November Opportunities for African Writers
Up to $15,000, Digital Publication, Contests, Scholarship, Fellowship etc
This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm WAT.
1. Fresh Voices Fellowship
The Fresh Voices Fellowship by Epiphany supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or other writer of color who does not have an MFA in creative writing nor an advanced English degree (MA, PhD), and is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program. They encourage writers who work outside the traditional literary and academic systems to apply, and applicants must not have an advanced degree in English, creative writing, or other related fields,
Deadline: 2nd November 2024 | Renumeration: $2000
Things to note:
One writer, in prose or poetry, will receive:
A $2000 stipend
Publication in a print issue of Epiphany
A one-year subscription to Epiphany
The opportunity to participate in the editorial and publication process of a small non-profit literary magazine, and to build close relationships with the editorial team during the course of a twelve-month fellowship
A Q&A to be published on Epiphany’s website
Applicants also must not have published or be contracted to publish a book.
All applicants will get a free digital subscription to Epiphany
To apply, fill the form below and submit a work Sample: a 5-page sample (double-spaced for prose) of previously unpublished work that you feel most represents you, your interests, and your literary style. (If you’re sending a novel excerpt, please include a short synopsis of the novel and an explanation of where, in the story, the excerpt falls.)
2. Writers Space Africa: Fresh Pages
Writers Space Africa (WSA) magazine is accepting submissions for its 97th edition (January 2025 Edition) under the theme: FRESH PAGES
Deadline: 15th November 2024 | Pay: Unstated
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.
Do include the title and category in your submission.
Editors will reach out to all authors by December 2024.
All selected and published entries will be uploaded to our website in the days after the magazine is released.
The author retains the copyright.
To submit, please click here.
3. Brittle Paper Call for Submissions: Festive Anthology Vol. III
Brittle Paper is excited to announce the 2024 submission call for their annual festive anthology. “This year, we are putting a spin on the traditional advent calendar by swapping out chocolates for your honey-dipped words! With 25 days to fill, we are putting together a collection of poems, stories and essays that describe the build-up to all kinds of festive moments.”—BP
Deadline: 15th November 2024 | Pay: Unstated
Things to note:
Email your submission to submissions@brittlepaper.com.
Email subject heading: “Festive Anthology Submission”
Include an author picture and biography.
Each submission needs to consist of only one piece of original and unpublished work, but simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Submissions need to be in Word format.
Poetry submission word limit: 500 words
Non/Fiction and Essay submission word limit: 3500 words
Selection process will take place after the deadline.
Please note that entries are not limited to Christmas and can explore any form of festive celebration.
4. Call for Submissions: Afro-futurism
Poetry Column-NND, in partnership with Abuja International Poetry Festival 2024 (AIPFEST2024), is pleased to announce a call for submission of poems on the theme: AFRO-FUTURISM. Poets are invited to interpret the theme as loosely as they choose. However, questions to guide your writing include: where is the African culture at presently? Where will it be in the future? How is technology (being) used to preserve and propagate African culture? What narratives are being challenged through the propagation of African culture
Deadline: 16th November 2024 | Pay: N5000 per poem
Guidelines:
Submit two poems in one docx. file on the theme AFRO-FUTURISM to poetrycolumnnnd@gmail.com
The poems should be New Times Roman, 12pt, single-spaced.
Subject of the email should read AIPFEST SUBMISSION_YOUR NAME
No form of identification should be on the document containing your poem.
BIO should be written in the body of the email.
Attach to the email a clear portrait size of your photo.
5. Submit to Third Coast
Third Coast was Founded in 1995 by graduate students of the Western Michigan University English department and consistently publishes excellent and often award-winning fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama. They are now accepting submissions of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
Deadline: 16th November 2024 | Pay: Unstated
Things to note:
Nonfiction: maximum of 7,000 words. Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, and printed clearly.
Submit manuscripts of up to 7,500 words or up to 25 pages
For short shorts, they accept up to three at a time (please submit short shorts in one electronic document).
Fiction submissions should be typed, double-spaced, openly margined, and printed clearly.
The author's name, address, email address, and phone number should be included on the first page. Each subsequent page should have a page number (and the author's name or title of the piece for nonfiction)
Poetry
Poetry should be typed and single-spaced, with the author's name and contact info on the first page.
Stanza breaks should be double-spaced.
Please send no more than five poems at a time (with a maximum of fifteen pages total per submission).
Please submit all poems in one electronic document.
If a submitted poem is accepted elsewhere, please log into your Submittable account and write a note through the messages feature on your submission indicating the poem(s) that are no longer available.
One submission per period per individual. This includes authors writing under pseudonyms.
To submit, please click your category of choice: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry.
6. Submit to Sans.PRESS
Sans.PRESS is inviting short story submissions for a new collection titled Out There! They are looking for stories of any genre that respond to our title and/or cover art. “For our ninth anthology, we want the stories that go beyond the boundaries of the known world; that dive deep into the imaginary, the mad, the uncanny or the simply unbelievable. We want to expand the limits of what is possible, and dive into the uncharted waters of experimental, speculative, or just plain weird.”—SP
Deadline: 21st November | Pay: €200
Guidelines:
Submissions have to be your own original work, in English, and previously unpublished.
One story per writer, up to 5000 words, (no minimum word count).
Make sure your name and personal information are not on the story file (only in the form!)
Stories must be typed in readable font and size, with the title as file name (ie. ShortStoryTitle.docx)
Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please inform them as soon as possible if you are selected elsewhere!
Only submissions made through the form (below) will be considered.
Use of AI=disqualification.
7. Write for HerStry
HerStry centers the experiences of women by publishing personal essays. Personal essays are a way for writers to tell the stories they want to tell. There are no rules. No themes. As long as the story is true and about you, they want to read it. Nothing is off limits (well, some things are off limits, see below).
Deadline: 30th November 2024 | Pay: $10 per piece
Things to note:
Stories must be true, about you and previously unpublished.
Stories must be between 500 - 3,000 words
Stories should be double spaced, with 12pt font, Times New Roman or Calibri
Stories are read blind. Please DO NOT put any identifying material on your manuscript. Manuscripts that don’t follow this rule will be automatically disqualified without being read.
Stories must be submitted as word documents of some sort. PDFs will not be considered.
Stories must be submitted with a short bio and photo of the author
No poetry, please
8. The Safal Kiswahili Prize for African Literature
Founded in 2014 by Dr. Lizzy Attree (Short Story Day Africa) and Dr. Mukoma wa Ngugi (Cornell University) as The Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for Africa Literature, the prize was established to recognise writing in African languages and encourage translation from, between, and into African languages. For the 8th edition they are calling for prose manuscripts from writers of East Africa and anywhere worldwide who write in Kiswahili, especially women writers.
Deadline: 30th Nov. 2024 | Prize: Total of $15,000
How to enter:
Please send unpublished manuscripts (fiction, poetry, plays, memoir and graphic novels) to: kiswahiliprize@kiswahiliprize.org.
Prose submissions should be limited to between 40,000 – 60,000 words.
9. 2024/2025 Nyerere National Award for Creative Writing (Kiswahili)
The Tanzania Institute of Education (TET) invites creative writers to participate in the Mwalimu Nyerere National Creative Writing Award by submitting their novels, poetry, plays and children’s stories for consideration.
Deadline: 30th November 2024 | Prize:
Guidelines:
This prize is only open to Tanzanians.
All submissions must be written in Kiswahili and previously unpublished in part or whole. The manuscript should be sent as an attachment in Microsoft Word (except Children’s Stories) or Braille format.
The attachment should include the title of the manuscript and the category entered.
The first page of the manuscript should have the title and total word count or number of poems.
Each page of the manuscript must be numbered.
Use "Times New Roman" font, size 12, with double spacing.
The author should not include their name or any personal information on the manuscript itself.
In the email accompanying the manuscript, the author should provide the following details: full name, pen name (if applicable), gender, phone number, address, a brief biography (not exceeding 150 words), and age. Do not include these details as an attachment.
For Novels: 60,000 and 100,000 words
For Children’s Stories: 250 and 1,000 words
The story should target children aged 5 to 12.
Submit the children’s story manuscript as a PDF, not a Word document.
For information on plays and poetry, see here.
Each participant must sign a declaration form confirming that the manuscript is their original work and has not been published anywhere, including online and in print media. Download the declaration form.
Please send your submission to "tuzonyerere@tie.go.tz".
9. Submit to Farafinabooks Blog
Farafinabooks Blog is a platform for showcasing original thoughts and ideas from Africa. Their audience relies on us to spotlight the best African stories and experiences, and we are open to submissions. They are currently accepting short stories, poems, and reviews.
Deadline: Rolling basis | Pay: Unpaid
Things to note:
Send all submissions via email to info@kachifo.com
Use the title of your submission as the subject line.
Include a brief bio (around 500 words) about yourself in the email body.
Attach your submission as a Word document or compatible file format.
Please adhere to specified word limits and formatting guidelines.
Proofread your work for errors before submission.
By submitting, you agree to grant Farafinabooks blog non-exclusive rights to publish and promote your content.
10. Apply to Study Global Black Literatures at UW-Madison
The Department of English at UW-Madison is offering a fully funded scholarship for a PhD in Global Black Literatures. Ph.D. students typically receive five or six years of guaranteed funding through a combination of fellowships, assistantships, scholarships and progress-to-degree awards. Students also receive tuition remission, a robust healthcare plan and are eligible for up to $2,000 of professional development/travel funds per year, along with other forms of financial support.
Deadline: 8th December 2024 | Scholarship: Up to $40,000 per year
How to apply:
Read through application information on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School and open an application.
Prepare and submit required materials online via the Graduate School application form, including transcripts, recommendations, test scores, and a “Reasons for Graduate Study” statement.
For international students, please consult the “International Students” page for further information.
Application materials will be reviewed by English Department and Graduate School faculty and staff upon receipt. You can read about their evaluation criteria and process here.
Prose of the Week
I Never Asked You to Leave Anything Behind | Muuka Gwaba
There was a long silence as they filed into the sitting room. The two women sat on either side of their father while their brother sat across on the sofa. There was a long silence before their father spoke quietly, his voice barely audible.
I am only going to tell this story once for reasons that will become clear. This is the story about how I met your mother and about how and why she is no longer with us…
If you’d like your prose featured in ‘Prose of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
Poetry of the Week
My Elastic Heart Will Go On | Oyindamola Depo-Oyedokun
The day I saw him, my heart almost forgot it didn’t belong to him anymore.
How could it? How could it forget so soon how, with a string of calls and texts, he reached for it and violently cut it loose from his?
How I wept and pleaded and wept and pleaded, to him, to God, day and night for the pain to be taken away…
If you’d like your poetry featured in ‘Poetry of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
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Sa'a a gare ku (good luck—Hausa, Northern Nigeria)