[Commlist] call for chapters: Playful Learning from Indigenous Traditions and Diverse "Global South" Contexts

We invite you to submit your chapter abstracts and spread the word about 
our new book, an edited volume under contract with _Play Story Press_ 
<https://playstorypress.org/>, titled:

*Playworkz*
/Cases on Playful Learning from Indigenous Traditions and Diverse 
"Global South" Contexts/

Playworkz is the sequel to 2 volumes: _The Play Advantage_ 
<https://www.routledge.com/The-Play-Advantage-Global-and-Indigenous-Perspectives-in-Higher-Education/Wharton-Gonsalves/p/book/9781041137665>  
and _Supporting Adult Learners through Games and Interactive Teaching_ 
<https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Adult-Learners-through-Games-and-Interactive-Teaching-A-Practical-Guide/Hirani-Varin/p/book/9781032136158>)
We start by asking: How is play practiced and how does play impact 
adolescent,  adult learning and Higher Education in indigenous and 
"Global South" traditions?
In /PLAYWORKZ/ we aim to bring together stories from educators, 
facilitators, community leaders, artists, and activists in adult, 
adolescent and Higher Education who use play as teaching and learning 
practice. Instead of focusing on theory, this collection celebrates 
lived experiences, practical innovations, and culturally grounded practice.
We are particularly interested in voices that have been underrepresented 
in mainstream adult and higher educational publishing, overlooked or 
undermined by colonial epistemic regimes from Indigenous communities, 
the “Global South”, and other practitioners working in diverse or 
resource-constrained settings.
We use the term "Global South" cautiously and deliberately. We recognize 
it is neither a fixed geography nor a singular cultural identity, but a 
contested shorthand for diverse histories, epistemologies, and 
conditions shaped by coloniality, inequality, resistance, and 
creativity. Throughout this volume, we seek to complicate rather than 
reproduce the flattening implied by the term.
Every chapter will tell the story of play in action, showing how playful 
learning includes the development of identity, creativity, 
collaboration, wellbeing, community, etc.
We welcome original chapters describing practical examples of play and 
playful learning for adolescent, adult or Higher Education in indigenous 
and "Global South" contexts such as:

  *
    Indigenous games and cultural traditions
  *
    Community-based learning
  *
    Ai for playful learning
  *
    Adolescent and adult learning
  *
    Informal and non-formal learning
  *
    Learning in NGO and community initiatives
  *
    Arts, storytelling, movement, and creative learning practice
  *
    Gamification and game-based learning
  *
    Social justice, decolonising pedagogy, and culturally responsive
    learning
  *
    Learning for wellbeing, inclusion, and belonging

We encourage submissions from first-time authors, educators working 
outside traditional academic settings, Indigenous knowledge holders, 
activists and practitioners whose stories deserve a global audience. We 
believe that powerful ideas in higher education often emerge from 
classrooms, communities, and cultures where play continues to be a vital 
way of learning, connecting, and imagining new futures.
Rather than traditional academic papers, we seek case studies and 
reflective narratives that demonstrate playful and play practice.
We propose that each chapter should include:

 1.
    A compelling story or case from your own experience
 2.
    Description of the educational or community context
 3.
    The playful approach or method used
 4.
    Challenges encountered and lessons learned
 5.
    Practical activities that readers can adapt to their own settings
 6.
    Reflection on cultural, local, or Indigenous knowledge that informed
    the work

Chapters should be accessible to an international audience while 
maintaining academic credibility where appropriate.
*Submission Guidelines*
Chapter proposal should include:

  *
    Title
  *
    300 to 500-word abstract
  *
    100-word author biography
  *
    Institutional or community affiliation (if applicable)
  *
    Contact details

Please submit your proposals in the form of a 300-500 word abstract by 
Thursday 15th of October 2026.
Selected authors will be invited to submit a full chapter.
Full chapter length
Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 words, including references.
Important Dates

  *
    Abstract Submission Deadline: Thursday 15 October 2026
  *
    Notification of Acceptance: 15 November 2026
  *
    Full Chapter Submission: 30 January 2027
  *
    Anticipated Publication: Fall 2027

Volume Editors: Ed Gonsalves, Dr Sequoyah Wharton, and Dr Karolina Szpyrko.
*A Note on Our Publisher’s Expectations of your Legal Commitments:*
/For first-time and aspiring authors, please review this template and 
checklist before deciding whether to submit an abstract. They provide an 
indication of the level of time, legal, and practical commitments that 
our publisher expects beyond the act of writing. These include 
responsibilities relating to copyright and image permissions, publishing 
agreements, and manuscript formatting. We encourage you to consider 
these requirements carefully before deciding whether this call is right 
for you:/
_Play Story Press Chapter Contributor Legal Submission Checklist_ 
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/155mCcdMSGApzwlQ66mvlDLsYKZ9vVW4wBZ393LMGwZ8/edit?usp=sharing>
*Your use of Ai:*
Please follow the _Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence - 
University of Pennsylvania Press_ 
<https://www.pennpress.org/about/for-authors/policy-on-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence/?utm_source=chatgpt.com> 
when writing your abstract.
Please email your abstract to*: **_ecooplexity@gmail.com_* 
<mailto:(ecooplexity /at/ gmail.com)>
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