July Opportunities for African Writers
Up to $5000, Digital Publication, Residencies, Workshops, Funded Travel etc
This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm WAT.
1. Pitch Feminist Stories to The Fly Trap
The Flytrap is a media collective focused on feminist cultural criticism that responds to and engages with cultural phenomena, rejecting algorithmic editorial strategies. They are looking for unflinching, occasionally provocative, but always engaging and values-driven work; and are now accepting pitches from freelance writers.
Deadline: 5th July 2025 | Pay: 0.50 cents/word
Things to note:
When pitching Include a brief summary of what you want to write about. Say what kinds of questions are guiding your reporting/storytelling, what kind of intervention or contribution your story will make, or what about your proposed piece offers a fresh perspective.
Distinguish between a topic (a broad theme) and a story (a specific, and ideally new, focus within that theme). “I want to write about the ocean” is a topic. “I want to write about squid” is getting closer. “I want to write about how the growing market for calamari in Alabama is affecting populations of squid—and the creatures who depend on them for survival—near the Marianas Trench” is a story! (It probably wouldn’t be one for us though, sorry.)
For more straightforward reported stories or features, why is this reporting urgent now? Also, what are your proposed sources for interviews? If you have sources who need to remain anonymous or pseudonymous, please alert The Flytrap in advance and explain why
2. Apply to the Canex Creative Writing Workshop
The African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) is pleased to invite aspiring writers of African and Caribbean descent to apply for the second edition of the CANEX Creative Writing Workshop. This intensive workshop is designed to nurture the next generation of African literary voices, with targeted training in creative writing for trade books (fiction and creative nonfiction), industry literacy, and professional development.
Deadline: 10th July 2025 | Pay: Free workshop + Fully funded travel
Things to note:
The 2025 edition of the workshop will take place as a 5-day in-person residency in Algiers, Algeria,
20 selected participants will benefit from:
Masterclasses with acclaimed authors and publishing professionals
Practical sessions on the business and legal aspects of writing
Curated peer-learning and feedback opportunities
A certificate of completion at a celebratory closing reception
Attendance at CANEX@IATF2025
To ensure accessibility, CANEX will cover travel, accommodation, and feeding for selected participants. Translation services will also be provided in the following languages: Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
To apply you need:
A 500-word writing sample
Valid proof of citizenship (passport data page) from a country that is either: A member of the African Union, or a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Important dates:
Arrival in Algiers: September 3rd
Workshop Days: September 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 10th
CANEX@IATF2025 Event Attendance: September 6th & 7th
Closing Reception: Evening of September 10th
Departure: September 11th
To apply, go this page, click ‘Register’ on the top right to create an account, then fill the form and submit.
3. Send Flash Fiction 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. For their next issue, they are now accepting flash fiction.
Deadline: 11th July 2025 or till cap of 300 is reached | Pay: Unpaid
Things to note:
Send up to three pieces, of less than 1000 words apiece.
Double-space your manuscript and include page numbers.
Please only submit once this month, and submit as early as possible.
Waxwing wants to publish fiction that can stand alongside poetry: stories where language is the primary concern.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please withdraw your entries if they are accepted elsewhere.
4. Africa’s Travel Writer of the Year 2025
Uganda Uncovered is hosting its annual travel contest. The competition involves writing about your personal travel experiences around Uganda in a positive angle towards marketing tourism. This year's theme is "Encounters that inspire Conservation"
Deadline: 12th July 2025 | Prize: $300 + paid trip
Things to note:
The contest is open to all African Youth aged 18-35
The 1000-1200 narrative should be narrative with high descriptions attached to their photos or videos, able to stimulate a reader's imagination
Submit your entry as a pdf.
Fill this form to submit.
5. The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism (2025)
The Kari Howard Fund is inviting women who write for print to apply for funding to support any narrative journalism project.
Deadline: 13th July 2025 | Prize: Up to $5000 per project
Things to note:
This opportunity is open to women and nonbinary journalists.
Applicants may be freelance or staff print journalists and may apply individually or as part of a multi-format team.
Professional journalism must be the applicant’s primary profession.
Applicants must have three (3) or more years of professional journalism experience. Internships do not count as professional experience.
Applicants must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets.
Applicants must apply and publish in English.
Any multi-format reporting must supplement a printed project.
Please note that stories can be published digitally and not necessarily in a newspaper or magazine.
6. Kokonut Head Media: Writers in Residence Program
This is a three-month online residence program for University students and recent graduates who live and write in Africa. Up to three African writers based on the continent will be mentored through the competitive program. In the space of three months (12 weeks), each writer will produce six short stories which will be published on their website. In addition, each writer will receive mentorship and guidance towards one future writing goal.
Deadline: 15th July 2025 | Pay: $600
Things to note:
“We are looking for submissions that push the bounds of language and indigenous stories! Stories that make us feel Nostalgic. What does it mean to really represent African thought in English? What does it mean to expand local folklore, proverbs, and riddles through your writing?”
The residency will require at least 20hours per week
The residency will take place from September 2025 till November 2025
To apply, you will need a portfolio of completed stories and a proposal for a literary project which includes at least one short story.
You must be an African writer resident in Africa to apply.
To apply, fill this form.
7. TalkDeath is Open to Submissions
TalkDeath is looking for greats reads on anything from bereavement, grief support, the funeral industry, death positivity and anything related to death. “They are especially seeking stories from those who can speak to death practices and traditions from equity deserving groups, the Global South, and Indigenous writers.”—TWJN (source)
Deadline: Rolling | Prize: From $160
Things to note:
Your article should be at least 800 words long. We want interesting, unique and engaging work.
Make sure your work is relevant to our website. Anything related to death, bereavement, grief, burial, and funerary issues. Related Fiction or creative non-fiction is also more than welcome.
Write up a short author bio for yourself and include 1 link to your website or blog and 1 link to a social media profile.
Include 1 related image, of good quality that has a width of 1333px max and is licensed under Creative Common with a link to the creator.
Include a meta title and a meta description that is relevant to your article. This way search engines will be able to crawl your article and we can easily share it on social media.
8. African Writers Trust Writers-in-Residency Programme
African Writers Trust is thrilled to invite applications for a Writers-in-Residency Programme, happening from 6th to 13th August, 2025. The programme will provide an opportunity for successful applicants to receive structured support on how to hone their craft.
Deadline: 21st July 2025 | Prize: Residency + Transport stipend
Things to note:
The programme is open to writers of poetry and fiction from East Africa and the Horn of Africa. Participants will be selected from: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti.
This will be a non-residential programme and will take place at African Writers Trust Offices in Kampala, Uganda. Sessions will be conducted between 10 A.M to 4 P.M (EAT)
In addition to meals being provided, participants will receive a stipend to cater for their in-land transport costs for the duration of the programme.
The residency will be facilitated by Nii Ayikwei Parkes, a Ghanaian-British writer, editor and publisher, who has won acclaim as a children’s author, poet, broadcaster and novelist.
Applicants must have an ongoing writing project, or a manuscript they are working on, with the goal of publishing it.
Applicants should be fluent in written and spoken English. All sessions will be conducted in English.
Applicants must commit to be fully available to participate for the entire duration of the programme.
Due to a limited number of slots available, the quality and strength of the submitted writing sample will be key considerations.
9. JIAS Creative Writing Workshop for Emerging Writers
Launched in 2022, this annual workshop supports emerging African writers through a six-week, fully funded programme. The 2025 cohort will welcome six writers and will be facilitated by acclaimed writer and JIAS Senior Research Fellow, Makhosazana Xaba—an anthologist, essayist, poet, short story writer and translator, the workshop focuses on poetry and the short story, offering an immersive experience that blends writing exercises, critical discussion, experimentation, reading, research, and collaborative feedback. The theme for this year is: Exploring the Ordinary in Our Lives
Deadline: 30th July 2025 | Pay: Workshop + Unstated Stipend + Sponsored Travel
Things to note:
Duration: 6 weeks (15 September – 31 October 2025)
Each week will explore a sub-theme within the broader theme, inviting participants to creatively navigate the intersections of imagination and research. JIAS is intentional about nurturing a space where emerging writers from across the continent can grow, connect, and learn from one another in a supportive and generative environment.
Genres: Poetry and the Short Story
To apply, please send the following to jiasinfo@uj.ac.za
A cover letter and your CV
A motivation letter outlining your interest in and goals for creative writing
Two writing samples (one in each genre). One of these samples should have been published
Successful applicants will be informed by the 18th of August.
JIAS will facilitate - where possible - publishing of the writings produced by participants during the six weeks and three months after the end of the workshop
10. Young Adult Literature Prize 2025
The TY Buratai Literary Initiative is calling on Nigerian writers focused on young adult literature to submit their novella/novel for consideration in the 2nd Young Adult Literature Prize.
Deadline: 31st July 2025| Prize: N1,000,000 + Book Deal
Things to note:
The prize is open to Nigerians within or outside the country
Entries should be original, between 80-120 pages in Arial Font, Size 12
Only unpublished manuscripts are acceptable. TYBLI intends to grow this genre by publishing the best ten entries in a post-event anthology.
Submitted manuscripts must not be published before announcement of Prize winners in November 1, 2025
The language should be age- appropriate, easy to read, and may include slangs and colloquial terms. Specifically for ages 13-19.
Entries should reflect one or more of the common themes and archetypes of young adult literature, such as solo quest to change the world, rag-to-riches, diversity, identity, or recreating classic stories.
Each participant is required to fill out the application form on the website with relevant information, given which your entry, even though received, might not be eligible.
Entries should be sent as a Word document attachment, to TYBLITERARYI@GMAIL.COM
Please put in the subject line “TYBLI Young Adults Literature Prize 2025.
11. Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship: Call for Applications
The Republic is pleased to announce the Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship, a six-month fellowship programme designed towards the commissioning, writing and curation of stories rooted in Blackness and the African experience.
This fellowship will support five early- to mid-career editors, writers, researchers and/or journalists based in the different regions of Africa—West, East, Southern, North and Central. Fellows will receive mentorship, stipend and editorial support to commission original writing, produce original written content and curate local conversations around the most urgent themes shaping the African experience.
Deadline: 3rd August 2025, 5pm WAT | Pay: $500 per month + Mentorship
Things to note:
Applicants must submit a three-page proposal outlining their editorial focus and plan for the fellowship; a CV; a 500-word statement of interest; two samples of published work; and the contact details for two professional referees.
Each fellow will propose a theme from one of The Republic’s eight focus areas—including Art x Culture, Science x Technology, and Politics x Security—and will be expected to develop a distinct editorial identity and perspective for their regional division.
Over the course of six months, fellows are required to commission two original essays per month, produce one story of their own each month and host one public engagement event in their African city at the end of the fellowship term.
The first phase of the program is a virtual training which takes place from July to October 1st. The second phase is the in-person training in Abu Dhabi in November.
This fellowship is open to editors, journalists, curators or other storytelling practitioners who are based in Africa and have at least three years of professional experience. The fellowship is remote, and reliable internet access is required.
To apply, click here and fill out the application form at the bottom of the page. You have to be create an account on The Republic (if you do not have one) and be signed to access the form.
12. 2025 Ladi Kwali Poetry Prize
Ladi Kwali (1925–1984), a pioneering Nigerian potter, was an accomplished and widely celebrated artist, known for her mastery of traditional pottery techniques passed down through matrilineal lines.
It is in this light that the Northern Writers Forum Journal is calling for entries to the inaugural Ladi Kwali Poetry Prize, a prize established to honour artistic excellence and spotlight the remarkable voices shaping contemporary African poetry. This edition of the prize is supported in partnership with Bakandamiya.
Deadline: 30th November | Prize: Total of N150,000
Things to note:
Submissions are open to both emerging and established African poets writing in English, regardless of their location worldwide.
Poems can be of any theme, style, or form.
Do not include any identifying information in the body of your document
Send up to three unpublished poems per submission, for a total of no more than
ten pages, sent in .doc/.docx and/or .pdf formats.For this contest, there are no aesthetic or formal requirements and they will consider
all styles of poetry.Please submit unpublished poems only. Previously published work will be
automatically disqualified and deleted.Work generated by AI will be automatically disqualified.
Include a cover letter and a brief third-person biography.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify them by emailing
poetry@nwfjournal.com.ng immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.No multiple submissions will be accepted.
For enquiries, email info@nwfjournal.com.ng
To submit, fill the form at the bottom os this page.
All three selected poems will be published in the Northern Writers Forum Journal (NWFJournal).
Prose of the Week
Black Butterflies | Rahmah Jimoh
I became afraid of Molue buses the day my mother told me how my closest cousin, Anifa, lost her parents. It was an accident: a molue lost its brakes at the Oshodi-Abeokuta expressway and rammed into their car, injuring and killing several people. I remember riding on the bus a few times with my mom, the heat, the rush, the scary height and shape of the bus. Peoplewho want to save half of the transport fare standing in the bus aisle with their hands on the railings so as not to fall when the bus bumps into potholes. I hated Molue buses. A few years later…
If you’d like your published prose featured in ‘Prose of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
Poetry of the Week
Photo by OverlyOlu on Unsplash
ÌBÀDÀN | Káyòdé Ayòbámi
She has a whip of words tucked
behind her teeth and underneath
her tongue, so do not misyarn-
which means this city doesn't forget
her mouth at the laundress' corner,
and that she does not request from…
If you’d like your published poetry featured in ‘Poetry of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
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Twishimiya Muoyo Muimpe ne Mudi! (I wish you joy and prosperity —Tshibula, Democratic Republic of Congo)
Well done with these! ✨✨
Your substack is so amazing! Thank you for sharing these opportunities