Submission Guidelines

Rules of Submission

Everything you need to know before submitting your manuscript to the Safal Kiswahili Prize for African Literature.

01

How to Submit Getting Started

  • Send unpublished manuscripts in Kiswahili (fiction, poetry, collections of short stories, memoir, or graphic novels) to kiswahiliprize@kiswahiliprize.org
  • Only one entry per writer may be submitted each year
  • Previous winners are not eligible for 12 months after their win
02

Manuscript Requirements Word Counts

  • Fiction: between 40,000 – 60,000 words
  • Poetry: manuscripts must have not less than 60 pages
  • Short story collections: not less than 40,000 words (each individual story between 1,000 and 6,000 words)
  • All entries must be written in Kiswahili
Accepted genres include fiction, poetry, collections of short stories, memoir, and graphic novels.
03

Formatting Standards Document Setup

  • Font: Times New Roman, 12 point
  • Line spacing: 1.5
  • File format: Microsoft Word (.doc / .docx) or PDF
  • File name: must be the title of the story
  • The first page must include the title of the story and the total word count
04

Submission Details Required Info

  • Send your manuscript as an email attachment to kiswahiliprize@kiswahiliprize.org
  • The email included with the submission must contain the following information:
Required in your email: Legal Name, Pen Name, Telephone Number, Short Bio, Age, and Country of Residence.

Ready to Submit?

Ensure your manuscript meets all the requirements above, then send it to us via email.

Email Your Submission