SAFAL-CORNELL KISWAHILI PRIZE FOR AFRICAN LITERATURE: 2022
Call for Submissions
We are pleased to announce the call for submissions for the 7th edition of The Safal Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature. The prize, founded in 2014 by Dr. Lizzy Attree (Short Story Day Africa) and Dr. Mukoma Wa Ngugi (Cornell University), has the express goal of recognizing writing in African languages and encouraging translation from, between and into African languages. For the first time, the prize name has changed to reflect the parent organization of our main sponsors – The Safal Group Limited. From this 7th Edition, the prize will bear the name, Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature.
Award Criteria: The prize will be awarded to unpublished manuscripts across the categories of fiction, poetry and memoir, and graphic novels. From this year onwards, we will not consider previously published books. The total proposed awards of 15,000 US dollars will be divided as follows:
1st Fiction/Non-Fiction Prize 5,000 US dollars;
1st Poetry Prize, 5,000 US dollars
Runner-up Prize 2,500 US dollars in any genre
Runner-up Prize 2,500 US dollars in any genre
The winning entries will be considered for publication in Kiswahili by Mkuki na Nyota Publishers (Tanzania), who will then work with other regional publishers and book distributors to ensure maximum reach for the winning books. The winning poetry will be translated to English and published by the Africa Poetry Book Fund. An award ceremony will be held in East Africa with all the shortlisted writers in attendance.
Submission Guidelines:
Please send unpublished manuscripts (fiction, poetry, collections of short stories, and memoir, or graphic novels) to, kiswahiliprize@cornell.edu from April 5, 2022. Submissions close on June 30, 2022. For more information, please visit https://kiswahiliprize.cornell.edu our Kiswahili and English bilingual website.
Only one entry per writer per category may be submitted each year. Previous winners are not eligible for 2 years.
- Manuscripts should not be less than 50,000 words for fiction and 60 pages for poetry
- All entries must be in Kiswahili
- Entries should be attached in Microsoft Word or Rich Text format, with the title of the story as the file name
- The first page of the story should include the name of the story and the number of words
- The entry must be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font with 1.5 line spacing
- Send submissions as attachments
- The email included with the submission attachment should include the following information: Legal Name, Pen Name, Telephone Number, Short Bio, Age, and Country of Residence
- The subject line must include the words Kiswahili Prize 2022.
Notes to Editors
The Prize is primarily supported by Mabati Rolling Mills of Kenya (a subsidiary of the Safal Group), The Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs at Cornell University, the Africana Studies Center at Cornell University, the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies at Cornell University and the Ngugi wa Thiong’o Foundation.
Safal Investments Mauritius Ltd. and its subsidiaries (which include Mabati Rolling Mills Ltd of Kenya and ALAF Limited in Tanzania) are collectively known as The Safal Group.
The Safal Group is the largest producer of Steel Roofing on the African continent with 36 operations in 12 countries. www.safalgroup.com
Mabati Rolling Mills Ltd (MRM) is the largest producer of steel roofing in Kenya. Established more than 50 years ago, the company is a leading innovator in its field. MRM led Africa in the manufacture of coated steel using the most advanced corrosion protection technology available worldwide, and its roofing brands are household names which are known and trusted by millions of consumers. www.mabati.com
The Safal MRM Foundation, based in Kenya, is a philanthropic enterprise of Mabati Rolling Mills and the Safal Group. It founded, and continues to fully manage, both the Mabati Technical Training Institute, and the Mabati Medical Centre, both in Mariakani, Kenya. safalmrmfoundation.org
ALAF Limited (ALAF) is Tanzania’s leading steel roofing manufacturer. Established in 1960, ALAF has always, and continues to be, a key player in the development of the country’s construction sector. ALAF is a fully integrated operation, not only making steel roofing, but also producing the metal coated coils used by these roofing operations. ALAF manufactures metal tubing and piping for various applications. alaf.co.tz
The Africana Studies and Research Center enriches the academic, cultural, and social environments on the Cornell University Ithaca campus. Website: http://www.asrc.cornell.edu
Mkuki na Nyota Publishers is an independent, vibrant Tanzanian imprint publishing relevant, progressive, liberating, affordable and entertaining content. Established in 1991, Mkuki na Nyota Publishers emerged in response to the general absence of high quality, independent publishing in Tanzania. Its mission statement is to publish, “Relevant Books, Affordable Books, and Beautiful Books.” They have successfully published 2017 poetry winner Dotto Rangimoto’s Mwanangu Rudi Nyumbani (December 2018) and Ali Hilal Ali’s novel Mmeza Fupa (January 2019). http://www.mkukinanyota.com
The Africa Poetry Fund promotes and advances the development and publication of the poetic arts through its book series, contests, workshops, and seminars and through its collaborations with publishers, festivals, booking agents, colleges, universities, conferences and all other entities that share an interest in the poetic arts of Africa. Website: http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/
Ngugi Wa Thiong’o Foundation is powered by the interest and passion to raise the visibility of African Languages in Kenya, Africa and the world, as vehicles for performance, creativity, innovations, and scholarship. It sees African languages as the new intellectual frontier in everything from culture, biological sciences, technology and medicine. http://ngugiwathiongofoundation.org
Board of Trustees: Abdilatif Abdalla (Chair), Mukoma Wa Ngugi, Lizzy Attree, Walter Bgoya, Henry Chakava, Chege Githiora, Clarissa Vierke, Farouk Topan, Carole Boyce Davies, and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o.
Director: Moses Kilolo
- Director: Munyao Kilolo.
- The website is: https://kiswahiliprize.cornell.edu/
- Twitter handle: @KiswahiliPrize
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mabati-Cornell-Kiswahili-Prize-for-African-Literature/1534905843433822
