The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is offering free mentorship opportunity

The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing has announced a new online editing programme, titled Online with Vimbai. This was contained in a press release by the AKO Caine Prize dated 5 October, 2020.

Online with Vimbai is an editing program initiated by former Chair of the Prize Dr Delia Jarrett-Macauley. It is facilitated by Vimbai Shire, editor and founder of Beyond White Space Ltd, who has worked on a range of short-form fiction and non-fiction pieces by distinguished authors including Leila Aboulela, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Brian Chikwava, Aminatta Forna, Billy Kahora, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and the late Binyavanga Wainaina.

The program was launched in September 2020 with three selected writers, Senegalese writer Aminata J Sow and Nigerian writers TJ Benson and Rafeeat Aliyu.

Selected writers are given tailored support and guidance on their short-form writing , 24 hours one-to-one quality support and guidance online over a twelve-week period. “It involves a professional assessment of each short story, discussions around the marketing direction for each piece, and regular feedback from the editor until a final review of the work is carried out to produce writings that are of a publishable standard,” the press release contained.

“Our aim for this programme is to open up access for writers and support them in their journey towards publication,” Chair of the AKO Caine Prize Ellah Wakatama OBE said.

Find out more about it here.