Anthology flyer.

A new anthology aiming to curate the most remarkable voices on the poetry scene is here. 20.35 Africa: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry will be guest-edited by Sudan’s Safia Elhillo, co-winner of the 2015 Brunel International African Poetry Prize and author of the 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize-winning The January Children, and Nigeria’s Gbenga Adesina, co-winner of the 2016 Brunel International African Poetry Prize, and most recently in conversation with Pulitzer Prize winner Tyehimba Jess. Both poets were finalists for the 2017 Brittle Paper Award for Poetry.

In the making since 2016, 20.35 Africa‘s focus is on both young and established African poets within 20-35 years, with hopes to publish around 40 poets. The project’s editorial team comprises the Nigerian poets Ebenezer Agu, Chisom Okafor, Gbenga Adeoba, and D. E. Benson, and the visual artist-writer Osinachi. In an email to Brittle Paper, they state:

20.35 Africa: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry is meant to create a platform for the best of the generation’s poets from Africa, to present an outlook of contemporary and future voices, and to make such poetry accessible and available to African readers.

It is the sincerest wish of the editors that the anthology would go a long way in covering areas in African poetry that have, until now, remained bare and fallow.

Safia Elhillo.

20.35 Africa: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry will be available for free download.

The deadline for submissions is 17 March, 2018.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  1. The anthology will consider work by African poets who fall between the 20-35 years age bracket.
  2. The anthology is ONLY for African poets. We see an African poet as someone born in Africa, or whose parents (at least one) is African, or someone who currently lives in Africa, and has done so for a minimum of 10 years. Poets who were born in African countries, and have lived up to ten years of their lives there, but are currently pursuing academic programmes in non-African countries can also submit.
  3. Poets who have had a full length book or a chapbook or pamphlet published in electronic or print format can submit. Poets who have not been published in any form or by any literary outlet, and fall into the acceptable age bracket, are encouraged to submit as well.
  4. Submissions can cut across any themes, but each contributor may send 3 poems only. Please send us your best poems.
  5. Only poems written in English will be accepted. Works translated into English from any African languages may be submitted, but they must be accompanied by the originals.
  6. Submissions should not exceed 40 lines each.
  7. Identifying information, including names of poets, addresses, phone numbers and publication histories, should not be included in the manuscript or in the body of the email. Submit with your personal email address and include same on the last page of your manuscript.
  8. All entries must be submitted in a SINGLE WORD DOCUMENT, typed in TIMES NEW ROMAN, font 12, and sent via email only to the 20.35 Africa Team at [email protected].
  9. The email subject should read 20.35 AFRICA SUBMISSION.
  10. Submissions must be written in black ink. No colours.
  11. All poems must have a title.
  12. Poems must be the original work of the contributor.
  13. Submissions deadline is by midnight (UTC+01:00) of 17th March, 2018.
  14. Submissions will be judged solely on merit.
  15. For all enquiries, please contact the 20.35 Africa Team at [email protected].
Gbenga Adesina.

We commend the 20.35 Africa Team for this. We are hoping that the anthology includes subjects currently underrepresented on the poetry scene. Do submit.