December Opportunities for African Writers
Up to $1400, Contests, Fellowship, Digital Publication, Jobs
This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm WAT.
1. Apply to Africa Creative Blueprint Training
The Africa Creative Blueprint (ACB) is a transformative project by Ascend Studios, in partnership with USAID and supported by Paramount Nigeria and Venture Garden Group. Aimed at uplifting Africa's creative economy, ACB focuses on upskilling local talent and producing high-quality, socially impactful TV dramas.
Deadline: 14th of December 2024 | Compensation: Training
Things to note:
Writers, editors are encouraged to apply.
Virtual training will hold January 7-10, 2025
There will also be physical trainings in Lagos (13-18th Jan), Kano (3-7 Feb), Enugu (3-8 Feb), Asaba (10-15 Feb), Abuja (10-15 Feb) and Benin (17-22 Feb).
Please ensure availability for all relevant dates as scheduled.
200 graduates of the ACB Training will be hired as part of the cast and crew of a TV Production scheduled for April - June 2025
2. Calabash Journal: Submit to Volume 9
Calabash Journal is a magazine that showcases African talent in African languages. It is a branch of the National Writers Association of South Africa. They are seeking poetry, short stories, novel excerpts, chapters of plays, reviews, articles and creative commentary for their 9th Volume.
Deadline: 14th December 2024 | Pay: Unpaid
Things to note:
· All submissions are to be sent as PDF or Word documents
Poetry (max 2 poems)
Short stories (max 2 000 words)
Book reviews (max 700 words)
Literary articles (max 2 000 words)
All submissions should be accompanied by a bio of max 200 words.
Calabash accepts submissions in all African languages
They 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In general, Calabash aims to publish previously unpublished work.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.)
Calabash does not accept simultaneous submissions
3. Call for Submissions for the next THREADS: Cultural Conversations
THREADS is a diverse online event by the Saskatoon Open Door Society. Part academic conference, part artistic celebration, and part sharing circle, THREADS strives to unite all peoples through storytelling, knowledge sharing and creativity. The theme of this year’s conference is Reimagining. “This year, we invite artists to reimagine the past, the present, and the future – exploring and thinking about how we can change ourselves, our relationships, our society, and various aspects of our lives. Our goal is to assemble a strong and diverse collection of works that explore our theme.”—Threads
Deadline: 15th December 2024 | Honorarium: $250
Things to note:
The following questions may inspire your submission:
In your imagination, what does a utopian or dystopian future look like?
What historical events or traditional concepts can be reinterpreted in a modern context?
How can art challenge existing social, political, or cultural paradigms?
How can technology and nature be harmoniously blended in a new vision of the world?
What role does imagination play in overcoming current global challenges?
Spoken word artists and storytellers may submit a video (10 minutes max.) of poetry, short stories, or any other artistic exploration.
You may also submit a video responding to the theme of reimagining in relation to: Reimagining the self, Reimagining relationships, Reimagining the environment, Reimagining technology/AI, Reimagining history, Reimagining cities, Reimagining art, Reimagining culture.
In your video present each story/idea/performance and/or an excerpt/excerpts from recordings of performances
Please make sure it’s horizontal and high-quality.
Send your digital files to threads_registrations@sods.sk.ca using WeTransfer.
Confirm your submission in an email to the same address, indicating your name and the name of your video/digital file
The work you submit must be your own original creation.
The event is scheduled for April 2025.
4. Submit to Writer Space Africa
Writers Space Africa (WSA) magazine is now accepting submissions for its 98th edition (February 2025 Edition). Theme: Weakness
Deadline: 15th December 2024 | Pay: Unstated
Things to note:
They accept submissions in the following categories:
Creative Non-Fiction – 1,200 Words maximum
Children’s Literature – 700 words maximum (illustrations may be attached and poems not longer than 24 lines)
Flash Fiction – 300 words maximum
Poetry – 1 poem, a maximum of 24 lines
Short Stories – 1,500 words maximum
Please edit your work and submit it to one category only.
Include the title and category in your submission.
Editors will revert to both selected writers and those whose works are not selected by January 2025.
The author retains the copyright.
5. Labari Prize for Poetry
Labari is an annual prize created to promote Northern Nigerian peoples and cultures. This year’s theme "Mindscapes of the North" invites writers to reveal the complex layers of thoughts, emotions, and lived experiences of Arewa. It encourages poets to explore the collective cultural identity shaped by shared beliefs, experiences, and ideologies.
Deadline: 20th December 2024 | Prize: N200,000
Things to note:
This contest is open to poets of Nigerian and African descent.
Submissions can be in English or Hausa.
Each poet may submit up only one poem.
Submissions must be original and unpublished. Works that have appeared in personal blogs or small publications are acceptable but must not have been submitted for other prizes.
Submit your poems in PDF or Word Document format. Each poem should be typed, double-spaced, and include the title (but not the poet’s name to ensure anonymity).
Poems must reflect or engage with the theme in creative and meaningful ways.
Submit your work to artsxvibes@gmail.com. Include your name, contact information, and a brief biography (max 100 words) in the body of the email.
6. Afitondo Short Story Prize 2025
Afritondo is a media and publishing platform that aims to connect with and tell the stories of Africans and black minority populations across the globe. For the 2025 prize, they want writers to respond to the theme of “masks”: spiritual, psychological, social, and cultural coverings that people wear. To read more about the theme, visit here.
Deadline: 23rd December 2024. | Prize: Total of $1400
Things to note:
You may only submit an entry if you meet any of the following eligibility requirements:
You are a citizen or national of an African country.
One of your parents is a national of an African country.
You are of black ethnicity or belong to a black minority population anywhere in the world.
Submissions must be in English and must reflect the theme.
Only one submission per writer is allowed.
The submission, including the title, must be between 3000 and 5000 words.
The submission should be in Microsoft Word (doc, docx) and in the following format:
•Double-spaced, Times New Roman or Calibri font, 12-point size.
•The title of the story should appear at the top of the first page, followed by the word count. No further information is required.
• Every page must be numbered.
The author’s name or detail must not be included anywhere on the document to be uploaded. The document must contain only the title, word count, and story.
Submission is accepted only via email. Entries should be sent to submissions@afritondo.com. The subject of the submission should read: Submission for Afritondo Short Story Prize 2025.
The filename of the entry (i.e. the attached document) must be the title of the short story. In the body of the form, share briefly about yourself, including such information as your legal name, country of residence, age (optional), and contact details.
Entries must not have been previously published or shortlisted for another prize. Also, entries published or shortlisted during the judging or publishing process will be disqualified.
Entrants agree as a condition of entry that the prize organisers may publicise the fact that a story has been entered, longlisted, or shortlisted for the prize.
Where a story has been longlisted, it can no longer be withdrawn from the competition.
By submitting an entry, the author agrees to its inclusion in an anthology should the judges select it and to work with editors to get the story ready for publication.
7. Fahmidan Journal: Open for Submissions
Fahmidan comes out four times a year online. “Send your thought-provoking existentialism, your phobias, your darkest moments. Entrance with your whimsical fantasy. Move to tears with your truth in a world of suffering.”—Fahmidan
Deadline: Rolling basis | Pay: $25 per piece
How to submit:
This is an English language journal. However, submissions partially containing other languages are very much welcome but they do not publish translations.
Send only accept unpublished work that has not appeared in any publicly-accessible forum or otherwise.
Please only submit once per submission category at a time.
No AI generated work.
Poetry: Submit up to 3 Poems.
Poems should be no longer than 3 A4 pages but they’re open to diverse formats as.
Poems should be single-spaced and each begin on a new page. Please clearly indicate when a poem goes beyond one page.
Short Fiction and Non-Fiction: Submit one piece of between 1000 and 2500 words.
Flash Fiction and Non-Fiction: Submit up to two pieces of no more than 800 words.
Click here to submit.
8. Midnight & Indigo: Open for Submissions from Black Women
Midnight & indigo, a literary journal celebrating Black women writers, has issued a call for submissions to review short stories and narrative essays. They publish content their tri-annual literary journals. Writers are invited to share their original, fictional, or personal stories. Stories must be character-driven and leave readers with something to think about. All genres are welcome!
Deadline: 30th December 2024 | Pay: Up to $150
Things to note:
They are currently accepting submissions for three categories. Click each title for specific guidelines and submission links.
The Music Issue: Short stories and essays inspired by music (1200-7000 words)
Short Stories: Literary fiction delves deep into the human condition, exploring themes of identity, relationships, and the intricate nuances of everyday life. (1500-7000 words)
Personal Essays: Previously unpublished, personal and evocative first-person essays that forge an immediate connection with readers. (Min of 1200 words)
All genres and writing styles are welcome. It may be helpful to view theor current short stories, essays, and literary journals to get a general sense of what we publish, but don’t be afraid to push the needle!
They do not accept work created by AI. Any submissions not entirely created by a human author will be automatically rejected.
9. The Poetry Journal is now accepting entries for 2025
Poetry Journal is seeking poems that explore the ubiquitous and seemingly unimportant moments of everyday life, human experiences, and motivations – in a creative and universally relatable way. “Can you magnify pedestrian details and subtle insights within the absurd or trivial existence of places, objects, or animals? We’d love to read your work.”
Deadline: 30th December 2024 | Prize: Total of N525,000
Submission guidelines:
Eligibility: Anyone can make a submission, but the entry must be themed around an ‘African experience’ They believe anyone can have an African experience.
This is a one-time submission form, so you cannot return to edit it or re-submit a different form.
They are ONLY accepting poetry for our second issue, which will be published in 2025.
The maximum number of poems you can submit is 2, uploaded in a single Microsoft Word document.
You MUST include your brief biography of no more than 300 words in the document alongside your submission. Please keep your biography simple and factual. Please refrain from using self-aggrandising or puffery language.
They generally do not discriminate against work that has been published elsewhere. “If we love it, we’ll publish it, but let us know where and when it was published while you make your submission.”—PJ
If your submission is selected for publishing, you will be notified by email.
10. FIYAH is Open for Submissions
FIYAH is a quarterly speculative fiction magazine that features stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. “We are looking for brave works of speculative short fiction and peotry by authors from the African continent and diaspora that reject regressive ideas of blackness, respectability politics, and stereotype. Please submit your bravest, blackest, most difficult to sell stories to us. We want to read them.”—FIYAH
Deadline: 31st December 2024 | Pay: From $50 USD
Things to note:
Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and Novelettes up to 15,000 words.
Poetry should be no more than 1,000 words.You can check out this post from their Poetry Editor for more on what they’d like to see in your poetry.
For poetry, you may submit up to four (4) separate poems, one (1) poem per form submission.
Submissions should be submitted in proper short story manuscript format with your name, email address, and the story’s total word count on the first page. For our purposes, you do not need to include a mailing address or phone number. Click here for an example of proper short story manuscript format.
All submissions should be in .doc/.docx format
FIYAH will publish accepted stories in a quarterly ebook magazine format, as well as archiving them on our website. Thus, FIYAH will claim first world electronic rights, nonexclusive archival rights, and nonexclusive anthology rights to your story.
Prose of the Week
What is Greater than a Child | Winifred Odunoku
"Papa Isioma, na you I come see o." Osita's face was sullen and his eyes sank deep as he spoke.
It was a sunny afternoon. The compound was empty as children had gone to school and mothers were tending their stalls. Papa Isioma was in his room, drinking kai kai and flipping through the pages of an old newspaper. When he saw Osita. he dropped the paper and offered his friend a seat.
"Eh ehn? Biko sit down." He quickly dashed into his inner room and came back with another bottle of kai kai for Osita…
If you’d like your prose featured in ‘Prose of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
Poetry of the Week
Mars Poetica in Mallam Market | Linette Marie Allen
I feel as orange
as the city shopkeeper
on the receiving end of a boy’s
Valencia, slid like a bribe across the counter
to cover his date’s chocolate. This is
fire season.
If you’d like your poetry featured in ‘Poetry of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
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Ọ ga di mma (It shall be well—Igbo, Southeastern Nigeria)