Competition
Evaristo Prize for African Poetry 2026 (USD 1,500 for ten poems)
African Poetry Book Fund, Brown University
At a glance
- Deadline
- Closes 1 November 2026, 10 days leftThe posting gives a date, not a time. Days left are counted in Lagos time.
- Fee
- No fee to apply
- Who may apply
- you are a poet in English (translations welcome) with no full-length poetry book published; chapbooks and self-published books are fine
- Where
- Online, by Submittable
A USD 1,500 prize for ten poems by an African poet who has not yet published a full-length poetry book, with a shortlist in April and a winner in May.
The facts
- What you get
- USD 1,500 prize
- Where
- Online, by Submittable
- How long
- Submissions 1 October to 1 November 2026; shortlist April, winner May
Where you stand
This one is free. There is no fee to apply, and nobody should ask you for money at any point.
What they ask for
- you are a poet in English (translations welcome) with no full-length poetry book published; chapbooks and self-published books are fine
Get ready to apply
Built only from what this listing states.
A short application, by our reading.
1. What to get ready
The listing does not say what it needs. When you open their page, write down everything it asks for before you start.
2. Dates
- Closes 1 November 2026, in 10 days.
- Aim to send it by 29 October 2026. Websites slow down near a deadline, and data runs out. Our advice
Download checklist (.txt) Send to WhatsApp
The download is a small text file. You can read it later without data. It also lists each condition they set, so you can tick yourself against them. WhatsApp sends the same list to you, or to somebody helping you.
No CV yet? Make a plain one from your answers. Nothing you type is kept.
Tips for applying for a competition
General advice from us, the same for every competition. It is not what this organisation says; that is above.
- Read the rules and the judging criteria first, and write to them.
- Check who owns your work after you enter. The rules usually say.
- Submit a day early. Upload pages are often slow near a deadline.
If there is an interview or a test
- If there is a final or a pitch, practise out loud and time yourself.
All our tips and messages to copy. Practise answering, with nothing kept. Received an offer? Check whether it is real, then read before you say yes.
How to apply
You apply on African Poetry Book Fund, Brown University's own website, not here. We never send an application for anybody and we never ask you for anything to pass on. Check their page for anything not shown here.
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How we checked this
This was opened and verified at African Poetry Book Fund, Brown University's own website on 4 October 2026: it was real, still open, and open to people from African countries. If anything here is wrong, tell us.