AKO Caine Prize for African Writingis presently open for applications. The program is a literature prize granted to an African writer of a short story published in English. The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is a registered charity whose goal is to bring African writing to a broader audience using our annual literary grant. Furthermore to administering the Prize, they work to connect readers with African writers through a sequence of public occasions, along with helping developing writers in Africa to go into the world of mainstream publishing through the yearly Caine Prize writers’ workshop which occurs in a different African country every year.
The stories created by writers at Caine Prize workshops are published yearly together with the Prize’s nominated stories in the yearly Caine Prize Anthology by New Internationalist in the UK and publishers in 8 African nations as well as, 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 titled after the late Sir Michael Caine, past Chairman of Booker plc, who was Chairman of the ‘Africa 95’ arts festival in Europe and Africa in 1995 and for almost 25 years Chairman of the Booker Prize management committee. After his death, friends and associates decided to institute a prize of £10,000 to be granted yearly in his memory.
Benefits of AKO Caine Prize for African Writing
- Successful and nominated authors will be asked to partake in writers’ workshops in Africa, London and to another place as resources permit.
- Available is a cash reward of £10,000 for the winning author and a travel award for each of the nominated applicants (up to five in all).
- The nominated applicants will also be given a Prize of £500.
Eligibility for AKO Caine Prize for African Writing
- Unpublished writing is not qualified for the Caine Prize.
- Submissions should be made by publishers only.
- Fictional work alone is qualified.
- Just a story per author will be considered in any one year.
- Submissions should stipulate which African nation the author hails from and the word count.
- They need 6 copies of the work in its originally published form.
- If the writing is published in a book or journal, they would like to obtain at least one copy of the book/journal and five photocopies; but principally where numerous stories are submitted from one anthology they would like if possible to get six copies of the book/journal itself.
- If the writing is published online, they would like to be given six photocopies.
Steps to Apply for AKO Caine Prize for African Writing
There is no application form. For applying forward six original published copies of the work for consideration to the Caine Prize office with a letter from the publisher. The program is a literature prize granted to an African writer of a short story published in English.
- Address and post the eligible submission to:
The Caine Prize for African Writing
51 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1RU
Deadline of AKO Caine Prize for African Writing: The deadline to enter the 2021 Prize is January 31, 2021*.
*Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be alterations to the usual dates and process of submissions, please keep an eye on their website and social media channels for updates.
The program (AKO Caine Prize for African Writing) is a literature prize given to an African writer of a short story published in English. The award was propelled in 2000 to inspire and highlight the richness and diversity of African writing by bringing it to a wider audience globally. The emphasis on the short story reveals the contemporary growth of the African story-telling tradition.
Click here for more details and to apply for AKO Caine Prize for African Writing.