H I T O T O K I   S H A N G H A I   S U B M I S S I O N   F O R M

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Send this file and a photo to submissions_shanghai@hitotoki.org.

What is Hitotoki?

Hitotoki is a Japanese word derived from hito ("single") and toki ("time"). Hito is also a homophone for "person" or "individual".

Hitotoki is a website of personal, singular experiences, inseparably tied to a specific place. The project was founded in Tokyo in May 2007, and has since spread to other cities around the world.

The gist of it is this:

As people travel through the anonymity of cityscape, they often develop brief, intimate and intense memories that combine their emotions, experiences and sense of place. This often happens spontaneously, and in places that may be nondescript or perhaps easily overlooked in the day-to-day bustle. The end result for each individual is a private, internal map of a city.

Hitotoki’s goal is to illuminate these personal mappings into a greater whole through short narratives tied to and describing these spatial and emotional relationships. As the number of narratives increases, we hope that the site will become an alternative resource for looking at cities.

What do you want from me?

* A 200- to 500-word narrative story.
* An image to accompany your story (optional but recommended).
* A little bit of background dirt on you (see below).

To give a generic example:

Some time ago, you were walking around with your boyfriend in, say, M50 and the two of you got into a big fight in one of the artist studios. Now your memory is jogged whenever you visit the studios in Moganshan. As a result, there is a jumble of emotions connected with the M50 studios (ie. fleeting sadness because you and your boyfriend broke up shortly after that fight), there are events/experiences surrounding the space (ie. maybe you’re now on a first date and the guy has just proposed a stroll in Moganshan), and, finally, there is the description of the original studio itself (ie. "dingy, grey and wholly uninspiring – rather surprising given that its tenant is the rising star of the Chinese art scene).

These three points (emotion, event, and place) are the main components of any one ‘hitotoki’. In the above example, the hitotoki is composed of sadness resurrected via a tough, tense walk through M50 that passes the loathsome studio.

Your story should be:

* 200 to 500 words long.
* Focused on a single moment.	
* Tied to a specific place in Shanghai and revealing something about this place.
* Enjoyable for readers who have or haven’t been to Shanghai.
* Penned by someone who has visited or currently resides in Shanghai.

Note: You are welcome to submit multiple stories for consideration.

Your story should not be:

* A review of an establishment (ie. restaurant, bar, store, etc).
* About a generalized area of the city (ie. don't just write about Jing’An, write about Stall 107 at the Xianle Wet Market on Wanhangdu Lu).
* In excess of 500 words.
* Crafted without any love or editing.
* Already published elsewhere.

Your image (photo, drawing, etc), if you choose to attach one, should be:

* Something that represents the place or moment in your story.
* At least 300 pixels wide. (If you don't know what this means, ask us. Also, we’d prefer if it wasn't a mobile phone shot, please and thank you.)
* Something you have the rights to use.

Note: If you don't have an image, not to worry – we’ll find one for you.

What happens next?

1. We read your story and decide if it fits the spirit of the site. 
2. If it does, we email you. If it doesn't, we email you anyway.
3. We give it a little editorial polish if necessary. We email you for approval of edits (beyond spelling and grammar).
4. We publish it (and email you again).

What about my rights, man?

* You retain the rights to do whatever you want with the story for ever and ever.
* We may republish your story in some other format in the future. If this happens, we will contact you again via email for your blessing.

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Tell us about yourself

Please answer as many of the following questions as you can, and be as witty as you please. We will include some or all of your answers in an author profile alongside your story.

Name (pen names are also fine):

Gender:

Email address (don't worry, we use special sauce to shield your address from spam):

Website:

Year (or century) of birth:

Homeland/Hometown:

Occupation(s):

Visa status (currently or at time of visit): 

Why Shanghai (in 3 to 10 words)?

Five things about Shanghai that tickle you pink:

   1.
   2.
   3.
   4.
   5.

Five things about Shanghai that rub you the wrong way (or, if you dislike nothing about Shanghai, describe your top five meals with detailed descriptions and restaurant names, if applicable, please):

   1.
   2.
   3.
   4.
   5.

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Location of your story

Place name (be as exact as possible, ie. "the first studio on the left, on the second floor of Building 3 in M50”): 

Time of story (morning, afternoon, evening, late night):

Position on a map (an address or a SmartShanghai interactive map location, which you can find at http://www.smartshanghai.com/maps/smsh_map.php/ – just click on the “Map It” link at the bottom of the page):

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Your story (200 to 500 words):

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Xie xie! (Thank you!)

– Paul, Craig, Chris and Panthea
(The individuals responsible for spending ages – ages! – putting together this site.)

Send this file and your photo to submissions_shanghai@hitotoki.org.