Africa Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) welcomes prose writers of African and Caribbean descent to participate in The CANEX Book Factory Creative Writing Workshop. CANEX is delighted to collaborate with the James and Grace Adichie Foundation and Narrative Landscape Press Limited to provide this workshop that is dedicated to the art of prose.
As part of the larger CANEX Book Factory initiative which is dedicated to highlighting the book value chain in Africa, the workshop will support and develop literary talent within Africa and its diaspora.
The workshop will unfold over ten days this summer at a tranquil seaside resort in Aburi, Ghana, offering an idyllic setting for writers to gather and grow. Travel and accommodation will be provided by CANEX, and participants will enjoy a taste of local cuisine. All of these will allow them to fully immerse themselves in their craft during the workshop.
Speakers of all six official languages of the African Union — Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Kiswahili — can apply to attend as comprehensive translation services will be provided to all attendees.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, globally acclaimed author, will lead a team of writers who will facilitate the workshop, alongside legal and business professionals who will provide valuable insights into the legal and commercial aspects of the writing profession. Workshop participants will have the chance to contribute to an anthology of writing that will be published after the workshop.
Submissions
Interested writers should submit a 250–500-word prose sample and evidence of nationality (national ID card or travel passport data page) of an eligible country. Submissions will be collected through an online form available on the canex.africa website: https://canex.africa/canex-writing-workshop. To be eligible to apply, the candidates must be from an African Union member country or territory, and a citizen of a member country of CARICOM.
Submission Window: The submission window for The CANEX Book Factory Creative Writing Workshop will be open from 15–30 June 2024.
The CANEX Book Factory is an annual programme of events of the Creative Africa Nexus initiative of African Export – Import Bank (Afreximbank) that is designed to spotlight and elevate the African book value chain through the publishing prize, a Pan-African writing workshop, and an e-newsletter highlighting African literature. This year’s program will culminate in an Award Ceremony at the CANEX WKND in Algiers, Algeria, between 16-19 October, 2024.