[open] 11 Opportunities for African Writers
Up to $2000, Book Deals, Contests, Digital Publication, Fellowship etc
This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm, WAT.
1. Variant Literarure is Open for Submissions
Variant Literature is a small press and magazine committed to publishing diverse voices at all stages of their careers. They are currently accepting fiction, flash pieces and poetry submissions
Deadline: 5th April 2025 | Honorarium: $10
Things to note:
Please submit only once per submission period unless otherwise invited.
Please send all work in one file.
Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please notify them immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
No previously published works.
Poetry: there are no format restrictions. Limit your submission to 5 poems totaling no more than 10 pages.
Fiction: authors should limit submissions to no more than 20 pages (5500 words).
Flash and Micro Series: please send ONE piece of flash fiction or flash nonfiction (1200 words or less) or a connected series of THREE micros (250 to 400 words each).
If your nonfiction is less than 1200 words, submit to the flash genre. We are not looking for longer nonfiction.
2. African Voices Call for Fiction, Poems, & Essays Celebrating Harry Belafonte
African Voices invites submissions for the Summer/Fall 2025 issue focused on the artistry and activism of the late Harry Belafonte. This issue will showcase fiction, art, poetry, and essays that exemplify some of the areas that Belafonte was passionate about, including racial equity, social justice, human rights, community empowerment, the interconnectedness of the cultural production of the African diaspora in the Americas, and the power of literacy and the arts to positively transform lives.
Deadline: 11th April 2025 | Pay: Unstated amount
Things to note:
Please include your short bio and contact information with your submission.
What they’re looking for:
Fiction – no more than 2,500 words
Essays – no more than 2,500 words
Poetry – three to five poems
File types accepted: Word, PDF, JPEG, TIFF.
To submit, fill this form.
3. Call for Afrofuturism Short Stories
Flame Tree is publishing an Afrofuturism anthology to offer a dialogue that explores tradition and influence, and fresh insights both about our past, and visions of our future. They accept the definition of Afrofuturism as located in "the African point of view, experience, culture, themes, and history with technology based in Africa, not the diaspora".—This is Kenya
Deadline: Unstated | Pay: Up to $240
Things to note:
Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails.
They accept reprints.
The subject line of the email must be the story title.
The file with the story must be attached to the email (.docx, .doc or .rtf format).
The file name of the submission must be the story name only.
If submitting more than one story, please submit one story per email.
Please just use spaces between words in the title (not _ or - ).
If the story name starts with A or The, please use it at the beginning of the file name.
Story length is most likely to be successful at 2000–4000 words, but they will still read stories slightly outside this range.
If submitting a story that has recently been submitted to them for consideration to another anthology, please state this in the submission email.
Submit to afrofuturism@flametreepublishing.com
4. HerLore Magazine: The Rebel Feminist Manifesto
Herlore Magazine is looking for bold, radical, and unapologetic feminist voices across multiple genres. They are inviting fiction and nonfiction submissions for their first issue on the theme: The Rebel Feminist Manifesto. “We're not here for mainstream, sanitized feminism-we want the rebellions, the untold stories, and the movements that history books erased.” HLM
Deadline: Unstated | Pay: Unstated
Things to note:
Ideas:
The feminist movements they don't teach in school
Decolonizing feminism: Beyond Western ideals
Rebel women throughout history (from African queens to punk feminists)
"Bad feminism" vs. purity politics-who gets to be a feminist?
An open letter to my younger self about feminism
Plus, we're accepting feminist fiction! Bring us your short stories, speculative fiction,
Historical retellings, and radical feminist visions of the future.\\
Fiction (short stories and speculative fiction)
1,500 – 5,000 words
Short stories, speculative fiction, retellings of historical events or figures from an intersectional feminist perspective, or experimental fiction that defies conventions and expectations.
Creative Nonfiction and Essays
1,000 – 4,000 words
Personal Essays: Your lived experiences, struggles, and triumphs as a feminist
Memoirs: A defining moment in your feminist journey
Critical Essays: In-depth pieces on feminist movements, intersectionality, and historical perspectives
Manifestos: A bold declaration of your feminist vision
Poetry: Raw experimental poetry that embodies the spirit of feminist rebellion.
Up to 3 poems per submission (max 3 pages per poem)
Free verse
Spoken word
Experimental forms
Visual or hybrid poetry
Open Letters & Manifestos: Do you have a message to your younger self, the feminist movement, or the world? We welcome powerful, unfiltered letters that speak truth to power.
800 – 2,500 words
Please include a short bio with your submission
5. Call for Submissions on Bernardine Evaristo’s Work
The University of Reading is set to host the first academic conference dedicated to the work of writer Bernardine Evaristo on November 6, 2025. This symposium invites scholarly paper submissions dealing with any aspect of Evaristo’s writing and work.
Deadline: 16th April 2025 | Honorarium: Unstated
Things to note:
Potential topics
The African diaspora and/or AfroEurope
Black British culture, history, and literature
Legacies of empire
History and historiography
Space and place
Gender and/or sexuality
Family, filial relations, kinship and/or community
Intersectional feminism
(Auto)biography and memoir
Formal experimentation (polyvocality, non-linear chronology, genre)
Language use (non-standard English, code-switching, neologisms, idiostyle)
Humour (irony, satire)
Intertextuality and/or intermediality (verse fiction; essay and visual art)
Adaptations between forms (radio, novel, television, poetry, theatre)
Lesser-known writings, such as poetry, short fiction, and essays
Influences (such as Ntozake Shange, Michelle Cliff, Derek Walcott)
Translations and/or reception in different contexts
Relation to literary awards and prizes
Publishing, publishers, and marketing (including cover design)
Literary activism (e.g. ‘Black Britain: Writing Back’ series; The Complete Works mentoring scheme; Brunel International African Poetry Prize)
The teaching of Evaristo’s writing in secondary and/or tertiary education
Selected papers from the symposium will be published as Bernardine Evaristo: Critical Essays, with a foreword by Evaristo, as part of the Routledge Contemporary Writers: Critical Essays book series
Create an abstract (300 words for a 20 minute paper; 150 words for a poster) and title along with your name, institutional affiliation (if relevant), and a short biography (100 words)
Email them to Dr Nicola Abram (University of Reading) at
Source: Brittle Paper
6. Iskanchi Book Prize 2024 is Now Open for Submissions
Iskanchi Book Prize aims to recognize exceptional prose and hybrid book manuscripts and offer the winners a chance to be published. This competition is open to both emerging and established African writers living anywhere in the world.
Deadline: 21st April 2025 | Prize: $1000 and book publication
Things to note:
Submissions should be prose: Fiction and non-fiction manuscripts (novels, novellas, short story collections, essay collections, memoirs, etc.). OR
hybrid: Manuscripts that blend multiple genres or mediums (e.g., poetry and visual art, prose and photography, experimental formats, etc.)Submit a completed prose or hybrid manuscript in PDF or Word (.doc/.docx) format
Include a short writer's bio (max 150 words) in the body of your email
Email Subject: "Iskanchi Book Prize Submission"
Multiple Submissions are not allowed. Send only one Manuscript.Simultaneous Submissions are allowed, but notify them immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
Language: English or translations (with permissions).
Submit to Submissions@Iskanchi.com
7. The Andrée Blouin Prize
Andrée Blouin (1921–1986) was a political activist and writer from the Central African Republic (CAR) who became integral to the fight for independence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and this prize is set up in her honour.
The Andrée Blouin Prize by Inkani Books supports African women who write about history, politics, or current affairs from a left perspective. The prize foregrounds voices of colour but is open to all women living on the African continent. .
Deadline: 30th April 2025, 11:59 SAST | Prize: $2000 + Book deal
Things to note:
Writers may only submit ONE entry. Repeat entries by the same writer will all be disqualified.
Submissions must be a maximum of 50,000 words or 150 pages in length.
Manuscripts must be submitted in English. While you are free to incorporate other languages into your manuscript, it must be able to be understood fully by its English content.
Simultaneous submissions are not welcome. Any manuscript entered or published elsewhere during the course of judging and publication will be disqualified. The manuscript must not have been previously published (traditionally or self-published) as a book in any format.
To facilitate easy reading and judging, please format your submissions according to this format :
Times New Roman, 12-point size, double-spaced.
On the front page, put your manuscript title and name in all caps, in the centre, and an accurate word count at the top right hand corner.
Please number the pages and left-justify your paragraphs.
Put the word “End” after the end of your text, centred, on its own line.
Accepted file formats: .doc, .docx, .odt
8. Jericho Prize for Children’s Literature
Jericho Prize in partnership with Hachette Children's Group now accepting manuscript submissions of children books which target children between the ages of 1-7.
Deadline: 30th April 2025 | Prize: £1250 + Publication, etc
Things to note:
There are two award categories this year:
baby and toddler books (1–3 years)
picture books (3–7 years)
Authors must live in the UK and be aged 18 or over at the time of entry; there is no upper age limit
You must identify as Black-British, ie of African, Caribbean or mixed-heritage Black descent
Previous Jericho Prize first-prize winners are not eligible for entry
Your submitted manuscript must be your own original work and should not have been published previously by a traditional publisher; and you yourself must not be, or have been, under contract with any publisher or literary agent for writing books
You can submit multiple entries although only one can be shortlisted
Only stories are eligible for submission
Stories can be written in rhyme or prose
Stories must feature at least one human Black or mixed-Black main character
Your word count (excluding the title page and any illustration briefs) must be:
baby and toddler books (1–3 years): between 100 and 200 words
picture books (3–7 years): no more than 700 words
You cannot enter translated or co-written manuscripts
Historical fiction and non-fiction submissions are not eligible in either category
Your manuscript must be written in the English language with UK spellings and a legible 12pt font
You must include a title page at the start of your document including your name, story title and word count
Please use the following file-naming convention: your_story_title_firstname_surname.doc
Self-published work can be submitted if it was self-published from January 2022 onwards. Self-published work will be judged purely on the basis of the text. Please send a text-only version of your book WITHOUT any illustrations
Send your manuscript in a Word doc or PDF file (max. file size 1MB) via this form.
9. Apply to the African Liberty Writing Fellowship
The 2025 African Liberty Writing Fellowship is looking for writers who are passionate about shaping public policy debates through their craft. The fellowship helps sharpen your skills and get you published in top media outlets across the continent. It is a project by Students For Liberty.
Deadline: 30thApril 2025 | Prize: Funded fellowship
Things to note:
This is a paid fellowship. Compensation is contingent upon a monthly assessment. Please note that they do not consider financial compensation until a fellow is inducted.
Only 25 fellows will be inducted
An applicant has to be enrolled in, or must have graduated from, an African institution of higher learning. Or, be an African pursuing higher education outside the continent.
This fellowship is an online program with a 5-week training runnning from 26 May 2025 to 23 June 2025.
The writing fellowship starts on 15 July 2025, and ends on 15 July 2026.
Please contact the editor, ibrahim Anoba (ianoba@africanliberty.org) for any questions.
To apply, fill this form.
10. Quramo Writer’s Prize 2025
The QWP 2025 is inviting unpublished Nigerian and African writers to submit a fiction prose manuscript. The Prize is awarded to a fiction prose manuscript by an African writer published in English, whether they reside in Africa or elsewhere. Each entry must be an original, unpublished work.
Deadline: 31st May 2025 | Prize: Unstated cash prize and book deal
Things to note:
The fiction prose manuscript must be the original, unpublished work of the entrant. Published work is not eligible for the prize.
Short story collections, plays, and poetry are not eligible.
Manuscripts must contain a minimum of 30,000 words.
All entrants must be 16 years of age and above.
All entries must be submitted through the this form in the following format:
Times New Roman font type, Font Size 12
MS Word format
Left justified, double line spacing
Page numbers on each page
All submissions must be sent in with the following information:
A one-page synopsis (click link for some guidance on how to write a winning synopsis)
A short personal biography of 100 words max. (in third person POV)
Social media profiles (Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn)
Full (legal) name
Physical address
Email address
Phone number
Manuscripts submitted to the QWP must not have been entered into any other competitions running concurrently. Prior entries for the QWP are also ineligible.
Identifying information (name, address, etc.) should not be included on the pages of the manuscript.
All longlisted entrants must be available to participate in a publicity campaign from the date of announcement of the longlist leading up to the unveiling of the winner of the prize.
Quramo Publishing shall have a right of first refusal for the second book by the winner. This means that Quramo Publishing alone reserves the right to publish the second title by the same author, herein known as the QWP winner.
The winner undertakes to participate and work with editors at Quramo Publishing on the execution of the publication.
11. Submit to The Exquisite Typology
Angry Gable Press is seeking submissions for their next anthology titled: The Exquisite Typology. This anthology is to be“a collection of happy abstractions” and “The continuous reforming and deforming of levels of narrative reality around moments of joy…”.
Deadline: Till cap is reached | Pay: Up to $25 (Paypal)
Things to note:
“Submitted works should be cast through the lens of joy, exploring deformations and reformations of new landscapes and environments, new worlds, new beings, new moments of singularity or multiplicity, new visions, new paradoxes, or a redressing of old ones. Happy endings are not a requirement, just an engagement with the notion of happiness and the concept of Topology, using a speculative approach.”—AGP
To understand the theme better, see here.
Please submit one to five poems (with a maximum of 100 lines for each poem)
One short story (1k-6k words), or up to two flash fiction pieces (500-1k each).
Submit via email: angrygablepress@gmail.com
Subject header: LAST NAME, GENRE: “Title”
Cut and paste your work into the body of your e-mail and include a 100-word bio in third person along with a cover letter.
Please also include a line or word count in your cover letter.
Thank you all for your understanding and concern last week. Things are doing much better for me now.❤️
Prose of the Week
You Can Always Go Back Home | Mwenya S Chikwa
Chitundu felt the drag of her environmental suit on her limbs. She wanted to believe it was an effect of traversing the interplanetary light-speed passageway, but from the many dour strides around her in the caravan formation, she knew it was a lie. Given the clan’s rushed evacuation from their last planet, she guessed it was inevitable. Everyone had lost so much.
At least no one died. It was an empty comfort…
Poetry of the Week
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash
Acoustics | Adesiyan Oluwapelumi
There I sat, crouched under the old altar—
Jehovah’s golden bell, gathering rust and mildew.
A fixed light falling with fickle grace through windowsill
onto my gaze, as I played the song of still hours—
savant to the rapturous praise of the awaited turning of the hand…
Thanks for diving into our newsletter! Don't miss out—subscribe now (if you haven’t) for a weekly curated list including writing competitions, publishing opportunities, grants, fellowships, and content crafted to fuel the growth of African writers. Join the literary journey!
Ratet na ni (Blessings on you —Bari, Northeast Uganda)