Name: The Quramo Writers’ Prize
Category: Prose
Word count: A manuscript of at least 30,000 word count
Entry fee: Free
Prize: ₦1,000,000 and a development publishing deal
Closing date: April 30, 2021
Are you an African writer? Do you have manuscripts ready for publication? It is time to begin your journey to becoming a published author. Quramo Publishing Ltd. (QPL) is officially accepting entries for the 5th edition of its annual Quramo Writers’ Prize (QWP).
Created in 2017 as an avenue for fresh writers to showcase their manuscripts to the global literary community, and contribute their works to the canonization of Africa literature, the Quramo Writers’ Prize celebrates unpublished writers who are working every day to hone their craft and record our continent’s original stories. The prize aims to encourage and stimulate a new community of talented writers, providing an opportunity for otherwise unexposed talent to achieve publishing recognition and encouragement.
Currently, in its fifth year, the prize which was first won by Samuel Monye for Give Us Each Day, has gone on to produce amazing writers with equally brilliant debut novels across the continent.
Submissions will close on 30 April 2021. All submissions should be done online through the Quramo website, and must be an MS Word document formatted in Garamond font size 12, 1.5 line spacing, and left justified.
The winner of the Quramo Writers’ Prize will receive a remuneration of 1 million Naira and a development publishing deal for their manuscript.
Submission guidelines:
- The Quramo Writers’ Prize is open to Africans living within and outside the continent
- The manuscript must be the original, unpublished work of the entrant. Published work is not eligible for the prize.
- Manuscripts must be at least 30,000 words. All entries outside this requirement are liable for disqualification.
- All entrants must be legal adults (18 years and above). Children are not eligible for the prize.
- All entries must be submitted electronically to the Quramo website in the following format:
- Garamond font size 12
- MS Word document
- Page numbers on each page
- Left justified with 1.5 spacing
- All submissions must be sent in with the following information:
- A one-page synopsis
- A short biography of the author written in third person (100 words max.)
- Social media usernames (Twitter, Instagram & Facebook). This is mandatory.
- Full (legal) name
- Physical address
- Email address
- Phone number
- Manuscripts submitted to the QWP must not have been entered into any other competitions in the past or running concurrently. Prior entries for the inaugural QWP are also ineligible.
- Identifying information (name, address, etc) should not be included on the pages of the manuscript.
- All longlisted entrants must be available to participate in a publicity campaign from the date of announcement of the longlist leading up to the unveiling of the winner of the prize.
- Entries which do not comply with the competition rules will be disqualified.
- The winner of the competition shall be eligible to receive a sum of ₦1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) and a development publishing agreement with Quramo Publishing Limited.
- Quramo Publishing shall have the right of first refusal for the second book by the winner of the prize
- The winner undertakes to participate and work with editors at Quramo Publishing at every material time for the development and publication of the manuscript, upon execution of the development publishing agreement.
- The winner undertakes to commit fully to the promotion and publication of the book upon publication.
- Quramo reserves the right to refuse to award the prize should it come to a decision that none of the manuscripts submitted is worthy of winning the prize.
To submit your short stories, visit this link: Quramo Writers’ Prize
Find other writing contests here
