New Sun Rising: Calling artists and writers with work accepted for...

New Sun Rising: Calling artists and writers with work accepted for...: We would like to remind all contributors who had work accepted for New Sun Rising: stories for Japan and who have not yet sent back their c...

Calling artists and writers with work accepted for the anthology

We would like to remind all contributors who had work accepted for New Sun Rising: stories for Japan and who have not yet sent back their contracts, bios and pix to do so as soon as possible and before 31 March 2012.

31 March 2012 is the cut-off day for determining the look of the final layout for almost 400 pages!

Layout work will begin on 1 April 2012. Although 1 April is widely considered as April Fool´s Day, we prefer to think of it as the start of Miyako Odori ("Cherry Blossom Dances"), an annual geiko/geisha dance celebration in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. While the term geisha means "artist" or "person of the arts", the more direct term geiko means essentially "a child of the arts" ....

And so we call out to the five missing artists, children of the arts, creators of the following works accepted for the anthology:

• Blossom Tree (b/w photograph)

• Calligraphy (black on white background with black border and stamp;

The meaning of the calligraphy is: "不撓不屈 （ふとうふくつ）
どんな困難に出会ってもけっして心がくじけないこと。futoufukutsu
No matter what difficulties you encounter, never let your heart/mind/spirit falter."

• Cherry Blossom (pencil drawing, initialled CE)

• Japanese Blockprint (geisha indoors, white on dark teal-blue background, intialled DS)

• Kitsune2 (ink, fox against rising sun)

Artists are requested to contact the Editors (newsunrisingeditors[at]ragingaardvark[dot]com) and send high resolution (300 dpi) copies of their artwork.

Contracts will be sent on receipt of notifications.

Please share widely so that we may be able to find the five outstanding artists by deadline.

Many thanks!

Prize-winning photographer, Ronnie Niedermeyer, has kindly allowed us to use one of his photos on this blog.

A Promise.

This book is a promise. A promise we made to ourselves to help the survivors in Japan. A promise we made to our writers and artists who have contributed phenomenal stories for this cause. A promise to our readers that you will turn leaf after leaf believing in how you have made a difference to somebody's life.

Where the sun never sets...

An unexpected natural catastrophe struck the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan, on March 11, 2011. A year has gone by since then. But it must feel like a lifetime for those who have lost everything and survived through unimaginable misery with such dignity and courage. Stories of their resilience, patience, and strength in such challenging times put the world to shame.

The tsunami and earthquake destroyed over 200,000 homes. About 58,000 acres of lush rice paddies vanished in an instant on that ghastly Friday afternoon. While every piece of available land in the affected parts has turned into a relief camp, rescue efforts are still on to find nearly 3000 people who are still missing.

According to ‘Save the Children’, it’s estimated that close to 100,000 children have been displaced and need basic necessities like food, clothing, and personal items. Talking about giving them a normal life, an education, a family, and counseling them to sail through such times is far from that.

While the road to recovery seems long and winding, according to CBS News, Sendai, where the 25 feet high wave destroyed everything that came in its way, 22 million tons of debris along the northeast coast of Japan is testimony to the efforts that are being made to reclaim land. Help has poured from all around the world but in such times no amount of help is enough. The task seems insurmountable and daunting to say the least.

We cannot fathom the loss but we can feel the pang. We cannot gauge the immeasurable loss of human life and the emotion of waking up to no family, but we understand the fundamental human need to be happy, to live, to move on.

We want to honour the victims, help the survivors, and celebrate the efforts of those who are committed to rehabilitate a nation – a nation that is exemplary in its ability to survive odds and look forward to a new rising sun.

With ‘New Sun Rising - Stories for Japan’ we want to help – help wherever we can, however we can, and in whatever measure. We cannot express enough gratitude towards the writers and artists who have offered their time and invaluable stories that celebrate this wonderful nation. We also acknowledge the mammoth effort invested by this small group of people who have come together from different parts of the world with one objective – to contribute towards rebuilding Japan through stories – a book that celebrates the land and people of Japan.

We shall be out with our eBook by September 2012 and intend to channel the proceeds to genuine charity organizations that are doing amazing work to rebuild Japan.

Yes. The new sun is indeed rising.

~ Vaishali Shroff

Artwork: Courtesy Kruti Kothari (http://storiesforjapan.blogspot.in/p/contributors.html)

Anniversary Looming

On March 11 last year  a 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered an epic-scale tsunami off the coast of Japan. Although it is still difficult to calculate, it has been claimed that an estimated 19,000 people were killed in those moments. Dozens of communities were obliterated. Sources believe that there more than 3,000 still remain missing.


It is incomprehensible to most people the devastation which occurred. Incomprehensible too is the discovery that a huge percentage of people from the areas affected live in desperation, their plight forgotten by most of the world.


It is for these people that we continue our pledge to publish this anthology.  We believe, no matter what size a donation, our input will have a positive effect.  Our greatest gift in undertaking this project is to keep  the victims of the tsunami in Japan at the forefront of the publics mind.


We ask that on Sunday you blog about the events in Japan. Explore the variety of reputable organisations who continue to work with the communities. Raise the awareness of these peoples plight and need amongst your network..... and add a link back to us.


We have a huge article and discussion planned for the anniversary and would welcome your thoughts and prayers on that day.