LURU Magazine · Issue N°06

ISSUE N°06 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Theme

Rituals

01 / Open Call

OPEN
CALL

We’re already working on LURU Issue #6: Rituals. We’re diving into the repetitions, recurrences, and routines within the contours of the city and its citizens. So far: we’ve got writers coaxing out the oral history of the Bengaluru Karaga; figuring out the relationship between the city’s expansion, epidemics, and goddesses; tracing the origins of an annual groundnut festival and the other habbas rooted in agricultural produce and more. Still other writers are sifting through the rituals of being a host or navigating their internal map of the city.

02 / The Calls

WHAT WE’RE
LOOKING FOR

Send us your non-fiction pitches, completed fiction, and personal essays—all by 5 October 2026.

Long-form
Non-fiction

2,500+ words · Pitches only

₹8 / word

Deadline — 5 Oct 2026

↓

We’re looking for deeply reported narrative non-fiction that expands how we understand the city and the worlds within it. Stories should be driven by characters, scenes, and narrative movement, rather than abstract argument. We are especially interested in stories that approach familiar subjects from unexpected angles. What we’re really looking for, what every editor is looking for—is a story they didn’t even know they needed.

What we look for

Our key criteria when selecting stories are:

compelling characters
immersive scenes built through reporting or reconstruction
a clear narrative arc
writing that is attentive, curious, and grounded in the world

We do not publish single-subject interviews, time-bound news reports, academic analysis, opinion pieces, promotional or PR-driven writing

We receive a large volume of submissions and responses usually take about one month.

How to pitch

We accept pitches only for long-form non-fiction.

Please do not send completed drafts.

In around 300 words, tell us who or what lies at the centre of the story; what makes the story interesting, unusual, or necessary; the narrative arc (beginning, middle, end); how you plan to report it (interviews, archives, observation, etc.); and why you are the right person to write it.

Include:

a short bio (2–3 lines) in the email body
links to writing samples if available

You may also include anticipated reporting costs if relevant.

Subject lineIssue 06 – Non-fiction Pitch: [Proposed Headline] Send toeditor@lurumagazine.com

We pay 8 rupees per published word for commissioned narrative non-fiction stories.

Deadline: 5 October 2026

Short
Fiction

1,000–10,000 words · Complete story

₹10,000

Deadline — 5 Oct 2026

↓

We welcome fiction that experiments with form, language, and perspective.

Stories should have some relationship to Bengaluru and the magazine’s theme of Rituals, though they do not have to be set in the city. The connection may be emotional, cultural, historical, or imaginative.

Translations are welcome, but contributors must obtain translation rights before submitting.

What to send

Please send the complete story.

We do not accept fiction pitches.

Subject lineIssue 06 – Fiction: [Title] Send toeditor@lurumagazine.com

We pay 10,000 rupees per published fiction story.

Deadline: 5 October 2026

The Readers’
Column

1,500 words · Complete essay · On My Way / Extracurricular

₹5,000

Deadline — 5 Oct 2026

↓

We publish two recurring columns that feature personal writing from Bangaloreans.

For both columns, please submit the complete essay.

We do not accept pitches for these sections.

On My Way

1,500 words

On My Way follows Bangaloreans on journeys around the world.

The journey may be large or small, physical, or emotional. It might unfold across continents, across neighbourhoods, or across a single afternoon. What matters is that it brings readers somewhere memorable.

The story need not be set in Bengaluru, but it should connect in some way to the city and the issue’s theme.

Please submit the complete essay. We do not accept pitches for these sections. Accepted pieces will go through edits with our editorial team, and we will request a photograph to accompany the column.

Extracurricular

1,500 words

Extracurricular explores what Bangaloreans do outside the formal rhythms of work.

This might be a hobby, riyaaz, obsession, gathering, or side practice—the things people return to after hours, often where the real work of life takes place.

We’re drawn to essays with a clear voice, a strong sense of place, and a feeling of discovery.