CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: PRAXIS MAGAZINE FOR ARTS AND LITERATURE

Praxis Magazine is calling for submissions from Artists and Writers all over the world. Categories open for submissions are:

1. Poetry, 
2. Essays on Arts and/or Literature, 
3. Podcast recordings of Spoken Word poetry or Interviews with Artists or Writers, and,
4. Stories/Poems/Essays written in indigenous African languages (accompanied with English translation).

Praxis Magazine is a platform for artists and writers to commune, debate, and progress their craft respectively. We cover literary events across Africa, give voice to emerging writers and artists, and even promote literature in indigenous languages, e.g. Naija Languej. We are equally interested in promoting the podcast culture in Africa which is why we have a podcast feature on our website that is dedicated to Interviews/Discussions on matters concerning Arts and Literature in Africa as well as Spoken Word poetry. We also publish reviews of Books and Films. Articles on any form of art, or introducing any particular artists, are welcome.

Guidelines

1 – All contributions should be original works of Contributors.

2 – Contributors should indicate their names, followed by a biography of not more than 150 words, at the bottom of their submission(s).

3 – Contributors should state where they are writing from (e.g. Lagos or New York)

4 – Contributions should be sent as attachments with genres properly indicated (e.g. Name_Genre).

5 – Submissions should not have been previously published, either online or in print.

Submissions should be sent to editorial@praxismagonline.com. Each contributor can send between three (3) to five (5) entries for each or every category. Submissions are welcomed from June 1st, 2015 through July 31st, 2015. For further enquiries, write to info@praxismagonline.com.

Together we can build a rallying point for arts and literature.

Editorial Team,

Praxis Magazine for Arts and Literature.

www.praxismagonline.com

www.facebook.com/praxismagonline

www.twitter.com/praxismagonline

2015 Morland Writing Scholarships

Scholarships are open to anyone writing in the English language who was born in Africa or both of whose parents were born in Africa.

Grant
Scholars writing fiction will receive a grant of £18,000, paid over the course of twelve months. Scholars writing non-fiction will receive a grant of £27,000, paid over the course of eighteen months.

Scholar’s Undertaking
In return for this Scholars are asked to pay to the MMF 20% of whatever they subsequently receive from what they write during the period of their Scholarship. These funds will be used to support other promising writers. The 20% return obligation should be considered a debt of honour rather than a legally binding obligation.

Qualifications
To qualify for the Scholarship a candidate must submit a piece of published work, or an excerpt from a piece of published work (written in English), of between two and five thousand words to be evaluated by a panel of readers and judges set up by the MMF. The Scholarships will be awarded based on these submissions although the Foundation may also wish to question certain candidates or ask for other work. The work submitted will be judged purely on literary merit. It is not the purpose of the Scholarships to support academic or scientific research, or works of special interest such as religious or political writings. Submissions or proposals of this nature do not qualify

The Judges
Our panel consists of:
Ellah Allfrey, from Zimbabwe, is an independent editor, critic and broadcaster. She was previously Deputy Editor of Granta magazine and has worked at Jonathan Cape, Random House and Penguin. She sits on the board of the Writers’ Centre, Norwich, and is Deputy Chair of the Council of the Caine Prize.

Ms Allfrey is the Chair of the Judges Panel. Olufemi Terry, born in Sierra Leone, was the winner of the 2010 Caine Prize for African Literature with his story, Stick-fighting Days.

Nadifa Mohamed, born in Hargeisa in Somaliland. Her 2009 book Black Mamba Boy won global recognition and was awarded the 2010 Betty Trask Award. She has recently published Orchard of Lost Souls. In 2013 she was named one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists.

Mentoring:
Each of the winners will be offered the opportunity to be mentored by an established author or publisher who will give help when sought on the progress of their book and comments as to how it succeeds in meeting its objectives. Participation in this scheme will be voluntary. It is not the intention of the MMF to act as editor or a publisher. Scholars will need to find their own agents and publishers although it is to be hoped that over the years the award of a Morland Scholarship will come to be recognised as an incubator of talent.

Proposed Work
The candidates should submit a brief description of the work they intend to write (200– 500 words). It should be a new work, not a work in progress. The proposed work must be in English, as must all submissions. Please also tell us in fewer than 300 words something about yourself and your background. Anything in your background suggesting that you have the ability and discipline to write a full-length book will be useful. Proposed works can be on any subject though the judges will show preference to works which relate to Africa. Academic work, medical and scientific research, and works on religious subjects will not be considered for an award.

Fiction or Non-Fiction
The Foundation welcomes both fiction and non-fiction proposals. We are aware that non-fiction Scholars may need extra time for research, so the Foundation caters for a Scholarship period six months longer than for fiction writers. We are happy to grant a few months’ grace before the Scholarship payments start and the 10,000- word monthly requirement goes into effect to permit a non-fiction Scholar, in particular, to do research before he or she starts writing. The Trustees are actively giving consideration to what they might do to promote non-fiction in Africa. We have not yet found the answer. Thoughts welcome.

Poetry? Plays? Film-Scripts?
We love them all, but No, neither as submissions of completed work nor as proposals for books.

Scholarship Requirement
The only condition imposed on the Scholars during the year of their Scholarship is that they must write. They will be asked to submit by e-mail at least 10,000 new words every month until they have finished their book. The Scholarship will terminate if a Scholar fails to submit the required work on time unless prior authorisation has been received. The Scholarship is intended for writers who want to write a full-length book of 80,000 words or more. If the first draft of the book is completed before the year is up, payments will continue while the Scholar edits and refines their work.

Important Dates
The opening date for submissions is 15th June 2015 and the closing date will be 31st October 2015. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to supply further details of the proposed work and to clarify their plans for the scholarship year. The Scholarships will be announced in December 2015 and will run for the whole of calendar 2016. The Trustees reserve the right to vary the terms and requirements of the Scholarships at their discretion.

Please go to FAQs about the Morland Writing Scholarships to answer any further questions.

All enquiries and submissions relating to the Morland Scholarships should be directed to MMF@milesmorlandfoundation.com

For more info, click here.

One More Feather to Amu-Nnadi’s Literary Cap by Chux Ohai

                      Chijioke Amu-Nnadi

In December 2015, celebrated poet, Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, emerged winner of the inaugural Glenna Luschei African Book Prize for his collection of poems titled Through the Window of a Sandcastle. Six months later, the book is at the centre of a laudable initiative by the administrators of the prize, the African Poetry Book Fund, to promote and advance the development of poetry on the continent. The APBF, in a letter to the author, which was made available to our correspondent, announced that unspecified copies of the award-winning book would be sent to its poetry libraries in Ghana, Gambia, Uganda, Botswana and Kenya.

An elated Amu-Nnadi, reacting to this in an interview with our correspondent, says, “I feel quite honoured by this gesture. It is the dream of every writer to find as wide an audience as possible. The Glenna Luschei African Book Prize has actually been a great source of exposure for Through the Window of a Sandcastle. So when I was informed that the book will be published and sent to libraries in five African countries, I was overjoyed. Now I see an opportunity to extend the message in this book to other countries in Africa.”

Noting that the development has challenged him to work harder and to improve on the quality of his writing, the poet, whose previous published works have consistently received some kind of recognition or another, continues, “Winning a literary award presents you to the public in a way that you are not allowed to fall below a certain standard anymore. First, it makes you more popular. Second, it gives you a stronger sense of self-worth or an affirmation that what you are writing is worth it, after all. Also, it ensures that the next poem you write becomes even more tasking.”

Also, commenting on the APBF initiative, fellow poets, Maxim Uzoatu and Toni Kan Onwordi, describe it as a positive step in the right direction. While Uzoatu praises the publishers of Amu-Nnadi poetry book for exposing it to such international literary awards, Onwordi says the plan to distribute copies of the book in libraries across five African countries is not just a good development; it also shows that poetry is alive and well in Africa. “Most people have gravitated towards prose because of the prizes. I guess that it is time for poetry to be given some more recognition. People do not also invest their time and effort in it because it does not sell as much as a novel. You cannot turn a poem into a movie,” Onwordi says.

The award-winning poet is currently working on his next collection of poems entitled A Field of Echoes. The book would have been completed and published in 2014, but it was delayed because the perfectionist in him wanted to be sure that the quality of the poems did not fall below global standards. “I kept going back to every poem, every line and to every image to make sure that I do not fall below what I perceived to have attracted this recognition. But then, it is important to know that one does not really write for prizes. I write primarily to express myself and to send a message to my audience,” Amu-Nnadi says.

According to the author, A Field of Echoes is going to be a very big book of poetry that will contain over 200 poems and over 300 pages. All the poems in the book are new and written just after the publication of Through the Window of a Sandcastle.

Published in 2013 by Parresia’s Origami imprint, Through the Window of a Sandcastle was named on the final shortlist for the 2013 Nigeria Prize for Literature. It also won the prestigious Association of Nigerian Authors Prize for Poetry in the same year. Amu-Nnadi’s entry beat others by Senegalese writer, Kadija Sesay and Kobus Moolman of South Africa to clinch the prize.

In a press release published on the APBF website, the winning collection was described as a truly original voice that “creates new metaphors, new spaces of being, and new cartographies of the African soul.” The Glenna Luschei Prize is administered by the African Poetry Book Fund, headquartered at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA. The Fund is run by an Editorial Board chaired by international poet and scholar Kwame Dawes. There is also an Advisory Board comprising Laura Sillerman, Glenna Luschei, Suleiman Adebowale, Elizabeth Alexander and Russel Goings.

Copyright PUNCH.

'Creativity a la Akwa-Ibom' - Posted on 'The Cosmos of World Art and Correlative Cultural Forms' (Facebook Group) By Gboyega Adejumo

'This exquisite piece made from raffia is from Ikot-Ekpene, the Raffia City of Nigeria. '- Gboyega Adejumo

Dancing Cities #2 Ikoyi

Practical Info
Venue: MGA, 13 Manuwa street, off Keffi, S. We Ikoyi
Date: Saturday June 13, 2015
Schedule: Road Walk around Obalende Ikoyi axi 9 am to 12 noon SHOW PROPER 4 pm to 8pm

RSVP:
the QDanceCenter
194, Herbert Macaulay Str. Adekunle
Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
info@qdancecenter.com
www.qdancecenter.com
+234 812 023 53362

JA 04: The Language Issue

Jalada is pleased to announce a call for submissions for its fourth anthology. The anthology will be a celebration of language, featuring fiction, poetry, visual art and various essays on the very subject of Language. Writers are asked to submit original works written in their own languages and provide an accompanying English translation. We also ask writers to feel free to treat Language as a theme, where language can be a character, a topic in a story or even incorporate languages other than English as the theme in the story. Writers may also write in English or various Englishes.

Submissions will be received between April 15th and July 15th 2015 and the anthology will be published in September 2015. The specific guidelines for each category are provided below:

Fiction

Each writer may submit up to a maximum of three works of short fiction or excerpts. Each piece should be no more than 5000 words. Translations of original or published pieces are welcome, and these need to be accompanied by a brief abstract in English. Pieces should be formatted as follows: 2.0 spacing, 12 Font Times New Roman.

Poetry

Jalada will accept poems in any language, which if not in English will be accompanied by an English translation. Please send no more than three poems that do not exceed 10 pages. All poems by a single author have to be sent in one attachment, with each poem clearly marked. Pieces should be formatted as follows: 2.0 spacing, 12 Font Times New Roman.

Essays

Jalada welcomes scholarly and critical essays on the subject of Language and or translation. We extend this category to also include travelogue and memoir. All Essays must be in English, and must not extend beyond 7000 words. Pieces should be formatted as follows: 2.0 spacing, 12 Font Times New Roman.

Visual art submissions

Artists should submit 2 copies of any piece of art, for web and for print.

Web:

Resolution: 72-150dpi

min size: 1024×768

format: JPG

Colour space: RGB

Print:

Resolution – 150 – 300 dpi

min size: A5

format: TIFF/PDF

Colour space: CMYK

Each piece of art should include the following information: title of piece, year created (and if the artist feels it necessary, a short contextualising/descriptive text).

This category will also include all submissions that present language in a visual manner, from typographic poems and posters to all other forms of text and display typography.

Note:

1. Submissions will be received between April 15th and July 15th. All accepted submissions will be notified by July 30th.

2. All submissions must be sent to submit@jalada.org

3. Each story has to be sent as a separate Microsoft Word attachment, in the .doc format (no PDFs) and clearly labeled with the story title and the names of the writer and/or translator.

4. Make sure to include the word, “Language” in the subject line of your email.

5. Each submission must contain the title of your piece and word count.

6. Where applicable, the submission must contain both the original piece and the translation.

7. All submissions must be accompanied by a biographical note, written in third person, and no more than 100 words in length.

8. All submissions must be previously unpublished, except for the case of translations where the source text may have appeared elsewhere.

9. Visual artists are welcome to submit their work.

On paying for submissions: Jalada as a writers’collective is still young and relies on the voluntary labor and generosity of its members. As such we are currently unable to pay writers for accepted submissions. However, we are happy to announce prizes in the form of book hampers for the editors’ top picks from the story, poem, essay and visual arts submission categories.

Jalada shall be awarding the following book hampers to the top submission in each category:

Fiction Hamper:

Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor

There Is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan edited by Nyuol Lueth Tong

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

Africa39 edited by Ellah Allfrey

Shadows by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Penumbra by Songeziwe Mahlangu

Poetry Hamper:

Cemetery of Mind by Dambudzo Marechera

The Penguin Book of Modern African Poetry, 5th Ed. edited by Gerald Moore and Ulli Beier

Mad Man at Kilifi by Clifton Gachagua

A Season for All Things by Daola Mabogunje

Turn Thanks by Lorna Goodinson

The Rose that Grew from the Concrete by Tupac Shakur

State of the Nation: Contemporary Zimbabwean Poetry edited by Tinashe Mushakavanhu, John Eppel and David Nettleingham

Non-Fiction Hamper:

The Devil that Danced on the Water by Aminatta Forna

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina

Migritude by Shailja Patel

The True Story of David Munyakei by Billy Kahora

Are We the Turning Point Generation by Chude Jideonwo

There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe

Lost and Found in Johannesburg by Mark Gevisser

Visual Arts Hamper:

24 Nairobi edited by Guillamme Bonn and Nick Ysenburg (accompanied by an animated film narrative by Jimmy Chuchu)

Kenya Burning edited by Billy Kahora

Copyright: All rights remain with the writer. Individual Jalada Anthologies are all licensed under the Creative Commons (share-alike, non-commercial) licence.

Please write to letters@jalada.org if you require more information.

Wole Soyinka for Oxford Professor of Poetry

Writers at War Over 2015 ANA Presidency

JUNE 2, 2015: CHUX OHAI

                      Abdullahi; Dzukogi

Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Denja Abdullahi, and former General Secretary, Baba Dzukogi, are currently at loggerheads over who should be the next President in October, CHUX OHAI writes.

Ever since they joined the Association of Nigerian Authors, Denja Abdullahi and his friend, Baba Dzukogi, worked closely together to achieve common goals. Over the years, their alliance became so formidable and influential that they were, sometimes, described as members of a secret mafia operating within the writers’ body.

Unfortunately, the bond shared by these two active members of ANA seems to be severely threatened by their failure to agree on who should be at the helms of the affairs of the association, come October, 2015.

The first sign of a crack in their relationship appeared on Facebook a few days ago. Dzukogi posted a message on his Facebook wall that was obviously intended to cast aspersions at Denja Abdullahi’s ambition to become the president of ANA.

The post reads, “2015 ANA Presidency is a contest between a formidable force and a common force. It is between bakers of ideas and consumers. The edge we have over them is that we think out ideas and put life into them for the benefit of others. We hardly wait to latch on to what others have developed to become functional. So, we are both thinkers and doers.”

Both writers confirmed to our correspondent, in separate telephone interviews, that they were planning to run for the same position. “Denja has been telling other people that I want to block his chance of becoming ANA President. Let both of us contest for the post and let the best man win,” Dzukogi, who spoke first, said.

He denied ever having a gentleman’s agreement with Abdullahi. “Where and when did that happen? I never had an agreement with him,” he insisted. Dzukogi, who is a past general secretary of the association, went on to accuse Abdullahi of holding a secret meeting with some members of ANA during the last annual international conference of the association held at the University of Ibadan and forming a shadow cabinet without informing him about it.

He said, “Denja did not invite me to that meeting and not one of those who attended it told me anything about what they discussed. Yet, when I complained and went ahead to announce that I would contest, they lied that no positions were distributed at the meeting.”

In spite of the denials, he alleged that Abdullahi gave positions to Callistus Ukah of the Imo State chapter of ANA and the current publicity secretary of the association, Richard Ali, as well as a few others, without consulting him.

“They knew I was a longstanding associate of Denja Abdullahi and a member of their group. Even if I was not going to contest for the post of president, shouldn’t they have had the courtesy to let me know they were going to make that move? I think Denja decided to cut me off because I told him that I was not going to run for the position of general secretary for the second time,” Dzukogi added.

Although he was aware that other members of the association were worried about the development, Dzukogi saw nothing wrong with vying for the same position with his erstwhile ally.

“Why are people trying to complicate this issue? Didn’t Tambuwal and his in-law contest in an election? One of them won and the other accepted defeat. This is democracy and everyone is free to contest any election. I don’t have a problem with this,” he said.

On the other hand, Abdullahi, who sounded quite bitter, described Dzukogi’s decision to contest against him as a breach of trust.

“Everybody in the North knows that I am the person running for the position of ANA president. Dzukogi’s entrance is just an afterthought. Before now, we had been talking as friends and both of us agreed that he would be the next vice president of the association. He just wants to see if he can turn the applecart,” he said.

However, Abdullahi boasted that he was the best candidate for the position, having served as general secretary of the writers’ body for four years before he was elected vice president three years ago.

He noted that, in spite of the fact that many members of the association who allegedly disapproved of Dzukogi’s ambition had asked him to back off, the latter had refused to do so.

Ruling out any significant support for his opponent from writers in the northern and southern parts of the country, Abdullahi said, “Quite frankly, I do not see Dzukogi getting any support from any person other than his small circle of friends in Niger State.”

Ahead of the election, which is scheduled to hold in October, Dzukogi told our correspondent that he had chosen to run with a female member of ANA, Dr. Ngozi Chuma and the current general secretary, Tanko Okoduwa.

Copyright PUNCH.

Epiphanies: New Poems by Jumoke Verissimo

Jumoke Verissimo was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Her first book, I am memory won the AWF/Carlos Idizia Ahmad first book Prize for Poetry 2009, Second Prize, AWF/Anthony Agbo Prize for Poetry 2009 and an Honourable Mention in the Association of Nigerian Authors (Poetry) Prize. She has a Masters in African Studies from the University of Ibadan and a BA Literature-in-English from the Lagos State University. She is a recipient of the Chinua Achebe Centre Fellowship. The Birth of Illusion, her second book, will soon be out. 

Epiphanies is published in anticipation of her second collection of poems, The Birth of Illusion, and as the third in Saraba Magazine’s individual poetry chapbook series. It includes thirteen poems, a postscript by Emmanuel Iduma, and photographs by Logor Oluwamuyiwa Adeyemi from the Monochrome Lagos Project.

Download Epiphanies free here

Selected Participants: 2015 Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop; June 3, 2015 by Farafina Books

The following applicants have been selected to participate in the 2015 Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop:
1. NERISSA ANIDI
2. ADAEZE EZENWA
3. SHIELA CHUKWULOZIE
4. EDWIN MADU
5. ELOGHOSA OSUNDE
6. TEMITOPE OWOLABI
7. EMILOMO NWAFOR-OHIWEREI
8. JOHN KARANJA NZISA
9. AYODEJI ROTINWA
10. DORIS ANIUNOH
11. ENAJITE EFEMUAYE
12. NARO OMO-OSAGIE
13. PHIDELIA IMIEGHA
14. JILL MNENA ACHINEKU
15. NIYI ADEMORATI
16. AMARA NICOLE OKOLO
17. OLORUNFEMI OWOYEMI
18. ISAAC OTIDI AMUKE
19. MODE ADERINOKUN
20. OLUTIMEHIN ADEGBEYE
21. AKWAEKE EMEZI
22. FESTUS OKUBOR
23. BADE AYOADE
24. ABIODUN NKWOCHA
25. FAREEDA ABDULKARIM
The workshop will run from June 16 to June 26, at the end of which there will be a Literary Evening open to the public.
Congratulations to the selected participants!
Source:farafinabooks

The Writivism Festival 2015

The Writivism Festival 2015 is scheduled to hold at Makerere University and the National Theatre in Kampala, Uganda from 17th to 21st June 2015. It is part of the annual Writivism cycle that includes workshops, mentoring, publishing, a short story prize and a school programme. As usual, the festival will be hosting some great personalities in the creative industry. Some of them are Mukoma wa Ngugi, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Mehul Gohil, Onyeka Nwelue, Shedrack Chikoti, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Karen Mukwasi and Timothy Kalyegira.

There will also be several book launches; A Nation In Labour by Harriet Anena is already confirmed. Kampalans and all literary entrepreneurs from all parts of Africa and beyond are advised not to miss various opportunities the Writivism Festival presents.

Apply: British Council Nigeria Creative Hustle Competition 2015- Trip to UK

Deadline: June 22, 2015

Starting June 2nd, 2015, the British Council will accept entries from youths for its #MyCreativeHustle Competition. Your creative hustle should be related to any of the following sectors:

• Built/Natural Environment including -
• Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Design and Planning.
• Visual and Creative Arts – Film, Fashion,
• Music, Animation; Visual Arts.
• Business & Management for the Creative
• Industries including marketing and advertising; media and publicity.

Eligibility

This is open to creative Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 30 who are interested in or pursuing a career in the creative industries.

Award

• Finalists will be invited to meet with a panel of professionals from the Nigerian Creative industries sector and UK institution academics for a mentoring session in July. 
• The Winner gets a chance to travel to the UK for a trade/industry programme related to their sector. (E.g an Architect gets to attend the London festival of Architecture or a Fashion Designer gets to attend London Fashion week).

Submission Requirements

• Submit an original 30 sec video that ends with the line ……that’s my Creative Hustle.
• The Video can cover any aspect of your work and include images, text and music.
• The video must show you engaged in your preferred sector describing how you intend to make this hustle a profitable business.
• Videos must be no longer than 30 seconds
• Videos can be submitted in common digital video formats shot on digital cameras including video shot on smart phones, but must be of high resolution.
• The British Council’s decision on the winning entry will be final.

How to Enter

Upload your video on twitter with the Hashtag #MyCreativeHustle and copy @ngbritisharts.

For more information visit here

Saraba Launches Latest Publications

Ikoyi, Lagos, 6th June — Saraba Literary Trust launches its latest publications at the Zac chess Onumba Dibiaezue Memorial Libraries (ZODML) at 19B Awolowo Road. The event runs from 3­5pm and will feature readings and photographs. Victor Ehikhamenor and Jumoke Verissimo headline the event and will read from their contributions to the Displacement ​ Issue​  of Saraba Magazine. 

Jumoke Verissimo’s poetry chapbook will be launched on the day. Verissimo is a leading Nigerian poet whose first collection of poetry, ​ I am memory, won the AWF/Carlos Idizia Ahmad first book Prize for Poetry 2009, the Second Prize, AWF/Anthony Agbo Prize for Poetry 2009 and an Honourable Mention in the Association of Nigerian Authors (Poetry) Prize. She is a recipient of the Chinua Achebe Centre Fellowship. 

Contributors to the Survival issue will read from their work; among them 'Yinka Elujoba, Damilola Yakubu, and Salamatu Okorejior. The photographs of Logor' Muyiwa Adeyemi will be projected as well. Finally, there will be a Q & A session with the editors of Saraba Magazine in attendance.