The Brunel University International African Poetry Prize 2017

The 2017 Prize is open from 1st Oct to 1st Dec 2016 

The Brunel University International African Poetry Prize is a major annual poetry prize of £3000 aimed at the development, celebration and promotion of poetry from Africa. Now in its fourth year, this year the Prize is sponsored by Brunel University and Commonwealth Writers.

British-Nigerian writer, Bernardine Evaristo, who is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London, initiated the award in 2012. She describes her reasons for a new prize devoted exclusively to African poetry:

ALSO READ THE ENTRY RULE CLICK HERE 

‘I had judged several literary prizes including chairing the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2012, an award that continues to revitalise the fortunes of fiction from Africa since its inception in 1999. It became clear to me that poetry from the continent could also do with a prize to draw attention to it and to encourage a new generation of poets who might one day become an international presence. African poets are rarely published in Britain. I hope this prize will introduce exciting new poets to the world’s poetry editors.’ 

The Prize works closely with the African Poetry Book Fund (APBF) and since its inception, most of the poets who have been nominated and/or won this award have published chapbooks with the African Poetry Book Fund series of ‘New Generation Chapbook Box Sets’.  http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/.

The Prize is open to poets who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African. It is for ten poems exactly in order to encourage serious poets. These poems may, however, have already been published. Only poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published are eligible. Poets who have self-published poetry books or had chapbooks and pamphlets published are allowed to submit for this prize.

For press, media and other professional enquiries only, contact Bernardine Evaristo at Bernardine.Evaristo@brunel.ac.uk. (For the submission email address see Rules.)