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'Women With Weapons' is a forthcoming anthology from Blaft that invites writers to imagine stories centred on women who wield weapons and drive the narrative. Open to all genres, the anthology welcomes original fiction, graphic narratives, and translations while challenging contributors to fail the 'Reverse Bechdel Test' — a storytelling framework that shifts attention away from male characters and toward women’s experiences. With submissions open until September 15, the project aims to spotlight bold, inventive, and diverse stories from around the world.
Chennai-based independent publisher Blaft Publications is inviting writers to explore what happens when women pick up weapons and become the centre of the story, not as love interests or symbols, but as warriors, hunters, rebels and protectors. They want writers from across the world to address these thoughts for their forthcoming anthology, 'Women With Weapons' that is currently accepting submissions from around the world.
The open call seeks previously unpublished short fiction between 1,000 and 8,000 words, with one non-negotiable requirement: the story must prominently feature a woman wielding a weapon. The interpretation, however, is deliberately expansive. Writers can submit stories featuring multiple women, multiple weapons, or entirely unexpected forms of combat and resistance. The anthology explicitly welcomes trans women and non-binary weapon wielders, signalling a broader and more inclusive understanding of gender than is often found in traditional speculative fiction and adventure narratives.
Stories may unfold in the past, present, or future, and can draw from fantasy, science fiction, horror, historical fiction, crime, literary fiction, or any combination thereof. The editors are particularly interested in narratives that move beyond familiar revenge tropes. While violence and sexuality are not prohibited, the anthology is not intended to become a collection of stories centred on women avenging sexual assault. Instead, the call encourages writers to imagine women in all their complexity and try to dive in the nitty gritties of emotions and story lines that haven't been associated with women before.
One of the most important, and if not my personal favourite guideline for the submissions, is that they should fail the “Reverse Bechdel Test.” Inspired by Alison Bechdel’s famous metric for measuring female representation in fiction, the reverse version places strict limits on male characters. Stories may contain only one man, or if multiple men are present, they cannot converse with one another. If they do speak, their conversations must be exclusively about the women in the story.
There have been many days when I’ve looked around at my group of extremely intelligent, well-rounded, career-minded girlfriends and thought, “Let’s pivot the conversation to something that will pass the Bechdel Test.” So I think it will be nice to see a bunch of men (or even just one man) put women at the centre of the story, because that shift in narrative gravity away from men and their experiences and towards women is extremely important.
Although the anthology is being published by an Indian company and will prioritise stories that resonate with Indian readers, submissions are welcome from writers of all genders and nationalities. The call specifically encourages contributors to think globally. Alongside original English-language fiction, the editors are also interested in graphic narratives and translations, recognising the richness of storytelling traditions that exist beyond English.
Submissions are open until September 15, offering writers an opportunity to craft stories where women become drivers of the action, finally taking the front seat.
Learn more about 'Women With Weapons' on Blaft's website.
