Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at the 2018 Purple Hibiscus Trust Workshop. Photo credit: Adichie’s Team.

In 2018, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie announced the return of her annual workshop, after its one-year hiatus in 2017 necessitated by a lack of sponsorship. The workshop changed its name from Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop to Purple Hibiscus Trust Creative Writing Workshop, named after her debut novel. The change of name was explainable, as Chimamanda had earlier left her longtime Nigerian publishers, Kachifo Limited—the parent company of Farafina Trust—for Narrative Landscape Press, co-founded by her friend Eghosa Imasuen, author of Fine Boys, and the editor Anwuli Ojogwu.

The 2018 workshop was sponsored by Trace Nigeria. It was held in Lagos and lasted ten days, from November 20 to November 30. The workshop was co-facilitated by the American novelist Dave Eggers, the Nigerian writer, publisher and curator Lola Shoneyin, the British-Malaysian novelist Tash Aw, and Nigerian author and publisher Eghosa Imasuen. Brittle Paper published photos and an exclusive video from the ceremony.

Applications are now open for the 2019 Workshop, which introduces changes. For one, the Workshop would be held in Awka, Anambra State, moving from its long-term location, Lagos. It is also sponsored by the Anambra State government. Furthermore, it would last for five days, instead of the ten-day duration that had been the case. Co-facilitators for the workshop have not been announced yet.

Here is an edited press release below.

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Purple Hibiscus Trust will be holding a creative writing workshop in Awka, Anambra State. This is the 12th year of the workshop organized by multiple award winning writer Chimamanda Adichie, from December 9 to December 14 2019. The workshop is supported by the Anambra State Government.

The workshop will take the form of a class. Participants will be assigned a wide range of reading exercises, as well as daily writing exercises. The aim of the workshop is to improve the craft of writers and to encourage published and unpublished writers by bringing different perspectives to the art of storytelling. Participation is limited only to those who apply and are accepted.

All material must be pasted or written in the body of the e-mail. Applications with attachments will be automatically disqualified. Deadline for submission is NOVEMBER 6 2019. Only those accepted to the workshop will be notified by NOVEMBER 24 2019.

Accommodation in Awka, Anambra State will be provided for all accepted applicants who are able to attend for the five-day duration of the workshop. A literary evening of readings, open to the public, will be held at the end of the workshop on December 14 2019.

To apply, send an e-mail to workshop2019@purplehibiscus.org. Your e-mail subject should read “Workshop Application.” The body of the e-mail should contain the following:

1. your name.

2. your address.

3. a few sentences about yourself.

4. a writing sample of between 200 and 800 words. The sample must be either fiction or non-fiction.

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For enquiries, email workshop2019@purplehibiscus.org.