Call for Stories
April 8, 2022
To: All General Service Conference Members
From: Deborah K., chair, trustees’ Literature Committee
Re: Call for stories – Fifth Edition of the Book Alcoholics Anonymous ―Big Book
Deadline for submissions: October 31, 2022
Online submission: aa.org/submit-bigbook-english-5th
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 our problems that they will be 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. If you have any questions, please write to 5BBStory@aa.org.
Instructions for submitting your manuscript:
Deadline: Please submit on or before October 31, 2022.
Online: aa.org/submit-bigbook-english-5th
Email: 5BBStory@aa.org
Subject Line: Fifth Edition of the Book Alcoholics Anonymous
Postal Mail: Attn. Literature Assignment, General Service Office, Box 459, Grand
Central Station, New York, NY 10163
On the envelope: The word “5th Edition BB” should be written on the envelope and at the top of the first page of the manuscript.
Thank you to all who are participating in this process!