The Evaristo Prize for African Poetry - $1,500 Award
Poetry prize exclusively for African writers who haven't published a full-length collection. $1,500 award for contemporary African poetry excellence.
The Evaristo Prize for African Poetry offers $1,500 to celebrate excellence in contemporary African poetry and encourage new voices from across the continent. This competition is exclusively open to African writers, defined as individuals born in Africa, nationals or residents of an African country, or those with African parentage. Eligible participants must be poets who have not yet published a full-length poetry collection, though self-published works, chapbooks, and pamphlets do not affect eligibility. Submissions must be in English, with translated poems also accepted (translators receive a portion of prize money if their work wins). Each submission must contain exactly 10 poems, with each poem no longer than 40 lines. Poems may have been previously published or won previous awards. The manuscript should be formatted in Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point font, single-spaced, with one poem per page and black ink only. All entries must be submitted via Submittable as a single document without identifying information, named after the first poem's title. The Submittable cover letter should include complete contact details and eligibility information.