Deadline: May 15, 2023
Applications are open for the Kendeka Prize for African Literature 2023. The Kendeka Prize for African Literature is an initiative by Andrew Maina, a Kenyan writer. It aims at encouraging Africans to write and read more. In participating in this contest, new talents have been discovered and when nurtured, can be great writers perhaps following in the footsteps of Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Chimamanda Ngozi Andichie among others.
Kendeka Prize for African Literature is a Non-Profit Company Limited by Guarantee registered in Kenya whose main objective, aim, vision and mission is to nurture new and existing writers from the African Continent and the Diaspora by creating a platform for Africans to tell their stories not only on the Continent but to reach wider audiences around the world. The Prize encourages upcoming writers to write on issues affecting Africa from an African perspective thereby amplifying African voices worldwide.
Many upcoming and existing African writers face challenges in publication and distribution of their literary work. The Prize has created opportunities for nurturing new talent, supporting existing writers bring to the wider reading audiences the social, economic and cultural issues affecting the day-to-day lives of African peoples on the Continent and in the Diaspora, the stories of beauty, achievements, resilience and the many mountains, valleys, deserts, lakes and seas traversed by people, young and old, through the ages.
Prizes
- The 1st prize will be Kshs.100,000
- The 2nd prize will be Kshs.50,000
- The 3rd prize will be Kshs.25,000
Eligibility
- Open to new and existing writers from the African Continent.
- The Prize will be awarded for the best unpublished short story either in fiction or creative non-fiction.
- Entrants must be born in or are citizens of any African country.
- One entry per writer.
Submission Guidelines
- Manuscripts should be of between 3000 and 5000 words.
- All entries must be in English.
- Entries should be attached in Microsoft Word or Rich Text format, with the title of the story as the file name.
- The first page of the story should include the title of the story and the number of words.
- The entry must be typed in Times New Roman 12 point font with 1.5 line spacing.
- Entries must be sent as attachments to an email.
- The email to which the story is attached must include the legal name of the writer, telephone number, a short Bio, age, and country of residence.
- Entrants agree that the prize organizers may publicize the fact that a story has been entered, long listed, shortlisted or won the prize.
- An author of a long listed story agrees to its inclusion in the anthology, and to work with editors to get the story ready for publication.
- The long listing of a story is not a guarantee that the story shall be included in the anthology.
- The winners, first and second runners-up in the past Kendeka Prize, are not eligible.
- Every author confirms that the submission is their original work, it has not been published anywhere else, and that it has not been long listed in this prize or in any other prize.
- The entrant gives exclusive global print and digital rights to Solano Publications Ltd for the long listed stories for publication in an anthology. The author retains the copyright.
- The judges’ decision is final.
Application
Kendeka Prize for African Literature is accepting entries from February 1, 2023 to May 15, 2023 for its 2023 edition. The entry is free.
Entries can be sent to [email protected].
For more information, visit Kendeka Prize for African Literature.
