Submissions Open for the 2027 Evaristo Prize for African Poetry

Poets eligible to enter must be born in Africa, be nationals or residents of an African country, or have African parents. At the time of submission, they must not have published a full-length poetry book, although self-published collections, chapbooks, and pamphlets do not disqualify them.

Entrants are required to submit exactly ten poems, each limited to 40 lines. Poems primarily written in English are preferred, but translated works are accepted too. If a translated poem wins, a portion of the prize money will go to the translator.

Previously published works and poems that have won other awards can be submitted. Past entrants may also reapply but should consider submitting new material.

Submissions can be made between 1 October and 1 November via Submittable, as email submissions will not be accepted. While there are no strict formatting rules, entrants are encouraged to use 12-point Times New Roman or Arial, single-spaced, with one poem per page, and submissions should be entirely in black.

Judging for the prize is conducted anonymously, therefore no identifying information should be included in the manuscript or its file name. Personal details such as name, nationality, and contact information should be provided in the cover letter on Submittable, which will not be visible to the judges. Once submitted, poems cannot be edited.

The Evaristo Prize was established in 2012 by British author Bernardine Evaristo as the Brunel International African Poetry Prize. After Evaristo managed the prize for ten years, it was transferred to the African Poetry Book Fund in 2022 and renamed. The award continues to focus on promoting emerging African poets and expanding their audiences.

The deadline for submissions is 1 November.