Submissions Alert!
Hamza Aisha Maishanu
Literary journals and prizes are somewhat reality checks for creatives. While they are not a definite yardstick for determining the craftiness of a writer, they make one realise whether or not their work is actually good as they think it is. This is due to the expertise of the editors or judges and the objective perspective from which they view submitted works.
So have you got that incredible piece of writing and don’t know where to publish it? Here are some places/prizes you could try:
The Broken River Prize
The Broken River Prize is an annual poetry book contest from Platypus Press. Each year a different poet will judge the contest. 2020’s judge is poet and teacher Kaveh Akbar. Deadline is 31st of July, 2020.
Click here for submission details.
Pixley Seme Literary Award
This award recognizes and brings to light the rich storytelling capabilities of outstanding young African emerging writers aged 30 years and under across the African continent. Submissions Open: 26th July 2020 and Closes: 6th September 2020
Click here for submission details.
12th Casa África Essay Prizes
Casa Africa is holding the Casa África Prizes for Essay on African themes, with a view to recognizing, promoting and publicizing original and unpublished essays that enhance the knowledge that people have of the African continent. Deadline is 17 September, 2020. Theme: Climate Change in Africa. Check here for submission details.
Morland Writing Scholarship 2020 for African Writers (£18,000 Cash Prize)
The Miles Morland Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2020 Morland Writing Scholarships for African writers. The Scholarships are open to anyone writing in the English language who was born in Africa or both of whose parents were born in Africa. Deadline: 18th September, 2020.
Click here for more details.
Ka’edi Africa
Ka’edi Africa online creative magazine is accepting submissions year round in five categories: Art, Reviews, Photography, Food and Culture/People. Entries in indigenous African languages will be considered if they are accompanied by an English translation.
See flyer for more details.
The Bath Flash Fiction Award
The goal is promote flash fiction/novellas for both writers and readers and to bring the genres to a wider audience. The 16th award is now accepting submissions. Deadline is 11th October, 2020 for flash fiction and January, 2021 for novellas.
Click here to find out more.
Lolwe
Lolwe is accepting submissions for Issue 2 throughout the month of July. They are looking for works that are bold, different, and blur or push boundaries: play with form and language, ignore genre classifications. Lolwe accepts submissions for fiction, poetry, essays and photography. Deadline: 31 July 2020.
Click here for submissions guidelines.
Libretto Magazine
Libretto Magazine is pleased to announce its call for submissions. They are looking for work with bold and elegant style that pushes boundaries beyond limit. You can play with form, style and language.
For submission guidelines click here.
Oxford Brookes International Poetry Competition
The Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre is excited to launch its 2020 International Poetry Competition to celebrate the power of poetry across the world! Deadline is 14 September, 2020. See here for more details.
Kalahari Short Story Competition
To celebrate its official launch, Collection Kalahari runs a short story competition open to all writers using Swahili, French or English as language. All genres of short stories are accepted. Click here for further details.
Doek!
Doek! A literary magazine from Namibia seeks nuanced, exciting, challenging, disturbing, and transformative work from writers and poets. Eligible to only Namibians. Deadline: 15 August, 2020.
Click here for submission guidelines.
SpriNG Women Authors Prize
SprinNG launches new $275 prize for female Nigerian authors – not to publish, but to promote, distribute and buy an already published book. Deadline: 30 September, 2020. Click here to submit.
2020 Summer Flash Contest
Summer seems like the right time to write short. Submit your very best work in any genre, fiction or nonfiction. Only works that are 1,000 words or less. Deadline: August 12, 2020. Click here for more details.
Submissions for Clarkesworld Magazine
Clarkesworld Magazine is a Hugo, World Fantasy, and British Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes short stories, interviews, articles, and audio fiction. Click here for submission guidelines.
The Young Nigerian Female Poets Anthology
Angel Nduka-Nwosu is curating and seeking submissions for an anthology of poems by young Nigerian female poets who are between the ages of 16 and 26. The anthology will be published online as a downloadable ebook. Deadline: 1st October. Click link for more details.
The Horn Pond Review
The Horn Pond Review is receiving submissions of poetry, prose and visual arts until August 31.
Click here for submission guidelines.
Quramo Writers Prize 2020
The Quramo Writers’ Prize is an African award for new and emerging writers. It celebrates unpublished writers who are working every day to hone their craft and record our continent’s original stories. Click here for submission guidelines.
The African Writers Review
The African Writers Review is receiving submissions of all genres. See flier and click here for further details.
Submit those pieces now. Good luck!
