The African Poetry Book Fund (APBF) is now accepting entries for the 2027 Evaristo Prize for African Poetry, an annual award of $1,500 for a set of ten poems by an African poet who has not yet published a full-length collection. Submissions are open from October 1 to November 1, 2026.

The prize began life in 2012 as the Brunel International African Poetry Prize, founded by British writer Bernardine Evaristo, who managed it for ten years. In 2022, it was renamed the Evaristo Prize and handed over to the APBF. Evaristo is the President of the Royal Society of Literature, a Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London, a member of the APBF Editorial Board, and the author of ten books of fiction, poetry, essays, drama, criticism, and journalism.

The prize is open to African writers, defined as anyone born in Africa, a national or resident of an African country, or someone whose parents are African. Entrants must not have had a full-length poetry book published at the time of submission, though self-published books, chapbooks, and pamphlets don’t count against them. Poets who have published a chapbook in the New-Generation African Poets Chapbooks Box Set series also remain eligible, as long as they have no full-length collection. Poems must be written in English, but translations are welcome too, and if a translated work wins, a percentage of the prize money goes to the translator. Past and present paid employees of the University of Nebraska Press, Akashic Books, and Amalion Press, as well as current faculty, students, and employees of the University of Nebraska, are not eligible.

Each entry should be a manuscript of exactly ten poems, no more and no fewer, with each poem no longer than 40 lines. The poems must be the entrant’s original work, though they may have been previously published or have won other awards. Past entrants can apply again but are advised to send new poems. While there are no strict formatting rules, the APBF suggests Times New Roman or Arial in 12-point font, single-spaced, with one poem per page and everything in black ink.

Entries must be sent through Submittable, not by email, as the APBF cannot track emailed submissions and won’t consider them. All ten poems should go in a single document with no identifying information, named after the title of the first poem in the packet. Poems can’t be altered after submission. Your name, nationality, country of birth, full address, email address, and telephone number go in the Submittable cover letter, which is hidden from screeners and judges.

A shortlist will be announced in April, with the winner named in May. All shortlisted and winning poets agree to let the APBF website post their ten submitted poems. The judges have yet to be announced. The APBF reserves the right to withhold the prize or split it between more than one poet. Questions about submissions should go to apbf@brown.edu.

Submit here.