My Mind Words Paper [Search results for new african book] 

Deadline: 30 March 2012

Funeral in Africa has never been a mere act of interment marked by ritesof passage, but an important performance on the social stage conditionedby the incident and social perception of death. Like much art, a funeralaims to solve a social problem. It is a creative exercise that complementsthe incident of death and mediates the physical and spiritual realms. AsAfrican communities (both at home and in the Diaspora) become morecomplex, so also have funerals and burial practices become morecomplicated. The attempt by churches, chiefs, and communities to curtailfunerary excesses have yielded very little, as animist and Christianfunerals and al burial practices continue to be marked by great vitalityas against the usual “concealment and modesty” common in purely Westernsocieties. Throughout history, what has distinguished burials and funerals in Africaand the African Diaspora is their heightened artistry and theatricality.There is art in every death, funeral and burial in so far as they involvea renegotiation of reality and the re-invention of being on transcendentalterms. In Africa and parts of the African, these factors are not merelysuggested in the component performances and actions of funerals, but arealso enacted and affirmed in concrete terms through objects and practicesof burial as part of visual culture. In other words, death is the spin-offof a chain of artistic performance/activity that is consummated in therituals associated with funerals and burials. It is the initiator of asombre theatre and artistic performance/creation whose principal goal is adenial of death itself, what Grainger (1998) has aptly described as “therefusal to die”.

In light of this background, C. Krydz Ikwuemesi, painter and theorist,wishes to edit a volume on African and African diasporan mortuary arts.The book is titled Celebrating Tragedy: Art and Theatre in African andAfrican Diasporan Funerals and Burial PracticesMethodological JustificationThe book seeks to re-interrogate the phenomena of death, funeral andburial in Africa and the African Diaspora so as to re-inscribe them asagencies of art and theatre in the face of the ever-widening meaning anddefinition of both genres (art and theatre) in postmodern discourses. Toths extent, the book will deal with its theme from three standpoints:

a)It will attempt a definition of art from perspectives that redraw thecontours of organised symbols, performances and rituals as constituents ofart with a view to accommodating the combination of spontaneity andpreconception that surround actions in a funeral/burial arena.

b) It willexamine the meaning and dimensions of theatre from classical African andpostmodern perspectives and locate actions and reactions in the funeraland burial arena (including actions and objects in the grave yard) withinthe bounds of the emergent re-interpretations.

c) It shall look at theinfluence of technology on the artistry and theatricals offunerals/burials in Africa and the Diaspora and also appraise theinfluences of modernity, Christianity and Islam on the content and scopeof such art and theatre. In other words, the book will adopt boththeoretical and historical approaches in the pursuit of its thesis. Thismethodology will result in a composite book that addresses its subjectfrom a clearly eclectic position.SignificanceThe book will break new grounds in the study and definition of art andtheatre in Africa and also re-image African/Diasporan funeral and burialin the face of the changing values and the challenges of the cultural turnbrought about by excessive Americanisation often taken for granted in thename of globalisation. It will re-examine the apparent folly and frivolityassociated with funerals and burials in these parts, especially as seenthrough non-African eyes, and find a place for them within the realms ofart, performance and entertainment. Thus, the book will be useful toartists, anthropologists, theatre artists, sociologists, historians, amongothers.

(a) Art and performance in African funerals.

(b) Poetry and minstrelsy in African funerals.

(c) Introduction and evolution of technology in African funerals.

(d) The politics of African funerals.

(e) Music and dance as creative metaphors in African funerals.

(f) The Art and politics of crying in African funerals.

(g) The poetics of wailing and ululations in African/Diaspora funerals.

(h) The theatricals of rituals in African funerals.

(i) Material ritual objects as art in the burial arena.

(j) The grave yard as exhibition arena: graves as installations.

(k) The role of graphics in funerals/burials.

(l) The symbolisms of acts, actions and material objects in thefuneral/burial arena.

(m) Tradition vs. Modernity in African and Diasporan funerals/burials.

(n) The influence of Christianity, Islam and Westernization on Africanfunerals.

(o) Transition and change in African funerals.

Other related topics within the bounds of the theme are welcome.

TO CONTRIBUTE:

Send an abstract of 200 words to chukrydz@gmail.com before March 30, 2012.

Full papers will be due by July 30, 2012.

All contributions should be in English and should not exceed 7000 words. References should be entered andorganized at the end of the text according to the Chicago Style.

Photographs, where necessary, should be of very high resolution and can beforwarded by email or separately through post in CD or DVD. Locations ofthe photographs in the text should be clearly indicated. Text should beaccompanied by the author’s bio not exceeding 200 words.

The Editor, C. Krydz Ikwuemesi, painter and theorist, studied art atUniversity of Nigeria, Nsukka, graduating in first class in 1992. He isthe founder of the Pan-African Circles of Artists (PACA) and EmeritusPresident of The Art Republic. He is the Director of Afrika Heritage (thePACA Biennale), Overcoming Maps (PACA Study Tour of Africa), and theannual Mmanwu Theatre. Ikwuemesi has researched and published on the artand, mortuary arts and healing enterprise of the Igbo of eastern Nigeriaand is presently engaged in a comparative study of arts of the Igbo andthe Ainu (of Japan). He is a Senior Lecturer at University of Nigeria andwas recently a Visiting Associate Professor at the National Museum ofEthnology, Osaka, Japan. He has also researched Ainu arts and aestheticsas a Japan Foundation Fellow in Hokkaido in 2009.

C. Krydz Ikwuemesi
International Secretary
The Pan-African Circle of Artists
URL: www.panafricanartists.org
Tel: (234)- 7065513950, 08037244485
Skype: chukrydz

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: chukrydz@gmail.com

For submissions: chukrydz@gmail.com

Website: www.panafricanartists.org

Deadline: 19 February 2012

Farafina Books and The Life House have commenced the second phase of the New African Writing initiative, and are again calling for short stories from new African writers. We ask that you kindly help to publicize this via the Writers Afrika website. Please find the release below, and also attached is our e-flyer. Questions or inquiries can be posted as comments on our blog, or sent to shortstories@kachifo.com. Thank you for your continued support.

The first phase of the New African Writing initiative is closed, and fifteen of the best entries have been reviewed. We now announce the start of the second phase, and for writers who did not get a chance to submit the first time, this is another opportunity.

Emerging writers are once again requested to submit short stories no more than 5,000 words. Another fifteen entries will be selected and the writers will be invited to read seven minutes of their work during the reading on February 24, where our panel of distinguished writers will be on hand to critique the stories. The thirty selected short stories from both phases will be subject to further editing and review by both the panel and Kachifo Limited, and the top fifteen will be included in an e-book of short stories to be released later in 2012. The remaining fifteen stories not selected for publication in the short story collection will be published on the Farafina blog. The closing date for submissions for this second phase is midnight on February 19, 2012.

Submissions should be sent by email to shortstories@kachifo.com, and should include the name, phone number and email address of writers. Please note that nonfiction entries and stories over 5,000 words will not be considered. Also, writers are not allowed to send in more than one entry; where they do, we will accept the first and disregard any others. Writers who sent in submissions for the first phase but were not selected are free to participate again, provided they send in a different entry.

The second New Nigerian Writing reading will be held at The Life House, 33 Sinari Daranijo Street, off Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The date is February 24; the time is 6pm.

New African Writing is aimed at promoting and showcasing new writing out of Africa, and as part of this initiative, Doreen Baingana will be hosting a session at The Life House on February 17, where she will talk about writing and give writing tips and lessons for emerging writers, read from her work and answer questions from the audience. Doreen won the 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the AWP Award in Short Fiction for her book, Tropical Fish. She was also a two-time finalist for the Caine Prize for African Writing.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: shortstories@kachifo.com

For submissions: shortstories@kachifo.com

Website: http://farafinabooks.wordpress.com/

Deadline: 30 September 2011

The unique role of first and second generation African immigrants in the United States is a subject of interest and debate among researchers. Africans may be one of the highest outbound peoples on the globe. Incidentally, neither the impact of migration on Africans in the Diaspora nor its future consequences for the continent have been sufficiently addressed in research. In recent times, however, the subject of migration or migrancy is assuming center stage in academic circles, among researchers, policy makers, world organizations, and the like. Many agree that migration is, indeed, reshaping the national, self and cultural identities of both migrants and their host nations.

Migration and African Families in the Diaspora is a planned volume conceptualized to provide an update on the status of African families in the Diaspora, with specific focus on the United States. How, for instance, is migration reshaping African family structures and gender dynamics? How does it impact the African’s sense of identity and culture? What gaps exist between first generation and second generation African immigrants in their conception of self, place, home? These are some of the issues that this book is bound to address in order to provide an updated and scholarly assessment on the subject of African migration. The book’s scope will cover African migration to North America in the last forty years.

Interested contributors may send a 200- word abstract for consideration to Dr. Pauline Ada Uwakweh at pauwakwe@ncat.edu, not later than September 30, 2011.

Using any of these five broad categories including Culture, Family, Education, Politics, Health Care and Wellness, contributors may find the following list of themes, though not exhaustive, a useful guide.

• Intergenerational culture conflict
• Bicultural parenting and identity issues
• Role of African cultural associations/cultural communities: national and ethnic identities
• Migrant African parenting in the Diaspora: motherhood, fatherhood, child rearing, single motherhood, single fatherhood
• Migrant African teens and Diaspora peer influence
• Migrant African families and indigenous languages: problems and prospects
• Migrant African families: representations in literature and the media
• Religion, spirituality, and the African family in the Diaspora
• Violence, conflict, mediation and migrant African family experiences
• Negotiating Gender roles: employment, career and culture intersections
• Migrant voices: Narratives of despair, hope and nostalgia
• Migrant African intra marriages vs. ethnic and national identity.
• Migrant African inter marriages and the Diaspora ‘other’
• Migrant families and Healthcare: access, perceptions of mental health, obesity, nutrition, etc.
• Education and migrant African families in the U.S.A.: access, opportunities and challenges
• Education vs. culture: assimilation, acculturation and the American classroom
• Education and career advancement
• Politics and migrant Africans: opportunities and engagement, challenges and barriers.

Chapter Submission Requirements

All submissions are expected to comply with the requirements below.

• Chapters should be original and well-researched. Interdisciplinary explorations are encouraged.
• Submissions should be a maximum of 20 pages ( not including references, abstracts, tables and figures), double-spaced, and in 12 point Times New Roman. More details will be provided.
• Authors should include a 200-word abstract of the chapter, 50–word biography, email, institutional addresses and contact numbers.

Book Timeline

September 30, 2011: Deadline for abstracts

January 3, 2012: Deadline for submitting book chapter drafts

April 15, 2012: Deadline for submitting revised chapters

June 1, 2012: Deadline for submitting manuscript to publisher.

EDITORS

Dr. Pauline Ada Uwakweh
Assistant Professor
Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
North Carolina A & T State University
pauwakwe@ncat.edu.
Office: (336) 285-2343. Fax: (336) 334-3342

Dr. Jerono Rotich
Associate Professor
Department of Human Performance & Services, School of Education
North Carolina A & T State University
jprotich@ncat.edu
Office: (336) 334- 7712. Fax: 334-7258

Dr. Comfort Okpala
Associate Professor
Department of Human Development and Services, School of Education
North Carolina A & T State University
cookpala@ncat.edu
Office: (336) 285-4365. Fax: 336) 334-7132

Contact Information:

For inquiries: pauwakwe@ncat.edu

For submissions: pauwakwe@ncat.edu

Deadline: 1 December 2012

The Award is given to an African American author and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions. The Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream of a pluralistic society.

To submit a title for consideration:

• Review the eligibility and criteria conditions below.
• Complete the entry form. Submit one form per title. Important Note: If submitting more than one title, please refresh between submissions.
• When the form has been received by ALA, an email confirmation will be sent to the contact person within two business days.
• Follow the mailing instructions in the confirmation to submit copies to the jury and ALA office.

• Author or illustrator must live in the U.S. or maintain dual residency/citizenship.
• Book must be published in the year preceding the year the award is given, evidenced by the copyright date printed in the book.
• Only finished copies will be accepted. Do not send advance reader copies, galleys, etc.
• Titles submitted for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards will not be returned. Titles received by the OLOS office are donated as part of The Coretta Scott King Review Books Donation Grant

Purpose

To encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and the graphic arts, including biographical, historical and social history treatments by African American authors and illustrators.

Selection Criteria

The Award is given to an African American author and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions. The Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream of a pluralistic society.

The Award is further designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.

The Criteria of the award is as follows:

• Must portray some aspect of the black experience, past, present, or future.
• Must be written/illustrated by an African American
• Must be published in the U.S. in the year preceding presentation of the Award.
• Must be an original work
• Must meet established standards of quality writing for youth which include:
• Clear plot
• Well drawn characters, which portray growth and development during the course of the story.
• Writing style which is consistent with and suitable to the age intended
• Accuracy
• Must be written for a youth audience in one of three categories:
• Preschool-grade 4
• Grades 5-8
• Grades 9-12

John Steptoe Award for New Talent

Purpose

The award is established to affirm new talent and to offer visibility to excellence in writing and/or illustration which otherwise might be formally unacknowledged within a given year within the structure of the two awards given annually by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee.

These books affirm new talent and offer visibility to excellence in writing or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published book creator.

(Entry form not yet released. We will update this listing once it is available.)

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards

Deadline: 20 August 2012

For at least 60 years the African novel has deconstructed, and even transversed, ideas and imaginaries of self, culture, society and nation across the continent. A self-reflexive continuum, shifting chameleon-like; a receptacle of letters, morphing through the cry of the griot, everyman's diatribe, madman's claim of truth or the politician's manic address. An oracle.

It is the precursor to many contemporary urban African genres and forms. From the ubiquitous FM station, the graffiti of rage, the new painter's electronic brush, the characters of transnational cable T.V. and the growing fan-tribes of European soccer. The African novel determined Us, created an autonomy of expression and became the said curse of dictators.

To celebrate the African novel and its adaptability and resilience, Kwani Trust announces a one-off new literary prize for African writing. The Kwani? Manuscript Project calls for the submission of unpublished fiction manuscripts from African writers across the continent and in the Diaspora.

Beyond the foundations laid by Soyinka, Ngugi and Mahfouz, in remembrance of Yambo Ouologuen's pre-colonial quest and Mariam Ba's bending of form, to the urban journeys of Meja Mwangi, the precocious post-everything of Kojo Laing and the musical rhythms of Ahmadou Khrouma. This prize seeks to recognize the possibilities of form in an ongoing genre that has re-emerged in the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Alain Mabanckou, The Kwani? Manuscript Project is a conversation, an ill guised attempt at growing its own list. For there is no greater celebration of emergent forms than in publishing our own, thanks to those who have existed before us and helped us believe. We look forward to your submissions

THE TOP 3 MANUSCRIPTS WILL BE AWARDED CASH PRIZES:

• 1st Prize: 300,000 KShs
• 2nd Prize: 150,000 KShs
• 3rd Prize: 75,000 KShs

Winners will be announced in December 2012 at the Kwani? Litfest.

GUIDELINES

• Word count: 45,000-120,000 words
• Submissions should be adult literary or genre fiction (in the sense of not being 'children's fiction')
• The work should be in English or 'Englishes'
• The manuscript must be new in the sense that it is unpublished in book form (we will accept previously published submissions if circulation has been under 500 copies and limited to one national territory)
• Eligible participants should have at least one parent born in an African country who holds citizenship of the same

• Name of author (Times New Roman, 12. Bold left justified)
• Contact address, telephone number and email (Times New Roman, 12. Bold left justified)
• Title of manuscript (Times New Roman 14. Bold, centered)
• The manuscript should be in Times New Roman, black, size 12, justified, 1.5 line spacing
• Page numbers and name of author on every page please
• Word count at the end of the manuscript, bold and left justified
• Please also include a cover letter providing an overview and synopsis of the manuscript, and a brief author biography.

For inquiries: manuscript@kwani.org

For submissions: send submissions by email, attached as a WORD document to manuscript@kwani.org

Website: http://www.kwani.org/

Deadline: 30 May 2012

ENAR is currently seeking authors to contribute articles to an ENAR publication on the people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans. This book project started in collaboration with the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), U.S. Congressman Alcee L. Hastings, and the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) aims to raise attention to the specific situation of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.

Based on ENAR’s years of experience working at the grassroots level to counter racism in Europe, in addition to the findings of the Helsinki Commission following the first congressional hearing in history on people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans held in 2008, the following findings have emerged. First, evidence suggests that there continues to be a lack of knowledge about people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans and their contributions to Europe’s social fabric. Secondly, racism and discrimination are found to be common experiences faced by many members of Europe’s Black population. Additionally, more attention needs to be devoted to people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans as well as to present day and historical issues impacting their lives. Against this background, the collaborative partners, under the leadership of ENAR, have agreed to contribute to this under researched issue by producing a book.

This publication is part of ENAR’s progressive narrative on equality and diversity for all, as we seek to build an inclusive society free of racism and related intolerance, where each individual enjoys equal opportunities to participate fully in society. By maximising the potential of all, ENAR envisions promoting confident and strong communities, integrated and cohesive societies, as well as a stable and prosperous Europe. The publication is planned to be a mix of academic writing and accounts of personal, practical experiences. A focus on the situation in Eastern Europe should also be included. The themes in the book could include the following points, depending on the interests of the potential authors:

1. The history of Blacks in Europe and/or a specific European country;

2. The historical or present day (auto)biography of a prominent person of African descent in Europe and/or Black Europeans (e.g. Anton Wilhelm Amo; Baroness Valerie Amos, Angelo Soliman);

3. The impact of slavery and colonialism on representations of Black ethnic minority people in Europe (e.g. the role of human zoos in dehumanisation processes);

4. Experiential or empirical research on people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans (e.g. a study on housing discrimination, political participation, Afro-European websites);

5. Contributions of Blacks to Europe’s social fabric (e.g. use of images of Moors in Medieval Europe, the work of Alexander Pushkin, political rap music);

6. Equality and anti-discrimination efforts (e.g. overviews of the work of the Black European Women’s Congress or Operation Black Vote; impact of the EU Racial Equality Directive on Black communities);

7. Partnerships and cooperation between the Black Diaspora and Europe (e.g. Black History Month in Germany, the 2009 Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Participation);

8. African-Americans in Europe (e.g. WEB Dubois and the meetings of the Pan-African Congress in European capitals; Paul Robeson’s views on Russia and socialism during the Jim Crow era); and/or

9. Any other related topic that may be put forth to help shed light on the situation of people of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.

Anyone interested in contributing to one of these topics is invited to respond to this call.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLICATION

Overall objective:

The overall objective is to contribute to the lack of information and focus on the situation of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans by producing a publication consisting of articles related to one of the above-listed topics.

Specific objectives:

• To bring attention to and raise awareness of the varying situations of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.
• To contribute to these under-researched issues by providing informative empirical research highlighting challenges and successes of the Black minorities in Europe.
• To provide personal, experiential accounts of individuals who have experienced racism first-hand.
• To highlight and advance positive narratives by promoting the often undetected and undervalued skills and attributes of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.
• To show that people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans contribute significantly to the prosperity of European society and economy.
• To provide facts and evidence to support this line of argument.
• To contribute to ENAR’s progressive narrative on equality and diversity for all.

The articles should be based on the author’s knowledge on the topic and with the aim to cover the various themes listed. Authors must possess skills in composing either scientific writing or literary narration, and adhere to the applicable methodology. Authors are asked to structure their texts as clearly as possible to meet the objectives of the publication. Clear and easily understandable English language should be used to convey the subject matter. Each submission should not be longer than 15 normal DIN4 pages (A4), in 1.5 spaced Times New Roman. Authors are requested to identify relevant references and to provide a bibliography.

DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

The deadline for submitting an article in English is May 30, 2012. Please include a paragraph describing your expertise and experience as well as a CV, which will be used to briefly describe the authors of the publication as part of the book contents.

Articles should be prepared in Microsoft Word format. Articles should be marked “ENAR Publication on People of African Descent” and sent by email to:

Shannon Pfohman
ENAR Secretariat
60 rue Gallait, B-1030 Bruxelles, Belgium
Tel: 0032 2 2405723
Email: shannon@enar-eu.org

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: questions and correspondence on this matter can also be directed to Shannon Pfohman - shannon@enar-eu.org

For submissions: shannon@enar-eu.org

Website: http://www.enar-eu.org

Deadline: 30 May 2012

ENAR is currently seeking authors to contribute articles to an ENAR publication on the people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans. This book project started in collaboration with the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), U.S. Congressman Alcee L. Hastings, and the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) aims to raise attention to the specific situation of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.

Based on ENAR’s years of experience working at the grassroots level to counter racism in Europe, in addition to the findings of the Helsinki Commission following the first congressional hearing in history on people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans held in 2008, the following findings have emerged. First, evidence suggests that there continues to be a lack of knowledge about people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans and their contributions to Europe’s social fabric. Secondly, racism and discrimination are found to be common experiences faced by many members of Europe’s Black population. Additionally, more attention needs to be devoted to people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans as well as to present day and historical issues impacting their lives. Against this background, the collaborative partners, under the leadership of ENAR, have agreed to contribute to this under researched issue by producing a book.

This publication is part of ENAR’s progressive narrative on equality and diversity for all, as we seek to build an inclusive society free of racism and related intolerance, where each individual enjoys equal opportunities to participate fully in society. By maximising the potential of all, ENAR envisions promoting confident and strong communities, integrated and cohesive societies, as well as a stable and prosperous Europe. The publication is planned to be a mix of academic writing and accounts of personal, practical experiences. A focus on the situation in Eastern Europe should also be included. The themes in the book could include the following points, depending on the interests of the potential authors:

1. The history of Blacks in Europe and/or a specific European country;

2. The historical or present day (auto)biography of a prominent person of African descent in Europe and/or Black Europeans (e.g. Anton Wilhelm Amo; Baroness Valerie Amos, Angelo Soliman);

3. The impact of slavery and colonialism on representations of Black ethnic minority people in Europe (e.g. the role of human zoos in dehumanisation processes);

4. Experiential or empirical research on people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans (e.g. a study on housing discrimination, political participation, Afro-European websites);

5. Contributions of Blacks to Europe’s social fabric (e.g. use of images of Moors in Medieval Europe, the work of Alexander Pushkin, political rap music);

6. Equality and anti-discrimination efforts (e.g. overviews of the work of the Black European Women’s Congress or Operation Black Vote; impact of the EU Racial Equality Directive on Black communities);

7. Partnerships and cooperation between the Black Diaspora and Europe (e.g. Black History Month in Germany, the 2009 Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Participation);

8. African-Americans in Europe (e.g. WEB Dubois and the meetings of the Pan-African Congress in European capitals; Paul Robeson’s views on Russia and socialism during the Jim Crow era); and/or

9. Any other related topic that may be put forth to help shed light on the situation of people of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.

Anyone interested in contributing to one of these topics is invited to respond to this call.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLICATION

Overall objective:

The overall objective is to contribute to the lack of information and focus on the situation of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans by producing a publication consisting of articles related to one of the above-listed topics.

Specific objectives:

• To bring attention to and raise awareness of the varying situations of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.
• To contribute to these under-researched issues by providing informative empirical research highlighting challenges and successes of the Black minorities in Europe.
• To provide personal, experiential accounts of individuals who have experienced racism first-hand.
• To highlight and advance positive narratives by promoting the often undetected and undervalued skills and attributes of people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans.
• To show that people of African descent in Europe and Black Europeans contribute significantly to the prosperity of European society and economy.
• To provide facts and evidence to support this line of argument.
• To contribute to ENAR’s progressive narrative on equality and diversity for all.

The articles should be based on the author’s knowledge on the topic and with the aim to cover the various themes listed. Authors must possess skills in composing either scientific writing or literary narration, and adhere to the applicable methodology. Authors are asked to structure their texts as clearly as possible to meet the objectives of the publication. Clear and easily understandable English language should be used to convey the subject matter. Each submission should not be longer than 15 normal DIN4 pages (A4), in 1.5 spaced Times New Roman. Authors are requested to identify relevant references and to provide a bibliography.

DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

The deadline for submitting an article in English is May 30, 2012. Please include a paragraph describing your expertise and experience as well as a CV, which will be used to briefly describe the authors of the publication as part of the book contents.

Articles should be prepared in Microsoft Word format. Articles should be marked “ENAR Publication on People of African Descent” and sent by email to:

Shannon Pfohman
ENAR Secretariat
60 rue Gallait, B-1030 Bruxelles, Belgium
Tel: 0032 2 2405723
Email: shannon@enar-eu.org

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries: questions and correspondence on this matter can also be directed to Shannon Pfohman - shannon@enar-eu.org

For submissions: shannon@enar-eu.org

Website: http://www.enar-eu.org

J. Burrage Publications, LLC has announced an open call for new writers to submit manuscripts within multiple genres. JBP specializes in new authors, with a focus on helping African-American women with stories to tell get their manuscript published and in the hands of readers around the world.

JBP is seeking new writers, though established writers are also welcome to submit manuscripts. Currently, JBP is accepting submissions in the following genres:

* Fiction (general, contemporary and urban)
* Poetry
* Science Fiction
* Mystery (general, contemporary and urban)

Urban and contemporary fiction are the most heavily sought submission types, and writers are asked only to submit samples of their manuscript (not full manuscripts). The publisher offers full submission guidelines at http://www.jbpublications.com/becoming_a_jbp_author/submission_guidelines.

JBP is a new publishing house that began accepting new authors in 2011, and their goal of “taking over the industry, one book at a time,” is very apparent. While the company might be new, they have published several critically acclaimed novels, including Caught Up, a street thriller, and Secrets Revealed, a sci-fi thriller. One factor that sets JBP apart from other publishers is their mission – to find unknown writers with powerful, compelling stories to tell and build their reputations. With a significant focus on attracting and promoting minority female authors, the publisher offers something that few others can.

The “3-B Dimension” experience is another innovative development here. This is an entirely new reading experience, designed to hook readers and leave them wanting more – creating the most unique experience the reader has ever known. Lesser-known writers, undiscovered talents and new authors will help build the 3-B Dimension through compelling stories unlike anything readers have read previously, creating a synergistic platform for all authors published through JBP.

How to Submit Your Manuscript

We highly suggest that you contact us at info@jbpublications.com to get more information prior to submitting a sample to us.

When submitting your book for consideration, DO NOT send the entire manuscript. Send the first three chapters, along with the written synopsis on what the book is about. Include your name, email address, and bio with your submission. Telephone number is helpful but not required. The sample and synopsis can be in Word or PDF format. All samples and manuscripts must be in 12-point font, Times New Roman type font, and double-spaced with 1 inch margins all around. Do not send a sample if you are not finished writing your manuscript. Incomplete manuscripts will not be considered.

Once your book has been considered, we will email you to inform you if it has been accepted for publishing. If accepted, we will then send you a contract and ask you to send the complete manuscript. This contract will explain the terms and conditions. You can either scan or fax the signed contract to us or you can mail it to the mailing address we will provide in the email. All complete manuscripts MUST be emailed in Word format. From there, the publishing process will begin.

If your book is not accepted, we will inform you on the reasons. This doesn’t necessarily means that your book is not worth publishing; it simply means that it is not what we are looking for at this time. You can always improve your manuscript and resubmit it at a later date.

Send your samples and completed manuscripts to submissions@jbpublications.com. Do not send samples or full manuscripts as part of the email (copying and pasting the sample in the body of the email). Send them as attachments to the email.

You can also mail samples to:

J. Burrage Publications, LLC
Attn: Submissions
P. O. Box 1949
Mesilla Park, NM 88047

All mailed submissions must follow the same format as if it was emailed. No handwritten submissions will be accepted and they must be bound. We do not return submissions, so do not send your only copy.

Any submission not following these guidelines will automatically be rejected.

Please allow 8 to 10 weeks for us to review your sample.

About J. Burrage Publications, LLC: Founded by author JB Burrage in 2007, J. Burrage Publications, LLC has seen significant growth, and opened their doors to new, unknown authors with compelling tales to weave. JBP is a company on a mission – to take advantage of e-publishing and Internet technology to bring readers the best novels and the most unique reading experience possible. Unlike most major publishers, JBP has embraced the e-publishing revolution and offers eBooks as well as printed books through an immense array of online retailers.

Via: news.yahoo.com

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@jbpublications.com

For submissions: submissions@jbpublications.com

Website: http://www.JBPublications.com

Date: 25 February 2012

Book N Gauge IX: Nine and Still Counting

Eight editions of Book n Gauge gone; and we’re still counting … The ninth edition is here! Book n Gauge is hosted by PulpFaction Book Club, in collaboration with Debonair Bookstore, Yaba, Lagos, and Wordsmithy Media. Book n Gauge IX: Nine and Still Counting would feature 1 author: El-Nukoya; and 2 performers: Nayo Soul and Razaq Ivori. The title of El-Nukoya’s book, Nine Lives, shares the similarity “9” with the slogan of this ninth reading. It’s definitely more than a coincidence!

Book n Gauge 9: Nine and Still Counting would feature:

El-Nukoya, Author of Nine Lives

El-Nukoya has written what literary critics describe as “an authentic Nigerian blockbuster” and a “riveting page turner.” The idea to put his thoughts on paper came in 1990 when he moved with his family to a quiet suburban neighbourhood in Lagos, Nigeria. “In my solitude, great rock and rap music lyricists such as Seal, Sting, Bono and Tupac Amaru Shakur brought me companionship. Inspired by their talent, I felt an urge to create something that was universal and timeless. The prevailing socio-political situation in Nigeria provided me with a virile subject. It was six years before I could pause,” El-Nukoya.

El-Nukoya did his first degree in Lagos, and graduate studies in North America. He currently lives and works in Lagos.

SYNOPSIS OF NINE LIVES

Olupitan Ogunrinu – bright and handsome but of humble pedigree – battles to assert himself within the social segregation of an elite university community. As he struggles with the moral contradiction, corruption and frivolity around him, he resolves not to be a victim in the predatory race to success, even when the immediate battle to belong seems lost.

A brilliant mind and rugged determination keep Olupitan’s aspirations in focus, until distraction comes in the form of Tolani Badmus, a pretty, intelligent lady, born with silver spoon, who falls in love with him against all the odds. Olupitan was soon to compromise his fiery ambition in a perpetual struggle to sustain his fragile, unnatural romance; and the relationship blossoms, or so it seems, until a revelation of deceit leads to heartbreak, near-failure and desperation. As Olupitan wallows in malaise; cultism beckons … The consequences are devastating.

Olupitan finds escape in America; but also squalor, loss of dignity and, eventually, illicit wealth. Wealth came with new ambitions, a quest for vengeance and a new destination, Lagos. Death, however, is an unintended factor in this game, prowling him as he wades through the murky waters of vanity, hatred and self-destruction

Nine Lives captures the historical culture of the Nigerian people and the new culture as evolved through decades of social hardship, corruption and misrule.

BLURBS

“A totally riveting page-turner, El~Nukoya weaves a moral tale and takes you on a journey across decades of Nigerian culture.”
– Joy Joses, National Magazine, UK

“That rare thing; an authentic Nigerian blockbuster.”
– Adewale Maja-Pearce, writer and editor

“A thrilling saga about settling scores. Olupitan Ogunrinu, moved by discrimination and mockery, sets out to make good, in defiance of society’s rigid boundaries, making friends and foes on his journey. Bad judgment and grave miscalculations narrow his choices… a cornered soul in search of an outlet, he turns bad, but recovers in time to find victory - by all means - and set himself on a new path to vengeance. An episode on the human quest for triumph, the intertwining lives, loves and hates make for a macabre tale. A hip and contemporary yarn, this novel grips you from the very first and doesn’t let up until the last revelatory page.”
– Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, writer and poet

“A powerful story! El~Nukoya is a very descriptive writer and I found myself visualising the scenes – especially the ones in Nigeria.”
– Gordon Barnhart, USASK, Canada

“A great piece of literary work…assuredly the pioneer of yet greater works to come. Surprisingly exciting and captivating.”
– Lakunle Lijadu, New York lawyer

“A masterpiece!”
– Charles Iyoha, publisher, Futureline magazine

PERFORMING

Nayo Soul >>>> Soul/Jazz singing sensation. 'NΑYÒ Soul, the lawyer, vocalist and songwriter, born Odunαyo Ayorinde, is a natural beauty, blessed with a voice that is part angel and part siren. The 25-year-old prodigy might well be the new face of soul music in Nigeria.

NΑYÒ started performing live as a teenager at age 19, which soon grew to regular performances. She has recorded three songs – Unconditional Love, Destiny Train and Rhythm of the Sound. Her music is earthy, light, melodic, joyful, and almost airborne. Although she stumbled on soul/jazz music by accident, she has however become addicted to the voice, instrumentation and arrangement of the music. Some of her influences include: Janelle Monae, Corrine Bailey Rae, Adele Adkins, India Arie, Lauryn Hill, Chrisette Michele, Jill Scott, Pink and newly discovered, Esperanza Spalding.

Razaq Ivori >>>> Spoken Word Artiste. He is a prolific writer whose career was launched by writing as “a ghost pen”, in the form of biographies, for the rich and famous. Razaq Ivori graduated from Ahmadu Bello University and the Institute of Journalism. He has two unpublished works in the offing: The Sperm, a Sci-Fi African drama piece and The Adventures of Illinick. He longs to bring back the art of the quintessential town crier poetic semantics which he dubs “narrative news”—a system where actual news content is infused in free flowing prose rendition like the Yoruba “ewi”, though delivered in English yet not without the characteristic melodic chant of the past. For six months, Ivori premiered this art at the Bogobiri House, ikoyi, where some said the uproar it generated prompted the proprietors to establish a full scale stage house next door for performance poetry.

Also expect:

• Book Reading Session
• Book Auction
• Live Performances: Music and Spoken Word
• Book signing
• Freebies, lots of it. Let’s start with this. Invite five friends, ensure they come for the event and win a free book.

TIME: 2pm – 5pm

VENUE: Debonair Bookstore, 294, Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: pulpfactioner@gmail.com

Website: http://www.facebook.com/groups/pulpfactionclub/

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

Date: 24 September 2011

The Miriam Tlali Reading & Book Club invites the public to engage “The Poverty of Ideas, South African Democracy and the Retreat of Intellectuals” with authors Leslie Dikeni and William Gumede, 24th September 2011, African Literature Bookshop, 191 Louis Botha Avenue, and Corner 8th Street, Orange Grove, from 14H00 to 16H30.

This groundbreaking book tackles the uncomfortable and much avoided issue of the devaluation of ideas and the intellect in the public sphere in post-apartheid South Africa. In particular, it examines the intolerance of criticism and dissent and the impact this has had and continues to have on the consolidation of democracy.

Contributors include: William Gumede on building a democratic political culture; Leslie Dikeni on pseudo-intellectuals, James Matthews on poets and dissidence, Albert Nolan on the spiritual life of intellectuals and many other intellectuals.

The discussants will be the co-editors, Leslie Dikeni, a political analyst and researcher at the graduate School of Public and Development Management at the University of Witwatersrand and William Gumede, the author of The New History of South Africa and Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC. He is also a Programme Director of the Africa Asia Centre, School of Orientation and African Studies at the London University.

The facilitator is Sandile Ngidi, one of South Africa’s leading journalists and editor of a literary journal, Baobab.

The programme will also feature the Kiddies’ and Teen’s sessions which accommodate kids aged 2-10 and teens aged 11 – 16. Thembi Mkhizwane of the Pimville Library Services will be facilitating the kiddies’ session by reading “Izinganekwane engazixoxelwa nguGogo by Lisa Grainger ” and the teen’s will be writing and performing poetry under the theme “My Language Is My Pride”, said the wRite associates.

Books will be available for sale. Entrance is free and people are encouraged to bring their kids.
“The Poverty of Ideas, South African Democracy and the Retreat of Intellectuals” can be bought at the wRite associates and leading book stores. The book price is R 180.00

To place an order and for more information, please contact the wRite associates at or 011-791 3585 or info@wRiteassociates.co.za or info@sala.org.za

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@wRiteassociates.co.za

For submissions: info@wRiteassociates.co.za

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

Deadline: 1 June 2012

The Bethwell A. Ogot Book Prize of the African Studies Association is awarded annually at the ASA Annual Meeting to the author of the best book on East African Studies published in the previous calendar year. Initiated in 2012, the award was made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of the late Professor Kennell Jackson, the award honors the eminent historian, Professor Bethwell A. Ogot.

ELIGIBILITY

Scholarly works published in any country, in any language in the previous calendar year are eligible for the award. Edited collections, new editions of previously published works, bibliographies, dictionaries and works of fiction are not eligible. For the purposes of this award East Africa is defined to include the territories of present day Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia (as constituted at independence), Djibouti, Eritrea, and Mauritius.

For the purposes of this prize, scholarly works will be understood broadly to encompass works informed by an understanding of the scholarship in a given field or fields. In making its selection the prize committee will pay particular attention to significance, originality and quality of writing.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

To nominate a book, publishers should send a nomination letter outlining the book’s significance. They should provide their name, publisher, address, email address, telephone, fax, the title(s) nominated, and one copy of each title to each of the following members of the prize committee:

Professor Edmond J. Keller
Department of Political Science?
3361 Ralph Bunche Hall?
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Phone: (310) 206-5581
Fax: (310) 825-0175(Fax)
Email: ekeller@ucla.edu

Professor Simone Gikandi
Department of English
22 McCosh Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544-1016
Office phones: 609-258-4060
Fax: 609-258-1607
Email: sgikandi@princeton.edu

Professor L. Carol Summers
Department of History
University of Richmond
316 Ryland Hall
University of Richmond, VA 23173
Phone: (804) 289-8976
Fax: (804) 287-1992
Email: lsummers@richmond.edu

Please also send an email indicating the contact person, publisher, address, email address, telephone, fax, and the title(s) of the nominated publication(s) to the African Studies Association at secretariat@africanstudies.org

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: secretariat@africanstudies.org

For submissions: send a copy to each of the prize committee members above

Website: http://www.africanstudies.org

Deadline: 1 June 2012

The Bethwell A. Ogot Book Prize of the African Studies Association is awarded annually at the ASA Annual Meeting to the author of the best book on East African Studies published in the previous calendar year. Initiated in 2012, the award was made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of the late Professor Kennell Jackson, the award honors the eminent historian, Professor Bethwell A. Ogot.

ELIGIBILITY

Scholarly works published in any country, in any language in the previous calendar year are eligible for the award. Edited collections, new editions of previously published works, bibliographies, dictionaries and works of fiction are not eligible. For the purposes of this award East Africa is defined to include the territories of present day Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia (as constituted at independence), Djibouti, Eritrea, and Mauritius.

For the purposes of this prize, scholarly works will be understood broadly to encompass works informed by an understanding of the scholarship in a given field or fields. In making its selection the prize committee will pay particular attention to significance, originality and quality of writing.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

To nominate a book, publishers should send a nomination letter outlining the book’s significance. They should provide their name, publisher, address, email address, telephone, fax, the title(s) nominated, and one copy of each title to each of the following members of the prize committee:

Professor Edmond J. Keller
Department of Political Science?
3361 Ralph Bunche Hall?
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Phone: (310) 206-5581
Fax: (310) 825-0175(Fax)
Email: ekeller@ucla.edu

Professor Simone Gikandi
Department of English
22 McCosh Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544-1016
Office phones: 609-258-4060
Fax: 609-258-1607
Email: sgikandi@princeton.edu

Professor L. Carol Summers
Department of History
University of Richmond
316 Ryland Hall
University of Richmond, VA 23173
Phone: (804) 289-8976
Fax: (804) 287-1992
Email: lsummers@richmond.edu

Please also send an email indicating the contact person, publisher, address, email address, telephone, fax, and the title(s) of the nominated publication(s) to the African Studies Association at secretariat@africanstudies.org

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: secretariat@africanstudies.org

For submissions: send a copy to each of the prize committee members above

Website: http://www.africanstudies.org

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: 1 January 2012

Proposals for essays should be between 750 and 1000 words and should articulate a clear critical question in relation to a set of primary and secondary texts. It is the editors’ view (in accordance with the view of most academic presses) that a successful edited collection needs a clear and compelling organizing narrative and, thus, successful proposals will articulate clearly which critical narratives are at work within their rhetorical structures and why. Completed proposals are due on January 1, 2012 and can be sent to either Derek C. Maus (mausdc@potsdam.edu) or James J. Donahue (donahujj@potsdam.edu) or mailed in hard-copy to Derek Maus, 244 Morey Hall, State University of New York at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY, 13676. We welcome any inquiries or questions about the volume prior to this submission date as well. Submitters will be notified about the status of their essays by February 1, 2012 and final essays of 4500-6000 words will be due on June 1, 2012 with a projected publication date some time in 2013. We have received strong initial interest in this volume from a major academic press and have every reason to believe it will be accepted for publication along to this timeline.

Possible topics (others are welcomed)

* Dawolu Jabari Anderson (visual artist; The Birth of a Nation: Yo! Bumrush the Show)
* Damali Ayo (conceptual artist and writer; rent-a-negro.com; Obaminstan!: Land Without Racism)
* Kevin Avery (“Siskel and Negro”; Thugs: the Musical)
* Paul Beatty (novelist; The White Boy Shuffle; Slumberland; Tuff; etc.)
* W. Kamau Bell (The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour; Face Full of Flour; Laughter Against the Machine)
* Black Dynamite (film)
* Dave Chappelle (Chappelle’s Show; stand-up comedy)
* Chocolate News (short-lived African American-themed satirical news-show on Comedy Central hosted by David Alan Grier)
* Rusty Cundieff (Fear of a Black Hat; Tales from the Hood; etc.)
* Ego Trip (magazine and website)
* Trey Ellis (novelist, screenwriter; Platitudes; Home Repairs; Right Here, Right Now)
* Patrice Evans (Negropedia: The Assimilated Negro's Crash Course on the Modern Black Experience; “The Assimilated Negro” blog)
* Percival Everett (novelist; A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid; Erasure; I Am Not Sidney Poitier; etc.)
* Donald Glover (stand-up comedy; Community; "Childish Gambino" hip=hop performances)
* David Hammons (visual and conceptual artist; "African American Flag")
* D. L. Hughley (stand-up comedy; D.L. Hughley Breaks the News [CNN show])
* Darius James (Negrophobia: An Urban Parable)
* Charles Johnson (novelist; Oxherding Tale; Middle Passage; etc.)
* Mat Johnson (novelist; Pym; Hunting in Harlem)
* Keith Knight (cartoonist of The K Chronicles and (Th)ink)
* Spike Lee (filmmaker; School Daze; Bamboozled)
* Aaron McGruder (Boondocks comic strip and television show)
* Paul Mooney (stand-up comedy; television)
* Tracy Morgan (stand-up comedy; Saturday Night Live; 30 Rock)
* Z.Z. Packer (short-story writer; novelist; Drinking Coffee Elsewhere)
* Ishmael Reed (novelist; The Terrible Twos; The Terrible Threes; Japanese By Spring; Juice!)
* Chris Rock (Saturday Night Live; The Chris Rock Show; stand-up comedy)
* Wanda Sykes (stand-up comedy; various television shows)
* Baratunde Thurston (writer and editor for The Onion; Better Than Crying: Poking Fun at Politics, the Press & Pop Culture; How to Be Black)
* Touré (novelist, short-story writer; journalist; Soul City; The Portable Promised Land)
* Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle)
* Keenen Ivory Wayans and other Wayans family members (In Living Color; I’m Gonna Get You Sucka; White Chicks; etc.)
* Colson Whitehead (novelist; The Intuitionist; John Henry Days; Apex Hides the Hurt; etc.)
* George C. Wolfe (The Colored Museum)

Patrice Evans, who blogs under the moniker “The Assimilated Negro,” published an online essay on the ebonyjet.com website late in 2007 that lamented the seeming lack of satire in mainstream black culture:

[W]hy does it seem like black people are missing the boat -- treating the SS Satire like a slave ship? Sometimes it feels we only get the joke if it's the lowest common denominator, otherwise we have to put on our suits and let Oprah or Tyler Perry hold our hands and make sure there's a heavy Maya Angelou level of respect.[…] Where are the black branded satirists? Maybe we don't get it. Maybe we don't care to get it. Are there no satirists because of the lack of demand? It can't be for lack of opportunity. Every week we get a new race-event begging for lampooning: Watson, Jena 6, OJ, Imus, Michael Richards, Vick .... all present unique opportunities to make a joke that might mean a little more to someone with melanin.

Evans goes on to engage in some “speculative armchair psychology” and wonder openly if what he calls the “critical”, “literary”, and “detached” elements of satire are not barriers to African Americans’ participation in this mode of cultural commentary. Not surprisingly, Evans’s article garnered numerous online responses, both in its original form and in numerous repostings around the Internet. We seek to assemble a collection of scholarly essays about satire in contemporary African American culture in order to develop that response in both depth and breadth, examining both the premises that undergird Evans’s original claims and a range of African American satirists working in a variety of media over the past thirty years.
Our volume seeks to build on the solid foundation laid by Darryl Dickson-Carr’s African American Satire (Univ. of Missouri Press, 2001) and the contributors to Dana Williams’s collection African American Humor, Irony and Satire (Cambridge Scholars, 2007). To that end we seek essays that critically examine African American satirical works since 1980, with an eye towards synthesizing a nuanced picture not only of the variety of forms in which African American satire appears but also of the larger media environment in which it participates. We invite close readings of individual satirists (a list of potential topics is appended below, but we welcome essays on other artists, especially women, from all media) as well as overarching meta-critical and theoretical discussions of themes, (sub)genres, or other aspects of the satirical mode as it relates to contemporary African American culture. We also would welcome essays that examine the use of satire by artists and within works not usually associated with the mode (e.g., Dickson-Carr’s discussion of Toni Morrison’s Jazz in his book) and wish to emphasize that our definition of satire is not limited solely to comedic or satiric-parodic works.

Proposals for essays should be between 750 and 1000 words and should articulate a clear critical question in relation to a set of primary and secondary texts. It is the editors’ view (in accordance with the view of most academic presses) that a successful edited collection needs a clear and compelling organizing narrative and, thus, successful proposals will articulate clearly which critical narratives are at work within their rhetorical structures and why. Completed proposals are due on January 1, 2012 and can be sent to either Derek C. Maus (mausdc@potsdam.edu) or James J. Donahue (donahujj@potsdam.edu) or mailed in hard-copy to Derek Maus, 244 Morey Hall, State University of New York at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY, 13676. We welcome any inquiries or questions about the volume prior to this submission date as well. Submitters will be notified about the status of their essays by February 1, 2012 and final essays of 4500-6000 words will be due on June 1, 2012 with a projected publication date some time in 2013. We have received strong initial interest in this volume from a major academic press and have every reason to believe it will be accepted for publication along to this timeline.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: mausdc@potsdam.edu or donahujj@potsdam.edu

For submissions: mausdc@potsdam.edu or donahujj@potsdam.edu

Deadline: 31 December 2011

African autobiography has no doubt developed over the decades as a distinct literary tradition that deals in and with personal, communal as well as national histories and aspirations, cultural and religious values among other issues. As a genre of African literature, it has usually been studied as an appendage to other genres, such that while prose, poetry, and drama have books, journal issues, and conferences dedicated to them, African autobiography has to its credit mainly regional or gender-based critical works. So far, in the history of the genre, James Olney’s Tell me Africa (1973) and the special issue of Research in African Literatures (1997) edited by Patricia Geesey are two of the few boldest evidences of a continental critical inquiry into it. This book intends to provide a collection of essays which cover most aspects of African autobiography.

We seek critical essays that focus on areas which include (but not limited to):

• Theories of African autobiography
• Sub-genres such as memoir, diary, curriculum vitae, medical
• autobiographical writing
• African autobiography and the electronic media
• African autobiography and politics
• Religion and African autobiography
• Gender and African autobiography
• We encourage chapter contributions that cross genres and also those that engage contemporary issues.

Minimum of 5,000 words and maximum of 8,000 words, Times new Roman, double spaced
Submit to fohunsu@oauife.edu.ng or oyinhunsu@yahoo.com

Contact Information:

For inquiries: fohunsu@oauife.edu.ng or oyinhunsu@yahoo.com

For submissions: fohunsu@oauife.edu.ng or oyinhunsu@yahoo.com

Deadline: 26 March 2012

2011 Submission Criteria for Burt Award for African Literature - Tanzania

OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPETITION

• To support and motivate the development of supplementary reading materials for a critical stage of learning-the transition period between mother tongue and English medium instruction.
• To strengthen the English language skills of its reading audience and help foster improved skill levels and enthusiasm for reading.
• To stimulate and support the African publishing industry and African literature.
• To increase the stock of English readers in established school libraries and other libraries in Tanzania.
• To recognize excellence in young adult fiction from Africa.

• The story should be prose fiction containing content and language appropriate for upper primary school pupils, thus youth between 12-15 years old.
• The story should be written in English.
• The story should be prose fiction containing content and language appropriate for ages 12 – 15.
• The story should demonstrate a sound command of English, through clear, cohesive language and proper sentence structure, vocabulary and punctuation.
• The story should have a strong literacy merit including;
• Engaging characters with whom young readers can identify and protagonists who overcome challenges or obstacles in a positive way.
• A well-developed plot with a good flow of events.
• The story should inspire Tanzanian children and youth to read.
• The story should have an excellent storytelling style e.g. strong imagery, lively dialogue, and vivid description to arouse young readers’ interest and curiosity and keep them turning pages.
• The story should reflect current issues and challenges of concern to contemporary Tanzania.
• Manuscripts which have the potential to evolve into a book series or sequel will be welcome.

Publishers shall submit manuscripts on behalf of authors. A publisher is eligible to submit up to 3 manuscripts annually for the competition. Manuscripts will be prepared in collaboration from the start by authors with their publishers. This is a deliberate measure to ensure that the submitted manuscripts are edited to a great extent before they are submitted for consideration.

COMPETITION STIPULATIONS

• Authors must be residents and nationals of Tanzania.
• Winning authors from the previous year’s competition are not permitted to submit a manuscript until the following year in order to and avoid monopoly of the award by the same.

• The length of the manuscript should be between 30,000-40,000 words (equivalent to approximately 90-120 pages)
• The manuscript should be in chapter form
• The manuscript should be type-written and double spaced
• The font type should be Times New Roman, font size 12

All manuscripts should be submitted to the Children’s Book Project office by 26th of March 2012 at 14:00, including a soft copy to cbpvitabu@yahoo.com.

JURYING PROCESS

Manuscripts will be reviewed by a qualified jury and assessed on the criteria set out above. The jury will determine a short-list of titles eligible to win prizes once they are further edited and published into books.

PUBLISHING OF MANUSCRIPTS: FROM MANUSCRIPT TO PUBLISHED BOOK

Shortlisted manuscripts will be furthered rewritten and edited by the authors with their publishers. Only once the titles are fully edited and in published book format will they be reviewed again by the jury to award first, second and third prize. There is no guarantee that shortlisted titles will win prizes. Only those that are of the highest quality are worthy and eligible of being prize winners.

AWARDS FOR WINNING AUTHORS

• 1st Prize in Canadian $9,000
• 2nd Prize in Canadian $7,000
• 3rd Prize in Canadian $5,000

As part of the Award, publishers will receive a guaranteed purchase of a portion of three-fifths of the printed copies produced. Those copies purchased by CBP through the Award will be distributed to the Children’s Book Project’s network of supported schools and other community libraries. The publishers will be responsible for making the other copies available to the general public.

NOTE: CBP invites writers who need assistance in promoting their writing to publishers to contact CBP who can help facilitate manuscripts being sent to publishers for their consideration.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: cbpvitabu@yahoo.com or codehq@codecan.org

For submissions: Ali Hassan Mwinyi Rd. 39B Ursino South, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with a soft copy sent to cbpvitabu@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.cbp.or.tz

Deadline: 4 July 2012 and 4 November 2012

Parrésia is Nigeria’s most innovative Publisher and Publishing Solutions company. We comprise a team of diverse professionals banded together for one purpose—producing great books, your books! This informs our motto, your words . . . in trust.

We are interested in fiction of the highest quality by new authors from Africa that capture the contemporary African reality in all its nuance and detail. We have great faith in the very best of the emerging crop of African writers, children of the digital revolution and heirs to socio-political upheavals.

Parrésia provides the robust book production services of the full traditional printing process and bookstore-based distribution across Africa and the most modern forms of book publishing including eBooks and print-on-demand books and resilient e-marketing campaigns. Our independent Literary Agency, recognizing the desire of a greater number of new writers to completely control the production of their book, offers manuscript assessment, book production management and legal representation services to writers desirous of self publishing.

Our genre of interest is Fiction, interpreted broadly. Our authors of interest are authors with something new to say, with a bias for new authors without discrimination. In line with our guiding philosophy, we do not at the moment reprint books already published outside Africa.

CALL FOR SUBMISSION

We have three submission windows per year. These are:

• 5th of January – 4th March
• 5th of May – 4th of July
• 5th of September – 4th of November

SELECTION

• Submissions that have potential will be selected
• Selected Authors would be contacted indicating interest.
• We will then request a full synopsis and inquire about the complete manuscript.
• Provisional Offer

• Sign on fee
• Editorial license
• Royalty agreement

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: azafi@parresia.com.ng or richard.ali@parresia.com.ng

For submissions: parrésia@parresia.com

Website: http://parresia.com.ng/

Deadline: 29 July 2011

Renowned worldwide for featuring some of the best and brightest new talent, Wasafiri launched an annual New Writing Prize as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations in 2009. Now in its third year the competition is open to anyone worldwide who has not published a complete book. We are looking for creative submissions in one of three categories: Poetry, Fiction or Life Writing.

Simply fill in the form and send it to us with your entry and a fee of UK Sterling £6.00 if entering one category, £10.00 for two and £15.00 for three categories (see terms and conditions). Payment may be made by PayPal here. The closing date is 5pm GMT on 29 July 2011. Entrants who are visually impaired or who are prevented from typing through disability can enter work on audio CD. Download the Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2011 Application Form >> and let the words flow!

Guidelines

Renowned worldwide for featuring some of the best and brightest new talent, Wasafiri launched an annual New Writing Prize as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations in 2009. Since Wasafiri was first published in 1984, it has consistently aimed to shift the contours of established literary canons and remapped the borders of international contemporary writing, creating new imaginative spaces and publishing some of the most promising new literary voices. In the words of acclaimed author Aminatta Forna, ‘In a world which gives voice only to the few, Wasafiri comes to us like a choir of thousands singing the stories of everywhere.’

How to enter

The competition is open to anyone worldwide who has not published a complete book. We are looking for creative submissions in one of three categories: Poetry, Fiction or Life Writing. Simply fill in the entry form and send it to us with your entry and a fee of UK Sterling £6.00 if entering one category, £10.00 for two and £15.00 for three categories (see overleaf for terms and conditions). The closing date is 5pm GMT on 29 July 2011. Entrants who are visually impaired or who are prevented from typing through disability can enter work on audio CD.

Prizes

£300 will be awarded to the winner of each category and their work will be
published in Wasafiri.

Judges

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) Editor
of Wasafiri and Professor
of Modern Literature
at the Open University

Daljit Nagra
Critically acclaimed poet,
winner of the Forward Prize (2007)
and ACE Decibel Award (2008)

Brian Chikwava
Award-winning writer
and recipient of the
Caine Prize for
African Writing in 2004

Jackie Kay
Celebrated prose writer,
poet and playwright, awarded an MBE
for services to literature in 2006

Download application form >>

Return this form to Wasafiri, The Open University in London, 1-11 Hawley Crescent, London, NW1 8NP, UK with your entry and cheque or postal order for UK Sterling £6.00, £10.00 or £15.00, depending on the number of categories you wish to enter. You can also pay online through PayPal at www.wasafiri.org.

Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to ‘Wasafiri Ltd’. Entries submitted without payment will be disqualified. Please ensure your envelope is adequately stamped. Wasafiri will be unable to pay the difference. If some one else has written the cheque on your behalf, please ask them to write your name on the back. Mark clearly on the envelope ‘New Writing Prize’. We regret that we cannot accept submissions received after the deadline of 29 July 2011.

Conditions of Entry

1. The competition is open to any nationality and any age group.

2. Word limit is 3000 maximum.

3. Work submitted must be previously unpublished, original and in English. It should not have been submitted to any other competition.

4. Work must be typed, double-spaced, on A4 paper, single-sided only.

5. Do not write your name or provide any other form of identification on your manuscript. All submissions will be considered without the judges knowing the identity of the entrant.

6. Work will only be accepted if accompanied by an official entry form and fee payable to Wasafiri Ltd. If you require acknowledgement of receipt, entries must also be accompanied by a stamped addressed postcard.

7. We regret that manuscripts cannot be altered after submission.

8. If emailing your manuscript, please send it as a Word attachment. Do not paste it into the bottom of the email and provide details of accompanying documentation (e.g. paypal confirmation; entry form; delivery of cheque/postal order).

9. All electronic submissions will receive an acknowledgement.

10. Fee is per category: the entrant can submit a maximum of one entry per category— in the Poetry category one submission can include up to five poems.

11. Entries must be received at the offices of Wasafiri, The Open University in London, 1-11 Hawley Crescent, London, NW1 8NP, UK no later than 5pm GMT on 29 July 2011.

12. The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence or discussion concerning the judges’ decision will be entered into.

13. The copyright will remain with the winning authors. Acceptance of the prize will indicate the author’s agreement to their work being published in Wasafiri and the inclusion in a possible anthology of the best work received.

14. Wasafiri reserves the right to edit the winning entries.

15. Failure to meet the conditions of entry will mean that a submission is automatically disqualified from the competition.

16. No person may win more than one prize.

17. The competition is not open to members of the Wasafiri Board.

18. Because the prize is aimed at new writers unfortunately we are unable to accept entries from previous winners of the NWP.

19. Shortlisted authors will be notified in September 2011.

20. A list of shortlisted authors will be put on our website in October 2011 and can be posted out if requested.

21. Wasafiri reserves the right to alter the schedules in 19 and 20 above. If any alterations occur, details will be posted on the Wasafiri website.

22. Manuscripts will not be returned.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: n.a.jones@open.ac.uk

For submissions: Wasafiri, The Open University in London, 1-11 Hawley Crescent, London, NW1 8NP, UK

Website: http://www.wasafiri.org

Date: 1 - 6 November 2011

The successes of the Ghana International Book Fair over the years have largely been attributed to the active participation of international visitors particularly Nigerian Publishers and printers and publishers from India, and the contributions and commitments by some individuals and organisations. Institutions such as the Ministry of Education, Canadian Organisation for Development through Education (CODE), the Ghana Book Trust, the African Publishers Network (APNET), the World Bank Publishing Department and others equally relevant have continued to support the international book fair and have also boosted the morale of the organisers.

The Ghana International Book Fair offer African Publishers the gateway to West Africa in terms of trade opportunities. There are a variety of exhibitors and visitors offering meaningful exchange in selling rights, co-publishing, joint ventures and direct buying. Some publishers have noted that they had been busy selling and buying rights during GIBF.

GIBF is quite educational as it shows that effective promotion resulting in a successful book Fair.

The Fair this year intends to showcase Ghana’s Cultural Heritage especially in the literary sphere. It will provide an opportunity for the Book Industry to display their new editions and a marketplace for networking and for trading of rights among stakeholders in the sub-region. Again, a platform is also being created for dialogue with policymakers to find solutions to enhance the reading culture especially among school-going children, addressing issues that relate to books and their impact on National Development.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@ghanabookfair.com

Website: http://www.ghanabookfair.com