My Mind Words Paper [Search results for east africa literature] 

Deadline: 29 August 2011

We are inviting academic editorial contributors to a new four volume reference work organized by geographic region:

Volume 1: Middle East
Volume 2: Africa
Volume 3: East and Southeast Asia
Volume 4: West, Central, and South Asia

In our age of globalization and multiculturalism, it has never been more important for Americans to understand and appreciate foreign cultures-how people live, love, and learn in areas of the world unfamiliar to most U.S. students and the general public. The Cultural Sociology encyclopedia takes a step forward toward presenting concise information with historical and
contemporary coverage of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, as four volumes of area studies illuminate the powerful influence of culture on society.

Each title comprises approximately 200 articles organized chronologically and alphabetically, addressing such academic disciplines as sociology, political science, women's studies, business, history, religion, law, health, education, economics, and geography. It is the intent of the encyclopedia to convey what daily life was/is like for people in these regions. Each article ranges from 600 to 3,000 words.

This comprehensive project will be published by SAGE Reference in 2012 and will be marketed to academic and public libraries as a print and digital product available to students via the library's electronic services. If you are interested in contributing to this cutting-edge reference, it is a unique opportunity to contribute to the contemporary literature, redefining sociological issues in today's terms. Moreover, it can be a notable publication addition to your CV/resume and broaden your publishing credits.

SAGE Publications offers an honorarium ranging from SAGE book credits for smaller articles up to a free set of the printed product for contributions totaling 10,000 words or more.

At this time the project is nearing completion and all articles have been assigned with the exception of a few entries. The final deadline for submissions is August 29, 2011. The remaining topics for the Africa Volume are as follows:

Time period: Prehistory-1400 - Ethnic Migration Patterns (900 words)

Time period: 1400-1900 - Fulani Empire (1000 words), Market Economies (Pre-European) (1000 words), Music (1000 words)

If you would like to contribute to building a truly outstanding reference with the Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia, please contact me by the e-mail information below. Please provide a brief summary of your academic/publishing credentials.

Lisbeth Rogers
Author Manager
Golson Media
culturalsociology@golsonmedia.com

Contact Information:

For inquiries: culturalsociology@golsonmedia.com

For submissions: culturalsociology@golsonmedia.com

Website: http://www.golsonmedia.com/

Deadline: 15 July 2012

The work of writers of African heritage, whether they hail from the “old” or the “new” diaspora, has been known for its exceptional vigour and originality, and has unsurprisingly attracted the attention of scholars from all over the world. In recent years, however, criticism focusing on the production of artists from the old diaspora, either African American or Caribbean, has often examined these authors’ displaced identity in the Americas or in Europe at the expense of their African heritage and their perception of it. Even analyses of contemporary literary texts centring on the slave trade have more readily discussed writers’ representation of history than their engagement with Africa per se – the latter topic having seemingly lost the prominence that it once enjoyed in scholarly circles, as writers themselves appear to have less frequently chosen to place the continent of their ancestors at the centre of their fiction and poetry. Yet, in many cases, this African dimension still seems to play a significant role in the overall assessment and understanding of their works, and is therefore worthy of renewed critical attention.

African cultures and settings cannot be said to suffer comparable neglect in recent discussions of works by writers of the new diaspora, a category that broadly encompasses those who were born on the continent but left it either as children or as young adults. However, perhaps because these diasporic artists provide the bulk of the canon of contemporary African literatures, their perception of the continent of their birth has rarely been assessed through the lens of their geographical position, many critics preferring instead to emphasize globalizing trends or, conversely, to position diasporic artists, such as third-generation Nigerian writers, as the unproblematic heirs to the strategies of historical and cultural retrieval implemented by older Africa-based authors. Even though recent efforts have been made to circumscribe the specificity of the new diaspora’s artistic perceptions of Africa, the question still remains under-explored.

Taking our cue from Countee Cullen’s famous line – included in his 1925 poem “Heritage” – we would like to invite participants in this conference to address the diverse critical blind spots surrounding the representation of, and engagement with, Africa in the works of contemporary writers and artists from the old and the new diasporas. The questions and topics that could be addressed (either through close readings or theoretical contributions) include, but are not limited to:

- How is Africa represented in the diasporic imagination? Is it usually metaphorized or romanticized? Or, on the contrary, does it tend to be depicted in a realistic mode? Is the continent viewed as being trapped in a past marked by slavery and exploitation, or as being marred by a present of poverty and corruption? Do some diasporic artists unwillingly contribute to the perpetuation of stereotypes about Africa as a monolithic whole?

- Is Africa still relevant to the artists of the old diaspora? Does it still shape their creative minds? Is “African diaspora” a pertinent discursive category when discussing Caribbean or African American artists?

- Conversely, is the concept of “African diaspora” established enough to provide a valid critical framework in the case of the new diaspora? Do diasporic artists from North, South, East and West Africa have a common external vantage point from which to appraise the country or continent of their birth? Or, on the contrary, does their geographical location seal their common estrangement from Africa?

- What are the differences or parallels in the representations of Africa found in the works of artists of the old and new diasporas on the one hand, and those who are based in Africa on the other?

- What is the role played by gender, class, generation and/or race in the way diasporic writers perceive the culture and the land of their ancestors?

- Are categories that include references to the African continent rather empowering or limiting? How so?

- What is the role played by academics, journalists, facilitators and publishers in the dissemination of the artistic production of the old and new diasporas? To what extent do these actors encourage strategies of (self-)exoticization? Do they favour selective canonization?

- How do new technologies, particularly the internet, shape the dialogue between artists of the old and new diasporas, and those residing in Africa? Are distinctions between writers based on the continent and overseas still relevant in the twenty-first century?

- What, if anything, does Africa expect from its diasporic writers? Are these artists entitled to criticize the continent they originate from, or are they expected to treat it with special consideration? In other words, do diasporic artists have any particular ethical duty?

We welcome proposals within the field of literature, but also film, music and visual arts. Abstracts for 20-minute papers should be about 200 words, and panel descriptions for 90-minute sessions about 700 words (overall description of the panel in about 100 words, plus three individual abstracts of about 200 words). Non-Anglophone and comparative approaches are most welcome, but all papers will be delivered in English.

Proposals should be sent by 15 July 2012 to africatomenow@gmail.com. A response will reach you by 15 August 2012.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: africatomenow@gmail.com

Website: http://www.l3.ulg.ac.be/africatomenow/

Dates: see schedule below

The Research institute of Swahili Studies of Eastern Africa (RISSEA) was borne out a felt need and desire to coordinate Swahili scholarship. Currently there is no Institution in Kenya and the Region that has assumed such a mandate even though great strides have been made by public universities and other institutions in the development of Kiswahili.

With the spread and development of Kiswahili as the lingua franca of the region, the institute will be the reference point for governments, schools and institutions of higher learning. In kenya for example there are moves to entrench Kiswahili to be the second official language in addition to English in the new constitutional dispensation (bilingualism).

INTENSIVE SWAHILI STUDIES

An intensive 2-10 week Swahili studies school for international and regional students. Short courses on related themes including regular workshops on Swahili studies and language. In- house training workshops tailored to the needs of individual organizations and individuals interested in Swahili studies.

MODULE OFFERED

1. Swahili Literature and Performance

Contemporary Swahili novel and play: In-depth analysis of the two genre of Literature that is play and novel in terms of-The plot, characters, themes and language used.

• Short story in Kiswahili literature.
• Swahili poetry.
• Classical Swahili poetry and contemporary Swahili poetry.
• Types of Swahili poetry.
• How to write Swahili poetry
• Language use in Swahili poetry.
• Swahili epic
• Oral Literature
• Swahili songs, dances and music

• The study of the origins and history of the Swahili
• Swahili economy and international relations
• Spread and development of Kiswahili in East Africa and the Diaspora.
• Dialects of Kiswahili.
• Swahili and her neighbors

• Economic activities of the Swahili eg. Fishing, farming, weaving, dhow making, stone house building, wood carving etc.
• The Swahili way of life, (birth, marriage and death )
• Art, dressing, adornments, and other forms of creativity and personal beauty.
• Religion Beliefs and forms of worship.
• Swahili songs and dances.

Teaching will be conducted on Swahili grammar and phonetics depending on one’s level of proficiency in Swahili. An entry examination will be conducted to determine the student’s level of proficiency in Swahili.

APART FROM THE FOUR MODULES, THE INSTITUTE WILL ALSO OFFER WHERE APPROPRIATE:

• Trips/ excursions will be arranged: while in Lamu a visit to Matondoni village and Takwa ruins, while in Mombasa will visit Fort Jesus Museums, Mnarani, Jumba and Gede ruins.
• Resource persons: will be invited to talk to students/ researchers on different Swahili cultural topics.
• Panel discussions male and female panel discussion will be organized where students /researchers will get the opportunity to ask questions /inquire on any issue that they would like to know or clarified about the Swahili. Hence there will be interactions between the students/ researchers and selected members of the Swahili community that constitutes the panel.

• 28 May to Friday 15 June, 4 weeks - $350 (language module), $1,000 (4 modules)
• 18 June to Friday July, 4 weeks - $350 (language module), $1,000 (4 modules)
• 9 July to Friday 3 August, 4 weeks - $350 (language module), $1,000 (4 modules)
• 6 August to Friday 31 August, 4 weeks - $350 (language module), $1,000 (4 modules)
• 3 Sept to Friday 28 Sept, 4 weeks - $350 (language module), $1,000 (4 modules)
• 1 October to Friday 26 October, 4 weeks - $350 (language module), $1,000 (4 modules)
• 29 October to Friday 23 Nov, 4 weeks - $350 (language module), $1,000 (4 modules)
• 26th Nov to Friday 14 Dec, 3 weeks - $265 (language module), $750 (4 modules)

Via: nairobinow

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: contact Munira Mohammed at 0722611533 or munira@museums.or.ke

Website: http://rissea.org

Deadline: 23 May 2011

We are pleased to inform you that our first writing workshop would hold between 26 to 28 May 2011 in Obafemi Awolowo Uinversity, Ile-Ife. The venue for the workshop is the Natural History Museum, which has been described as the most beautiful building in Africa’s most beautiful campus.

This workshop is not designed for established writers – or writers with a book ready for publishers. It is designed for young people (and old?) who think they are talented, or have been told so. More importantly, it is designed for those who want to horn their talent into a craft, who wish to think of their writing as a carpenter thinks of furniture.

The Workshop is divided into General Sessions and Genre-based Sessions. General Sessions is to focus on the general creative life, contemporary creative and artistic indulgencies as well as reflections on the work of an artist. This aim is to be reflected in the general reading list as well as the conversations (between facilitators) discussions (facilitators and participants), talks (by various facilitators) and exposure to creative content (audio, video and slide presentations.)

In Genre-based Sessions, participants are split into the genres they indicated interest in – Poetry, Fiction or Non-Fiction. Participants are not allowed to register for more than one genre. Facilitators in the respective genres are to conduct these sessions, with emphasis on reviewing the work produced by participants, and discussing quality work by more established writers. Although our focus is on writers resident in Ile-Ife, the workshop is also open to writers outside Ile-Ife. However, we would not cater for the accommodation and feeding (aside breakfast) of any participant outside Ile-Ife.

Application: Application deadline is 23 May. There is space for only 40 participants, so apply early.

Complete the Application Form, and submit via email (sarabaworkshop@gmail.com) after payment of the WorkshopFee. Your letter of invitation would be sent upon confirmation of payment.

Facilitators:

Ayobami Famurewa (Fiction) is currently pursuing a Master’s in Literature in English at the Obafemi Awolowo where she obtained a Bachelors’ degree in 2008. Her short stories have been published in African Writing Online, Farafina Magazine, Saraba Magazine, The Weaverbird Anthology of New Nigerian Fiction (Kachifo 2008) and Speaking for Generations: An Anthology of Contemporary African Short Stories (African World Press 2010). She was a participant in the Chimamanda Adichie-Binyavanga Wanaina writers’ workshop that held in Lagos in July 2007. Her writing received an honourable mention in the 2009 Commonwealth short story contest and won the Naija Stories Website launch Contest in 2010. In September, she will be commencing her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Emmanuel Iduma (Fiction) holds a degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University, and is currently studying to be called to the Nigerian Bar. His short stories and poems have appeared in African Writer, Story Time, New Black Magazine, Saraba, Itch, Sentinel Nigeria, Daughters of Eve and Other New Short Stories from Nigeria (CCC Press 2010), Speaking for Generations: An Anthology of Contemporary African Short Stories (African World Press 2010), Hack Writers, and is forthcoming in African Roar and MTLS. He was a participant of the Word into Art into Africa workshop organized by the Africa Centre/SPARCK (South Africa). His story was a finalist of the Word in Action International Literary Contest 2008. He won the Naija Stories Independence Day Contest 2010. In September he will be commencing his Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Manchester.

Dami Ajayi (Poetry) is a final year medical student and immediate past editor-in-chief of the Ifemed Journal Club. A consummate literary enthusiast and co-founder of Saraba literary magazine, he has had his poetry, reviews and short stories published in The Nation, The Guardian, Sunday Sun Revue, African Writing, Hack Writers, Saraba, MTLS, Sentinel Nigeria, Palapala Magazine, African Writer and his short story is forthcoming in African Roar. His first collection of poems, Clinical Blues, will be published next year. He was also a participant of the recently held Bayelsa Book and Craft Fair in Yenagoa.

Adebiyi Olusolape (Poetry) is a mechanical engineer by training. He often refers to himself as a journeyman collagist who lives at Ibadan, this is his modest way of describing himself as an encyclopaedia of some sort. He is currently the Poetry Editor of Saraba and has been influential to the creation of Saraba’s many intercontinental chapbooks. His poetry has appeared in Maple Tree Literary Supplement, 60 Minutes with the Geeks, and in Saraba. His other works have
also appeared in several dailies including The Nation.

Arthur Anyaduba (Non-fiction) obtained a Bachelors’ Degree in English Literature in 2008. He has taught English Literature at Secondary School level. His reviews and criticisms have appeared, to critical acclaim, in 234Next. He is pursuing a Masters’ Degree in Literature in English in Obafemi Awolwo University. He works with Saraba as Fiction Editor.

Workshop Fee: Three Thousand Five Hundred Naira only (#3, 500)

Download application form >>

Download information booklet >>

Contact Information:

For inquiries: sarabaworkshop@gmail.com

For submissions: sarabaworkshop@gmail.com

Website: http://sarabamag.com

Updated:
June 5, 2011

The River Crosses Rivers: A Festival of Short Plays by Women of Color - Call for Submissions -06/06/2011

Word Warrior Creative WORDshop (South Africa) -06/07/2011

Job Opening: Junior Editor for Submerge Publishers (South Africa) -06/09/2011

"Mohammed — The Messenger of Peace" Essay Contest -06/10/2011

Call for Candidates: Bayeux-Calvados Awards for War Correspondents -06/10/2011

Introduction to Screenwriting Workshop (Auteur Film School, South Africa) -06/11/2011

Thinkers and Trouble Makers: Panel Discussion of Queer Women of Color Activists (California) -06/11/2011

Mixed Roots Literary Festival Opens June 11th at the Japanese American National Museum -06/11/2011

Umhlanga Life Short Story Competition (South Africa) -06/13/2011

The Guardian 2011 International Development Journalism Competition on Global Poverty -06/13/2011

Apply for the Intajour International Academy of Journalism Fellowship in Germany -06/15/2011

Call for Entries: Africa in the Picture Film Festival -06/15/2011

Call for Essays/ Creative Pieces - African Women in Motion: Gender and the New African Diaspora in the United States -06/15/2011

Call for Submissions from Poets of Color: "The Moment of Change" Anthology of Feminist Speculative Poetry (Aqueduct press) -06/15/2011

Call for Papers: Children’s Literature and Reading in and of Africa (IBBY Africa conference, Swaziland) -06/15/2011

Call for Submissions: The Black Barbie Anthology -06/15/2011

Call for Articles to be Included in the Book "Transformation of Islam in 21st Century" (University Press) -06/15/2011

Book Reviews on "Popular Fiction" and "Genre Fiction" for Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture -06/15/2011

Apply for the Cave Canem Fellowship (African American Poetry) at Vermont Studio Center -06/15/2011

Call for Papers: Fourth International Symposium of Printing and Publishing in the Language and Countries of the Middle East -06/15/2011

Reporting Regional Integration: Sponsored Course for SADC Journalists -06/17/2011

Arabic Literary Translation Workshop with Paul Starkey (London Review of Books) -06/19/2011

Amazwi Ethu South African Tales Creative Writing Contest -06/19/2011

Golden Baobab Prize (for African short story for children, top prize: $1000) -06/20/2011

Pulitzer Center Seeks West African Journalists to Report on Water and Sanitation -06/20/2011

For French/ English Writers: The Camac - Fondation Tenot Writers Residency in France -06/20/2011

Job Opening: Online Fashion Editor for 36Boutiques.co.za -06/25/2011

South African Literary Awards (SALA) 2011 -06/30/2011

Deadline: 31 July (Autumn issue), 31 December (Spring issue)

Lapis Lazuli is a refereed Bi-annual International e-journal of emerging Literary and Linguistic perspectives in the contemporary literatures in English relating to theoretical articles, interviews and book reviews on both literature and language. It is published on behalf of PINTER SOCIETY OF INDIA.

Lapis Lazuli encourages interpretative criticism, fresh insight into new and established literary/linguistic areas and seeks to entertain meaningful pursuits of different contemporary academic issues. It also encourages original contributions in the form of poetry. Each issue contains essays on major works of literatures in English in the global perspective. The journal will love to invite articles on the literatures in English of Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, New Zealand, Africa, South Africa and South East Asia.

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Journal would like to have original, well-written, duly researched articles on various segments of both the older and the contemporary literature in English, throwing light particularly on Drama and Theatre. The journal, nevertheless, will also encase, in the global perspective, such articles on poetry, fiction, literary criticism, linguistics, critical theories, creative writings and reviews of published books. We invite critical and analytical articles on various aspects of contemporary literature written, researched and duly documented by the academics, scholars and perceptive readers across nations.

The society will make efforts to publish occasional special issues. The editorial policy, with no leaning towards any particular ideology or concept, is open to any intellectual exercise in any area of literature. Publishers may send copies of their published books for review by selected experts.

Submissions, should be typed double spaced on hard copies (not exceeding 3000 words) on one side of the paper only, in conformity with the MLA style sheet (6th or 7th Edn.) documentation pattern; or may also be submitted by e-mail Attachment or by sending CDs using MS word. Hard copy manuscripts submitted for publication can not be returned to the authors, if not personally collected.

SPRING ISSUE of LAPIS LAZULI the last date for submission is 31 DECEMBER of every year.

AUTUMN ISSUE of LAPIS LAZULI the last date for submission is 31 JULY of every year.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: lapislazulijournal@gmail.com or drdineshpanwar@rediffmail.com

For submissions: submissions to be sent through e-mail at lapislazulijournal@gmail.com or drdineshpanwar@rediffmail.com

Website: http://pintersociety.com

The winners of the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize were announced today in Sydney in an exciting climax to this year's final programme. Critically acclaimed international literary titles for Best Book and Best First Book were awarded to:

Best Book Winner – The Memory of Love, Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)

The judges praised The Memory of Love for its risk taking, elegance and breadth. A poignant story about friendship, betrayal, obsession and second chances – the novel is an immensely powerful portrayal of human resilience. The judges concluded that The Memory of Love delicately delves into the courageous lives of those haunted by the indelible effects of Sierra Leone’s past and yet amid that loss gives us a sense of hope and optimism for their future. Forna has produced a bold, deeply moving and accomplished novel which confirms her place among the most talented writers in literature today.

Best First Book Winner – A Man Melting, Craig Cliff (New Zealand)

The judges chose this highly entertaining and thought provoking collection of short stories for their ambition, creativity and craftsmanship. Confidently blending ideas that frequently weave outlandish concepts with everyday incidents, the prose is skilfully peppered with social observations that define the world we live in. The eighteen short stories are truly insightful and amplify many of the absurdities around us, reflecting our own expectations, fears and paranoia on the big questions in life. This book is of the moment, and is rightly at home on a global platform. Cliff is a talent to watch and set to take the literary world by storm.

Now in its 25th year and supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation, Commonwealth Writers’ Prize is unique in offering both established and emerging writers the opportunity to showcase their work. The Best Book winner claims £10,000 while the writer of Best First Book wins £5,000.

For the last 25 years the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize has played a key role in unearthing new international literary names, bringing compelling stories of human experience to a wider audience. As highly acclaimed international authors Aminatta Forna and Craig Cliff will follow in the footsteps of some of the biggest names in modern fiction in winning the Prize, including Louis De Bernieres, Andrea Levy, Ian McEwan, and Zadie Smith.

For the fifth consecutive year the Macquarie Group Foundation, one of Australia’s leading philanthropic foundations, is helping to advance one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the world. With Macquarie’s support the prize has grown to reach more people around the world, encouraging wider reading across a range of Commonwealth cultures and rewarding the rising talent that other prizes often overlook.

Aminatta Forna was born in Glasgow, Scotland and raised in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Her first book, The Devil that Danced on the Water, was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2003. Her novel Ancestor Stones was winner of the 2008 Hurston Wright Legacy Award, the Literaturpreis in Germany, was nominated for the International IMPAC Award and selected by the Washington Post as one of the most important books of 2006. Aminatta lives in London.

Craig Cliff was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand. A graduate of Victoria University’s MA in creative writing, his short stories and poetry have been published in New Zealand and Australia. His short story 'Another Language' won the novice section of the 2007 BNZ Katherine Mansfield Awards. Craig lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

Commenting on the winning announcement, Danny Sriskandarajah Interim Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, said:

“I am delighted to congratulate, the winners of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2011. In its 25th year, the Prize embodies the Commonwealth at its best. It unearths the best writing from across 54 countries, promoting dialogue and understanding on an international scale.”

Richard Sheppard, Chairman of the Macquarie Group Foundation, the supporter of the Prize, added:

"The Macquarie Group Foundation is delighted that two such diverse writers have won this year's Commonwealth Writers' Prize. For the last 25 years, the Prize has helped to bring writers to new global audiences and I'm sure once again that this year's winners will delight and inspire readers and writers around the world."

Nicholas Hasluck, Chair of the judging panel said:

“This year’s winning books demonstrate the irreducible power of the written word at a time of rapid global change and uncertainty. The standard of entries this year has been exceptional, showcasing work with strong insight, spirit and voice introducing readers to unfamiliar worlds.”

The regional prize winners are:

Africa:

Best Book: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
Best First Book: Happiness is a four-letter word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa)

Caribbean and Canada:

Best Book: Room by Emma Donoghue (Canada)
Best First Book: Bird Eat Bird by Katrina Best (Canada)

South Asia and Europe:

Best Book: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (UK)
Best First Book: Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller (UK)

South East Asia and Pacific:

Best Book: That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Australia)
Best First Book: A Man Melting by Craig Cliff (New Zealand)

Contact Information:

Website: http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/

Deadline: 31 August 2012

African Cities Reader is open to multiple genres (literature, philosophy, faction, reportage, ethnographic narrative, etc.), forms of representation (text, image, sound and possibly performance), and points of view. The African Cities Reader insists on embodying the rich pluralism, cosmopolitanism and diversity of emergent urbanisms across Africa. Thus, the Reader invites and undertake to commission writing and art by practitioners, academics, activists and artists from diverse fields across Africa in all of her expansiveness.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS 2012

The African Cities Reader is a journal-like platform where Africans tell their own stories, draw their own maps and represent their own spatial topographies as our cities continue to evolve and adapt at the interstice of difference, complexity, opportunism, and irony. The intervention is premised on the fact that the cultural, livelihood, religious, stylistic, commercial, familial, knowledge producing and navigational capacities of African urbanites are typically overlooked, unappreciated and undervalued. The aim of the African Cities Reader is to bring their stories and practices to the fore through a variety of genres and experiments in criticality.

The third African Cities Reader will explore the unholy trinity of land, property and value-the life force of cities everywhere - especially in an era of late modernity marked by a speculative impulse that takes on a spectral character as it instigates adventures of city imagineering, deal-making, and symbolic reinvestment. The material effects of which is often displacement, violence, day light robbery and night time seduction. This incessant (re)making of the African city is a game that leaves few untouched or unmoved.

As too many demands are placed on too few infrastructural endowments, land and living space come at a premium. Ingrained differential standards of what constitutes "acceptable" or "adequate" levels of consumption create a grotesque reflection of class and other markers of hierarchy in the built landscape. And in the absence of widespread formal and regular sources of income, most city dwellers are forced to hedge every shred of connection, cunning, positioning and affiliation to retain a foothold or expand their room for manoeuvre. The third instalment of the African Cities Reader will bring these constitutive dynamics to life.

Specifically, we are looking for imaginative reflections on the recent phenomenon of investment in urban utopias for the global middle-class unmoored from the messy realities of emergent urbanisms. In fact, the investment, construction, marketing and governance dynamics of these experiments reflect a fascinating geography of rapidly changing geo-economics in an increasingly multi-polar world. At the other end of the spectrum, we are also curious about the enduring traces of autonomous artist colonies or spaces; often modest material interventions but with powerful symbolic effects. Asef Bayat draws our attention to what he calls "the quiet encroachment of the ordinary" - survival practices of urban majorities that involve the relentless occupation of resources at the expense of elites to simply get by, but which add up to a redefinition of land-use, settlement patterns and resource flows in the city. (Bayat, A. (2000) 'Social Movements, Activism and Social Development in the Middle East', Civil Society and Social Movements Programme Paper, Geneva: UNRISD). Stories, theorisations and illustrations that flesh out this proposition are invited.

Furthermore, the new and emerging forces of power and investment cannot but imprint themselves on the urban fabric. Their power and status demands a built manifestation. So, we are curious to better understand the changing visual landscapes and cultures as religious, commercial, ethnic, security and other forces announce their power and intentions. How might these symbolic economies be redeployed and ridiculed as ordinary people move in and out of their intentions of place-making?

Developmentalist discources on tenure security as a gateway to urban citizenship has been part of the mainstream for at least three decades. What has this resulted in? Why is there still such an abiding optimism about the magical powers of title and tenure security? Where might these discourses go to next? How can they possibly make sense of the vast peri-urban dynamics that now dominate the lived reality of most African cities?

Finally, since African cities and towns (including new ones) will have to accommodate at least another four hundred million people over the next two decades, what is the future of land, property and value? What alternative imaginaries are available to us to think about the bare fact of co-existence, being, and home? Is there even a horizon to be thought or imagined? What might the hue of that horizon be?

Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday, 31st August 2012, and should be submitted electronically in Word format and low-res jpg to the email address below. Submissions may vary in subject matter and will be assessed on their relevance to theme. All work should accompany a short abstract, biography and relevant contact details.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries/ submissions: africancitiesreader@chimurenga.co.za

Website: http://www.africancitiesreader.org.za/

Deadline: 1 August 2011

Creative Wings is launching its first ever short story competition, with the aim of encouraging budding African writers. The inaugural contest is now open. Deadline for submission is AUGUST 1, 2011.

Stories must be previously unpublished and must be the exclusive work of the entrant.

Stories must be 600 words or less.

Entry is free.

Only one submission per entrant is permitted.

Only online submissions are acceptable. Entries should be emailed to creativewingscontest2011@gmail.com. Paste story in the body of the e-mail. Use ‘CreativeWings Contest’ in the subject line. Entries with attachments will be disqualified.

The email must contain the entrant’s name, the title of story, and the entrant’s physical address and contact phone number.

Simultaneous submissions are NOT acceptable.

Writers are not restricted to any theme.

Entries must be in English.

The judge will select two winners who will be given two books each.

One Prize Winner will get a copy of Helon Habila’s award winning book and Obinna Udenwe’s debut novel, The Dancing Bird.

Another Prize Winner will get a copy of Diana Evans’ award winning book and Obinna Udenwe’s debut novel, The Dancing Bird.

The winning stories will also be published on Guerilla Basement and YNaija.

The competition will be judged by Ose Ndebbio who teaches literature and language arts. She is also a member of the freelance writers association, Manchester.

This competition is sponsored by Obinna Udenwe, a young democrat from South-East Nigeria. Obinna is also an author of: The Dancing Bird which mirrors the socio-cultural settings of the African society; and a new collection of children stories, ‘Wenitem and Her Friends.‘

Via: beautifulwings.wordpress.com

Contact Information:

For inquiries: creativewingscontest2011@gmail.com

For submissions: creativewingscontest2011@gmail.com

Deadline: 14 October 2011

This October, O, The Oprah Magazine (Twitter: @OMagazineSA) will contribute to the revival of the short-story genre by offering one aspirant writer the chance to see their work published in the February 2012 issue of O magazine and, in the selection process, have their writing read by esteemed local and international authors.

In what can only be described as a coup for the magazine, literary greats Dr. Maya Angelou (Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings) and Alexander McCall Smith (author of the prolific The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series) have come on board to choose the winner of O’s inaugural short-story competition. Dr. Angelou, whom Oprah calls her mentor-mother-sister-friend, is one of the greatest voices in contemporary literature. She has been awarded more than 30 honorary degrees. McCall Smith, a Scotland-based former professor of medical law, has written more than 50 books, including children’s books, short-story collections and five series. The most recent novel in his popular No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, was published earlier this year.

South African author and scriptwriter Lauren Beukes, 2011 winner of the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke award for best science-fiction novel for Zoo City (Twitter: @laurenbeukes), and writer and columnist Ndumiso Ngcobo (Twitter: @NdumisoNgcobo) will represent the South African perspective. The multi-talented Ngcobo is a Sunday Times columnist, screenwriter, satirist and presenter on KZN’s East Coast Radio. The former high-school maths and science teacher is also the author of two essay collections, Some of My Best Friends Are White and Is It Coz I’m Black?

“Short stories are a great way for writers to hone their storytelling. It's wonderful to be involved with a competition that recognises new writers and how damnably tricky it is to write a compelling tale with a limited word count,” says Lauren Beukes. The Cape Town-based columnist is also the author of Moxyland.

The short-story genre is currently enjoying a resurrection, with events such as Short Story Day South, held in June this year, set to become an annual fixture on the local literary calendar.

“I believe each one of us has a story to tell, and I cannot wait to see what talent we are going to unearth. I sincerely hope we will draw out all ‘closet writers’ who feel they have a story within them. And the opportunity to have your work read by such an esteemed judging panel doesn’t come along every day, so this is one of those seize-the-day moments,” says Samantha Page, the editor of O.

Competition details are available in the October issue of O, which goes on sale on Monday, 19 September 2011. For more details, also visit www.oprahmag.co.za

More About the Competition

O’s first-ever short-story contest is designed to provide a platform for budding writers. Even though there will only be one ultimate winner, we’re encouraging aspirant authors to believe in themselves and try their hand at writing an inspired short story. If you think you can write, go on and enter. The prize? A published piece that will forever have your byline.

O will accept contributions from Wednesday, 14 September 2011, until 5 P.M. on Friday, 14 October 2011. The O magazine team will send a short list of stories to our esteemed judges, who will select the final winner. The winning short story will feature in the February 2012 issue, on sale from 16 January 2012.

Contact Information:

Website: http://www.oprahmag.co.za