Submit Creative Nonfiction to Doek! Literary Magazine | Deadline: Feb 29

January 26, 2024

Submissions are now open to Doek! Literary Magazine’s call for creative nonfiction exploring the known and the unknown. If you are an African writer with a penchant for nonfiction, we recommend you apply by the deadline of February 29, 2024.

Founded in 2019, Doek! is a free, independent, and Pan-African online literary magazine produced in Windhoek, Namibia. It publishes short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art from Namibia, Africa, and the African diaspora.

Doek! is looking for creative nonfiction (such as essays, memoirs, or narrative nonfiction) that explores the known and the unknown. The editorial team is interested in considering submissions that discuss a wide variety of topics in interesting styles; prospective nonfiction writers and visual artists should read previous issues of Doek! to see the themes and topics that have been previously explored.

Storytellers are encouraged to discover fresh narrative territories. In particular, death, grief, and trauma are topics which have been covered extensively in past issues; contributors exploring similar topics are encouraged to find new ways of engaging with such subject matter. Submissions which are directed at the white gaze are not encouraged.

All successfully published submissions from Namibian writers, poets, and visual artists are automatically eligible for the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards.

Submission Guidelines:

Writers must be Namibian citizens living in the country or in the diaspora (outside Namibia); or African writers, or those of African descent, living on the continent or in the diaspora (such as North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, or elsewhere).
Only original work will be considered. Previously published work (in any medium, including social media or personal blogs) is not accepted.
Novels or manuscript excerpts, film scripts or plays, journalistic reportage or columns, management or business guides, and “self-help” texts are not eligible for consideration.
Submissions must be written in English. Writers and poets may use words or phrases from any of Namibia’s indigenous languages provided their meaning can be understood within the text (without resort to glossaries or footnotes).
Nonfiction submissions may not exceed 4000 words. The minimum word count is 1500 words.
Nonfiction writers can only submit one piece of writing per submission window.
Submissions must be typed: Times New Roman, 12 pt, 2.0 line spacing.
The document should only contain the title and the body text of the submission. No identifying details (name, contact number, or email address) may be used in the filename or be placed anywhere in the submission document.
Nonfiction submissions can be sent in any of the following formats: Microsoft Word (.docx and .doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and plain text (.txt).
Nonfiction cannot submit to or be considered for two or more categories at any given point in time. Each writer must submit to one category and wait to be told about the final outcome of their submission before submitting again. Unsuccessful writers and poets can submit to the same category or a different category if their submissions are not accepted for publication.
Simultaneous submissions (submissions which have been sent to other literary magazines) are permitted and should be retracted when accepted for publication elsewhere.
Writers who have been published in Doek! must wait six months from the date of their publication before submitting any work (in any category) to the magazine for consideration again.
Writers must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submitting their writings.