The Jacana Literary Foundation (JLF) is pleased to announce that submissions for the ninth annual Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award and Anthology is now open until 31 March 2019. Up to three poems in any of South Africa’s official… Read More ›
Prizes
Short List Announced: Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize 2018
THE MABATI-CORNELL KISWAHILI PRIZE FOR AFRICAN LITERATURE Short List Announcement The short list for Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature was announced today December 17, 2018 by the board chair, Abdilatif Abdalla. The prize, founded in 2014 by Dr…. Read More ›
The Brittle Paper Awards 2018 Shortlists
The shortlists for the 2018 Brittle Paper Awards have been announced! The award was established in 2017 to recognize the finest, original pieces of writing by Africans published online. The 31 shortlisted pieces reflect the state of contemporary African literary culture. The… Read More ›
Call for Submissions: ALA Book Awards (New Deadlines: 01 November)
The African Literature Association (ALA) has extended deadlines for its book prizes this year! Book of the Year Award—Scholarship (New Deadline: November 1, 2018) For an outstanding book in African literary studies published in the preceding calendar year (2017). Authors… Read More ›
Call for Nominations: 2018 Brittle Paper Awards
The Brittle Paper Awards is back for the 2018 edition. And, the nomination process is open to the public. Anyone can nominate works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and essays or think pieces for consideration by Brittle Paper’s editorial team. The Brittle Paper Awards was established… Read More ›
Caine Prize Shortlist Reviews, Part 5: ‘God’s Children Are Little Broken Things’ by Arinze Ifeakandu
AiW Guest: David Borman This week, we are featuring reviews of the five stories shortlisted for the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing. The prize winner will be announced on Monday 3 July. The fifth and final review of the… Read More ›
Caine Prize Shortlist Reviews, Part 4: ‘The Virus’ by Magogodi Makhene
AiW Guest: David Reiersgord This week, we will feature reviews of the five stories shortlisted for the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing. The prize winner will be announced on Monday 3 July. Today’s review is of South African author Magogodi… Read More ›
Caine Prize Shortlist Reviews, Part 3: ‘Bush Baby’ by Chikodili Emelumadu
AiW Guest: Iquo DianaAbasi This week, we will feature reviews of the five stories shortlisted for the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing. The prize winner will be announced on Monday 3 July. Today’s review is of Nigerian author Chikodili Emelumadu’s story… Read More ›
Caine Prize Shortlist Reviews, Part 2: ‘Who Will Greet You At Home’ by Lesley Nneka Arimah
AiW Guest: Kufre Usanga This week, we will feature reviews of the five stories shortlisted for the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing. The prize winner will be announced on Monday 3 July. Today’s review is of Nigerian author Lesley Nneka… Read More ›
Caine Prize Shortlist Reviews, Part 1: ‘The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away’ by Bushra al-Fadil
AiW Guest: Rebekah Bale This week, we will feature reviews of the five stories shortlisted for the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing. The prize winner will be announced on Monday 3 July. Our first review is of Sudanese author… Read More ›
Woe and Womb: A Review of Stay With Me by Ayòbámi Adébáyò
AiW Guest: Sana Goyal When asked about the seeds of her novel Stay With Me, Ayòbámi Adébáyò likes to tell the tale of how Yejide and Akin—two characters she created for a short story—persistently stayed in the corners of… Read More ›
Anietie Isong’s Radio Sunrise shortlisted for the Kingston University Big Read 2017
Radio Sunrise by Anietie Isong has been shortlisted for the Kingston University Big Read project. The novel is one of the six shortlisted titles to be considered for staff and students to read before the 2017 academic year begins. … Read More ›
Q&A: Safia Elhillo on her Sillerman Prize-winning collection January Children
Sudanese by way of Washington, DC, a Cave Canem fellow and poetry editor at Kinfolks Quarterly: a journal of black expression, Safia Elhillo received an MFA in poetry at the New School. Safia is a Pushcart Prize nominee, co-winner of… Read More ›
Call for Submissions: The two Babishai 2016 Poetry Awards, Deadline 22 May 2016
THE TWO BABISHAI 2016 POETRY AWARDS Call for Submissions Deadline 22 May 2016 CATEGORY 1: THE BABISHAIKU 2016 POETRY AWARD Guidelines for submissions: “We are looking forward to Africa themed haiku i.e. haiku about African sights and sounds. Haiku must… Read More ›
Africa in Words’ highlights of 2015
Africa in Words has been taking a break over the holiday season, but we couldn’t resist taking a look back over the memorable year that has been 2015. Here, some of our Editors reflect on their highlights of 2015. We’d… Read More ›
Winners Announcement for the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature
The Winners of the new Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature were announced today (17 NOVEMBER 2015). The prize has the express goal of recognizing writing in African languages and encouraging translation from, between and into African languages.
Review: Lusaka Punk and Other Stories – the Caine Prize Anthology 2015
AiW Guest: Madhu Krishnan In the just sixteen years that it has existed, the Caine Prize for African Writing has made an indelible mark, if not on African literature itself, then certainly on the critical discourses which surround it. With… Read More ›
Q&A: Pede Hollist
Posted in the run up to our review of the Caine Prize 2015 anthology Lusaka Punk and Other Stories, as part of a follow up series to our 2015 Blogging the Caine Prize – open to the ongoing public conversation the prize, and… Read More ›
Q&A: Namwali Serpell
Shortly before Namwali Serpell became the sixteenth winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, I had the chance to ask her a couple of questions about reading her winning story ‘The Sack’ and its many modes of uncertainty. This Q&A forms part… Read More ›
Q&A: Masande Ntshanga
Posted in the run up to our review of the Caine Prize 2015 anthology Lusaka Punk and Other Stories, as part of a follow up series to our 2015 Blogging the Caine Prize – open to the ongoing public conversation the prize, and… Read More ›
