Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Jungle Jim seeks stories that explore the "collision between visceral daring of pulp and the reality of living in Africa"

Jungle Jim is a bi-monthly illustrated print publication, aiming on spreading narrative, imagination and concept-driven African stories. Taking from the pulp tradition, we publish short and serialized fiction that entertains and engrosses in all dramatic genres (horror, sci-fi, crime, detective, western, romance, adventure etc.), accessible to all, but with a high quality of writing. We seek to publish stories that explore the collision between visceral daring of pulp and the reality of living in Africa.

Length
Very Short Fiction: 800 – 2000 words
Short Fiction: 2500 – 3500 words
Serialized Fiction: 13000 words (2000-2500 per installment)
True Life: 1500 – 2000 words

Fiction-Style

Narrative-driven genre or genre clash fiction that is imaginative, provocative and dramatic, drawing on African environments, characters, concepts, culture and myth, whether set in real worlds or those imagined. Extreme language, violence, sex or ideas are welcomed IF they advance the story.

Non-Fiction

We try and reserve one slot per issue for true-life accounts of unusual first-person experiences (e.g. alien abduction, ghost sightings, near death experiences). These should be transcribed directly and edited from an interview source, capturing the speech and storytelling of the story-teller.

Language

We welcome and encourage submissions in all languages, as long as they are accompanied by an English translation. Where possible we will publish BOTH original language and translation.

License

Jungle Jim accepts both published and and un-published works, no matter how old. We request a non-exclusive license, and authors retain full-copyright. We are currently unable to pay for contributions, but hope to change this soon.

Submissions

Electronic submissions only. These should be in MS Word format (.doc, not .docx), 12 pt font.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: mailto:junglejimmag@gmail.com

For submissions: mailto:junglejimmag@gmail.com

Website: http://www.junglejim.org/

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Allaboutwriting 150 word short story contest

To settle a bar bet, Hemingway wrote the following short story. For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. He called it his best work. And it proves that you don’t have to blather on endlessly to write something powerful.

It is the inspiration for our June exercise. But we’ve decided to go easy on you. We’re happy to settle for not six, but 150 words.

Here’s the challenge.

Write a 150 word short story that contains the following words: car guard; lover; and shoe.

Best story stands in line to win its author a R200 book voucher from the independent bookshop of your choice. Your deadline is July 7, at 12 noon. Send your submission to trishurquhart@gmail.com.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: trishurquhart@gmail.com

For submissions: trishurquhart@gmail.com

Website: http://allaboutwritingcourses.com

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

The Cecilia Unaegbu Prize for Flash Story 2011 calls for entries

The Cecilia Unaegbu Prize is now open and entries close on July 17, 2011. Anyone from any country is eligible for this contest. Entrants are to submit only one non-fiction flash story of not more than 750 words on the theme: "Women as Vessel of Honour". Entry is free.

Soft copy of entry to be submitted as attached file in MS Word to lionlordjeff@yahoo.com with the subject: Cecilia Unaegbu Prize. The name, phone number, address and portrait of entrants should be provided in MS Word in a second attached file. Entrants should not provide their particulars within the body of the story.

First prize: 15,000 Naira
Second prize: 10,000 Naira
Third prize: 5,000 Naira
and 10 consolation prizes.

All thirteen winners will be published in an anthology which will also contain the biographies of famous women of virtue from guest authors including the biography of Mrs. Cecilia Unaegbu with the title: Women of Virtue Book of Fame.

Competition judge: Unoma Azuah

Contact: lionlordjeff@yahoo.com

Monday, May 23, 2011

SA PEN angered over killing of Anton Hammerl and attempt to cover it up

South African PEN (SA PEN), a member of the International PEN organisation which promotes and protects the interests of writers, authors, editors and poets, is deeply angered at the manner in which the Libyan and South African authorities have conducted themselves over the cruel death of non-combatant South African-Austrian photographer Anton Hammerl in the Libyan desert while covering the hostilities there.

According to two journalists who were with him on April 5 when he was killed by troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Hammerl was shot in the stomach and left for dead in the desert after they were captured and imprisoned in Tripoli.

Hammerl is one of several journalists and photographers who have been killed in the North African fighting -- the dreadful toll extracted on journalists when trying to inform the world of what is happening -- but his death raises serious questions about the conduct of the authorities -- the Libyans for lying in saying that he was in detention, alive and well, despite his having been killed, the South Africans accepting these lies and adding that they had proof that he was alive when they clearly did not and President Zuma for failing to ask Gaddafi about Hammerl in his several conversations with the Libyan leader. The South Africans compounded their untruth that they had proof that Hammerl was alive by claiming that the International Affairs and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Matabane had been misquoted when they had made no effort to correct the alleged error much earlier after it had been made.

Though Hammerl was not a writer in the accepted sense he was a prolific story teller in photographic images and SA PEN extends its condolences to his wife and family and joins local and international media organisations in demanding the speedy return of his remains and a prosecution and trial by the International Criminal Court of those responsible for his death and coverup.

It is an offence under the Geneva Convention to attack non-combatant journalists covering conflict situations and Hammerl with his visible cameras was clearly identifiable as a journalist.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The shortlist for the 2011 Caine Prize for African Writing has been announced

Selected from 126 entries from 17 African countries, the shortlist is once again a reflection of the Caine Prize’s pan-African reach. The winner of the £10,000 prize is to be announced at a celebratory dinner at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, on Monday 11 July.

The 2011 shortlist comprises:

NoViolet Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) ‘Hitting Budapest’ from ‘The Boston Review’ Vol 35, no. 6 - Nov/Dec 2010
Beatrice Lamwaka (Uganda) ‘Butterfly dreams’ from ‘Butterfly Dreams and Other New Short Stories from Uganda’ published by Critical, Cultural and Communications Press, Nottingham, 2010
Tim Keegan (South Africa) ‘What Molly Knew’ from ‘Bad Company’ published by Pan Macmillan SA, 2008
Lauri Kubuitsile (Botswana) ‘In the spirit of McPhineas Lata’ from ‘The Bed Book of Short Stories’ published by Modjaji Books, SA, 2010
David Medalie (South Africa) ‘The Mistress’s Dog’ from ‘The Mistress’s Dog: Short stories 1996-2010’ published by Picador Africa, 2010

See: http://www.caineprize.com/

Friday, April 08, 2011

Writers from Africa and Asia are asked to submit short stories for an anthology of the two continents

Writers from Africa and Asia are asked to submit short stories for an anthology of the two continents. The writers can be on the respective continents or in the Diaspora but it is necessary that their stories deal with the topic as experienced by Africans/Asians.

Topic - Outcasts (contemporary or historical, adult audience)

Length - 3000-5000 words

Submissions Deadline- August 1st 2011

Remuneration- Shall be discussed upon selection of your short story as part of the anthology. You will know by September 30th.

Editors - Writers Rohini Chowdhury and Zukiswa Wanner

The editors will need some written commitment from writers on whether they will be submitting something by May 30th. We kindly request no poetry or non-fiction. Purely short stories. Please submit a short two-line introduction about yourself with your story.

If this exciting project interests you as a writer, kindly get in touch with rohini.chowdhury@gmail.com / wanner.zukiswa@gmail.com.