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1. Sprinng is accepting submissions for 2024
They are accepting submissions in all genres from African writers.
Deadline: 30th March 2024. | Renumeration: N3500 per accepted piece
Things to note:
You may submit up to 2 pieces (of the same or different genres) for this period only.
You may submit Poetry, Fiction (Flash fiction, Short Stories, etc.), or Creative Nonfiction (Essays, Book Reviews, etc.).
Writers have the option of submitting on any theme(s) of their choice.
Work(s) submitted should not have been published elsewhere (on a literary platform, personal blog, or social media page).
Please ensure that your work(s) are well-edited and proofread prior to submission.
Click here to submit now.
2. Accepting Submissions: Calabash Literary Journal
Calabash Literary Journal by the National Writers Association of South Africa is calling for writers to submit poetry, short stories, novel excerpts, chapters of plays, reviews, articles and creative commentary for its 8th Volume.
Deadline: 31st of March 2024. | Compensation: unpaid
Things to note:
Calabash accepts submissions in all African languages
Members of the Editorial Collective may engage with authors on proposed edits to their work if required, particularly in relation to new and upcoming authors who require support to reach the desired standard of work for publication.
We are unable to respond to submissions individually, unless a piece is accepted for publication. If writers have not heard back from Calabash within 8 weeks, it is to be assumed that the submission has not been accepted on this occasion.
For academic articles/ reviews/ commentaries the onus on fact checking, historical and other data, referencing, etc, is on the author
In general, Calabash aims to publish previously unpublished work. For work that has been previously published, submissions must include permissions to republish. (evidence that republishing the piece is possible according to the previous publisher.)
Submissions to be sent to Calabashjournal@gmail.com
3. Submit Speculative Fiction to Hearth Stories
Hearth Stories publishes speculative fiction (fantasy & science-fiction in our case) slice-of-life stories with a focus on connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world (we love stories prominently featuring nature, as opposed to tech).
Deadline: 31st March 2024. | Compensation: From $20
Things to note:
They accept works from 1,000 —10,000 words. However, the ideal length may be something in the 1,500-3,500 word range. They do not currently accept poetry, non-fiction, or non-speculative work (there needs to be a fantasy or science fiction element present in the work).
Please include, at a minimum, your e-mail address and the word count on the manuscript
Send the file as: rtf, doc, docx, odt, or md to hearthstories@protonmail.com
The subject will follow this format: “HS Submission: [Story Name] [Word Count]”
The file, formatted as described above, will be attached to the e-mail (we do not accept links to files)
The e-mail body will include, at a minimum, the author's name and a short author bio. The e-mail body will not include a synopsis of the story being submitted.
4. Nwamaka Okoye Literature Prize
GearShift Africa has launched a writing prize in honour of their founder Nwamaka Okoye. It aims to spotlight the diverse and vibrant landscape of African storytelling, offering a platform for new, unpublished voices in literature from across the continent. They are accepting poems and short stories under the theme Coming of Age.
Deadline: 31st of March 2024. | Prize: Total of N1,000,000
Guidelines:
This year's competition is open to unpublished authors of Nigerian descent*, aged 16 years and above. Entrants under 18 require consent from a parent or guardian to submit their entry.
*Nigerian descent refers to someone who has at least one Nigerian parent or someone who is a Nigerian citizen.
An entry fee of N2,000 is required for each submission to support the administration of the prize but this fee can be waived.
Entries must be original, unpublished works i.e not previously published in any form (this includes online blogs and social media).
Limit one entry per category per entrant. For poetry, you may submit up to 2 poems as part of your entry.
Poetry submissions should not exceed 40 lines each.
Short story submissions should not exceed 2,500 words.
The submission must be in English.
Entries should be submitted as PDFs, titled after the submission.
Manuscripts should not include personal information to ensure anonymity during the review process. Provide contact details only on the submission form.
Entrants under 18 must include a consent form from a parent or guardian.
To find out more and submit, click this.
5. Caine Prize for African Writing 2024
The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is a registered charity whose aim is to bring African writing to a wider audience using our annual literary award. They are now accepting applications for the 2024 edition of the prize.
Deadline: 31st March 2024. | Prize: £12,000 (£10,000 for winner + £500 for 4 others)
Rules of entry:
The story must have been published in the five years preceding the submissions deadline. For 2024 eligibility, the judges will only consider work published between 1st April 2019 and 25th March 2024.
Entries must be more than 3,000 words or less than 10,000 words.
Entries must be submitted by a publisher. This includes publishers of physical and digital books, literary journals, magazines, and arts oriented websites.
Writers must be over 18 years of age at the time of submission.
Self-published and unpublished short stories are not eligible.
Publishers are encouraged to submit multiple short stories as long as they do not submit more than one story by the same author.
Stories may only be entered for consideration for The Caine Prize for African Writing once. Unfortunately, this means that you may not re-submit a story for consideration, even if it was not selected for the shortlist.
Genres not eligible for entry include: novels, children’s stories, factual writing, academic essays, plays, poetry, autobiography/biography, and any work that does not constitute a fictional short story.
Submissions must specify which African country the author comes from and the short story word count.
Publishers are required to upload a ‘publisher’s letter’ with each submission. See below for more information:
Publishers are required to provide:
Name of the writer(s).
Title of the story or stories being submitted.
Word count of each submitted story.
The qualifying nationality of the writer(s).
The date of publication of the story or stories.
Confirmation of consent from the writer(s) whose stories are being submitted for the Prize.
Each story must be submitted by the publisher via email (submissions@caineprize.com) as a PDF attachment or via a link to the story (if it has been published online).
Please ensure ‘The Caine Prize for African Writing Entry for 2024’ appears in the subject matter of your email.
6. ArtLab Editorial Fellowship
As an extension of their mission to champion writing about today’s most compelling artists—and celebrate connectivity in all its forms—Hyundai Artlab is on the lookout for two art writers whose forward-thinking insights and intimate ties to their communities and geographic regions offer a critical lens through which to view art as a bellwether for change.
Deadline: 31st March 2024. | Prize: Total of $20,000
Things to note:
Applicants must be 18 years or older.
Applicants are allowed (1) submission only. If multiple applications from a single applicant are received, only the first submission will be considered.
Fellows are obligated to complete (3) articles for Artlab Editorial by December 31, 2024.
Applicant must be an individual; submitting on their own behalf
Applicant must be able to write proficiently in English
Applicant must be a published author with (3) pieces of publicly published and credited work
Applicant must must be engaged with the world of contemporary art
Applicant must include contact info for 1-2 professional references
7. Call for Speculative Fiction Writers: Manufactured Ecosystems
Manufactured Ecosystems is an international project that explores the potential to forecast the future of climate adaptation. As part of their project, they are developing a future-based science fiction anthology, co-edited by Nebula award-winning author and scientist Premee Mohamed and sci-fi editor and writer, Heather Clitheroe.
Deadline: 1st April 2024. | Renumeration: $2,500 for each work of 4000 words
Things to note:
Over the summer of 2024, 6 writers will be recruited to work with scientists, artists, and futurists to learn about ecosystems services and biomimicry.
Writers will take part in two online workshops (tentatively June and August, 2024) and have access to experts throughout the summer as they work to produce original fiction (2500-6000 words) that will be published in an online and print anthology in early 2025.
To apply writers must submit: author statement: 250 words maximum, (one (1) page, size 12 font),
Résumé/CV (one (1) page, size 12 font),
And author portfolio: a writing sample (suggested length: 2,500 - 4,000 words)
Selected writers will identify one ecosystem service as their subject and will explore the technologies associated with achieving life-sustaining functions including:
1) Biodiversity: a diverse reservoir of strategies and information
2) Pollination: a distribution system for the purpose of plant reproduction
3) Cultural Services and Human Experience: the components of the human species derived from emersion in the natural world
4) Soil formation: the creation of new soil
5) Photosynthesis: the creation of sugars from sunlight
6) Climate regulation: the stabilising of climatic conditions
Click here to apply.
8. Submit to Gordon Square Review
Gordon Square Review, a publication of Literary Cleveland. They publish poetry, fiction prose and creative nonfiction. They are currently open for submission for their next issue.
Deadline: 1st April 2024. | Compensation: $15
General submission guidelines:
They will consider works that have been previously published (for general submissions) but are no longer available online or in-print. If work has been published on a personal blog or website, we request that it be taken down prior to publishing it.
They accept simultaneous submissions. We ask that you withdraw your work if it is accepted elsewhere. If your work is accepted elsewhere, and after you have withdrawn the accepted submission, you may resubmit to us during the same reading period.
For poetry: Only include one poem in your submission.
For fiction: Only include one story in your submission. The word limit is 7,500 words.
For creative non-fiction: Only include one story or essay in your submission. The word limit is 1,000 words
They request that no cover letter or author bio be included in your submission.
They require non-exclusive world English rights and all rights revert to the author on publication.
9. 2024 NLNG Prize for Nigerian Literature
Nigeria LNG Limited is a globally competitive LNG company helping to build a better Nigeria. They organize this prize each year to promote Nigerian literature. The Nigeria Prize for Literature is one of the 10 richest and most prestigious literary prizes in the world.
Deadline: 2nd of April 2024. | Prize: $100,000
How to enter contest:
The competition is open to only Nigerian writers irrespective of their place of residence.
An author will enter only one published work. Unpublished work will not be considered. No book previously submitted for this competition may be re-submitted at a later date, even if major revisions have been made or a new edition published. No book published before 2021 will be accepted.
No member of the Advisory Board, Panel of Judges and members of their families can enter their work(s) for the award in the period in which they are serving and two years thereafter.
No entries will be accepted from staff of Nigeria LNG Limited and their families.
All applicants must submit their entries accompanied by an application form found here.
Completed forms must be printed and submitted along with the entries.
Twelve (12) copies of the entry and an e-copy of each entry, with evidence of a Nigerian passport or National Identity Card), may be submitted either by the author or publisher. Books should be submitted to Nigeria LNG Limited’s External Relations Division, promoters of the prize, by the stipulated deadline.
Entries should be sent to:
The Nigeria Prize for Literature
External Relations Division,
Nigeria ENG Limited Corporate Head Office
NLNG Road, Eastern By-Pass,
Port Harcourt. Rivers State. Nigeria
Prose of the Week
The Secret Diaries of Councilman Tiku Agbado | Uchechukwu Nwaka
Deep in the sublevels of Central Olympus, there is an elevator whose doors cannot be opened with a clearance level of BLACK. Which is almost unfathomable, because there is no higher clearance. Nobody can access any sublevel in Central Olympus without a BLACK clearance in the first place.
And yet, this door exists…
Poetry of the Week
Alẹ́ Ìgbéyàwó (Bridal Night) | Arikewusola Abdul Awal
On my threshold, the calabash belches a tunnel.
Red earth clings to your feet, my love, as camwood
Plastered against the slightness of your skin.
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Dagwi ah nug weng (God grant you success—Berom, Northern Nigeria)