Lọ́unlọ́un (pronounced /luh-woon-luh-woon/) is a pan-African journal publishing literature rooted in historical events that have shaped Africa. It is open to writers of African descent everywhere, and it pays $50 CAD per accepted piece, on publication.

There are two open calls.

Fiction is open until 8 May 2026. The journal accepts speculative or factual tellings of African history across five themes: Economics, Society & Politics; Gender & Feminism; Hope & Healing; Identity & Belonging; and War, Conflicts & Disaster. Submissions should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words. The scope is deliberately wide — a car crash reported in a local newspaper in 2004 interests them as much as the Rwandan or Biafran genocides. Each submission must include a brief historical setting description (max two sentences) and at least two reference links to the events in the telling, both in the Word document. Send to [email protected] with the subject line Fiction Submission, your third-person bio in the email body, and your story attached.

Personal Essays (Witnessing) are open year-round. This section is for personal essays, memoirs, or narrative interviews that connect individual or family memory to broader African histories; how a historical moment impacted you, your family, or your community. Between 1,500 and 3,000 words, or a short pitch. Send to [email protected] with the subject line Witnessing Submission.

All submissions must be original, unpublished, in English, in EB Garamond or Times New Roman size 12, and in Word document format. The review process takes three to six weeks after the deadline. Questions go to [email protected]. More information is available here.