Submissions are now open for the 2023 edition of the Toyin Falola Prize. The fourth edition of the prize is themed “Sacred“. If you have a short story that explores the theme of the sacred, then consider submitting it to this esteemed prize.

The Toyin Falola Prize is organized by Lunaris, the publisher of Lunaris Review. The prize was created in honor of the distinguished African scholar and historian Professor Toyin Falola. The Prize is meant to honor his endeavours and contribute to the advancement of the richness of African culture, people, myth, history, advancement, and modernity.

The winner of the Toyin Falola Prize will receive $1000 USD with an invitation to the BIGSAS Festival of African and African Diasporic Literatures at Bayreuth in Germany, while the shortlisted entries are granted $100 USD each.

This year’s edition of the prize is interested in imaginative and bold works that test the limits of our understanding of the sacred, show us the sacred in the profane, where the sacred resides, and the things that deny the sacred its due.

According to the prize guidelines, the theme “Sacred” is to be interpreted very broadly: in religious, secular, mysterious, virtuous, and cherished terms. Sacred could be about piety and consecration, or not. What is sacred can be material, psychological, or political.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Open to Africans between the ages of 15 and 35
  • Short story should be between 1,500 and 4,500 words
  • Send submissions to [email protected] with the submission title: SUBMISSION FOR THE TOYIN FALOLA PRIZE 2023

Deadline: October 15, 2023

Good luck to all participants! Go here for more info.