Fantasy and speculative fiction author, Suyi Davies Okungbowa has announced the fellows for the 2024 Literary Laddership for Emerging African Authors.

In its second run this year, the fellowship received 29 applications from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda writers. The hand-selected, trusted reader-judges spent a month reviewing these applications (anonymously, with all identifying information redacted from reading packets), focusing on storytelling, language and structure, style/approach/themes, and genre.

While they received many impressive, interesting and exciting submissions from clearly talented applicants, they could only award the fellowship to two candidates, and the two fellows selected demonstrated a penchant for high-quality prose, unique storytelling approaches, a strong commitment to the writing practice and the promise of similarly impressive work in the future.

The 2024 Literary Laddership Fellows are:

• Habiba Dokubo-Asari (Port Harcourt, Nigeria)
• Chimezie Chika (Onitsha, Nigeria)

For three months (starting in June 2024), these fellows will receive $500 to buy time, space and/or resources to create new work or complete their existing work. They will be given access to a private community of practice (that includes emerging and veteran authors sharing craft lessons, best practices, insider publishing knowledge, among other things). Upon completion of their work, fellows will be provided with the necessary guidance and education (and resources, where possible) to navigate the publishing industry and aid submission and publication of their work.

Congratulations to the winners. Follow up on the winners and their journey through Suyi Davies Okungbowas social media page.