BN Poetry Foundation Announces Two African Poetry Awards

BN Poetry Foundation has been awarding the BN Poetry Award for seven years. Now in their eighth year, the foundation is adding a second poetry category focussing on the haiku.

African poets have a chance to win a cash prize, mentorship as well as the chance to take their work to various festivals around the world and publication in the annual anthology.

THE BABISHAIKU 2016 POETRY AWARD

“We are looking forward to Africa themed haiku i.e. haiku about African sights and sounds. Haiku must contain clear images, settings and juxtaposition. Haiku must be concise and as brief as possible (though 17 syllable haiku are welcome).
In short, we encourage experimental haiku but submissions should be three- line haiku structure or form. Please note one single haiku cannot contain all the highlighted features above, and hence are to be used as mere guidelines.”

• It is open to ALL African poets (LIVING IN AFRICA), who will not have published a full-length collection of poetry by May 2016
• Submissions should be original, in English.
• Submit using Times New Roman, single-spaced and size 12.
• Include the poem’s title on the poem but DO NOT include your name or contact details on the haiku itself
• Send the three Haikus to [email protected] as a word attachment.
• If you submit in this category, you are not eligible to submit for the second category of the Babishai Poetry Award
• The subject line should read, BABISHAIKU 2016
• Include your name, email address, country or birth and country of permanent residence, telephone number and the titles of your poems in the body of the email

The submissions will be accepted from February 29th 2016 to May 22nd 2016. The long-list will be announced by July 2016.

The top three winners will receive 150 USD each and participate in the 2016 Babishaiku mentorship programme

This award will be judged by Adjei Agyei-Baah, co-founder of Africa Haiku Network and Poetry Foundation Ghana.

BABISHAI 2016 POETRY AWARD

• It is open to ALL African poets (living anywhere in the world), who will not have published a full-length collection of poetry by May 2016
• Submissions should be original, in English and not more than 40 lines each.
• Submit using Times New Roman, single-spaced and size 12. Include the poem’s title on the poem but DO NOT include your name or contact details on the poem itself
• Local languages are accepted only if English translations are sent alongside them
• Send three poems to [email protected] as a word attachment.
• The subject line should read, BNPA 2016
• Include your name, email address, country or birth and country of permanent residence, telephone number and the titles of your poems in the body of the email
• There is no theme, be as creative as possible
• If you submit in this category, you are not eligible for the Babishaiku Award

The submissions will be accepted from February 29th 2016 to May 22nd 2016.  The long-list will be announced by July 2016.

The top two winners will receive 700 USD and 300 USD respectively

The top ten will be part of the 2016 Babishai mentorship programme and participate in various festivals across the world

This prize will be judge led by poet, Stephen Partington and Isaac Tibasiima, poet, Doctoral Researcher and Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Literature, Makerere University.

More details on the Facebook page, Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation, on Twitter @BNPoetryAward and the website, babishainiwe.com

Tags: Adjei Agyei-Baah, Africa Haiku Network, Babishai Niwe Poetry Award, Babishaiku Award, BN Poetry, BNPA, haiku, Isaac Tibasiima, Poetry Foundation Ghana, Stephen Partington