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 the opportunity from this page, as it greatly helps us. If you have any call-outs, please share them in the comments.
Education (MFAs, Fellowships, Workshops, Residencies).
- Prince Claus Fund offers a Seed Award – Deadline: January 8, 2026
- Kessa Young Panafrican Storytellers Program – Deadline: January 10, 2026
- Oxbelly Fiction writers program – Deadline: January 14, 2026
- OSV Fellowships & Grants 2026 – Deadline: Not indicated
Opportunity hubs
- Chilli Hub
- Community of Literary Magazines and Presses
- The Jakes Gerwel Foundation – Residencies
- The Hive: Opportunities for South African Writers
Literary magazines/journals/anthologies/manuscripts
- Deep Vellum Best Literary Translations 2027 anthology – Deadline: January 9, 2026
- Cosmic Daffodil Journal – Deadline: January 15, 2026
- Echoes of the Earth: Black Voices Reclaiming Ecology and Justice – Deadline: January 18, 2026
- Ubwali Journal – Deadline: January 31, 2026
- JAY Lit Climate Change Themed Issue – Deadline: January 31, 2026
- Ninth Letter – Deadline: February 28, 2026
- Callaloo – Deadline: February 14, 2026
- Toil & Trouble – Deadline: February 14, 2026
- Fahmidan Journal – Deadline: March 14
- Doek Literary Journal – Deadline: March 31
- The Berlin Literary Review (pay to submit) – Deadline: All year round
- Lọ́unlọ́un — Witnessing – Deadline: All year round
- Moko Magazine – Deadline: All year round
- Numen of Story – Deadline: All year round
- The Hummingbird Journal – Deadline: Not indicated.
- The Dodge – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Gone Lawn Journal – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Silly Goose Press – Deadline: Not indicated.
- The Hellebore Press – Deadline: Not indicated.
- underscore magazine – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Journal of the Writers Project of Ghana (health/medicine special issue) – Deadline: Not indicated.
- off assignment – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Republic Journal – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Lolwe – Deadline: All year round
- Nenta Literary Journal (only Ghanaian writers) – Deadline: All year round
- Alkebulan Art – Deadline: All year round
- The Hooghly Review – Deadline: All year round
- Fahmidan Journal – Deadline: All year round
- Africa Migration Report Poetry Anthology Series – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Split The Lip – Deadline: Not indicated.
- WILDNESS. A Literary Journal – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Wensum – Deadline: Not indicated.
- Afro Literary Magazine – Deadline: Not indicated
- Ojuju Magazine – Deadline: Not indicated
- Brittle Paper – Deadline: Not indicated
- Gone Lawn – Deadline: Not indicated
- Decolonial Passage – Deadline: Not indicated
- RIC Journal – Deadline: Not indicated.
- TriQuarterly – Deadline: Not indicated
Publishers
- Mystery Publishers – Deadline: January 15
- Happiness Literary Foundation Creative Writing Program – Deadline: February 6
- Terrapin Books – Deadline: February 28
- Noisy Streetss Publishing – Deadline: March 31
- Fidessa Literary – Deadline: Not indicated
- Modjaji Books – Deadline: Not indicated
- Love Africa Press – Deadline: Not indicated
- Driftwood Press – Deadline: Not indicated
Prizes and competitions
- De Groot Foundation Literacy is Our Legacy Aspiring Writers Award – Deadline: January 27, 2026
- Prix du Beau Livre Africain – Deadline: January 31, 2026
- Furious Flower 2026 Poetry Prize 2026 – Deadline: February 15, 2026
- IPA Prix Voltaire 2026 – Deadline: February 22, 2026
- Caine Prize for African Writing 2026 – Deadline: February 27, 2026
- London Magazine Poetry Prize 2026 – Deadline: March 14, 2026
- Prêmio Literário Verão de Histórias – Deadline: March 31, 2026
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