Brunel International African Poetry Prize

ぶるねるこくさいあふりかししょう

An annual prize to develop, celebrate and promote poetry from Africa; aimed at unpublished poets with a manuscript of ten poems. Includes a £3,000 honorarium.

PoetryAfrican literatureLiterary awardUnpublished manuscripts

Established: 2012
Organizer: Brunel University; Bernardine Evaristo
Category: Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around May
Status: Ended

Description

The Brunel International African Poetry Prize (also referred to historically as the Brunel University African Poetry Prize) is an annual literary award founded in 2012 by Bernardine Evaristo and sponsored by Brunel University. It aims to develop, celebrate and promote poetry from Africa and to introduce African poets to readers outside Africa. The prize is targeted at unpublished poets submitting a manuscript of ten poems and carries a £3,000 honorarium. The prize has been partnered at times with organisations such as Commonwealth Writers and the African Poetry Book Fund.

Prize

Main Prize: £3,000 honorarium; promotion and development opportunities aimed at unpublished African poets submitting a manuscript of ten poems.
Cash Prize: 3,000 GBP

Promotion/exposure to international readers
Support or visibility via partner organisations (occasionally, e.g. Commonwealth Writers, African Poetry Book Fund)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Eligibility check / submission screening	Receipt confirmation by the organizing office (Brunel University / prize organizers)	—	After eligibility confirmation of the relevant works, the organizers decide on advancement to the next stage
Shortlist selection	Assembled judging panel (with Bernardine Evaristo involved in management)	—	Shortlist announced on official website and related media
Final judging and winner announcement	Judging committee (final selection)	—	Winners announced on official website and press releases

Eligibility check / submission screening

Judges Receipt confirmation by the organizing office (Brunel University / prize organizers)

Announcement After eligibility confirmation of the relevant works, the organizers decide on advancement to the next stage

Shortlist selection

Judges Assembled judging panel (with Bernardine Evaristo involved in management)

Announcement Shortlist announced on official website and related media

Final judging and winner announcement

Judges Judging committee (final selection)

Announcement Winners announced on official website and press releases

Criteria

Poetic quality and craft
Originality and distinct voice
Cohesiveness and strength of the 10-poem manuscript
Relevance/engagement with African experiences and perspectives
Eligibility (must be unpublished at time of entry)

Application Tips

Dos

Read the official guidelines carefully and submit in the specified format
Applicants must be unpublished poets; prepare a manuscript consisting of 10 poems
Compile works with awareness of the manuscript's cohesiveness (theme or voice)
Proofread multiple times before submission to avoid typos or formatting issues
Confirm eligibility requirements (nationality, definition of unpublished, etc.)

Don''ts

Do not submit works that have already been published or made public
Do not significantly exceed or fall short of the specified number of poems (10)
Do not send in a format contrary to the entry guidelines
Do not submit after the deadline or send incomplete entries

From Judges

It became clear to me that poetry from the continent could also do with a prize to draw attention to it and to encourage a new generation of poets who might one day become an international presence. (Bernardine Evaristo)
Judges emphasize not only the quality of individual poems but also the cohesiveness and strength of voice in the 10-poem manuscript as a whole