September Opportunities for African Writers

Up to £15,000, Book Publication, Scholarship, Contests, Digital Publication

This newsletter is published every Wednesday at 5pm WAT.

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1. The Abubakar Othman Prize for Poetry

The maiden edition of the Abubakar Othman Prize for Poetry organized by Borno Books and Arts Festival is seeking submissions. This contest is only open to poets living in or from Northeastern Nigeria.

Deadline: 10th September 2024. | Prize: N100,000

Rules:

• Open to poets between the ages of 18-30. 

• Only original, unpublished poems will be considered.

• This competition is open only to Borno residents but if you are in Northeastern Nigeria and will love to participate, you can, but only on the condition that you WILL handle your expenses. 

• Submission Guidelines:

  • Submit a 60-seconds video rendering your poem.

  • Poems must be in English Language only.

• By entering the competition, you grant them permission to publish your winning poem on our website and promotional materials.

• The organisers reserve the right to modify these guidelines at any time.

• Click here to submit your entry.

2. Ake Review 2024: Call for Submissions

The Ake Arts and Book Festival, is thrilled to announce a call for entries for the 2024 edition of our annual journal, Ake Review. The theme for the 12th Edition of the Ake Arts and Book Festival is Finding Freedom.

Deadline: 12th September 2024. | Compensation: Unstated amount + 2 magazines

Submission guidelines:

• Poetry - a maximum of three poems

• Fiction/Reflections - a maximum of 800 words

• Entries must be original and unpublished

• All entries must be submitted via email to editor@akefestival.org

• Entries should be sent as attachments with 'AR24 Submission' in the subject line.

• Attach a bio of no longer than 70 words

• Only one submission per person

3. Achmat Dangor Literary Prize

The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize supports young, previously disadvantaged writers in financial need. The award funds an MA in Creative Writing at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. The prize is now open to young writers working in all genres (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction).

Deadline: 15th September 2024. | Prize: Fully funded Master’s

Things to note:

• Completion of, or current enrolment in, an Honours Degree or equivalent writing/publishing experience (candidates without an Honours may be considered based on their writing or extensive publishing history).

• Open to South African citizens and citizens of other African countries residing in South Africa whose writing reflects or engages with South African experiences, themes, voices, and the country's place in the world.

• Open to writers working in English or in the diverse "Englishes" that reflect the fluid mix of languages in South Africa.

• Send a comprehensive curriculum vitae and Cover Letter: A detailed letter outlining motivations and challenges faced, as well as:

  • A brief explanation of your reading and writing interests;

  • details of your publishing history;

  • a brief sketch of the project you would like to explore should you be awarded the Prize.

  • your motivations for writing;

  • your personal challenges or obstacles to writing; and

  • any awards or accolades received for your writing; and

  • whether you would still like to be considered for the MA in Creative Writing at Wits if you do not receive the award.

• Include a Writing Portfolio:

  • If you intend to write a novel, collection of short fiction, or a memoir or work of creative nonfiction, at least fifty pages (1.5 spacing) of prose (fiction or creative nonfiction).

  • If you intend to write a poetry manuscript, at least twenty-five poems or twenty-five pages of poetry.

  • If you intend to write a play for the MA: a full-length play manuscript.

  • You may include examples of your published work, but at least half of the writing submitted should be unpublished. Academic papers, journalism, and press releases will not be accepted as part of the portfolio but can be listed in your CV.

• Send your application (including all the required documents) to stacy.hardy@wits.ac.za

4. Writers Space Africa (WSA) Call for Submissions

Writers Space Africa (WSA) magazine is accepting submissions for its 93rd edition (September 2024 Edition) under the theme: Silent Battles

Deadline: 15th September 2024 | Pay: Unstated

Guidelines:

• 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 October 2024.

• The author retains the copyright. Fill this form to submit

5. Short Course: Writing, Editing and The Business of Publishing

African Writers Trust is a body that aims to bridge the divide between African writers and publishing professionals living in the Diaspora and on the continent. They are organising a short course to enable writers gain an understanding of the possibilities of creative writing, equiping them with the knowledge and skills needed in editing and preparing manuscripts for publication, and introducing them to the business of publishing.

Deadline: 23rd September 2024. | Compensation: Free workshop

Things to note:

• The course will hold 15^th to 20^th October, 2024 at Hotsprings Villas Hotel, in Kampala, Uganda. Accommodation at the hotel is catered for.

• Applications are only open to writers from: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan and Somaliland.

• 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 course.

• To apply, fill this form.

6. The Kenyon Review is Seeking Submissions

The Kenyon Review is a literary magazine first published in 1939. They are seeking submissions with the themes: following themes: translation, architecture, lyric essay, cinema, and visitation. With VISITATION they are looking for writing which captures an impermanent experience of presence. A visitation might be a knock at the door, a funereal ritual, a brush with the otherworldly, a legal mandate, an act of wrath, a moment of union.

Deadline: 30th September 2024. | Pay: Up to $450

Things to note:

• They only consider previously unpublished works

• Word count:

  • Short fiction and essays (up to 7,500 words)

  • Essays (up to 3 pieces, up to 5,000 words each; please format and submit as a single document)

  • Poetry (up to 6 poems; please format and submit as a single document)

  • Excerpts (up to 30 pages double-spaced) from larger works

• Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify them immediately if the work has been accepted elsewhere.

• Authors will receive a contract upon acceptance and payment upon publication. Authors retain copyright to their work published in The Kenyon Review.

• Please read their previously published work here.

• They generally follow the Chicago Manual of Style and Webster’s latest New Collegiate Dictionary.

7. Submit Short Stories to Fictive Dream

Fictive dream is an online magazine dedicated to short stories. They are currently seeking contemporary fiction for digital publication.

Deadline: 30th September 2024. | Compensation: Publication

How to submit:

• Word count: 500 and 2,500 words

• Only unpublished work, either in print or online (including your own blog and social media), are accepted. However, they welcome translations.

• Submit your story as a Word attachment to fictivedream@gmail.com. No PDFs and please do not paste your story in the body of your email. We’ll get back to you within three weeks of submission. 

• Please add a brief biography of no more than 75 words written in the third person with links that you would like to be included.

• Send only one story at a time, and await our response before sending another. If your submission is declined, please wait two months before submitting again.

8. Get Published by Narrative Landscape Press

Narrative Landscape Press, founded by Anwuli Ojogwu and Eghosa Imasuen, is on a mission to develop a cadre of excellent writers. They are currently seeking exclusively fiction manuscript submissions.

Deadline: 30th September 2024. | Compensation: Book Deal

How to submit:

• To submit your work, send them an email with the subject heading “Submissions [title of your work]” and the following content to submissions@narrativelandscape.com

• The body of the email is your query letter, introducing you, telling them why you contacted them, and telling them about the work in question. A few words on why you are the best fit to write this work will also be worth looking at.

• Include a one-page synopsis of the work you are submitting as a Word Document attachment. Please include all major plot points in your synopsis, including spoilers. You can also say a few words about the theme of the work.

• A sample of the work in question as a Word Document attachment. This should be the first 3 chapters, or the first 50 pages, or the first 10,000 words, whichever is longer.

• Send your manuscript sample in double-spaced, indented no-space paragraphs, left-justified only, 12-point serif font (They prefer courier new) text on A4.

• They ask for eight weeks after each submissions reading window to reply.

9. Submit to Temz Review

​The /tƐmz/ Review is a literary journal based in London, Ontario that publishes fiction, poetry, and reviews. They are currently seeking submissions for their 29th issue.

Deadline: 31st October 2024. | Pay: $20

Things to note:

• They publish prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. They prefer the strange, the experimental and the boundary-pushing, but we are open to a wide range of styles and voice

• If your piece is longer than 1000 words, please submit only one piece. If your pieces are fewer than 1000 words each, feel free to submit several pieces at once.

• They accept submissions of 1-8 poems, depending on the length of the poems.

• They prefer poetry submissions to be 10 pages or fewer.

• Simultaneous submissions are welcome, provided you notify them and/or withdraw a piece that is accepted for publication elsewhere.

10. Moonlit Gateway: Call for Submissions

MoonLit Getaway is an international literary journal which showcases all genres of fiction, and poetry and accepts submissions from anywhere in the world. They feature the work of new, emerging, and established creators on our website, and publish their favourites every fall in our anthology.

Deadline: Until cap reached. | Compensation: Unstated

Guidelines:

• Each submission must include a cover letter with the following information:

  • full name;

  • mailing address; 

  • submission title;

  • submission category;

  • word count (if applicable);

  • a bio written in the third person (600-characters max); and 

  • any additional, relevant information that you want our editors to know about your submission.

• Fiction should be no longer than 2500 words. Only .docx, or PDF file formats are accepted. Manuscripts must be in Times New Roman font, paginated, and double-spaced. Include a word count at the end of your work. 

• Submit up to 8 poems in a single document; ensure each poem begins on a new page. Only .docx, or PDF file formats will be accepted.

• Click here to submit your work.

11. Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025

The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation mandated by its Member States to advance the interests of Commonwealth civil society. This annual prize is awarded to the best piece of unpublished short fiction by a commonwealth writer.

Deadline: 1st November 2024. | Compensation: Total of £15,000

Things to note:

• The prize covers the Commonwealth regions of 1. Africa, 2. Asia, 3. Canada and Europe, 4. Caribbean and 5. Pacific.

• Entrants must be aged 18 years or over on 1 November 2024.

• Only one entry per writer each year may be submitted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

• The story must be original work and should not have been published anywhere, in full orin part, in any language, before 1 May 2025. Published work is taken to mean published in any printed, publicly accessible form, e.g. anthology, magazine, newspaper. It is also taken to mean published online, exceptfor personal blogs, personal websites and personal Facebook pages.

• Simultaneous submissions are eligible as long as the entrant informs the organisers (via creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com) immediately should the story be accepted for publication elsewhere or be selected for a prize.

• Entries must be 2,000 words minimum, 5,000 words maximum (not including title).

• Entries in English should be submitted in Arial 12-point font and double line spacing. For entries in other languages, the appropriate font should be used. All pages should be numbered.

• For more guidelines please see here.

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Prose of the Week

The Choice | Deborah Melom Ndjerareou

I was three when my mother walked out on us, so my daddy says. She was a beautiful woman with long kinky hair; she got it from her Arab grandmother. I have a picture of her in my drawer. Once in a while, I stare at it for a few minutes. I imagine her lips moving to tell me stories like daddy does on most nights. Her voice is melodious but with a touch of raspiness. She tells me she loves me and can’t wait to see me one day.

“Tell me about mommy, do I look like her.”
“You look like your grandmother, you have her eyes.”

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Poetry of the Week

Christening of Peculiar Things | Oliaku Wisdom Ikechukwu 

Call the world how it unfolds,
a feeble, starving petal growing in your blistered palms
towards the sun, from the spaces between your fingers 
where mine used to intertwine.
Call my love how it reaches,
this nimble, persistent thing floating in an ocean
of hurt inside of me, inviting you in…

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Ndakwendeza ebirungi kusha (I wish you only the good—Rukiga, Uganda)