Doek!, Namibia’s first literary magazine, is seeking “fresh and resonant” fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art for their fourteenth issue. The submissions period for this issue closes on September 30, 2024.

Doek! is an online literary magazine produced in Windhoek, Namibia that publishes short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art from Namibia, Africa, and the African diaspora. Launched in 2019, the magazine aims to foster a dynamic literary culture in Namibia. Doek! showcases diverse voices from both local and international writers and visual artists in order to foster connections between storytellers and a global audience. The magazine accepts submissions from Namibian writers and poets in its fiction and poetry sections, while its nonfiction and visual arts sections are open to contributors from Namibia, Africa, and the African diaspora.

From the editors:

The editorial team is interested in reading submissions that discuss a wide variety of topics in interesting styles; prospective writers and poets 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.

Doek! is published twice annually, in June or July and November or December. While the primary language of publication is English, select content is also featured in Namibia’s indigenous languages. All successfully published submissions from Namibian writers, poets, and visual artists are automatically eligible for the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards.

You can review the eligibility criteria and submissions guidelines on their website.