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Rickey Fayne on PEN/Hemingway Award 2026 Longlist
Rickey Fayne’s novel The Devil Three Times is on the longlist for the 2026 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, announced on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel is awarded annually to a full-length novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a full-length book…
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Mahmood Mamdani Launches New Book To Full Houses in Nairobi
Mahmood Mamdani launched his latest book, Slow Poison: Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni, and the Making of the Ugandan State, in Nairobi on January 23 and 24, 2026. The work challenges the simplistic narrative that Uganda’s troubles began solely with Idi Amin. Drawing on five decades of archival research, courtroom testimony, and firsthand interviews, Mamdani argues…
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British Science Fiction Association Awards 2025 Longlists Announced
The longlists for the British Science Fiction Association Awards 2025 were announced on Friday, January 23, 2026. Here are the writers of African descent nominees. The British Science Fiction Association Awards (BSFA) are presented annually by the British Science Fiction Association, based on a vote of members and—in recent years—members of the British national science…
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Tsitsi Dangarembga receives Sharjah Lifetime Achievement in Literature Award 2026
Tsitsi Dangarembga received the Sharjah Lifetime Achievement in Literature Award 2026 in Sharjah, UAE, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The Sharjah Festival of African Literature was hosted in the Emirates for the second time by the Sharjah Book Authority in partnership with the Book Buzz Foundation from January 14 – 18. It was the second…
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Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2026 Longlist Announced
The longlist for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2026 was announced in Swansea, Wales, on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The International Dylan Thomas Prize was established by Swansea University in 2006 to celebrate raw creative talent worldwide was set up in honour of the Welsh poet and writer who became widely popular in his…
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Narrative Landscape Press Acquires Rights to Brian Chikwava’s Shamiso
Narrative Landscape Press has acquired the English-language publishing rights for East and West Africa to Shamiso, the new novel by acclaimed Zimbabwean author Brian Chikwava. Zimbabwean writer Brian Chikwava first rose to international prominence in 2004 when he won the Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story Seventh Street Alchemy. As the first…
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US National Book Critics Circle Awards 2025 Finalists Announced
The US National Book Critics Circle announced its 2025 award finalists on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Here are the writers of African descent who made the cut. Since 1974, the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) has honored the best books published in English in the United States across six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Poetry,…
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iBuyambo Book Festival 2026 starts February 20
The iBuyambo Book Festival 2026, themed “Our Words. Our Work. Our Freedom,” will take place on February 20 – 21, 2026, in Langa, Cape Town, South Africa. It will coincide with International Mother Tongue Day, which is February 21, reinforcing its commitment to linguistic heritage. First held in Langa in December 2023, the iBuyambo Book…
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Jahazi Press Acquires Mahmood Mamdani’s New Essay Collection
Nairobi-based independent publisher Jahazi Press has announced the acquisition of the East African publication rights for Mahmood Mamdani’s latest work, Slow Poison: Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni, and the Making of the Ugandan State. The book, originally published by Harvard University Press’s Belknap Press in October 2025, challenges the simplistic narrative that Uganda’s troubles originated solely…
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Websites of African and Black Writers and Poets
As part of our mission to archive the African and Black literary landscape, we begin the important task of listing writers and poets with professional websites. The new year often brings renewed focus for writers and poets—a determination to submit to more publications, complete manuscripts, and fully embrace their creative titles. A key, yet sometimes…
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Book Digest: Chika Unigwe, Netonon Noel Ndjékéry, Kagiso Lesego Molope, Mordecai O. Ogada
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by Chika Unigwe, Netonon Noel Ndjékéry, Kagiso Lesego Molope, and Mordecai O. Ogada. Grace by Chika Unigwe Publisher: Canongate BooksPublication Date: January 15, 2025Genre: FictionLanguage: English Where to find it: Canongate Books Chika Unigwe Chika Unigwe is Professor of Creative Writing at Georgia College and the author…
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Literary Magazines: Lolwe, PREE, Poda Poda Stories, Doek
New editions of literary magazines Lolwe, PREE, Poda Poda Stories, and Doek are available for your reading pleasure. Lolwe Lolwe is a Pan-African literary arts platform that publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid writing, orature, drama, translation, and visual art. Founded in 2020 by Troy Onyango, the magazine has a focus on amplifying the work by…
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Sharjah Festival of African Literature 2026 Opens Today
The Sharjah Festival of African Literature returns today, January 14, to launch the 2026 African literary calendar. Under the theme “The African Way,” the festival will run until January 18 at University City Hall in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Building on the success of its 2025 inaugural edition—hosted by the Sharjah Book Authority in partnership…
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Literary Festivals and Book Fairs for Africans to look out for in 2026.
Here are the literary festivals and Book Fairs for African writers and bibliophiles on the continent and in the diaspora to look out for in 2026. Today, we give you a list of literary festivals and book fairs you can attend this year. Please note that many dates have not been confirmed this early, but…
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Opportunities for writers and poets for January 2026.
In our ongoing series, we share opportunities for those who wish to submit work in January 2026, whether it be poetry, prose, or other related arts. These callouts are divided into education (MFAs, Fellowships, residencies), opportunity hubs, journals, and prizes. Please do us a favour and mention to whoever you applied to that you got…
