This year’s edition of Oziana, the annual fiction anthology of the International Wizard of Oz Club, features six stories and one poem. Each story was submitted to the Club’s annual writing contest and, when an early-Oz theme appeared, was chosen for this 2024 issue. From paving a familiar road and two different perspectives on the melting of the Wicked Witch, er… “Wise Woman” of the West, to early days of ruling Oz after the Wizard departs, our authors offer some creative glimpses into Oz history.
A concluding poem sets the stage for Oziana 2025 when our cast of characters will expand to include more beloved favorites from later tales in the Oz series.
This year’s issue also offers a short profile of each contributor, which we’ve never done before.
Paul Miles Schneider, known today for his original Oz fiction, grew up reading the Oz books. Packing for a cross-country move, he found an original painting from his youth and agreed to let us use it as our wraparound cover.
While it’s not uncommon for an Oz Club publication to arrive a bit later than we’d all prefer, this delay has quite an explanation. The bookmarks for the exclusive edition used as a thank you gift to our donors called for 15 contributor signatures. They started with a the roadtrip to Charlotte, North Carolina, to gather four signature—and survive a hurricane. From there they took a roadtrip to Connecticut followed with a transatlantic flight to England. They flew again to double-stops in Canada before returning to the United States. Skipping from address to address from the West Coast to Florida, one contributor was missed! After that catch-up trip they finally arrived four months later fully signed—just in time to wait out a blizzard. Now that they’ve found their way to our donors hands, public sales of the issue are open.
Writers and illustrators don’t have to come to us through the contests; you are always welcome to submit your original work for consideration to [email protected]. Several stories are already earmarked for publication; more are welcome and illustrators are especially appreciated. We’d love to hear from you!
Purchase your copy at Lulu.com.
Oziana 2024
“The Moment Glinda Won Oz,” illustration by Suren Oganessian
“A Green Fix” by Kelsey G. Kappel with illustrations by Anna-Maria Cool
“The Wicked Witch of the West” by Kathleen Murphey with illustrations by W. W. Denslow
“Hope Melts Eternal” by Suren Oganessian with illustrations by Mel Vavaroutsos
“A Tenebrous Tower in Oz” by D.J. Tyrer with illustrations by Chris Diket
“Straw and Magic” by Malcolm Niess with illustrations by David Diket
“The Soldier with Green Whiskers and the Guardian of the Gates” by J. L. Bell with illustrations by Rob Lauer
Oziana 2024 Authors and Illustrators
“Oz It Was” by David M. Perkins; illustrated by Thomas and T Craft
Original cover illustration by Paul Miles Schneider