The Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at LSE invites you to participate in the first Black History Month literary competition open to writers and aspiring writers in the UK including students, professionals, and senior citizens.
Entries should be in fiction, creative non-fiction, or poetry allowing you to express your thoughts in engaging ways that show the beauty of your varied experiences.
We invite you to inspire us through your unique narrative looking at the diasporan and other realities in prose or poetry reflecting your lived realities in the UK.
The theme for this year is Roots, Bridges, and Echoes: Reclaiming our Stories. We are looking for stories, reflections for black people, and how we can be nostalgic. Most black communities have their roots in oral traditions and other forms of storytelling.
The idea behind this theme is to marry the experiences of the writers from their places of origin to their current reality, creating spaces and a sense of belonging in the UK while evoking a sense of nostalgia for their roots. It can also be reflections on black experiences by others who have had some connection
with black diaspora communities.
The understanding of this theme is open to the interpretation of the writers and could cover anything from religion and politics to migration and adaptation, challenges of their migrant journey, tales of assimilation, the marriage of cultures in its beauty or sadness, the carriage of community and resilience or just about anything that shows the true spirit of blackness and/or the diaspora.
The important thing is to tell a story and to ensure that this story is personal and heartfelt.
Categories:
1. Fiction (1000 words maximum)
2. Creative Non-Fiction (1000 words maximum)
3. Poetry (40 lines maximum)
Eligibility:
• All narratives must revolve around black experiences in the UK.
• Migrants who identify as black, or people who have lived experiences with/of black diaspora communities are especially invited to apply.
• You can submit your work for up to two categories.
Submission guidelines:
1. Email your submissions as a single Microsoft Word doc attachment (Times New Roman font, 1.15 line spacing, font 12) to [email protected] following this format:
The subject of the e-mail should read your category. For example, ‘BHM Creative Non-Fiction 2023′ for Creative Non-Fiction.
In the body of the email, include YOUR NAME, CITY, TITLE OF YOUR WORK, CATEGORY OF ENTRY, EMAIL ADDRESS, and CONTACT PHONE NUMBER.
2. Your submission must be a never-before-published original work.
3. Submissions will be judged blindly. Don’t include your name anywhere in the attached document – just in the body (refer to Number 1).
4. Participants can send in entries in a minimum of 1 and maximum of 2 categories.
5. Selected entries might be published online and/or in print in an anthology. By entering, you grant us the honor of publishing your work online or in print.
6. The judge’s decision is final.
Prizes:
We will send electronic certificates of achievement to the winners and have the works of the longlisted/shortlisted writers featured in an anthology. In addition, we will award the winners with bookshop vouchers:
First prize: £150
Second Prize: £100
Third prize: £50
The three finalists will also have an opportunity to have a one-one session with an inspiring literary personality.
Deadline:
October 20th midnight.