Submission window to open January 15, 2024.
By Helena Olori
Ahead of its 25th anniversary, the AKO Caine Prize Award for African Writing has announced its itinerary for the year 2024, featuring significant modifications to the annual prize cycle.
For the forthcoming edition, the submission window will span from January 15th to March 31st, 2024, deviating from the previous November to January submission window.
The unveiling of the shortlist is slated for July, with the winner’s announcement following in September.
(Read also: Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo Win 24th Edition of the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing)
In a recent communication on X, the organisers stated, “This adjustment makes room for us to prepare for a new and exciting calendar year, especially as we approach the Prize’s 25th anniversary. So you can expect an even more exceptional Prize experience ahead!”
The statement also asserts that the 2024 Caine Prize submission season will be the most substantial and daring.
“We’ve got some exciting surprises in store for next year’s prize”, it added.
(Read also: Evaristo Prize for African Poetry opens submission for 2024 Edition)
The AKO Caine Prize Award for African Writing was founded in 2000 to amplify African literature to a broader audience. It serves as a connecting platform for readers and African writers through its series of public events as well as supports emerging writers in Africa by facilitating their entry into mainstream publishing through the annual Caine Prize writers’ workshop which takes place in a different African country each year.
The annual literary award, named after the late Sir Michael Caine, awards the winner a grand prize of £10,000, while the shortlisted stories are published in the Caine Prize anthology by Cassava Republic Press in the UK and publishers in African countries.
Further details about the prize will be announced in the coming days.