The project will support emerging Nigerian writers in the craft of creative writing as a critical tool to explore the present social realities and imagine the future that would help to advance a more democratic, peaceful, gender-equitable and socially just Northern Nigeria.
Successful applicants will be invited to a five-day workshop and mentorship programme in Abuja, which will equally help them explore available options in publishing. It also offers them a vehicle to disseminate new ideas through stories to broad audiences. The workshop will be held between 23 June and 29 June 2024, and participants will receive expert guidance from two NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature winners and more in writing a short story suitable for publication in an anthology of new writing from Northern Nigeria.
Who will cover the cost?
All programme-related travel, catering and accommodation costs will be covered by the organisers. There will be no fees charged to participants.
Eligibility:
This pilot edition of the workshop is exclusively for writers from the 19 Northern States of Nigeria domiciled in the country, who must be between the ages of 18 and 35. (We will expand the reach with subsequent editions) They must NOT have published any full-length work of fiction at the time of application / but must provide (where available) a link to previously written fiction pieces even if they were not published on a mainstream platform.
The project expressly aims at ensuring a balanced mix of participants in terms of gender, geography, and identity to represent the diversity of Northern Nigeria. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Eligible applicants are invited to submit the following:
• Full Name, Date of Birth, and State of Origin.
• 100-word bio.
• 100-word motivation statement explaining why this workshop will be important to you.
• 1,000-word prose fiction writing sample (could be an excerpt or short story).
• Copy of valid means of identification: NIN, Driver’s License, Voter’s Card, or other acceptable National IDs.
*All documents must be submitted in a single merged PDF document.
About the organisers:
This initiative is led by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (@Abbakar_himself) and will be co-facilitated by Chika Unigwe(@chikaunigwe) both NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature Laureates, in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Abuja Office.
Please note: the project does not charge any fee in connection with this call for applications.
Application deadline: 01 June 2024
All applications should be submitted to flametreewritersproject@gmail.com
Bongiwe T. Maphosa
Bongiwe Maphosa is a writer whose fiction and poetry offers fresh, imaginative perspectives on the human condition. Her work has been published in prominent literary spaces, including Isele Magazine, Akowdee Magazine, the AVBOB Poetry Anthology, Journal of African Youth in Literature (JAY Lit), and more. She was also nominated for the 2025 Best of the Net Anthology. Bongiwe is one of six writers selected for the inaugural Caine Prize Online Editing program and serves as a content writer, peer reviewer, and tier three awards judge for JAYLit. Bridging inner reflection with speculative worlds, she continues to carve out a distinctive voice within contemporary African literature for a growing global audience.
