Call for submissions: Caine Prize | Deadline 31
January 2020
The
Caine Prize for African Writing
We
are delighted to announce that the 2020 Caine Prize for African Writing is open
for submissions. The Caine Prize awards £10, 000 to an African writer for a
short story between 3, 000 – 10, 000 words in length.
There
is a cash prize of £10, 000 for the winning author and a travel award for each
of the shortlisted candidates (up to five in all); the shortlisted candidates
will also receive a prize of £500.
Eligibility
- Unpublished work is not eligible for the Caine Prize.
- Submissions should be made by publishers only.
- Only fictional work is eligible.
- Only one story per author will be considered in any one year.
- Submissions should specify which African country the author comes from and the word count.
- We require 6 copies of the work in its originally published version.
- 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 the work is published online, we would like to receive six photocopies.
Please note that works which do not
conform to the criteria will not be considered for the prize. Please do not
waste your own time and postage by sending in material which is unsuitable.
Works not eligible for entry include stories for children, factual writing,
plays, biography, works shorter than 3000 words and unpublished work. If you
are not sure whether your work is eligible, please email us for advice on
info@caineprize.com
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
51 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1RU
FAQ
When should I apply?
The deadline for the 2019 prize
closes on 31st January 2020.
Can I submit unpublished or
self-published work?
No. Unpublished and self-published
work is not eligible for the Caine Prize and submissions can only be made by
publishers. For practical reasons, unpublished work and work in other languages
is not eligible.
What if my story is published
online?
We are happy to take submissions
from internet magazines, but must insist that we receive six hard copies of
these, as of other submissions. Also it is important that internet entries be
carefully edited: past judges have not viewed favourably entries containing
typos and other errors.
Do you accept e-books or digital
versions of entries?
No. Please print and send us six
hard copies.
What if my story isn’t in English?
Works translated into English from
other languages are not excluded, provided they have been published in
translation, and should such a work win, a proportion of the prize would be
awarded to the translator.
Does my story have to be fictional?
Yes. Only fictional work is
eligible. Works not eligible for entry include stories for children, factual
writing, plays, biography, works shorter than 3000 words and unpublished work.
How long should my story be?
Indicative length is between 3000
and 10,000 words and only short stories are eligible.
What is an ‘African writer’?
‘An African writer’ is taken to mean
someone who was born in Africa, or who is a national of an African country, or
who has a parent who is African by birth or nationality. The Prize is awarded
to a short story by an African writer published in English, whether in Africa
or elsewhere.
Can I submit more than one story?
No. The judges will consider
only one work per writer in any one year. If different publishers enter stories
from the same writer, we will consult the author direct to decide which story
to submit that year.
When is the deadline to apply?
The deadline for the next prize is
31 January 2020 and the award is made in July each year. Works received after
the 31st January will be put forward to the next year’s prize. The short-list
is selected from work originally published in the five years preceding the
submissions deadline and not previously considered for a Caine Prize. In
general it is unwise to delay the submission of entries until shortly before
the deadline: postal and delivery hiccups can easily result in material
arriving too late.
Permissions
The publisher agrees that by
submitting an entry to the Caine Prize that, if the story is shortlisted,
permission to reproduce the story in the annual Caine Prize anthology is given
with the consent of the author.
Travel
Winning and short-listed authors
will be invited to participate in writers’ workshops in Africa, London and
elsewhere as resources permit. There is a cash prize of £10,000 for the winning
author and a travel award for each of the short-listed candidates (up to five
in all). The shortlisted candidates will also receive a Prize of £500. The
winner is also invited to go to three literature festivals in Kenya, South
Africa and Nigeria.
Please note that works which do not
conform to the criteria will not be considered for the prize. If you are not
sure whether your work is eligible, please email us for advice. For further
information, please contact us on info@caineprize.com
Deadline is 31 January 2020
Enquiries about the call
for submissions should be directed to info@caineprize.com,
please always refer to The Caine Prize website for
complete details and information.
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