Awele Creative Trust

Congratulations to our ACT 2025 winner. The winning story, 'In the Shade of the Branch', was praised by our judges as “a haunting, masterfully paced narrative, transitioning from the sluggish, oppressive heat of the city to the frantic, timed search during a curfew. “

Join us on Saturday, April 11 at 1pm CST as I chat with these brilliant authors! @chikaunigwe and Mubanaga Kalimamukwento. Zoom link here: us02web.zoom.us/j/83792459014?….

@Dera_Writes Congratulations!

Making this shortlist is both humbling and exalting. I cannot even find the words with which to express my gratitude. Thank you to the judges for believing in my small story. And congratulations to my peers. I am honored to stand beside you on this list.✨☺️

4/ The following three stories have been shortlisted for their exceptional craft and thematic resonance: A Fragile Language by Chidera Anikpe In The Shade of The Branch by Ridwan Badamasi The Light Between Us by Ikechukwu Henry Congratulations!

3/These stories are united by their profound explorations of loss, ranging from the biological and physical to the deeply emotional, and the "fragile languages" characters use to navigate their loss.

Thsnks!!!

6/The future of writing in Naija is bright!!!!

5/Naomi Onyeanakwe — Second Coming Chidera Anikpe — A Fragile Language Okoro Cletus — American Brother Ridman Badamasi — In the Shade of the Branch Harry Onyeogo — Maria Ikechukwu Henry — The Light Between Us Evelyn Umenyi — A Fierce and Quiet Thing

1/We are delighted to announce this year’s longlist. The judges noted that the selection process was particularly challenging.

Our longlist will drop soon!! We cannot wait to share it with you

Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an entry to our competition. Your participation is what makes this competition possible. We wish you all the very best of luck and look forward to announcing the results soon.

This was the first prize I won almost 10 years ago and gave me a lot of confidence to keep going. Deadline ends in a couple weeks, make sure you apply!

We are open for business!! Good luck and get writing

🔊 GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT Olayinka Yaqub @olayinka_yaqub is a Lagos-based Nigerian writer. His short works of fiction have won the Sandra Whiteley's Prize for Children's Literature, the Awele Creative Trust Award,