The Abebi AfroNonfiction Foundation has announced 10 writers selected for the inaugural Abebi AfroNonfiction Fellowship, a six-week programme supporting African women working in creative nonfiction.
The first cohort includes:
- Akampurira L. Aujo (Uganda)
- Akoth Otieno E. (Kenya)
- Widad Karim (Ghana)
- Reem Abbas (Sudan)
- Michelle Chepchumba K (Kenya)
- Esther Musembi (Kenya)
- Chioma Deborah O. (Nigeria)
- Harjaarh Muhammad B. (Nigeria)
- Maria Justino da Silva. H (Angola)
- Adeyemi Ibukunoluwa D (Nigeria)
The fellows were selected by a jury comprising Ama Asantewa Diaka, Mubanga Kalimamukwento and Gloria Mwaniga Odary.
Over six weeks, the fellows will participate in virtual sessions before the programme culminates in a three-day residency in Lagos, Nigeria. The programme will also feature a public reading and literary symposium, with work from the cohort set to appear in the inaugural Abebi AfroNonfiction Fellowship Anthology.
Founded by Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe, The Abebi AfroNonfiction Foundation supports African women writers through literary awards, masterclasses, writing circles, and continental fellowships. Named after her grandmother, Alhaja Abebi Monsurat Lasaki, the foundation introduced the Abebi AfroNonfiction Fellowship in 2026, a pan-African creative nonfiction fellowship that brings together emerging women writers from across the continent.
Congratulations to the 2026 fellows!
