The power of a slogan
'We want bread and we want roses too' became known as a rallying cry when textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts (USA) chanted those words during their 1912 strike.
Bread stood for fair wages and better working conditions. Roses for everything that makes life more than just survival: culture, education, nature, equality—the right to a beautiful and fulfilling existence.
Since then, the slogan has grown into an international symbol of social struggle.
Learn more about the history of Brood & Rozen
The assignment: what do Bread & Roses mean in the 21st century?
More than a hundred years later, we gave the floor to new voices with the writing competition. What can Brood & Rozen symbolize today? What new dimensions does the slogan take on in light of current societal and global challenges?
The call clearly fell on fertile ground. More than a hundred submissions poured in, each with its own personal vision of justice, hope, and a dignified existence in the 21st century. Participants were given complete freedom of form: from essay to poetry or other literary experiments, as long as the text was written in Dutch and numbered no more than 2.000 words.
The strong response underscores the enduring relevance of a historic battle cry, and the importance of new voices reshaping its meaning today.
Announcement on 24 April 2026
The entries will be judged by an expert jury, consisting of:
- Layla El-Dekmak - journalist and podcast maker
- Bieke Purnelle - Director of RoSa and columnist for De Standaard, among others
- Filip Rogiers - writer, journalist for De Standaard and teacher
- Paule Verbruggen - Director of Amsab-ISG and Editor-in-Chief of Bread & Roses
- Martine Vermandere - Public Relations Coordinator at Amsab-ISG
The winner will be announced on Friday, April 24, 2026. The prize includes a cash award of 500 euros, along with the publication of the winning text in the next edition of Bread & Roses.
