Where one person’s creativity is the sanctuary for another

About us

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Texts I read that made me write better

Exploring Weirdness
Wild Animals Prohibited by Subimal Misra

When I moved to New York, I somehow lost my weirdness. It affected the strange stories I produced in my mind, which often found their way to paper. My imagination became temporarily stunted, and it affected what I wrote about and how, taming some of the ideas that made sense to only me.

Identifying as an “anti-writer” and largely anti-establishment in both his politics and ideas around literary form, Subimal Misra penned these short stories in the 70s and 80s in Bengal. Wild Animals Prohibited is a compilation of short stories with a through-line connecting class struggle with humanity’s ability to inflict violence. While some of his perspectives make me crease my eyebrows, his surrealist sculpting of politically-oriented stories has guided me back to the imagination I once had.

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Sharing your voice

Our platform is here to share your voice, through writing and other mediums. We publish creative piece year-round through our general submissions, open calls for publications or exhibitions; and for submission invitations

See submission opportunities →

Improve your writing & accountability

We care about helping people create the best pieces of writing they can and improve in their craft.

Through literary development programs, editing and feedback, and one-on-one reviews we can help you come a better writer and have greater accountability.

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Creative organizations could be better equipped with deep organizational expertise. As a creative organization ourselves, and one with deep organizational experience, we can help you navigate through your challenges so you can focus on being creative and better serve your community.

Helping creative organizations

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Words from people we’ve worked with

“Alfaaz was easy to work with and took excellent care of our organization. They took the time to understand our individual nonprofit needs and to ensure that not only did our leadership understand their reports but that we had the capacity to enact their suggestions. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs strategic help in their org”

— Milda DeVoe, Founder and Executive Director of Pen Parentis
“My work with Karan to review my work was informative and most of all - comforting. Sharing work with people can be very daunting, as much of what I write showcases a very vulnerable side of myself. Karan listened intently, gave me advice on changes without framing it as criticism or fact, and made me feel seen and heard. I appreciate his help in my journey and look forward to continuing one on one sessions as I develop further.”

— Breanna Hall, Writer
Creative feedback on an anthology
“I submitted five pieces for feedback from Alfaaz and found their insights to be invaluable in enhancing my work creatively. During our individual feedback session, Alfaaz skillfully balanced a constructive approach to support my storytelling while ensuring that the essence and identity of my work remained intact."

— Jasmine Bajaj, Writer

Invitation to Submit:

Holding Space

We’re living in a time when the state of the world can feel taxing on our emotional and mental states – in our own cities and ones abroad. With the ongoing genocide in Palestine, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, living with uncertainty as migrants, the impact of the U.S administration, the suffering in Congo, climate change affecting communities and the many other issues we’re faced with each day, things can feel tough and we need to share what’s weighing on us.

We’d like to extend our platform as a safe, yet bold space for you to share your creative expression in the form of creative writing. We’re also open to accepting visual art, films and music. Submitted pieces will be shared on our social media and website. This is an ongoing space, not tied to an open call, event or curation.

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Our latest publication

A collection of poems written by Alfaaz contributors, recreated by visual artists in their own respective mediums. This collaborative project is designed to showcase the various artistic interpretations of written word, to open up stories to those who may resonate with them in different ways.

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