Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry

University of Nebraska Press

Outside the disciplines you picked

This listing does not match the disciplines on your profile, so it is not in your feed. Update your disciplines to change what you see.

Closes

December 1, 2026

Effort

About 90 minutes

Cost to apply

Free

Apply at University of Nebraska Press Sign in to save

What it is

Annual award for an African poet publishing their first full-length poetry collection. Manuscripts must be at least 50 pages long and submitted in English. Submissions are anonymous. Self-published books disqualify applicants, but edited anthologies of other writers' work do not. Translated work is accepted with a percentage of the prize awarded to the translator.

Who it is for

African poets who have not yet published a full-length poetry collection.

Eligibility unconfirmed. Check the residency and nationality rules on the source before applying.

open to all

Where

International

When

December 1, 2026

Ends June 30, 2027

What you get

$1,000 and publication through University of Nebraska Press.

What you need to apply

Poetry manuscript
Cover page with title only (no author name, address, phone, or email on manuscript)

How long it takes

About 90 minutes

Short application. Estimated from the 2 items this application asks for, not from the organisation.

Cost to apply

Free

Apply

Go to the application

https://africanpoetrybookfund.submittable.com/submit