9 Open Opportunities for African Writers
Up to £1250, Contests, Digital and Print Publication, Workshops etc
This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm WAT.
1. Submit to Undergrxnd: Metamorphosis
Undergrxnd is an African youth run magazine for youth. For their tenth issue they are seeking submissions exploring the concept of METAMORPHOSIS, not just as a biological process, but as a metaphor for change, growth, renewal and transformation.
Date: 25th April 2025 | Pay: Unstated
Things to note:
They only consider the first 100 submissions made in every category.
For prose and poetry, format your work either in Times New Roman or Spectral, size 12, double line spacing.
Poets are invited to submit five poems, all in one document. Please do not send fewer than five poems.
Nonfiction writers are invited to submit one feature article, or any non fiction work between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length.
Fiction writers are invited to submit one short story between 2000 and 5000 words.
Multiple submissions will be disqualified.
They do not publish previously published works, whether on social media, your blog or elsewhere, but they may make exceptions for exceptional works.
They request you do not put any identifying piece of information in your submission document.
Please note that while simultaneous submissions are welcome, they would like to be informed if your work is accepted elsewhere.
2. Submit to Geist
Geist is a magazine of ideas and culture with a strong literary focus and a sense of humour. They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry and hybrid works but they are especially seeking nonfiction works—longer essays for their features section and shorter essays for Notes and Dispatches
Deadline: 25th April 2025 | Compensation: up to $1000
Guidelines:
Short non-fiction (around 800-1500 words, flexible): typically personal narratives. They are interested in writing grounded in a sense of place, historical narrative, personal essays on art, music and culture, profiles of ordinary people with extraordinary stories, fascinating fields of work, practices or hobbies, and everyday occurrences that show the humour and strangeness of life.
Longer non-fiction 1500-5000 words
Short stories up to 5000 words. They usually publish one story per issue, so please send only your best work.
Poetry: send a maximum of 5 poems. They pay $100 per page.
Word Count: insert word count at the top of the first page
Font: 12 point Times Roman
Line Space: 1.5
Margins: 1.25 inches
Page Numbers please, at the bottom right corner on every page
Include your street address (Canadian residence) in your cover letter.
For Hybrid works: they like work that crosses genres or that surprises in other ways. Send photo essays, maps and poetry comics! Your interdisciplinary forms and your visual-textual mashups!
Submit under BIPOC General Submissions
3. AfroLiterary Magazine is Open for Submissions on Love
Afro Literary Magazine is a nonprofit organization that aims to embody the entirety of the afro — to be a beautiful, gravity-defying collection of art entwined through each coil, from root to tip. Afro strives to be a vessel that not only contains, but amplifies Black voices. For their third issue, they are seeking submissions on Love. “Send us love in every form you can find. We’re looking for insightful, distinctive work.”—AM
Deadline: Unstated | Pay: $10
Things to note:
Prose - up to 5,000 words per piece, submit no more than three pieces.
All prose under 2,000 words be in a single document, in pdf, doc, or docx format.
Times New Roman, size 12, double spaced is preferred, but not required.
Place titles at the top of each piece. Please omit names (or any other identifying information) from the document.
Poetry: send up to 4 poems
all poems are in a single document, in pdf, doc, or docx format. Place titles at the top of each piece.
Please omit names (or any other identifying information) from the document.
To submit, click here
4. Creative Writing Masterclass: The Mechanics of Plot
WriteLab Seminars presents a free fiction writing masterclass on the mechanics of plot to be facilitated by Joshua Chizoma. Chizoma has been a finalist for the Isele Prize for Nonfiction, the Gerald Kraak Prize, the Miles Morland Scholarship andhas been nominated for the Pushcart prize. His Story, "Collector of Memories" was a finalist for the Afritondo Short Story Prize 2020 and was subsequently selected as a finalist for the 2022 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. He was selected for the 2019 Purple Hibiscus Workshop taught by Chimamanda Adichie.
Date: 27th April 2025, 4pm GMT +1 | Pay: Free Masterclass
Things to note:
To be considered for this free workshop, please send an original fiction sample under 1000 words to consultwritelab@gmail.com
5. Jericho Prize for Children’s Literature
Jericho Prize in partnership with Hachette Children's Group now accepting manuscript submissions of children books which target children between the ages of 1-7.
Deadline: 30th April 2025 | Prize: £1250 + Publication, etc
Things to note:
There are two award categories this year:
baby and toddler books (1–3 years)
picture books (3–7 years)
Authors must live in the UK and be aged 18 or over at the time of entry; there is no upper age limit
You must identify as Black-British, ie of African, Caribbean or mixed-heritage Black descent
Previous Jericho Prize first-prize winners are not eligible for entry
Your submitted manuscript must be your own original work and should not have been published previously by a traditional publisher; and you yourself must not be, or have been, under contract with any publisher or literary agent for writing books
You can submit multiple entries although only one can be shortlisted
Only stories are eligible for submission
Stories can be written in rhyme or prose
Stories must feature at least one human Black or mixed-Black main character
Your word count (excluding the title page and any illustration briefs) must be:
baby and toddler books (1–3 years): between 100 and 200 words
picture books (3–7 years): no more than 700 words
You cannot enter translated or co-written manuscripts
Historical fiction and non-fiction submissions are not eligible in either category
Your manuscript must be written in the English language with UK spellings and a legible 12pt font
You must include a title page at the start of your document including your name, story title and word count
Please use the following file-naming convention: your_story_title_firstname_surname.doc
Self-published work can be submitted if it was self-published from January 2022 onwards. Self-published work will be judged purely on the basis of the text. Please send a text-only version of your book WITHOUT any illustrations
Send your manuscript in a Word doc or PDF file (max. file size 1MB) via this form
6. Pitch to Communiqué
Communiqué is the leading publication covering the media and creative industries in Africa. We publish in-depth, data-driven stories on the media, music, film & TV, creator economy, cultural heritage, and gaming industries. They are looking to publish insightful, rigorously reported 1,000 to 1,500-word stories that explore the forces shaping Africa’s media and creative industries.
Deadline: Rolling | Pay: N150,000 ($100 for Non-Nigerians)
Things to note:
They prioritise stories that:
Uncover new insights: Surprise us with fresh angles, underreported trends, or bold investigations.
Center African and diasporic voices: Amplify the perspectives of creators, entrepreneurs, and industry insiders.
Combine rigorous research with engaging storytelling.
Leverage data: Use statistics, financial records, or original surveys to substantiate claims.
Have a hook: Tie your story to a timely event, policy shift, or cultural moment.
To submit, you must be subscribed to Communiqué, then fill out the submissions form.
7. The Malawi Short Story Prize
The Malawi Writers Union Short Story Prize, open to Malawian writers based on the continent or in the diaspora. The Malawi Writers Union is a national body of creative writers in Malawi founded in September 1995 to lobby for members and provide them with opportunities for training and career advancement. The theme for this year’s prize is AI and Mental Health
Deadline: 1st May 2025 | Prize: Total of K2.1,000,000 + publication
Things to note:
Entries for the Open Category should be 2500-3000 words, original and previously unpublished.
Format: Times New Roman, Double-spaced, One inch margins on all sides.
Document should be a Microsoft Word Document (.docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf)
File name should be title of story and author’s name e.g AIBlues_AuthorName.docx
The story should include a title page with title, author’s name, and contact information (email or/and phone number)
Send submissions to mawuprize2025@gmail.com
The subject line should be MAWU Short Story Competition Submission
Top 10 shortlisted stories and three winning entries will be published in an anthology.
8. Submit to Agbowo
For Agbowo’s 10th anniversary issue, they are inviting writers “to submit works scuffling with the potent tensions emerging from these reflections—the dialogue between past and hereafter, the pull between hope and dread, the contrast of joy in small lives against inflated national terror, and the vital work of reclaiming decolonial narratives. We are interested in seeing how your narrative, prayer, limerick, litany, or lyric essays bring these convoluted conversations to the fore.”—A
Deadline: 31st May 2025 | Pay: from N20,000
Things to note:
Read the Editor’s note and get a better sense of what they want.
Poems should be a maximum of 3 poems attached as Microsoft Word (Please format it as you want it to be published). Each poem should be titled and every new poem should begin on a new page.
For Fiction, while you are welcome to send flash fiction, they usually publish stories with the 1500 – 5000 word range. Stories should be attached as Microsoft Word documents.
For Non-fiction, they are on a particular lookout for essays with roots wholly or partly lodged within the context of Africa, either through subjects under focus or case studies.
Include a cover letter and a biography ranging between 100 and 200 words
Essays must be written in the English language. Broken English is also acceptable.
Word count is 750-3500 words
For One-Act Plays, running times must be between 10 and 30 minutes and have a maximum of 7 cast. Include a cover letter with a summary of the play, the name and location of the playwright, the running time, performance history (if it has been performed before), and awards (if it has won any awards). They accept previously plays.
For all submissions, font should be Times New Roman font with a 1.5 spacing.
Also, attach a portrait picture, a short bio of fewer than 100 words, and your social media handles.
They accept only unpublished work.
To submit, please click your desired category: Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, One-Act Plays.
9. Quramo Writer’s Prize 2025
The QWP 2025 is inviting unpublished Nigerian and African writers to submit a fiction prose manuscript. The Prize is awarded to a fiction prose manuscript by an African writer published in English, whether they reside in Africa or elsewhere. Each entry must be an original, unpublished work.
Deadline: 31st May 2025 | Prize: Unstated cash prize and book deal
Things to note:
The fiction prose manuscript must be the original, unpublished work of the entrant. Published work is not eligible for the prize.
Short story collections, plays, and poetry are not eligible.
Manuscripts must contain a minimum of 30,000 words.
All entrants must be 16 years of age and above.
All entries must be submitted through the this form in the following format:
Times New Roman font type, Font Size 12
MS Word format
Left justified, double line spacing
Page numbers on each page
All submissions must be sent in with the following information:
A one-page synopsis (click link for some guidance on how to write a winning synopsis)
A short personal biography of 100 words max. (in third person POV)
Social media profiles (Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn)
Full (legal) name
Physical address
Email address
Phone number
Manuscripts submitted to the QWP must not have been entered into any other competitions running concurrently. Prior entries for the QWP are also ineligible.
Identifying information (name, address, etc.) should not be included on the pages of the manuscript.
All longlisted entrants must be available to participate in a publicity campaign from the date of announcement of the longlist leading up to the unveiling of the winner of the prize.
Quramo Publishing shall have a right of first refusal for the second book by the winner. This means that Quramo Publishing alone reserves the right to publish the second title by the same author, herein known as the QWP winner.
The winner undertakes to participate and work with editors at Quramo Publishing on the execution of the publication.
Prose of the Week
Resisting the War on Muslim Women | Wardah Abbas
Two Muslim women catch my attention as I gaze out the window beside my desk. I feel drawn to them, and I begin to wonder about the secrets they harbour, the stories that lie beneath their ordinary lives as they walk down the street. I bring my attention back to myself; a familiar reflection of the everyday Muslim woman, visible yet invisible, ordinary yet extraordinary. I am no different from the woman you see on your street, on your campus, at the grocery store, at the train station or even at the local market. Only, my journey has been different. I have been cast out, excommunicated, and ostracized; the memories haunting like the acrid scent of smoke in harmattan…
If you’d like your prose featured in ‘Prose of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
Poetry of the Week
Amen| Taiwo Hassan
allow me to anoint this poem first with a prayer, & find a thousand
and three ways to paint each line with the colour of my blood.
perhaps this time, each word can carry the weight of grief
& a bird will nest here, with an ode to hope, carefully resting on its…
If you’d like your poetry featured in ‘Poetry of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
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N bɛ dugaw kɛ aw ye (I wish you the best—Bambara , Mali)