world is aware, these times are significant and volatile for all of us. We are all reeling from geographic, governmental, business, and personal challenges. ZO has been fortunate to be able to continue our online format covering the arts and we are tremendously blessed that we are still here. Thanks to ARTITUDE, all first entries are still FREE!
No matter what continues to unfold, just Believe with us that “Creativity Can Change the World!”