April Opportunities for African Writers
Up to $2000, Book Deals, Contests, Fellowships etc
This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm WAT.
1. African Voices Call for Fiction, Poems, & Essays Celebrating Harry Belafonte
African Voices invites submissions for the Summer/Fall 2025 issue focused on the artistry and activism of the late Harry Belafonte. This issue will showcase fiction, art, poetry, and essays that exemplify some of the areas that Belafonte was passionate about, including racial equity, social justice, human rights, community empowerment, the interconnectedness of the cultural production of the African diaspora in the Americas, and the power of literacy and the arts to positively transform lives.
Deadline: 11th April 2025 | Pay: Unstated amount
Things to note:
Please include your short bio and contact information with your submission.
What they’re looking for:
Fiction – no more than 2,500 words
Essays – no more than 2,500 words
Poetry – three to five poems
File types accepted: Word, PDF, JPEG, TIFF.
To submit, fill this form.
2. Submit to Akewi Magazine
Akéwì Magazine is a biannual literary and art publication dedicated to celebrating the diverse voices and artistic expressions of the writers/artists of colour. They warmly invite wonderfully crafted stories, emotionally charged poetry, and captivating one-act plays that explore the theme: Ayo (Joy is Coming). “We seek work that explores joy in all its dimensions—joy that is loud, joy that is soft, joy that is complicated, joy that is fleeting yet powerful.”—Akewi Magazine
Deadline: 14th April 2025 | Compensation: Unstated
Prose (Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction):
Word Limit: Up to 5,000 words. NOTE: This is not a firm limit, but longer pieces would need to earn their space.
Formatting: Double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font
Submit to prose.akewimag@gmail.com
Poetry:
3 – 5 poems in a single document (no more than one poem per page)
Formatting: Single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font
Submit to: poetry.akewimag@gmail.com
Drama (One Act Plays):
No more than 3 main characters and 5 side characters
Formatting: Times New Roman, 12-point font
Submit to drama.akewimag@gmail.com
All submissions must be original, unpublished works. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but kindly notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere (we want to celebrate with you).
Prose, poetry, and drama submissions should be sent as either .doc, .docx, or .rtf formats.
Include a brief cover letter in the body of your email. State your name, contact information, a short bio (150 words max), and the category of your submission (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, or Drama).
3. Apply: Sprinng Writing Fellowship 2025
The Sprinng Writing Fellowship (SWF) is an intensive 6-week online mentorship program for developing Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian, and South African writers (residing within these countries) and currently between the ages 18 and 25, who have not published a book before (eBook/hardcopy). This fellowship focuses on 4 genres of literature: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Book Review. Each mentee will be in contact with their assigned mentor, sending them works for feedback.
Deadline: 15th April 2025 | Pay: Free mentorship
Things to note:
June 1 – July 15: Fellowship Period
Criteria: Applicants must have basic writing skills and show the potential to develop.
Applicants must demonstrate the will to receive constructive feedback.
Applicants must show passion and interest in developing their writing.
4. Call for Submissions on Bernardine Evaristo’s Work
The University of Reading is set to host the first academic conference dedicated to the work of writer Bernardine Evaristo on November 6, 2025. This symposium invites scholarly paper submissions dealing with any aspect of Evaristo’s writing and work.
Deadline: 16th April 2025 | Honorarium: Unstated
Things to note:
Potential topics
The African diaspora and/or AfroEurope
Black British culture, history, and literature
Legacies of empire
History and historiography
Space and place
Gender and/or sexuality
Family, filial relations, kinship and/or community
Intersectional feminism
(Auto)biography and memoir
Formal experimentation (polyvocality, non-linear chronology, genre)
Language use (non-standard English, code-switching, neologisms, idiostyle)
Humour (irony, satire)
Intertextuality and/or intermediality (verse fiction; essay and visual art)
Adaptations between forms (radio, novel, television, poetry, theatre)
Lesser-known writings, such as poetry, short fiction, and essays
Influences (such as Ntozake Shange, Michelle Cliff, Derek Walcott)
Translations and/or reception in different contexts
Relation to literary awards and prizes
Publishing, publishers, and marketing (including cover design)
Literary activism (e.g. ‘Black Britain: Writing Back’ series; The Complete Works mentoring scheme; Brunel International African Poetry Prize)
The teaching of Evaristo’s writing in secondary and/or tertiary education
Selected papers from the symposium will be published as Bernardine Evaristo: Critical Essays, with a foreword by Evaristo, as part of the Routledge Contemporary Writers: Critical Essays book series
Create an abstract (300 words for a 20 minute paper; 150 words for a poster) and title along with your name, institutional affiliation (if relevant), and a short biography (100 words)
Email them to Dr Nicola Abram (University of Reading) at
5. Send Poetry to WaxWing
Waxwing is published three times a year in February, July, and October. They strive to promote the tremendous cultural diversity of contemporary American literature, alongside international voices both in English and in translation. They are now accepting poetry submissions. “Waxwing publishes poems that sing—of the self, but also of the world. We love poems that love language, love it like a lover, and so wrestle and caress and grind and tease”—W
Deadline: Capped at 300 submissions | Pay: Unpaid
Things to note:
Please send one to five poems and place them all in one document.
Use spacing and formats appropriate for your poems—that is, submit them the way you wish them to look.
Iskanchi Book Prize 2024 is Now Open for Submissions
Iskanchi Book Prize aims to recognize exceptional prose and hybrid book manuscripts and offer the winners a chance to be published. This competition is open to both emerging and established African writers living anywhere in the world.
Deadline: 21st April 2025 | Prize: $1000 and book publication
Things to note:
Submissions should be prose: Fiction and non-fiction manuscripts (novels, novellas, short story collections, essay collections, memoirs, etc.). OR
hybrid: Manuscripts that blend multiple genres or mediums (e.g., poetry and visual art, prose and photography, experimental formats, etc.)Submit a completed prose or hybrid manuscript in PDF or Word (.doc/.docx) format
Include a short writer's bio (max 150 words) in the body of your email
Email Subject: "Iskanchi Book Prize Submission"
Multiple Submissions are not allowed. Send only one Manuscript.Simultaneous Submissions are allowed, but notify them immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
Language: English or translations (with permissions).
Submit to Submissions@Iskanchi.com
6. Toyin Falola Prize 2025
This Prize is created in honor of the Distinguished African scholar and foremost historian, Professor Toyin Falola. This year, it invites young African writers to craft narratives exploring the intricate intersections of Nature, Mother, Life, Earth, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence. Submissions should delve into the complexities, tensions, and points of unity within these relationships.
Deadline: 25th April 2025| Prize: $1,000
Things to note:
There is no limit to the number of words; however, submissions within the range of 1,500 – 4,500 words are preferred.
Writers are only allowed to submit one entry.
All entrants must be African.
All submissions must be the original work of the entrants, previously unpublished in any form, and not under consideration for publication or a prize somewhere else.
All submissions should be attached as a doc. file, named as the title of the submission (without the name of the entrant) and formatted in 1.5 line spacing, Book Antiqua font, size 12.
The body of the submission email should not contain the bio of the entrant, just the title of the submission, word count, genre, full name, and contact information. Bios of the entrants will be requested upon selection.
Submissions should be sent to prize@lunaris.com.ng with the subject “TOYIN FALOLA PRIZE SUBMISSION.”
No erotica.
7. The Literary Laddership for Emerging African Authors
Founded by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, the Literary Laddership is a three-component writing fellowship to support, elevate and connect emerging fiction authors of African descent writing from Africa. It involves a funded digital residency, access to community of practice, and publishing ecosystem.
Deadline: 30th April 2025| Prize: Funded Fellowship
To apply, submit the following information to: fellowship@suyidavies.com. (Kindly ensure that no name or identifying information is present in the submission documents/materials. Such information may be present in the email body).
Cover letter: In the email body, briefly describe your basis for meeting the eligibility criteria.
Writing sample: A sample of 3,000 words max (doc, docx, pdf), across 2 different works, split however the author wishes.
They will receive any kind of work, but excerpts from a lengthy work-in-progress (novel or novella) are recommended over shorter fiction (flash, short stories, novelette). Please do not send in one work of 3,000 words. Judges would like to see how authors work across different pieces.
Project description, fellowship plan, budget: A separate document (2 pages max, single spaced) detailing:
why you should get this fellowship
what you will be working on while here
how you will spend the funds to achieve this plan
The proposed work in your plan MUST be a manuscript of minimum novella-length (i.e. 17,500 - 40,000 words) or novel length (i.e. 40,000+ words).
All applicants must be aged 18 and above.
Response time: *Selected fellows will be announced (and contacted) between 30-90 days from the application deadline.
Advisors who will offer guidance and support through out this project include: Dhonielle Clayton (Author of Shattered Midnight) , Tade Thompson (Author of Wormwood Trilogy), Makena Onjerika (Caine Prize Winner 2018), Ukamaka Olisakwe (Author of Ogadimma), Kwame Mbalia (Author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky), Wale Lawal (Editor of The Republic Journal), and Wole Talabi (Author of Shigidi and The Brass Head of Obafulon).
8. The Andrée Blouin Prize
Andrée Blouin (1921–1986) was a political activist and writer from the Central African Republic (CAR) who became integral to the fight for independence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and this prize is set up in her honour.
The Andrée Blouin Prize by Inkani Books supports African women who write about history, politics, or current affairs from a left perspective. The prize foregrounds voices of colour but is open to all women living on the African continent. .
Deadline: 30th April 2025, 11:59 SAST | Prize: $2000 + Book deal
Things to note:
Writers may only submit ONE entry. Repeat entries by the same writer will all be disqualified.
Submissions must be a maximum of 50,000 words or 150 pages in length.
Manuscripts must be submitted in English. While you are free to incorporate other languages into your manuscript, it must be able to be understood fully by its English content.
Simultaneous submissions are not welcome. Any manuscript entered or published elsewhere during the course of judging and publication will be disqualified. The manuscript must not have been previously published (traditionally or self-published) as a book in any format.
To facilitate easy reading and judging, please format your submissions according to this format :
Times New Roman, 12-point size, double-spaced.
On the front page, put your manuscript title and name in all caps, in the centre, and an accurate word count at the top right hand corner.
Please number the pages and left-justify your paragraphs.
Put the word “End” after the end of your text, centred, on its own line.
Accepted file formats: .doc, .docx, .odt
9. Apply to the African Liberty Writing Fellowship
The 2025 African Liberty Writing Fellowship is looking for writers who are passionate about shaping public policy debates through their craft. The fellowship helps sharpen your skills and get you published in top media outlets across the continent. It is a project by Students For Liberty.
Deadline: 30th April 2025 | Prize: Funded fellowship
Things to note:
This is a paid fellowship. Compensation is contingent upon a monthly assessment. Please note that they do not consider financial compensation until a fellow is inducted.
Only 25 fellows will be inducted
An applicant has to be enrolled in, or must have graduated from, an African institution of higher learning. Or, be an African pursuing higher education outside the continent.
This fellowship is an online program with a 5-week training runnning from 26 May 2025 to 23 June 2025.
The writing fellowship starts on 15 July 2025, and ends on 15 July 2026.
Please contact the editor, ibrahim Anoba (ianoba@africanliberty.org) for any questions.
To apply, fill this form.
10. Ma Kẹkẹ Short Story Contest X The Ama Ata Aidoo Award
Gemspread Publishing in partnership with the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) and the Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA) presents this short story contest aimed at celebrating emerging voices on the continent. The writing prompt for this contest is: Voices in exile.
Deadline: 5th May 2025, 11:59 (GMT +1)| Prize: $500 + Writing Workshop + Book Deal
The “Ma Kẹkẹ Short Story Contest x The Ama Ata Aidoo Award” is open only to unpublished writers of African descent living on the continent.
For the purposes of this contest, an unpublished writer is a writer who has not authored a book prior to 6th May 2025
Previous winners of the usual, monthly Ma Kẹkẹ writing contest can participate.
Only fictional prose is expected; plays and poetry are not eligible.
Your manuscript must contain five thousand (5,000) words only (any manuscript outside a margin of ±1% will be disqualified).
Your submission must be your original, unpublished work; published works are not eligible.
The manuscript you submit to the contest must not have been entered into any other competitions running concurrently.
Manuscripts must be blinded (i.e., identifying information like name, contact, etc., should not be included in the manuscript).
11. Small Harbor Publishing: Call for Hybrid Chapbook Manuscripts
Small Harbor Publishing seeks unique and diverse voices. They are currently accepting chapbook manuscripts for publication. ‘We define hybrid as a collection that combines genres or defies classification. We will consider books that incorporate art.’—SHP
Deadline: 30th June 2025, 11:59 (UTC) | Pay: Publishing Contract + 20 Author copies
Things to note:
Chapbooks should be around 20-50 pages
Manuscripts should include a title page, table of contents, and a list of acknowledgments for previously published work.
Individual work from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines but not books or chapbooks. The collection as a whole must be unpublished.
Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Please let them know immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher while under consideration.
There is no stipulation as to the content of submitted poems, but poems should be ideally within 40 lines.
Submissions are free for BIPOC.
To submit, please click this link and scroll to find the BIPOC portal.
Prose of the Week
The House | Leye Adenle
Temitope stood on the porch waiting for the house to let her in. She adjusted her uniform against the mirror polish of the black steel door, then looked down to straighten her apron. She looked up at the door. It seemed to be taking longer than usual to open. Just to be sure, she fetched her phone to check that she hadn’t missed a cancellation from the owners, but before she could bring up her calendar, the heavy pivot door parted from its frame and silently swivelled open. It had been eight months since the owners brought her over…
If you’d like your prose featured in ‘Prose of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
Poetry of the Week
Cactus | Jide Badmus
Yours is a snowshoe devotion
—a heart built for all weather.
Friends say you’re prone, that
You’re made up of small bones
Of emotions. Tendon of smile,
Vein of laughter— you’re soft
& warm like the bosom of sky!
If you’d like your poetry featured in ‘Poetry of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
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Ni ku lakaleza litohonolo (I wish you good luck—Lozi, Zambia)
https://substack.com/@miiaabarness/note/c-124466752?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=4hk0e5
Great job on the work that you do!🫶