Publishers can now submit entries for the prestigious Caine Prize, one of Africa’s leading awards honouring outstanding short fiction by African writers.
The prize continues its mission to spotlight exceptional storytelling from the continent and elevate authors whose work enriches and expands African literature.
Aim
The Caine Prize recognises fictional short stories only, offering a powerful platform that boosts visibility, literary growth, and international opportunities for African writers.
Eligible submissions must be previously published works, reinforcing the prize’s commitment to celebrating writing that has already resonated with readers and demonstrated creative excellence.
Programme benefits
Shortlisted authors will engage in a range of readings, interviews, panel discussions and festival appearances—held either virtually or in person.
Who can apply
This is a publisher-submitted award; writers cannot apply directly.
Eligible submitters include publishers of:
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Physical or digital books
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Literary journals
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Magazines
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Arts-focused websites
Writers must be African—either nationals of an African country or individuals with at least one parent of African nationality—and must be 18 years or older at submission.
Eligibility criteria
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Story must be fiction (not poetry, essays, plays or biography).
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Author must be African and over 18.
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Publishers must submit on behalf of authors (self-published or unpublished work is not eligible).
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Only one story per author per publisher.
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Word count must be 3,000–10,000 words.
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Story must have been published within five years before 27 February 2026.
Submission guidelines
Submissions must clearly indicate the writer’s African country of origin and the story’s word count.
Digital stories should be submitted as a PDF or as a PDF accompanied by a publication link.
Each story may only be entered once and must not have previously been submitted for the prize.
Deadline
Submissions are due on February 27, 2026. Visit the Caine Prize website for details.
Discover more global literary awards on our Opportunities page.
Summary not available at this time.
