Open: 10 Opportunities for African Writers
Up to $1400, Contests, Digital Publication, Print Publication etc
This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm WAT.
1. Call for Commissions and Pitches: African Feminisms in Context
Ololade Faniyi, The Republic’s subeditor on Gender and Feminism, is seeking multivocal perspectives from African feminists across geographies, classes, religions, and other intersections. “I use the term “African feminisms or African feminist thought” as a strategic way to clarify and define feminist thought emerging from feminists in Africa, but I welcome alternative forms of naming. The aim of this new direction at The Republic is to mainstream African feminist thought, while not compromising on its investments, and offer young African feminists accessible resources to engage with and build upon.”—Faniyi
Deadline: Rolling basis | Pay: Up to N150,000
Things to note:
She is considering pieces focused on the following themes:
The evolution of African feminisms
Intersectionality in African Feminism
Politics, Political Economy and Development
African Feminism in Culture, Media & Communication
Patriarchy and Reactionary Politics
Security & Justice
Technology & Infrastructure
Health & Body Politics
Knowledge Production & Education
For subthemes and to read the editor’s note, please click here.
For some examples of the expectations and standards on at The Republic, read these pieces on Gender and Feminism.
Click here to view The Republic’s Style Guide.
Please indicate your interest via the form below and the editor will be in touch.
2. Submit to Olongo Africa
OlongoAfrica is published twice weekly to give a platform to new writings from or about Africa. They publish creative works ranging from poetry to literary criticism to journalism to travelogues. They are also very interested in literary translations from English into African languages, and from African languages into English. “But do not feel limited by any of these. If you have something you think might interest us, do send it and let us decide.”—Olongo
Deadline: Rolling basis | Pay: Unstated
How to submit:
Send your submission or pitch your piece to submissions@olongoafrica.com
If you do not receive a response within 4 weeks, please send them a query.
3. Call for Submissions: Revenge
Echo Review is a youth-run literary magazine devoted to history, mythology, and the stories lost to time. They are currently seeking submissions under the theme of Revenge. They only want stories which contain historical content, personal or otherwise. “Bring us the stories of those who have been wronged and avenged, and those who have been wronged and not yet avenged. Bring us the daggers, the tainted teacups, the battlefields and bedrooms where brilliance became swords. Place your name in the balance of vengeance, and requite these tales with your voice”—ER
Deadline: 10th November 2024. | Pay: Unstated
Guidelines:
Prose (short stories, flash fiction, creative non-fiction, and essays): up to 3 pieces, no more than 2,000 words each
Poetry: up to 5 poems, no more than 1,000 words each
All pieces must be in Times New Roman font, plain black text, double-spaced.
They allow simultaneous submissions. If your piece is accepted elsewhere, however, please let them know as soon as possible.
They accept ONLY previously unpublished work.
Response times vary and may range anywhere from 1 week to 1 month.
4. Wasafiri: Call for Fiction, Life Writing, and Poetry
For 40 years, Wasafiri has published the very best international contemporary writing, placing critics alongside leading novelists, poets, and playwrights to generate exciting cross-genre and inter-regional conversations. They are now seeking fiction, life writing, poetry, critical articles and interviews, along with work that is/on multilingualism, narrative-driven life writing, and work explicitly engaging with questions of genre, including speculative, crime, horror, and romance fiction.
Deadline: 22 November 2024 | Pay: Up to £150
Things to note:
Word count: Critical Articles and Essays 6,000 – 9,000 words
Fiction: life writing 3,000 – 5,000 words
Interviews: 4,000 – 5,000 words
Poems: Maximum of 3 totalling up to 6 pages
They are seeking writing under the following themes:
Community, Solidarity, and Justice
Healing and Repair
Dystopias and Aftermaths
Ensure that your manuscript is thematically, structurally, conceptually, and grammatically polished before submission.
Please get in touch with the Editor and Publishing Director Sana Goyal (sana.goyal@qmul.ac.uk) if you are interested in guest-editing an issue on a theme within your area of expertise, to be published from 2027.
5. Broken Sleep Books: Call for Poetry Pamphlets
Broken Sleep Books are a working-class, small, innovative press, who publish a range of poetry and prose, from a range of writers. Our primary focus is in increasing access to the arts, in ensuring more people are able to engage with creativity regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Deadline: 30th November 2024 | Compensation: Publication + 10% royalties etc
Guidelines:
Pages: Poetry collections = 40+
Poetry pamphlets = 15-40
Non-fiction prose = 40-150 (send a sample of 40-70 pages)
Please send as a Word document or PDF. Please do not put your work in the body of the email or send .pages, links to websites or file transfer sites - these will be deleted.
Size 10 font for main text.
Simultaneous submissions ok - but please indicate if this is the case in your email.
All submissions considered, regardless of location.
Collaborative submissions are considered.
Wildcard submissions are intended for all books that don't fit into the other window specifications.
They are happy to look at translations - but keep in mind that they do facing-page and would require both the original language and the translated language.
Email: Include a short biography and brief synopsis, in the body of an email.
For poetry, please list any poetic influences or poets you admire.
Subject: [Poetry pamphlet/Poetry collection/Non-fiction/Wildcard] Submission - [Name], [Title]
Send your email to submissions@brokensleepbooks.com
6. Submit to Qwani 03
Qwani is Kenyan-based vibrant youth-led initiative, serving as a dynamic platform for emerging writers. It celebrates diversity in literature. They are seeking poems, short stories, essays, sheng, reviews and plays around the 2024 Kenyan Protests, for an upcoming issue.
Deadline: 30th November 2024, 11:59 EAT | Pay: None
How to submit:
Kindly fill this form to submit.
For Prose, they accept pieces between 500-4000 words. Pieces of less
than 1000 words should be labeled as flash fiction.
For poetry, there is a line limit of 100. No lower limit. Haikus are allowed (a minimum of 3).
Maximum of 3 submissions per person
Only submissions except shaped poetry (PDF) should be in a Microsoft Word Document.
7. Submit to AngelFood
Angel Food Magazine is an online literary project that aims to publish writing that would nourish and sustain the ‘angels living among us’. In February 2025, they will publish a love-themed supplement. They’re open to essays, short stories, and poetry. They can be sweet or sour, epic love stories or humiliating disasters, personal anecdotes, cultural criticism, or theoretical reflections.
Deadline: 15th December 2024 | Pay: Unstated
How to Sumbit:
Please send all submissions in Word doc format to angelfoodmag@gmail.com
8. 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.
9. The Journal is Now Accepting Submissions
The Journal is a literary magazine seeking to mirror the complexities of human experience. interested in quality fiction, poetry, nonfiction, photo essays, author interviews, and reviews of new books of poetry and prose. We impose no restrictions on category or type of submission for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. S
Deadline: 2nd December 2024 | Pay: Unstated
Things to note:
Poetry submissions are capped at 800submissions.
Only original, previously unpublished works are considered.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted but they ask you notify them if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Multiple submissions are not accepted and will not be read or responded to; please wait until you receive a response from them before submitting again.
Poetry: “We want poems with heart (emotional clarity and complication) and brains (theoretical engagement, logic and metaphors that stand up to further contemplation, mastery of syntax and diction).”—TJ
Up to 3 poems, 1 per page, grouped in a single .doc or .pdf document.
Fiction: They generally do not publish straight genre fiction but prefer to read speculative work and frequently publish non-realist fiction
No longer than 5000words
If you are submitting flash fiction, you are welcome to submit up to three 1000-word stories in a single .doc or .pdf document.
Nonfiction: They publish across styles and forms, including lyric essays, experimental work, hybrid forms, personal essays, new journalism, and non-academic cultural criticism.
No longer than 6000 words
If you are submitting flash nonfiction, you are welcome to submit up to three 1000-word stories in a single .doc or .pdf document.
No academic writing or straight reportage.
Click your preferred category to submit: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction
10. 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.
Prose of the Week
Koja | Mokaya Atambo
Your gaze is fixed right ahead, beyond a stream of people and a wall of parked matatus. Approaching, at breakneck speed, is a Super Metro from Thika Road. The space between where it is going to pass and the oncoming human traffic is where you are wedged. The driver has flashed his warning lights on you, but you will not stop nor give right of way. You walk right ahead as it approaches you. There’s an endless string of pedestrians trailing behind you in more hurry than you. You won’t move aside. You would if there was space. You keep your pace steady. No stopping. The manyanga¹ is not stopping either. Here at Koja, no one stops for no one…
If you’d like your prose featured in ‘Prose of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
Poetry of the Week
Her Heart's Eulogy | Bongi Nkosi
She was the only one who could stand the heat of my love,
so she set herself alight to keep me warm,
scorched herself beyond recognition.
Her body mourned this death…
If you’d like your poetry featured in ‘Poetry of The Week’ send an email to editor.afww@gmail.com.
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Yak ufuro aba uno nte asin ubok (Let growth be found where you set your hands—Ibibio, Southern Nigeria)