The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) has announced the winners of its Summer 2025 Residency Fellowships, with African writers making a strong impression on the list of winners and finalists.
Among those recognized are:
- Somto Ihezue (Nigerian)
- Chisom Okafor (Nigerian)
Somto Ihezue, a Nigerian writer, editor, and filmmaker, has been awarded the Fellowship for Black and/or Indigenous Writers as well as the Support Grant for Black and/or Indigenous Writers. His works have appeared in leading literary magazines, including Clarkesworld, POETRY Magazine, and Strange Horizons. A Creative Writing MFA student at the University of Maryland, he has received nominations for the British Fantasy Award, the Nommo Awards, and the Pushcart Prize.
Chisom Okafor, also from Nigeria, wins the Support Grant for Black and/or Indigenous Writers. He is the author of Winged Witnesses and All I Know About a Heavy Heart Is How to Carry It. His work has been nominated for the Brunel Prize and the Gerald Kraak Prize, and he has received support from the Commonwealth Foundation. Currently an MFA candidate at the University of Alabama, Okafor’s poetry and prose explore themes of identity, history, and resilience.
Among the finalists for this year’s fellowship is Tolu Daniel, a Nigerian writer known for his nonfiction and fiction works that have appeared in respected literary journals. Also making the list is Ariana Matondo, a Tanzanian-American writer whose work engages with themes of heritage, migration, and the African diaspora.
A nonprofit writers’ residency located at Firefly Farms in Knoxville, Tennessee, The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) offers short-term residencies to writers across various genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and more. These residencies provide artists with dedicated time and space to advance their creative projects in a serene and productive environment. The residencies are hosted on a 45-acre farm, offering a quiet and productive environment for artists to focus on their creative projects.
Congratulations Somto Ihezue, Chisom Okafor, Tolu Daniel and Ariana Matondo on this great win!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
