Floods. Wildfires. Oceans of plastic. Chemical rivers. Melting ice caps. The polar vortex. Storms during the dry season. Extreme heat. Drought. The climate is changing, the environment becoming ever more hostile in humanity’s hands.
We’re in the throes of inner and social maelstroms, caught up in the ever-growing warning quakes of social media activism and rising floods of anxiety. Torn between our dependence on fossil fuels and the desire to create sustainable tech with the power to save us.
We want your stories of change, protest, destruction, adaptation, disruption and [re]creation. Stories that explore how changing climates affect us, our adaptations to the environment, and the innovations that bring us hope.
In 2019, Short Story Day Africa is seeking short fiction exploring disruption, especially but not limited to climate and environ[mental] disruption.
Prizes:
- First prize: $800
- Second prize: $200
- Third prize: $100
Eligibility Criteria:
- Simultaneous submissions are not welcome. Any story entered or published elsewhere during the course of judging or publication will be disqualified.
- Any African citizen or African person living in the diaspora*, as well as persons residing permanently (granted permanent residence or similar) in any African country, may enter.
- Writers may only submit one story for the competition. Repeat entries by the same writer will be disqualified.
- Writers are welcome to submit stories in any fiction genre.
- Stories must be relevant to the theme, although we do encourage creative interpretations.
- Stories must be between 3000 and 5000 words in length.
- Stories must be submitted in English. While you are free to incorporate other languages into your story, the story must be able to be understood fully by its English content.
- Stories must be submitted online via Submittable between 1 June 2019 – 3 1 October 2019. The link to the submission form will be made live on 1 June 2019.
- To facilitate easy reading and judging, please format your stories according to the format stipulated below. Stories not formatted in this way are at the risk of being disqualified.
- Stories must not have been previously published in any form or any format.
- You are welcome to enter under a pseudonym or nom de plume, as long as you also include your real name along with your entry.
- All entries will be judged anonymously. Please DO NOT put your name or any other identifying details anywhere on your manuscript.
- The judges’ decision is final.
- By submitting a story the author attests that it is their own original work and grants exclusive global print and digital rights to Short Story Day Africa for one year, and thereafter agrees to seek permission to republish and when published elsewhere attributes first publication to Short Story Day Africa; non-exclusive digital rights to Worldreader to publish individual stories on Worldreader Mobile; and non-exclusive digital rights to Johannesburg Review of Books for publicity purposes.
- By entering, the author agrees to allowing Short Short Story Day Africa to include their entry in an anthology should it be selected by the judges; and to working with editors to get their story publication ready.
- We will not share your personal information with anyone. We will, however, add you to Short Story Day Africa mailing list for the sole purpose of informing you of next year’s event, or of other Short Story Day Africa events that may be of interest to you.
* Citizens of African countries or former citizens who have given up citizenship for whatever reason, and second generation Africans whose parents are/were African citizens.
Required Manuscript Format
- Type your document, using a single, clear font, 12-point size, double-spaced. The easiest font to use is Times New Roman, or a similar serif font.
- Put the title of your story at the top of the first page. Please give your story an original title. Please DO NOT title your story Hotel Africa, SSDA Story or any similar version of such. Start your story immediately below the title.
- Put an accurate word count at the top right.
- Please number the pages.
- Left-justify your paragraphs.
- Ensure there is at least a 1 inch or 2 centimetre margin all the way around your text.
- Indent each new paragraph by about 1/2 inch or 1 centimetre, except for the first line of the story or the first line of a new scene. Please use the indent function of your programme, not multiple spaces or tabs.
- Don’t insert extra lines between your paragraphs. A blank line indicates a new scene.
- Put the word “End†after the end of your text, centred, on its own line.
