The Caine Prize for African Writing 2024

Deadline: March 31, 2024

Competitions

Essay

Location(s)

  • Kenya
  • Nigeria
  • Online
  • South Africa
  • United Kingdom
  • Worldwide

Overview

The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual award for a short story by an African writer, published in English, whether they reside in Africa or elsewhere. The winner is awarded a cash prize of £10,000. Four shortlisted writers will receive £500 each.

Details

The Caine Prize for African Writing is a registered charity whose aim is to bring African writing to a wider audience using our annual literary award. In addition to administering the Prize, we work to connect readers with African writers through a series of public events, as well as helping emerging writers in Africa to enter the world of mainstream publishing through the annual Caine Prize writers’ workshop which takes place in a different African country each year.

The stories written at Caine Prize workshops are published annually alongside the Prize's shortlisted stories in the annual Caine Prize Anthology by New Internationalist in the UK and publishers in eight African countries including, Jacana Media (South Africa), Cassava Republic(Nigeria), Kwani? (Kenya), Sub-Saharan Publishers (Ghana), FEMRITE (Uganda), Gadsen Publishers (Zambia), 'amaBooks (Zimbabwe) and Langaa (Cameroon).

It is named after the late Sir Michael Caine, former Chairman of Booker plc, who was Chairman of the 'Africa 95' arts festival in Europe and Africa in 1995 and for nearly 25 years Chairman of the Booker Prize management committee. After his death, friends and colleagues decided to establish a prize of £10,000 to be awarded annually in his memory.

How do I apply?

There is no application form. To apply please send six original published copies of the work for consideration to the Caine Prize office including a letter from the publisher. 

  • If the work is published in a book or journal, we would like to receive at least one copy of the book / journal and five photocopies; but particularly where several stories are submitted from one anthology we would like if possible to receive six copies of the book / journal itself.

  • If published in a magazine or journal we will accept one original copy plus five photocopies, but would prefer six original copies.

  • If the work is published online, we would like to receive six printed copies.

  • Address and post the eligible submission to:

The Caine Prize for African Writing
51 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1RU

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Eligibility

Candidates should be from:


Description of Ideal Candidate

Eligibility criteria:

  • The story must have been published in the five years preceding the submissions deadline. For 2024 eligibility, the judges will only consider work published between 1st April 2019 and 25th March 2024.

  • Entries must be more than 3,000 words or less than 10,000 words.

  • Entries must be submitted by a publisher. This includes publishers of physical and digital books, literary journals, magazines, and arts oriented websites.

  • Writers must be over 18 years of age at the time of submission.

  • Self-published and unpublished short stories are not eligible.

  • Publishers are encouraged to submit multiple short stories as long as they do not submit more than one story by the same author.

  • Stories may only be entered for consideration for The Caine Prize for African Writing once. Unfortunately, this means that you may not re-submit a story for consideration, even if it was not selected for the shortlist.

  • Genres not eligible for entry include: novels, children’s stories, factual writing, academic essays, plays, poetry, autobiography/biography, and any work that does not constitute a fictional short story.

  • Submissions must specify which African country the author comes from and the short story word count.

  • Publishers are required to upload a ‘publisher’s letter’ with each submission. See below for more information:

    • What should the publisher’s letter include? 

      Publishers are required to provide:  

      • Name of the writer(s).

      • Title of the story or stories being submitted.

      • Word count of each submitted story.

      • The qualifying nationality of the writer(s).

      •  The date of publication of the story or stories. 

      • Confirmation of consent from the writer(s) whose stories are being submitted for the Prize.

  • Each story must be submitted by the publisher via email (submissions@caineprize.com) as a PDF attachment or via a link to the story (if it has been published online).

  • Please ensure ‘The Caine Prize for African Writing Entry for 2024’ appears in the subject matter of your email.

Submissions that do not meet the above criterias will not be eligible for the prize. If you have any questions or query regarding our eligibility criteria, please email: info@caineprize.com we will be happy to assist!


Dates

Deadline: March 31, 2024


Cost/funding for participants

Rewards

  • Money
    • Winner receives a cash prize of £10,000
    • Four shortlisted writers receive a cash prize of £500 each
  • Exposure
    • Opportunity to participate in interviews, panel discussions and readings with a global audience
  • Experience
    • Opportunity to participate in the Prize's various programmes
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