Oct. 31 is the deadline to submit your story for possible inclusion in the 5th edition of the Big Book. It’s your chance to share your experience, strength, and hope with the entire world.
Read on for details.
March 9, 2022
Story Solicitation
Fifth Edition of the Book Alcoholics Anonymous ―Big Book
Deadline for submissions: October 31, 2022
5BBStory@aa.org
The Preface to the Second Edition of the Big Book explains that revisions to the personal history section of the book were made in order “to represent the current membership of Alcoholics Anonymous more accurately, and thereby to reach more Alcoholics.”
In that spirit, the 2021 General Service Conference recommended that “a Fifth Edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, be developed, including an update of stories to better reflect the current membership, keeping in mind the 1995 Advisory Action:
“The first 164 pages of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Preface, the Forewords, ‘The Doctor’s Opinion’, ‘Dr. Bob’s Nightmare”, and the Appendices remain as is.”
In response to the 2021 General Service Conference Advisory Action requesting the development of a Fifth edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous, the trustees’ Literature Committee is seeking a wide range of A.A. recovery experience of members in the Fellowship.
The trustees’ Literature Committee is searching for recovery stories of our members for possible inclusion in the Fifth Edition which are from a broad cross-section of our local communities, all stories are of value. As Bill writes on page 29 of the book Alcoholics Anonymous: “Our hope is that many alcoholic men and women, desperately in need, will see these pages, and we believe that it is only by fully disclosing ourselves and ourproblems that they will persuaded to say, ‘Yes, I am one of them too; I must have this thing.’”
It is the Literature Committee’s shared hope that any new stories from our current membership will help future alcoholics to identify and find recovery in the pages of a Fifth edition.
The suggested format for typed manuscripts is 3500 words, double spaced, in 12-point font. Handwritten manuscripts should be approximately 5 to 6 pages.
Please include your complete name, address, and email/phone information on the first page of the submission. A copy of your manuscript should be retained for your files. The anonymity of all authors will be observed whether their story is selected for publication or not. Stories will be accepted in English, French or Spanish.
Further information on where to submit your story will be provided to the Fellowship through Box 4-5-9, the A.A. website and more. If you have any questions, please write to 5BBStory@aa.org
Thank you to all who are participating in this process!