Short Stories
REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT AND ILLITERACY USING SPOKEN WORD POETRY BY Olumide Holloway
Everybody has a need to express themselves. This need is most times expressed wrongly when the person is unable to find the right channel of expression. Most people love music, but not everybody can sing to save their life. Most people love jokes, but not…
Out Now – Eboquills Annual Anthology 2023 Available for Download
We are thrilled to announce that the much-anticipated Eboquills Annual Anthology 2023 is now available for download! This literary masterpiece is a culmination of voices from across the globe, featuring poets from Cameroon, Nepal, the United Kingdom, and all corners of Nigeria. We extend our…
Eboquills 2023 Anthology: Out in November
We launched Eboquills annual anthology this year. When the submissions window closed in July, we had received poems from Cameroon, Nepal, the United Kingdom, and from all over Nigeria. We want to thank all the poets who sent in their poems. Every one of them…
A Short Story By FOC Ikwuemesibe
FOC Ikwuemesibe is a retired schoolmaster, an engaging lover of the art of teaching who still pens at least a poem a day. How Could I Have Known I was in Primary 4, Urban Community School, Ai, that year. I remember Mr. Azubuike as my…
A Short Story By Igbokwe Roseline
Igbokwe Roseline is a Nigerian medical student who enjoys creative writing. She has works published in the Moveee, Kalahari Review, Original Talku Talku, and elsewhere. Erinma You took your position just behind the white line that had been drawn on the tarred ground. The whole…
A Short Story By Aliyu Yakubu
Aliyu Yakubu is a Nigerian academic and writer. He lectures at the Department of Applied Biology/Microbiology, Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Nasarawa State. Kabiru, Is That You? It was fifteen minutes past twelve on Wednesday morning. The Sharon in which Nasir and others had been travelling had…
A Short Story By Pacella Chukwuma-Eke
Pacella Chukwuma-Eke is a Nigerian poet and short story writer. She is the winner of the Cradle poetry contest, Abuja Duet Slam, Splendors of Dawn Poetry Prize, and others. The war and the hunt Abu groans; his old life had become a new one after…
Eboquills Annual Anthology Launch
We’re so excited to announce that Eboquills has launched an annual anthology. The submissions window opens today, 30th June 2023, and closes on 31st July 2023. For 2023, our anthology will be a curation of fine poetry- all forms of poetry. Theme: Our Girls: Their…
Gear Up: A Short Story By Nweke Ozioma Ruth
Nweke Ozioma Ruth is a Nigerian writer and a medical student. She loves to volunteer in her spare time to help young women and children living in rural areas of South-Eastern Nigeria. Gear Up Thunder clapped in the distance and lightning struck. The rain was…
Writing Prizes and Contests to Enter this June
We made a list of writing prizes and contests for you to enter this June. Don’t hold back the awesome poems and stories you have written, send them out this June. Extra Teeth Theme: We do not set a theme for each issue; please feel…
Writing Contests to Enter in May 2023
Have you been looking for contests and prizes to enter in May? You should look at this list of opportunities closing on or before the 31st of May 2023. Make a mental note to check back as we will be updating the list with more…
Writing Prizes and Contests to Enter This April
If you have been on the lookout for contests and prizes to enter this April. You should take a look at this list of opportunities closing on or before the 30th of April 2023. BLURRED GENRE FLASH CONTEST 2023 Theme: Levity The world around us…
The Big House: A Short Story By Nwabuisi Kenneth
Nwabuisi Kenneth is a voracious reader and writer. He holds a degree in English and Literary Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where lives, reads, and writes fiction. The Big House Before the car horn sounded. Before he called to tell you he couldn’t…
Opportunities for Writers in July 2022
As we often say at Eboquills, writers who want to make headlines must beat deadlines. Have you met your rejection letters’ target for the year? Yeah, you read right, most dedicated writers set a rejection target for each year to ensure they hit a certain…
A Short Story By Stephanie Asanya
Vanity by Stephanie Asanya takes us into a plane crash to show us a father and child, a foremost icon, and two business partners on a trip for an important business meeting. In the story, the narrator seemed to ease into fate, but do the other characters…
13+ Opportunities For Writers in June 2022
June is the sixth month of the year, in the northern hemisphere usually considered the first month of summer. The name is all about summer and sunny days. It comes from the ancient Roman mythological goddess Juno, who was a powerful influencer and was considered…
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘IDENTITY’ — CỌ́N-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE ISSUE 2, VOL 1, JULY 2022
The theme of this issue is Identity. we seek submissions (stories, poems, essays, art & photographs) that set us apart and yet give us a sense of community. CỌ́N-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE is accepting original poetry, prose (fiction and non-fiction), art, and photography for Issue 2/Volume 1…
Opportunities for Writers with Deadline in May 2022
It’s May, that month when writers get to try again at publishing houses and contests. The amazing thing about contests and writing opportunities is that we do not have a bet on when the deal will hit. We’ve got to keep trying! At Eboquills, we…
List of Free-to-Enter Writing Contests in April, 2022
Nothing interests an up-and-coming writer like writing to be acknowledged either via certifications or other forms of awards. However, many upcoming writers don’t know where and how to find such opportunities that will unveil the hidden potentials embedded in their pen and paper. This is…
World Poetry Day Celebration
World Poetry Day message from Eboquills Creative Director, Ehi-kowoicho Ogwiji. Every March 21st, we join poets around the world to celebrate the freedom of expression we found in poetry. We celebrate the ability to taste words in their most concentrated state. Poems are the oyster…
11 Opportunities That Would Interest you in March!
Of course, we know that entry fees scare the hell out of so many writers, but not to worry, we have you covered: all the writing opportunities we have compiled in this list are absolutely FREE to enter, and hold an amazing reward if you…
Eboquills is Back and Better
After a six-month hiatus, we are excited to announce that Eboquills is back with renewed zeal. Our team members are supercharged and ready to offer any help on your writing journey. More than connecting writers with an audience, Eboquills is always looking for ways to personally connect with…
Enter The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools, established in 1883. With thousands of young people taking part each year, it is an important way to recognise achievement, elevate youth voices and develop key skills through creative writing. For…
Writing Contests to Enter this June
We made a list of writing prizes and contests you can enter this June. Guess what? These prizes are mostly free to enter so all you have to do is just write and beat the deadlines. Christopher Hewitt Award. The award showcases outstanding responses to…
M.A.N: A Creative Fiction by Tolu Dara
We are thrilled to share this creative fiction by Tolu Dara with you. The story tells itself. You will be fascinated by how it overpowers the writer, meanders carefreely and knots itself into a ribbon of creativity. Just like us, you will wonder why a…
Along Came Love: A Short Story By Zubair Hassan Baba
Along Came Love by Zubair Hassan Baba is what we might refer to as brilliant historical fiction. It tells the Nigerian story of post-colonial travail and the bloody civil war. You may smile, sigh and probably tear up but surely you will fall deeply in…
Along Came Love: A Short Story By Zubair Hassan Baba
Along Came Love by Zubair Hassan Baba is what we might refer to as brilliant historical fiction. It tells the Nigerian story of post-colonial travail and the bloody civil war. You may smile, sigh and probably tear up but surely you will fall deeply in…
Along Came Love: A Short Story By Zubair Hassan Baba
Along Came Love by Zubair Hassan Baba is what we might refer to as brilliant historical fiction. It tells the Nigerian story of post-colonial travail and the bloody civil war. You may smile, sigh and probably tear up but surely you will fall deeply in…
How Does A Heart Break Twice? – Chimamanda Speaks On Losing Her Mom
Recall that on 1st March, Grace Ifeoma Adichie, mother of Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi, passed on, only eight months after her husband’s death. The sad news was made public weeks ago and no doubt it has been such a difficult time for the family. In the…
New Book Alert: (S)kin Folk By Tochi Onyebuchi
Fiction Advocate is set to publish Tochi Onyebuchi’s latest book (S)kin Folk: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah on April 13th. According to Onyebuchi, his new book, “use(s) critical analysis of Americanah as a pretext for writing about my political education, my love life, Palestine, Paris, and…
Writing Prizes & Contests to Enter This April
Prizes and awards do not define the quality of a writer. They are the icing on the cake. The cake — our written works published in literary magazines or stashed on our computer — is the true success, but icing wouldn’t hurt anybody. Winning writing…
Dear Kojo, A Short Story By Ubong Johnson
Oscillating between vices and wild teenage love, Kojo, a delinquent boy is about to meet his end and only this letter might save him. “Dear Kojo” by Ubong Johnson is a story written from the heart. It is warm and enjoyable to read. – Editorial…
Sarah’s Story, A Short Story By Chuks Obinna
A man desperate to fill a vacuum meets a woman who commercializes her company, gives pleasure for payment but he is hesitant to call her a prostitute. Why does friendship hide in some of the most unlikely places? Chuks Obinna answers this question in this…
Broken Bird, A Short Story By Nweke Ozioma Ruth
Imade’s husband and children are wiped out by a violent bandit attack. How does she process the tragic loss? Does the world around her adjusts or simply hurry along as though nothing happened? Nweke Ozioma Ruth’s “Broken Bird”, is a heartbreaking short story, that is…
Writing Contests to Enter in March 2021
For many, nothing spurs creativity as much as deadlines do. Like I always say, we are all temporarily superhuman in the face of deadlines. Include a reward for beating the deadlines, and you have just created the biggest motivation for any writer. Here are some…
Grace Ifeoma Adichie, Mother of Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi, Passes On
Barely eight months after Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie lost her father, Prof. Adichie in June 2020 at the age of 88, her mother, Mrs. Grace Ifeoma Adichie has gone in the way of our ancestors. Mrs. Grace Ifeoma Adichie at the time of passing was 78…
Three More Days to Submit to Lolwe Issue 3
Lolwe is currently accepting submissions for its third issue. Lolwe accepts fiction, essays, poetry, and photography from African (living at home or in the diaspora), and Caribbean artists. It is only three days before the submissions window for Issue 3 slams shut but you may…
Brach and Ara, A Short Story By Ghanaian Writer, Ewoenam Kukah
Many people believe that telling stories from the second-person point of view can mess up plots and make dialogues cranky, but Ghanaian writer, Ewoenam Kukah, makes an exception with her short love story, “Brach and Ara”. You will be somewhere in between thrilled and impressed…
Enter The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2021
The competition is organized by the Alpine Fellowship, a charity project with the broad aim of promoting culture and the arts. The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2021 is worth £15,000! Prizes • 1st place: £10,000• 2nd place: £3,000• 3rd place: £2,000 Theme for The Alpine Fellowship…
Litanies & Lessons, A Creative Rant By Tolu Dara
Sometimes, the lessons we need to desperately learn come in a scarred neck and a shattered collarbone. Tolu Dara writes about moments and the ripple effects some of them create. – Editorial Team I am learning not to overreact when my temper rises.I am also…
Hidden Pains, A Short Story By Ephraim Ndubisi Orji
Duni is married to a charming man who is a closet monster. For how long can she go on absorbing the pain? In Hidden Pains, Ephraim Ndubisi Orji answers this question as he writes about domestic violence, the sad reality of several marriages around the…
7 Writing Contests to Enter in February 2021
Getting your work out is one of the preoccupations of a writer. We are constantly in search of a ‘home’ for the poems, stories, and non-fictional pieces we invested hours into creating. This is because the world will not trace us to our quiet writing…
Dreamer, A Short Story By Foyin Ejilola
“Dreamer” is a brilliant short story and a fine mélange of creative monologues. Foyin Ejilola tells what others might write off as an ‘ordinary’ story from an extraordinary point of view. This makes an enjoyable read. – Editorial Team Her feet were always planted firmly…
– here in liberia, A Poem By Edwin Olu Bestman
Edwin Olu Bestman writes about children in Liberia with metaphors that are disturbing. One reads through the poem hoping it is not the real situation of things but at the same time, one is awed by the fluidity of Edwin’s language and the apt employment…
Join CNA’s #StartReadingByReading Challenge To Win N50,000
On January 15, 2021, celebrated and widely read Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie announced and launched the #StartReadingByReading Challenge on her Instagram Page. According to the award-winning writer, this challenge and giveaway is not just her first monetary giveaway but it was inspired by a…
Apply For the 2021 A Public Space Writing Fellowships
Applications opened on January 1, 2021, for the 2021 A Public Space Writing Fellowships. The aim of these fellowships is to seek out and support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision. It is for writers who have not yet…
Writing Contests to Enter this January
For many, nothing spurs creativity as much as deadlines do. Like I always say, we are all temporarily superhuman in the face of deadlines. Include a reward for beating the deadlines, and you have just created the biggest motivation for any writer. Here are some…
Insurmountable By Victor Oluwalana
This is a warm open letter to all the broken women in the world. In every paragraph of this piece, Victor Oluwalana sends a beam of light to women who are trying to see through the darkness of abuse. We really enjoyed how Victor’s gripping…
Call for Entries: 2021 K & L Prize
The K and L prize, founded and sponsored by New Zealand based Nigerian writer, Myles Ojabo, awards $1000 (New Zealand) to the best piece of unpublished fiction. Now in its third edition, the 2021 K & L prize 2021 has thrown open its submission windows….
How To Enter Nigerian NewsDirect Poetry Prize, 2020
In a statement by Pamilerin Jacob, the coordinator of the Nigerian NewsDirect Poetry Prize, the call for submissions was necessitated by the desire of Nigerian NewsDirect to fulfill its long-term goal of supporting innovation in Nigerian poetry. The prize money totals N150,000. The first prize…
Angry Tangled Traps, A Short Story By Ephraim Orji
In Angry Tangled Traps, Ephraim Orji writes about a little girl named Kelechi and her struggle to accept herself. The story is the story of many a little girl in the diaspora and a handful of black girls who wonder why they are so different….
Got a Manuscript? Submit to PIN Chapbook Series 2020
Poets in Nigeria (PIN) is pleased to announce the commencement of the third edition of the PIN Chapbook Series. The PIN Chapbook Series was initiated in 2018 to engage the upsurge of interests for poetry writing and reading amongst the younger generation. Tagged “Rainbow of…
How to Apply for The Tampered Writing Workshop
The Tampered Press in collaboration with Prince Claus Fund and British Council presents a virtual writing workshop for poets and storytellers across Africa. The virtual workshop is slated to take place from 7th to 9th January 2021. It will be facilitated by some of the…
Jungle Justice: A Short Story By Michael Emeka
A good short story is like a cupcake, when you are just beginning to love the flavor and texture, then you are left with only one bite or even nothing. This is how you will feel when you read Jungle Justice. Michael Emeka tells a…
Enter the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize, 2020
The Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize, 2020 has opened its windows for submissions for the prize which is presently in its ninth year. According to the announcement made yesterday, the “Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers in collaboration with Something for Everybody Ventures (SFEV), hereby invites Nigerian…
TRISHA: A Short Story By Mustapha Enesi
“Trisha” is a sizzling short story that is fast-paced and narrates from the second-person point of view an incredibly intriguing story of a woman in her forties. The story is short but interestingly explosive. Mustapha Enesi brilliantly holds a reader spellbound in three minutes and…
Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, Wins Best of the Best Award, Women’s Prize for Fiction
One of Nigeria’s most widely read writers, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been named winner of Best of the Best Award, Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. The book which landed her this prestigious award is one of our all-time favorite novels, Half of a Yellow Sun….
Opportunities for Writers: Nov-Dec Deadlines
For many writers, nothing spurs creativity like deadlines. Like we always say, we are all temporarily superhuman in the face of deadlines. Include a reward for beating the deadlines, and you have just created the biggest motivation for any writer. Here are some contests and…
Enter TapRead’s 2020 Visions Writing Contest
The value of TapRead’s 2020 Visions writing contest is $2,000! The winner will be going home with $1,000, the first and second runner up will have $500 and $300 respectively. Then there will be two consolation prizes of $100 each. Sounds like some good reward…
What Killed Ezeadina: A Short Story By Ifunanya Georgia
What Killed Ezeadina is a beautiful children’s story which is didactic and warm. Ifunanya Georgia makes a brilliant attempt at replicating a story whose tempo matches the popular African tales by moonlight. If you are looking for a story to read to a group of…
Hush: A Short Story By Nweke Ozioma Ruth
In “Hush”, Nweke Ozioma Ruth tells a story that is both moving and relatable. The story examines lack, and poverty, how those two can deflate a man’s ego and put love in a really tight corner. Nweke’s story is simple and melancholic but it is…
Free to Enter Writing Contests in October
Every month, we take the time to comb the internet for free to enter writing contests, zero-reading fee submissions to which you can send your work. We made no exception in October. So, yay! Get ready to enter as many of these as possible. Those…
African Tale of Freedom, A Story By Omoniyi Wasiu Abiodun
We always look forward to a storytelling style that holds great potential for telling original African stories the way it is, without leaving out hope from its ingredients. We found this in Omoniyi Wasiu Abiodun’s “African Tale of Freedom”. In his story, he takes the…
Want to Attend Ake Festival, 2020? Here’s How to Register
Have you been wanting to attend any of the biggest Literary Festivals in Nigeria? Ake Arts & Book Festival, 2020 will be holding next month and this could just be your chance to meet, network, and connect with the best of minds in the African…
Something From Between The Legs – A Story By CES Ejiofor
What does it feel like to be a woman? CES Ejiofor attempts to answer this question in her captivating story, “Something From Between The Legs”. In her story, we see how Kamnele’s desire to become a mother “eats into her abdomen”. Brilliantly layered into multiple…
Writing Contests to Enter this September
For many, nothing spurs creativity as much as deadlines do. Like I always say, we are all temporarily superhuman in the face of deadlines. Include a reward for beating the deadlines, and you have just created the biggest motivation for any writer. Here are some…
Happy Puppet: A Short Story By Ejiofor C. E. S
When Ejiofor C.E.S tells a story, it stays with you for as long as forever. It touches the least-visited rooms in your heart and your very being feels the vibration of the plot. Whether it is fiction or non-fiction, Ejiofor’s characters are real, strong, and…
Writing Contest Deadlines to Beat this August
We often tell our readers that any writer who wants to make headlines in the literary community must know how to beat deadlines. We made a list of writing contests for you to enter, we encourage you to do your best and work towards beating…
The demise of a god – A Short Story by Pele Olabanji
Pele Olabanji’s story is melancholic. It mirrors the ironies of life. It tells of how fate can play a fast one on a man and make him a character in a story he wishes he could run out of. – Editorial Team The sun sets…
Enter the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
Deadline: July 31st “The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is the biggest poetry competition for 11-17-year olds in the world. [Teen poets can jump on this right away and begin their career in a grand style. Yeah! We are that optimistic about you,…
Ehi-kowochio Ogwiji Discusses Poetry & Shares Excerpts From her Forthcoming Chapbook With Poets in Nigeria
Poets in Nigeria (PIN) is Nigeria’s foremost initiative for poets, whether greenhorns or established poets. The initiative is committed to supporting all Nigerian poets with every year loaded with interactive contests and programs. PIN Literary Interviews Moderator Semilore in this interactive session with Ehi-kowochio Ogwiji…
2 More Days to Submit to Ake Review 2020
“The theme of the 8th edition of Ake Arts and Book Festival is Black Magic. Ake wants to explore the expansion of black imagination and black consciousness. AkeFest2020 will be full of much more creativity than one has ever seen before. Bringing to light the…
7 Platforms Open for Submissions in July
With 50% of the year 2020 already gone, we hope that your zeal to be the writer that makes headlines has not been dampened by the pandemic. Eboquills wants to see you win! We want to be mentioned in your success story. This is why…
Life Cycle of a Girl
Written By: Jamiu Ahmed For God so love a girl, he named her Rose… Rose is a sanguine bud — the rudiment of tomorrow’s Queen-flower — a fruit-bearer en-wombed by series of onion layers. The garden is a home — the reflection of a graveyard…
Free to Enter Writing Contests for the Month of June
June is a few days down and the year is almost halfway gone! What were your writing resolutions/goals for the year? Our aim here at Eboquills is to help you achieve your writing goals. This is why we have put together this list of contests…
AKO Caine Prize, 2020: Read Shortlisted Stories here.
Earlier today, a 5-man shortlist for the AKO Caine Prize, 2020 was announced. In 2019, this prize was won by Lesly Nneka Arimah and it is such a joy to learn that three Nigerians made the list! According to the judges, the five shortlisted stories,…
Self-confessed
Written By: Henry P. Ugochukwu There is something about soul maladies which bring people to a point where their faith is so shaken. A point at which, when they try to hold any deity, it slips right out of their grip. Henry tries to share his…
7 Literary Platforms Open to Submissions, 5 are Open all Year Round
Getting your work out is one of the preoccupations of a writer. We are constantly in search of a ‘home’ for the poems, stories, and non-fictional pieces we invested hours into creating. This is because the world will not trace us to our quiet writing…
It Never Ends
Written By: Henry P. Ugochukwu Henry writes about depression and mental health in such a beautiful way. His poetic expressions are vivid and piercing. They all sit on the gallery of the reader’s thoughts for days. Read this piece slowly. There is no guarantee that…
Writing Contests to Enter in May
The stay-at-home order is taking longer than we expected and it is draining for self-employed people and those who just reared their heads out in the entrepreneurial path. For most of us, if not all, writing is so much of a side-job or a pastime….
Got New Writings? Here’s a List of Contests to Enter!
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…
Five Writing Contests to Enter
Whether you are working from home right now or not, you will surely have lots of spare time. Wondering what to do with this spare time? Oh well, let us help you figure that out. We have been made a list of five free to…
Bleeding (Part II)
Written By: Ejiofor C.E.S That night when everyone had gone to sleep, Kamarana locked herself in the bathroom and cried. It seemed as if the whole day was uncoiling itself and recoiling on her, crushing her, shrinking her. She remembers her mother telling her to…
The Quramo Writers’ Prize, worth 1M is Open for Submissions
The Quarmo Writers’ Prize is free to enter for all writers who can put together a manuscript of 30,000 words in the next few months. Whether you have been working on something or you just got this new story idea, this might just be that…
Bleeding (Part I)
Written By: Ejiofor C. E. S Kamarana wanted to die. At first because of the stinging pain between her legs and the stickiness of the clotting blood that trickled with lazy effort between her legs. But now though she feared she would die of something…
Enter the Spirit First Poetry Contest to win $450, No Entry Fee Required
Poetry Contest with a Deadline in March, 2020. Free to enter.
Six Writers Share Snippets of their Lovelife with Eboquills
They say writers and poets often have it rough in love relationships. WB Yeats is one poet who easily comes to mind. There are other prominent writers who got roped into unrequited love by ill-fate. They wrote that part of their lives into poems and…
100k up for the grabs at Tush Magazine Writing Contest
Submissions are now open for the 8th edition of the Tush Magazine Bi-Monthly Writing Contest. The contest since inception has allowed more participation and we are keen on getting more participation from young writers resident in Nigeria. “Like the previous editions, the most essential take from…
8 Must-read Expository Interviews with Prominent African Writers
I have been combing the internet for interviews with my writer-crushes as well as hunting for new African writers and poets to add to my reading list. And I found these eight amazing interviews which were everything expository and inspirational. Now I know why Soji…
Enter Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest, February/March, 2020 Edition
Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers is now receiving entries for the February-March 2020 edition of the BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC). The theme is ‘FRIENDSHIP’. “Of a truth, there are very few things that we can really say have as much an impact on our happiness and enjoyment…
Meet the Winner of EBOquills Most-Read Guest Piece of January
Caught up in the festivities of December and a personal hiatus which was more or less what I needed at the time, I couldn’t get by with reading through a pile of entries, editing, accepting contributors’ pieces in December. However, in January, we had a…
How to Enter Issue III of the 20.35 African Poetry Series
The 20.35 Africa was launched in 2018. It is an anthology of contemporary poetry targeted at pushing institutional boundaries in the African literary scene by advocating for “multiple conversations on the sensibilities of being African in a modern, global system.” Its first volume, guest-edited by Gbenga…
GUILTY AND INNOCENT
Written By: Elisha Bala (EB) Mares in the night held her tight- as cares of the past stole sleep away from her eyes in the middle of that lonely night- until it was 6:30 am. Suddenly, Hauwa heard the doorbell; “Ding dong“. She arose from…
Five Tips on How to Write a Winning Entry for NSPP 2020
About two weeks ago, Poets in Nigeria (PIN) opened submissions for the 2020 Nigerian Students Poetry Prize (NSPP). And the Prize is worth N500,000.00 this year! That’s some good money, and indeed a great reward for undergraduates who write poetry. If you are a Nigerian…
Performance Poetry Class with Bash, Set to Kick Off This Weekend
All is set for Performance Poetry Class with Bash, to kick off this weekend at Ozidu House, Osun Cresent, Maitama, Abuja. This two-day performance poetry course, which would explore the art, tricks, and business of performance poetry would hold on Friday, the 24th to Saturday,…
Have you Entered Making-Monday-Mild’s Snap Contest?
After the Christmas and New Year holidays, the next big date for #parte_after_parte for most lovers is Valentine’s Day. On that day, social media platforms are flooded with high-resolution pictures of lovebirds wear matching outfits. Expensive gifts and scented flowers are exchanged. Surprise proposals are…
Chukwuemeka Ike Reunites with our Ancestors: Are the Veterans Leaving African Literature in Good Hands?
We do not mourn men like Chukwuemeka Ike because they do not actually leave us. We know that their journeys to the land of the spirits did not begin on the day they hosted death. So when we scoop a handful of tributes, we do…
27 More Days to Submit to adda, the Commonwealth Writers Online Magazine
Free to enter writing contests of 2020.
What my Mother Means When She Says, “May the Road be Kind to You”
Before the bus hits the road, mama would lean against the white Benue Links bus — which always has a bright red and deep green strip running through it– and mutter a prayer the same way she did the first time I left Gboko for…
Men Like God, An Essay By Owolabi Awwal Olanrewaju
Owolabi Awwal Olarenwaju calls us out for not showing enough respect to military men who walked right into the arms of death to see to our collective safety. He insists that we must remember them. The fallen heroes, whose bodies were feasted on by scavengers…
Winner of EBOquills Most-Read Guest Piece in November
We opened our submissions window in October. And ever since we have been receiving amazing entries from wonderful writers around the country and beyond. We are determined to make EBOquills a salad of literary voices and if you have not added your whisper to increase…
Seven Writing Resolutions Every Writer Who Wants to Make Money Off Writing Should Consider in 2020
I hear people say that we writers must have a boring life, which really is not far from the truth. I quite understand that not many people can get a grasp of how we cherish solitude and the succulence of its juicy silence. I mean,…
Lessons From my Encounter With a Generous Beggar
Yesterday I was out all day. Sitting outside an eatery, using their free power supply to work on my PC. As I sat there going back and forth on the many tabs opened on my browser, enduring the noise of the gen. which sat beside…
2 More Days to Enter the IPCR Literary Competition
A couple of months ago, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) made a call for entries into her literary competition thus: “The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), in its drive to use art and literature to convey the narratives of our…
$2,100 Up For the Grabs at Fountain Essay Contest
In the last few days of October, The Fountain Magazine announced its opening for her 2019 Essay Contest in an edited release thus: “We at The Fountain believe that every voice should be heard and that challenges have a capacity to offer insight into our…
Enter Retelling Africa Writing Competition to Win Cash Prizes & a Publishing Deal
The New Times, Rwanda’s leading daily has announced the opening of submissions’ window for the Retelling Africa Writing Competition which is organized by Imagine We, Rwanda. The competition is open to all African writers, poets, storytellers, novelists, and essayists. It is a great platform for…
Episode Four: Beautiful Pieces
Written By: Josh Effiong TRISHA At Trisha’s place, She’d woken up at 6:00am and quickly replayed the past evening incident in head. “I’m sorry I stressed you Mr. unknown” Trisha muttered smacking her head. While she was about placing her feet into the flip-flop beside…
Discomfort: Everyone Thinks My Madness Is In Its Larval Stage
I want to go back to the time when discomfort was just a grain of sand in my shoes and I only needed to kick the shoes off and be relieved. I miss the days when much of what I knew of discomfort was a…
The Death of an Age
Written By: Nnaemeka Enemchukwu It was not long before our Great Personage was taken up in the midst of green clouds that the strange men came. This time we were living in an age of magic, miracles, and mysteries. We had a life that was…
Episode Three: Beautiful Pieces
Written By: Josh Effiong BRYAN “I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I was just…” “Can’t you just apologize without any excuses?” Bryan interrupted. “If I knew you were the same person, I wouldn’t have stopped,” Bryan added. Trisha went mute and all listened to the…
A Letter To Mother: What My Body Is
Written By: Chiemeziem Everest Udochukwu Mother, I saw your picture on a preeminent poster yesterday. It revealed your gap-teeth to lookers, whom I’m sure must be enchanted by your mesmeric smile to pledge you their support. I had to look twice to identify the picture…
Episode Two: Beautiful Pieces
Written By: Josh Effiong TRISHA “Good morning ma’am” a familiar voice greeted as she stepped into the premises of her workplace. “What’s good about the morning?” she asked. One foot in, “Hey…Good morning” It was Smith, her colleague. As she ransacked her handbag to get…
Beautiful Pieces: Episode One
Written By: Josh Effiong BRYAN It had been a very long weekend. Starting off from Saturday, after returning home at 1:00pm, Bryan dashed into the restroom to have a quick shower before figuring out what he would have for lunch. With a white towel wrapped…
A Love Letter
Written by Owolabi Awwal To Ajoke, pure and simple, beautiful and amazing, whose heart agrees with mine Dear Ajoke, I begin this letter with everything that has weight and occupy space, everything that lives yet exists only in man’s imagination. I’ve come to your door…
Four Reasons Why You Should Share Your Writings With Us At EBOquills
This October, we threw open are submission windows and called on members of the literary community to send us original poems, short stories, letters, and creative rants. We wanted to have a variety of voices, something like little bits of different fruits in a fruit…
How To Enter CNA’s Purple Hibiscus Trust Creative Writing Workshop 2019
Although the co-facilitators for the 2019 edition of the Purple Hibiscus Trust Creative Writing have not yet been announced, applications are now being received. The entry process is pretty easy and the fact that it does not require any registration or entry fee makes it…
Josh Effiong: Diaries, Dreams & Dues
When we were born, happiness was without a price tag and we felt our heart bubbling with joy every time the cloud gathered. For the sound of raindrops was tinkling cymbals to our spirits as we ran with a little piece of clothing on our…
Olajuwon Joseph Olumide: A Note to Destiny
Obianuju, My oracle says I should find purpose before partner. How shortsighted mysteries can still be. Even mysteries cannot fully demystify this epiphany that I will be. Before I begin to learn the fatherly lore of earthly wisdom & philosophies, somehow I had known who…
Returning Home III
By the time Fatima got to her mother’s hut, she was already very exhausted. She landed heavily at the doorstep. Her mother who had been awakened by footsteps approaching her hut was peeping through the window to see who it was. “I would catch the…
I Wriggled Out of His Grip- A Sexual Assault Story
Are sexual assault stories like yawns? That when someone in a room O-s his mouth in a yawn, we suddenly feel like yawning?
Adesina Ajala: A Letter To Noroh
Dar(l)ing Noroh, It’s been eons my phone giggled to your fond calls, and for countless nights, I’ve hushed to WhatsApp, to binge on your soothing words only to get my eyes wet again when your D.P. reminded me of wilted wreaths and faded epitaphs. In…
Afrika-Writes Poetry Workshop
The Afrika-Writes Poetry Workshop shall be a four-day poetry writing workshop is set to begin on October 4th to end with a public event on 08 October 2019 at Steam Lounge, Old GRA, Makurdi. The workshop is planned in such a way that: -Two days…
Returning Home II
The quick steps behind her frightened her. It seemed the person was trying to catch up. Fatima wondered what she would do if she was in any sort of danger. She was heavily pregnant, much too so to take to her heels or fight back…
RETURNING HOME I
Fatima is muttering prayers as she walks down the narrow path which leads home. She cannot stop peering through her shoulder. Everywhere is silent. The kind of silence which injects fear. When all a person hears is the chirping of crickets singing lullabies for street…
My Favourite Pastime
A place, where I would eagerly volunteer is a rich library or book store, with lots of books on literature and just about any subject. There are two things about that place which I have grown to love. First, the silence. Second, books and the…
Aunty Maria: A Short Story By Ehi-kowochio Ogwiji
In “Aunty Maria”, Ehi-kowochio Ogwiji shares a story that is real and heavy with sadness. There is a poetic undertone of metaphors and imageries cuddling away in the crisp paragraphs of this story. Although the story is cold with grief, it closes with a warmth…
LETTERS TO MY SON I
Dear son, I have told you before that loving a woman is like roasting a yam tuber. You have to stay near, without minding the heat of the fireplace. You have the smoke which escorts the nearly unbearable heat to contend with. If you are…
Dear Heartbroken Girl
When the vapor of emotions begins to sublimate, love develops wings and flies away like chaff, leaving you before a heap of regrets, biting memories and excruciating pain. It is not rare to see people who dropped their red hot coal of love on some…
The Currency of Hope
Peter sat by the road side. His skin, black like ‘condemned’ engine oil and his eyes, a reflection of a soul that was nothing but an ash tray of burnt dreams. Not only were his eyeballs hanging conspicuously from its sockets, they were as red…
Broken Ships II
Vivy recalled how she stood there shivering as her wet black dress dripped water while her boyfriend, blinded by his insecurities went on blabbing. “What insensitivity!” She thought as she removed her shower cap and freed her massive braids and began to peel the wet…
Broken Ships
The first time Vivy met him, she had just left the library and was cycling to her hostel that evening. She was wearing a pair of blue shorts, a cream T-shirt and a face cap to match. With her tablet in a backpack strapped to…
Jerome
Those who lag behind in life’s race, are they God’s specimens to the experimental end of eliciting our gratitude?
Memories, the clay with which we hold our demons.
On cool evenings like this, when my fingers hurt and my palms get really pale, I crawl into my bed, wrap myself away and listen to Don Williams. Then I wonder why death lets us sip from a glass of fine wine, only to tickle our throats till we spill the wine to its very last droplet.
A Broken Wrung On The Ladder Of Memories
On the ladder of memories, it was not the way the night stretches a blanket of darkness across the sky that endeared it to me. My best friend in the corpers’ lodge; Segun, thought I had cuddled the moon under the canopy of glittering stars…
Irene II
Both Ehi and Blessing were at Irene’s funeral last weekend. Clad in sparkling white knee-length gowns, hands folded across their chest, they stood by her graveside. Blessing was crying- no- wailing so loudly that Ehi was beginning to feel like her heart was hewn from…
Irene I
To hold a pen bearing the world’s weight- this is what it takes to be a writer.- To easily detect the footprints of tears blurred out with many layers of make-up and see a person’s sincere hunger for laughter is a familiar scene in her…
Flickering rays and a beam
Chi is wedged between a wooden table and a leather chair close to the window of her self-con apartment, down the ever-quiet Engineer Kitchener’s Street. Raymond, her boyfriend was keen on getting her an apartment on this street because he knew the serenity would mean…
Subscribe
[custom-facebook-feed feed=1]
[instagram-feed]
[custom-twitter-feeds]
English