The Caine Prize for African Writing, which celebrates the very best in African short fiction, is currently accepting submissions before its 27 February deadline.
There’s still time to submit for the 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing!
All you need to know
- Who can enter? Publishers (print, digital, journals, magazines, arts websites) — submit on behalf of your authors!
- What’s eligible? Fiction short stories, 3,000–10,000 words, published between 27 Feb 2021 and 27 Feb 2026. Authors must be 18+ and from an African country.
- Good news for publishers! You can submit multiple stories — just one per author.
Acceptable Submissions
▪️ Self-published or unpublished work isn’t eligible
▪️ Stories can only be entered once — no resubmissions
▪️ Novels, poetry, plays, children’s stories, academic essays, and non-fiction don’t qualify
▪️ Don’t forget to include the author’s African country of origin and word count
▪️ For digital publications, please provide a PDF version or a PDF with a link
▪️ Authors must give their consent before submission
Submitting multiple entries?
Email them to submissions@caineprize.com with an Application Letter covering all the required info for each story.
Got questions?
▪️ The Caine Prize team is lovely and happy to help — just drop them a line at submissions@caineprize.com.
How to Apply
Applications for the prize can be made via the link.
📅 Deadline: 27 February 2026.
