OPPORTUNITY: Call for Submissions to Africa39 Project
Exciting news for African writers! Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina is looking for 120 of the most promising fiction authors under the age of 40 of African origin to be a part of the Africa39 Project. Part of the series of events and programmes celebrating Port Harcourt's selection as UNESCO World Book Capital for 2014, the Africa39 Project aims to "discover adventurous young Africans who will redefine our literary ecosystem in the future. The project will name 39 of the most promising African writers of fiction under the age of 40 in April 2014. Notably, Wainaina is looking to create a longlist that is at least 50% female, as well as one which provides for writers writing anonymously for safety reason and those who compose in Braille. Writers of all genres of prose fiction are encouraged to apply. This fantastic initiative's longlist is due this Saturday (December 15, 2013), so hurry to get your submission in! More details below:
Rules for Applicants
Writers may apply on their own behalf
Agents and publishers can apply on behalf of writers in their stable.
Writers must be under 40 years of age (born after January 1st, 1974).
Writers must have published at least one work of fiction.
By “published” we mean that you should have published a piece of fiction in print (including self-published) or on-line (including blogs). The piece you submit for the Africa39 project, however, need not have already been published; it may be a new piece.
We are keen to promote writers who show promise.
The judges’ decision is final and they will not enter into any correspondence with entrants regarding their decisions.
This prize is open only to African writers.
By African writer we mean that you are a resident of; or were born in one of the countries listed below. By African writers, we also mean that any writer who has one or more parents from any of these countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Réunion, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Saint Helena, São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Writers from the Diaspora(s) of any one or more of the countries listed above are encouraged to apply.
The author must provide the following essential information on the cover page:
full name, date of birth, country of origin.
contact details: e-mail, telephone number (including country-code), twitter handle.
a 200 word biography.
a short bibliography of your published literary work.
The author must also attach:
a scanned copy of the biographical page from one of the following: your passport, your official national identification card,or your driver’s licence.
a square author photograph in .png format minimum of 180x180 pixels.
The deadline for ALL submissions is midnight (East African Time/GMT+3) Dec 10th, 2013.
ALL applicant submissions should be made VIA EMAIL ONLY TO: africa39project@gmail.com.
All questions should be directed ONLY to this email address: africa39project@gmail.com or on Twitter @africa39list
Find further information on the Africa39 Project website or in this Google Doc. Good luck! H/T: Africa in Words
