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Applications are open for the Afritondo Short Story Prize Africa 2025. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
Opportunity Details
The Afritondo seeks stories that offer creative interpretations of the theme. They like stories that surprise them, that take risks with imagination and language. A good story for their prize will offer unique insight into the theme and explore characters in refreshing and imaginative ways.
This year, they want writers to respond to the theme of "masks": spiritual, psychological, social, and cultural coverings that people wear.
In some African cultures, masks are worn only by a particular group of people. Around the world, though, everyday people wear them. Who wears masks, and how are they used to organise and make sense of social life? What psychological and cultural benefits/pitfalls are associated with mask-wearing? What types of masks do people wear? Why do people wear masks? And how do masks bridge the gap between the known and the unknown, the visible and the invisible, the ordinary and the supernatural?
Submissions must be made within the stated deadline. Any submission after the deadline will be disregarded.
Submissions must be in English.
Submissions must reflect the theme.
Only one submission per writer is allowed.
The submission, including the title, must be between 3000 and 5000 words.
The submission should be in Microsoft Word (doc, docx) and in the following format:
•Double-spaced, Times New Roman or Calibri font, 12-point size.
•The title of the story should appear at the top of the first page, followed by the word count. No further information is required.
• Every page must be numbered.
The author’s name or detail must not be included anywhere on the document to be uploaded. The document must contain only the title, word count, and story. All entries are judged anonymously.
Submission is accepted only via email. Entries should be sent to [email protected]. The subject of the submission should read: Submission for Afritondo Short Story Prize 2025. The filename of the entry (i.e. the attached document) must be the title of the short story. In the body of the form, tell us briefly about yourself, including such information as your legal name, country of residence, age (optional), and contact details.
Entries must not have been previously published or shortlisted for another prize. Also, entries published or shortlisted during the judging or publishing process will be disqualified.
Entrants agree as a condition of entry that the prize organisers may publicise the fact that a story has been entered, longlisted, or shortlisted for the prize.
Where a story has been longlisted, it can no longer be withdrawn from the competition.
By submitting an entry, the author agrees to its inclusion in an anthology should the judges select it and to work with editors to get the story ready for publication.
By submitting an entry, the author attests that it is their original work and grants exclusive global print and digital rights to Afritondo Press Ltd should the entry be longlisted or selected for publication in the anthology. The copyright remains with the author.
The decisions of the judges in relation to the winning entries are final and not subject to appeal.
Longlisted and shortlisted writers will be expected to submit their pictures and other information necessary for publicising the prize on social and other media.
The winner will be expected to take part in publicity activities, including social media, where possible.
Apply for Afritondo Short Story Prize Africa