OPEN ARTS, an arts and literary collective based in Kaduna, Nigeria, in partnership with GANDUN KALMOMI, also based in Kaduna, is calling for entries for the inaugural AMINIYA-TRUST HAUSA SHORT STORY WRITING COMPETITION.
Sponsored by AMINIYA-TRUST NEWSPAPERS, the Hausa edition of Daily Trust Newspapers, this Short Story Writing Competition is designed to promote the development of Hausa literature. It is hoped that this competition will be organized annually by OPEN ARTS and GANDUN KALMOMI.
THEME
This literary competition will have an annual theme. The theme for 2020 is CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY AND POLITICKING IN NIGERIA.
You have the literary freedom to play with this theme in various means in your story, but mainly in creative and fictional means. The completion is not open for non-fiction of any means or translations or other genres of writing.
It is expected that your entry conforms to Hausa traditions and cultural norms. Writers in any part of the world between the ages of 18 — 35 can submit their stories. Joint entries are also permitted for up to a maximum of two (2) writers per story.
WORD COUNT
All entries should fall between the word count of 1000 —1500 words
SUBMISSION
All entries should be sent to wasikunaminiya@dailytrust.com as a Microsoft Word attachment, including full name, a short bio, home or office address, and phone number.
DEADLINE
Submissions will be open from May 15, 2020, and close at 11:59pm West African Time (WAT) on July 15, 2020. Entries sent outside the submission window will not be considered.
PRIZES
The top 3 entries will be awarded prizes as follows:
1st Position: N250,000
2nd Position: N 150,000
3rd Position: N 100,000
The top 15 entries will be published as part of an anthology, and certificates of recognition will be provided.
COMPETITION TIMELINE
- Entries open on May 15, 2020, and close at 11:59pm West African Time (WAT) on July 15, 2020.
- From July 15, 2020, readers begin to sift through received entries.
- Stage 2 readers that are experts in the field of Hausa literature will bring out a long list of 15 entries.
- In August 2020, three (3) selected judges will go through the long list and identify the winners.
- Winners of the 2020 Aminiya-Trust Hausa Short Story Competition will be announced in September 2020.
- Between September and October 2020, the top 15 entries will be edited and be published as part of an anthology with the top 3 entries translated into English for worldwide distribution.
- In November 2020, the 15 writers on the longlist will be interviewed and published in AMINIYA and TRUST Newspapers and on GANDUN KALMOMI and OPEN ARTS platforms.
- In December 2020, an award ceremony will be held in Kaduna.
ABOUT OPEN ARTS
Open Arts is a literary collective committed to promoting the arts and creative endeavours based in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. Open Arts as a creative organisation touches the expression of passion in the literary world as part of its mission and vision of making a positive difference in the lives of people in the community through the creative arts.
