The stay-at-home order necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has left some writers with more reading time and of course, writing time. If you have just completed some new pieces of writing or edited old poems, works of fiction, essays, etc, here’s a number of contests to enter. Send that new piece of writing to win prizes!

The Muse Journal

In an announcement signed by the editor of The Muse Journal, Cheta Igbokwe the Muse Board calls for submissions for her 48th edition of her Journal. The Muse is a journal of creative and critical writing, the oldest-surviving student journal in West Africa, founded in 1963 by the foremost Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe.

Guidelines for Submission

1. Entries MUST be sent in as Microsoft Word attachments in 12-font size, Times New Roman font. Do not include your name in the attachment.
2. Entries MUST be the original work of the author and must not have been published elsewhere.
3. Entries are to be restricted to the following genres and specifications:
Critical Essays/Research Papers on Language or Literature MUST not exceed 3500 words. Submit a single entry.
Literary Review Papers MUST be of a book not published earlier than 2017 and MUST not exceed 2000 words. Submit a single entry.
Plays MUST not exceed 2500 words. Submit a single entry.
Short stories should be between 1500-3500 words. Submit a single entry.
Flash Fiction must not exceed 500 words.
Poetry, submit a maximum of three poems of not more than 30 lines each.
Pidgin Poetry, submit a maximum of three poems of not more than 30 lines each.
Artworks should be scanned and sent as a Microsoft word.
Hybrids are accepted too, but should not exceed 2000 words. Submit a single entry.
4. The Subject of the email should be in this format: Submission for the Muse 48: Genre: Title of the work.
5. Include a bio of not more than 100 words in a different attachment.
6. Send your entries to the email: museunn@gmail.com

Originality is of the essence. Writers are encouraged to write works based on contemporary issues with high-energy voices.

Prizes for Student Contributors:
Emeka Anuforo prize for Best Literary Artist of the year
Eriata Oribhabor prize for Pidgin Poetry
O. A. Ejesu prize for Poetry
Sosthenes Ekeh prize for Flash fiction
Henry Igbokwe prize for Review writing
Wilson Okereke prize for Prose
Princewill Okigbo prize for Drama

DEADLINE: 10th April, 2020.

MHEI Essay Competition on Mental Health and Psychosocial Implication of COVID-19 in Nigeria

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In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO stated that there is a high risk of COVID-19 spreading to other countries around the world. In March 2020, WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. However, this time of crisis is generating stress throughout the population. The considerations presented in this document have been developed by the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use as a series of messages that can be used in communications to support mental and psychosocial well-being in different target groups during the outbreak.

The thrust of the competition is examine the perception of the general public towards the mental health and psychosocial To measure the public perception of the situation with Corona virus in Nigeria with focus on mental health and the impacts of social distancing, educate the public about the need to protect their mental health as well as to meaningfully engage the public on social media, as part MHEI Sensitization program we are launching an essay writing competition where the public under the age of 15-25 will write and or talk about how the global pandemic is affecting mental health, and how social distancing is impacting our social interactions.

Topic: COVID-19: Mental health and Psychosocial Perspectives

Word Count:    Minimum of 1200 and Maximum of 1500 

Criteria for selection:

  • Eligible Countries: Submissions are only accepted from Nigeria
  • Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, applicants must have to meet the following criteria:
  • An essay must have a word count of 1200-1500 words (excluding title, header, and works cited page)
  • Be written in the US or UK English
  • Be 100% plagiarism-free
  • Be submitted in .doc or .docx format
  • Follow Harvard style of referencing to format the paper and cite sources (download our MLA checklist to check your formatting)
  • The filename should be [Mental.health.COVID.19.Writing Contest_Last Name]

Benefits:

Cash Prices, 5 Month Internet Subscription, Bluetooth headphones, PowerBank, and Lot of Recharge Cards

Deadline: Entries must be received by April 29th, 2020 (23:59 your local time).

Register here  Submit here

Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest

Words Rhymes & Rhythms is now receiving entries for the April-May 2020 edition of the BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC). This edition’s theme is ‘COVID-19’, in line with the current realities of our time.

Many poets have manifested the need to poetically settle their scores with the current crown plague that is wreaking havoc all over the world. The corona virus threatens the lives of many people, since no cure or vaccine exists to date and the number of deaths is beyond control, and it has sentenced humans to planetary confinement.

Covid 19 – isn’t it spreading its curse over double 20 with predictable consequences in the long term? – knows no borders. Neither do poets, whose words cannot be caged. Especially not when we are quarantined.

You are, therefore, invited to express your sideration, anger, fears, revolt ( avoid plot theories), and evoke the consequences, whether dire or positive. Can the experience be an effective remedy against our errors? Promote societal change? Change our viewpoint on existence and the place and role of humans on earth? Prove your poetic pen is stronger than the pest.

Read Entry Rules Here  Deadline April 29th

Parrésia Publishers Ltd

Parrésia Publishers Ltd comprises the following imprints: Regium, Cordite, Ọmọde Mẹta and Origami.

Regium, Parrésia’s traditional publishing imprint, will consider submissions in the following categories:

General and literary fiction, Creative non-fiction, Short stories, Historical fiction

If you feel your manuscript fits into any of the above, send the following:

3 sample chapters. Please do not send the entire manuscript at this stage.

Synopsis of the plot. (If your work is Creative non-fiction the same should apply) Please make sure the synopsis is not more than 1 page long. We will not be able to review your manuscript without a synopsis.

Short author biography.

Submissions should be sent to theeditor@parresia.com.ng.  June 30th

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