Callaloo

About

Dr. Charles H. Rowell founded Callaloo in 1976 at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. With its emphasis on critical studies of the arts and humanities, as well as creative writing, Callaloo has emerged as the most essential and continuously published journal in matters pertinent to African American and African Diaspora Studies worldwide. It has been a vital and much-anticipated source of information and lively conversation among both established and emerging scholars and creative writers. Through careful editing, the journal has remained accessible to the discerning general reader.
The journal publishes original work by and about writers and visual artists of African descent worldwide. Callaloo offers an engaging mixture of fiction, poetry, critical articles, interviews, drama, and visual art. Frequently annotated bibliographies, special issues dedicated to prominent writers and literary, social, and cultural themes, and full-color, original artwork and photography are some features of this highly acclaimed international showcase of arts and letters.

Peer Review: This publication uses peer review for some or all submissions. Check for details.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

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Statistics Synopsis

Slower: Callaloo's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 01 May 2027* (approx. 228 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Blacks/People with African origins.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 10,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Society/Culture: Ethnicity/Race, See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 May 2027* (approx. 228 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Blacks/People with African origins.

Lengths:

Article: Up to 6,000 words.
Essay: Up to 10,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Academic, Critical, Literary.

Topics:

Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism, See guidelines.
Society/Culture: Ethnicity/Race, See guidelines.
Visual Arts: Theory/Analysis/Criticism, See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 01 May 2027* (approx. 228 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Blacks/People with African origins.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Society/Culture: Ethnicity/Race, See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Dates:

Open to visual art submissions through 01 May 2027* (approx. 228 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Blacks/People with African origins.

Lengths:

Artwork:

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Society/Culture: Ethnicity/Race, See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Image.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

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Callaloo Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 4 reports from 4 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

27 min | 143.5 mean avg | 177.5 median | 192 max days (92.9 std dev)

Pending

2 responses are pending (7 min | 72.0 mean avg | 72.0 median | 137 max days waiting | 824.7 std dev) from 2 different members

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 03 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Jan 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:44 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Your Submissions

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Dates

Last Updated: 14 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.