The Idembeka Creative Writing Workshop is opening for submissions for its 2025 edition from 15th October to 15th November 2024. The workshop which was established in 2022 by Frances Ogamba, Kasimma and Mubanga Kalimamukwento is free to attend for African writers with not more than three publications to their credit. The 2025 edition will hold virtually between 6th and 11th January 2025.
Submission guidelines are as follows:
- For prose (fiction or CNF), word length is 1,000 words max
- For poetry, submission must not exceed 5 pages
- Submission must be made in William Shaun manuscript format
- Submissions should not have the submitters name or any identifying details
- Submissions should include a cover letter and short bio
- Submissions should be sent here
Taken from the Igbo word for pillar and the Bemba word for star, the Idembeka Creative Writing Workshop was established to be a pillar of light for upcoming African writers. Recognizing the challenges faced by writers on the continent, the workshop is aimed at African writers (meaning writers who are African nationals) living anywhere on the continent with three or fewer publications. The workshop is conducted virtually for a week under the guidance of award-winning African authors living all over the world.
Previous fellows include Matshediso Radebe (South Africa) who was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize after attending the workshop; Akal Mohan (Kenya) who went on to be an Editorial Assistant at Ubwali Literary Magazine and has beenpublished in Doek! Literary Magazine; Anna Zgambo (Zambia), Matseliso Motsoane (Lesotho), Ruddy Morfaw (Gambia) who were all published in the second issue of Ubwali Literary Magazine. Anna Zgambo was shortlisted for the inaugural Hope Prize after her Idembeka Fellowship and is the inaugural Ubwali Hope Prize protégé.
Other fellows have gone on to be published in or have work forthcoming in Isele Magazine, Brittle Paper, Omenana, Akwodee, and adda, among others. They have placed on Kikwetu Flash Fiction Contest and the Awele Creative Trust Award. In addition, they work in literary spaces such as Lolwe, where they extend the lessons which Idembeka gave them to the literary community.
Past instructors have included Ukamaka Olisakwe, Tendai Huchu, Uchechukwu Umezurike, and Okey Ndibe. The 2025 edition will definitely be building on previous success and will do the next cohort of fellows a lot of good.
Best of luck to all submitters!
