New $500 prize invites unpublished short stories exploring the theme ‘Inheritance’
By Emmanuel “Waziri” Okoro
Élékéré Press, a new independent boutique publisher, has announced the inaugural Élékéré Prize for Fiction, an award celebrating outstanding short fiction by Black writers across Africa and the diaspora. The inaugural edition of the prize is themed ‘Inheritance’, inviting writers to explore the things passed down across generations, including traditions, memories, identities, histories and other forms of inheritance.
The $500 prize is part of Élékéré Press’ commitment to supporting Black writers whose stories and perspectives remain underrepresented in publishing. The press said it is particularly interested in voices and stories that exist at the margins and have not received the attention, care or visibility they deserve.
“Working across publishing, activism, and social justice for over a decade has made us realise that there are so many amazing voices and perspectives that never get the chance to be heard,” said Justin Dozie, co-founder of Élékéré Press.
“There is still the belief that there is a certain way to be a writer and a certain way to be a Black and African writer. The Élékéré Prize is the first step in our pledge to support work that fits no mould, that is innovative, and authentic.”
According to the publisher, the prize is intended to serve as a springboard for emerging voices from the African continent and its diaspora, while helping to recentre indigenous narratives, uplift marginalised perspectives and broaden ideas of what constitutes authentic Black and African storytelling.
Explaining the name of the prize, Nnaemeka Nnam, co-founder of Élékéré Press, said, “Élékéré is the Igbo word for clock. We chose it because time is the thing our writers have been denied, told again and again that the moment isn’t right, that the market isn’t ready. A clock doesn’t ask permission to strike the hour. Neither do we.”
The inaugural prize will be judged by acclaimed Nigerian writer, Arinze Ifeakandu, author of God’s Children Are Little Broken Things. Ifeakandu is a winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize, as well as a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and Lambda Literary Award. He is also a recipient of the Story Prize Spotlight Award and an O. Henry Prize.
“I was delighted to be invited to judge this inaugural prize, firstly because I love short stories, but also because African and Black writing has never been so exciting,” Ifeakandu said. “I so much look forward to the stories that will come my way.”
The competition is open to original, unpublished works of fiction written in English, with submissions limited to 3,500 words. Works created or substantially edited using artificial intelligence are not eligible.
The submission deadline is 31 August 2026 at 11:59 p.m. WAT. Writers can submit their entries and direct enquiries to [email protected]. Full eligibility requirements and submission guidelines are available on the Élékéré Press website at elekere.press/contest-guidelines.