The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn is hosting an in-person reading group on West African literature, “West African Literature: Secrets, the Surreal, and the Sea,” led by writer and artist Magenta Naaku. The group meets for four Tuesday evenings, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm EDT, on November 10, December 8,
The shortlist for the 2026 4thWrite Prize, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, is out. Run by the publisher 4th Estate in association with the Guardian, the prize is a short story competition for unpublished writers of colour aged 18 and over who live in the UK or Ireland. Two of the six sho
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) held its Grand Award Night in Lagos on Friday, October 9, and honored three Nigerian winners across the Nigeria Prizes. Poet Ogaga Ifowodo won the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature for Why Does God Need a Gun?, chosen from 223 entries in a poetry year. We reported on h
Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza, who won the £10,000 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story “The Blue Fighter,” has released a statement responding to the public debate over an article in The Atlantic. For readers catching up: Kundizeza was announced as the winner at a
The shortlist for the 2026 Morland African Writing Scholarships is out. This year, 20 writers were shortlisted from over 600 entries from published African writers across 32 countries. Nigeria leads the shortlist with seven writers, followed by South Africa with five. Based in London, the Miles Morl
A week after we reported that Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza had won the £10,000 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing, the prize is reviewing his winning story, “The Blue Fighter,” after an article in The Atlantic suggested it may have been written with AI. The Caine Prize has not anno
Writing, as has been said by many people, is a solitary and mentally draining job. The writer conceives the idea for the story, takes time out of his busy schedule and proceeds to write it. It takes months and years to finish, including edits and finding publishers. And once that is done, he lives i
Rolling Stone Africa has published a feature built around Cassava Republic Press founder Bibi Bakare-Yusuf’s remarks at the Black British Book Festival, held on October 4, 2026, at London’s Barbican Centre. Written by Alexis Onestas, the piece centers on a panel called “Giving Flowers: The Women Who
Poet, lawyer, and activist Ogaga Ifowodo has won the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature for his poetry collection Why Does God Need a Gun?, taking home the $100,000 prize. The winner was announced at NLNG’s Grand Award Night in Lagos on Friday, October 9. According to LightRay! Media, the collection,
Bryan shifted on the hard plastic chair. The overhead light buzzed steadily. The smell of burnt diesel and scorched plastic clung to his jacket, cutting right through the interview room’s mix of disinfectant and stale coffee. He scrubbed at his thumbs, trying to rub away the black soot ground deep i