Submissions are currently open for the second edition of the Hamwe Short Story Prize.

The prize, which is an offshoot of the Hamwe Festival, is organized by the Rwandan-based University of Global Health Equity. It invites African writers to submit works of fiction inspired by the ideas of memory, cultural heritage and mental health. Submissions can be sent in either English or French.

See the submission call below:

Cultural heritage suggests a common bond that transcends time and a sense of belonging. This year’s Hamwe festival proposes a reflection on the responsibilities emerging once cultural heritage is created, managed, preserved, and transmitted. These actions construct memory, build identities and include in or exclude from collective narratives. In addition, knowledge and valorization of cultural heritage can strengthen self-esteem as well as community cohesion, therefore impacting collective and individual mental health, now and in the future.

We are interested in short stories that speak creatively to these ideas and help us think about the questions that emerge from them: How and where is memory located and constructed, and by who? What is the relationship between archival materials, cultural heritage, and storytelling? Where is history created or lost, individually, and collectively? And what is the relationship between cultural heritage and mental health?

Submission Guidelines:

  • Stories can be submitted in either English or French (although other languages can form part of the dialogue and text if it serves the story).
  • All entries must be submitted no later than September 25, 2022, at 11:59 pm CAT. Submissions after the deadline will not be considered.
  • Stories should be between 2000 and 5000 words.

The winners will be announced at an event as part of the Hamwe Festival in November 2022. One winner will be selected for each language (English and French), and each will receive a prize (VAT inclusive) of 1000 USD.

For more details on the prize, go here.