Writers from East Africa and anywhere in the world who write in Kiswahili (Swahili) are encouraged to submit their manuscripts and participate in the competition. Once again, female writers are especially encouraged to come forward and participate in large numbers.

Those wishing to participate in this year’s competition are encouraged to submit manuscripts that have not been published in any form in the categories of novel, poetry, short story collection, drama, biography, and graphic novels. Published books will not be considered.

Total prizes of $15,000 will be awarded as follows: the first-place winner in the novel and poetry categories will each receive $5,000; and the second-place winners in the novel or poetry categories, or any other category, will receive $2,500 each.

The winning manuscripts will be published by Mkuki na Nyota Publishers (Tanzania), which may collaborate with other publishers to facilitate the availability of the winning books. The poetry manuscripts that win will be translated into English and published by the Africa Poetry Book Fund.

The award ceremony for the 2024 winners will take place in July 2025, and all shortlisted authors will attend.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.