African Prizes, Grants, Fellowships, & Magazines to Apply to in 2024

Prizes

Caine Prize for African Writing

Deadline: March 25th.

The prize recognizes the most outstanding previously published short story by an African. Check the guidelines here.

Afritondo Short Story Prize

While we await the opening of a new submission window for the Afritondo Short Story Prize, writers can begin writing or editing their best short stories in the meantime, and get acquainted with the prize’s style by buying their previous anthology here.

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Deadline: October 31st.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is open annually to citizens of any of the Commonwealth nations aged 18 and above. While windows are yet to reopen, writers can learn more about the prize here.

Toyin F. Sanni Foundation Essay Competition

Deadline: March 31st.

Nigerian university students who are struggling to pay their fees are welcome to apply to the TFS Foundation’s Essay Competition. The process is simple. Just by clicking here.

Iskanchi Magazine Prize

Deadline: April 15th.

It rewards African writers with the most unruly, disobedient, irreverent, and wayward writing. Guest judges will select three winners, with the first getting rewarded with the sum of $200, the second $150, and the third $100. Read more about the guidelines to apply here.

Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry

Open call: Sept. 25th.

The prize rewards winners with USD $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion in Senegal. Read our profile of a previous winner here. For more details on how to apply, please click here.

Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry

Open call: Oct. 1st.

Since 2015, African Poetry Book Fund, in partnership with Prairie Schooner, has annually awarded African poets the USD $1,000 Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry. The prize is open to poetry books published during the previous calendar year by an African poet. Eligible applicants can apply by filling in this application form.

Evaristo Prize for African Poetry

Deadline: Nov. 1st.

The former Brunel Prize, renamed after its founder Bernardino Evaristo, annually awards an African poet who has written ten worthy poems. Entries are welcome between October and November. To apply, click here.

UJ Prize for South African Writing

Deadline: Feb 29th.

South African publishers can now send in books published in 2023 to the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Prizes. The Main Prize and the Debut Prize categories come with cash rewards of R75,000 and R35,000, respectively. Apply by filling this form.

Magazines

Lolwe

Upcoming submission windows: 1 – 28 February 2024 for Issue 9, and 1 – 31 August 2024 for Issue 10. Check the submission guidelines here.

Isele Magazine

Isele Magazine seeks essays, fiction, poetry, interviews, visual arts, and book reviews. To submit, check out their guidelines here.

Agbowo

Upcoming submissions windows: March 1 – April 30 for July Issue, Sept. 1 – October 30 for December Issue. Submission guidelines.

Grants

The Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship

Open call: July 1st.

Funds writers to keep them focused on completing their book manuscripts. Interested participants are required to submit a 400 – 1,000-word proposal of the book they intend to write. Learn more about this grant here.

LANDO Grant

In collaboration with the investigative journalist Barry Lando, the de Groot Foundation provides a $7,000 LANDO grant to three writers, and three Writer of Note $1,500 grants. Interested applicants can learn more about the grant here.

Fellowships

The Camargo Fellowship Program

Open call: October 1st.

Open to scholars, thinkers, and artists of all disciplines, the program consists of a 10-week fellowship residency, where fourteen individuals selected by an esteemed panel of scholars and arts professionals come together to learn and to create. Learn more about this residency here.

Black Feminist Collective

Deadline: Feb. 26th.

The Black Feminist Collective is made up of intergenerational Black feminists and womanists who actively support Black liberation in its entirety. Check more about this opportunity here.

SprinNG Writing Fellowship

Deadline: April 15th.

African writers of Nigerian, Ghanaian, South African, and Liberian origin, here’s an opportunity to embark on a six-week fellowship, with a personal mentor and data subscription to guide students through. Only applicants between 18 and 25 can apply here.

The Literary Laddership for Emerging African Authors

Deadline: March 31.

The fellowship, founded by novelist Suyi Davies Okungbowa, aims to support, elevate, and connect emerging fiction authors of Black and/or African descent based primarily on the African continent and writing in English — with $500. Current program advisors include Dhonielle Clayton, Tade Thompson, Makena Onjerika, Kwame Mbalia, Ukamaka Olisakwe, Wale Lawal, and literary agent Alexander Cochran. Submit here.

Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS) Writers’

Deadline: Feb. 1st.

It welcomes young scholars who have shown high levels of exceptionalism and have just rounded their doctoral degree programs. People who can apply include novelists, poets, academics, scientists, playwrights, independent researchers, and journalists. Check here for the application form.