Competition
Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry
African Poetry Book Fund (Brown University)
At a glance
- Deadline
- Closes 1 December 2026, 40 days leftThe posting gives a date, not a time. Days left are counted in Lagos time.
- Fee
- No fee to apply
- Who may apply
- An African writer (born in Africa, national or resident of an African country, or with African parents) who has not published a book-length poetry collection, writing in English, with a manuscript of at least 50 pages
- Where
- Online submission, from anywhere
A prize for an African poet with no published collection: USD 1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press. Manuscripts are read anonymously and submitted online.
The facts
- What you get
- USD 1,000 and book publication
- Where
- Online submission, from anywhere
- How long
- Submissions open 15 September to 1 December each year
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
- An African writer (born in Africa, national or resident of an African country, or with African parents) who has not published a book-length poetry collection, writing in English, with a manuscript of at least 50 pages
Get ready to apply
Built only from what this listing states.
A long application, by our reading.
1. What to get ready
An online form; it names no documents. Some forms do not save as you go, so set aside time to do it in one sitting.
In their words: “Electronic submission only through Submittable, linked from the page.”
2. Dates
- Closes 1 December 2026, in 40 days.
- Aim to send it by 28 November 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.
More like this, open now
How we checked this
This was opened and verified at African Poetry Book Fund (Brown University)'s own website on 11 October 2026: it was real, still open, and open to people from African countries. If anything here is wrong, tell us.