Following the resounding success of its previous editions, the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (Anambra State Chapter) — the literary body that organizes the annual Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture — has announced a global call for entries for the 10th edition of the Chinua Achebe Poetry/Essay Anthology. The call invites writers from across the world to submit original and high-quality poems and essays for inclusion in this milestone edition of the anthology.
The yearly publication serves as a compendium of poems and essays dedicated to immortalizing the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, the iconic Nigerian novelist and universally acknowledged father of modern African literature. The prestigious anthology will (as usual) be unveiled during the 10th Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture, scheduled to take place in November 2025 at the Anambra State Central E-Library (Prof. Kenneth Dike Central E-Library), Awka, in southeastern Nigeria. The occasion will also mark the 10th anniversary of the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture.
According to the Project Coordinator and Editor-in-Chief of the Anthology, Izunna Okafor, who is also the Coordinator of Society of Young Nigerian Writers in Anambra State, Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture is an annual literary festival held in honour and memory of Achebe, in celebration of his life, works, contributions and legacies in the literary field.
The event, he noted, was initiated in 2016, and holds annually on Achebe's date of birth, 16th November, with the last edition held in 2024, during which the 9th edition of the Chinua Achebe Essay/Poetry Anthology — “Echoes from the Anthills” — was unveiled.
“It is with a view to mark this year's edition of the Festival in a much more remarkable and memorable way that we are inviting both burgeoning and established writers from different parts of the world, to enter their quality and thematically-written poems and essays for this 10th anthology," Okafor said, adding that this years edition is also much specially unique for the project that started over s decade ago.
“The anthology is in honour of Prof. Chinua Achebe; therefore, only entries that relate to Achebe, his works, his literary prowess and legacies will be accepted for publication therein,” he explained.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES/RULES:
1. Only poems, essays/reviews are accepted for the anthology.
2. Entrant must specify the genre of his entry; that is, specify if it is poetry or essay/review.
3. The poems and essays/reviews MUST relate to or be themed on either Achebe as a person (his personality), his works, his literary prowess/feats, life, legacies or any other aspect of him.
4. The essay or poem should be as brief and concise as possible — maximum of 500 words for essays/reviews, and maximum of 20 lines for poetry. Any work that exceeds this limit may be automatically disqualified.
5. Author’s information —location/contact address, phone number, e-mail address, and a short bio of NOT more than 40 words about the author/poet — should be included in the submission.
6. Submission is FREE and open to writers from any part of the world.
7. Entry MUST be the original work of the author/poet. Any plagiarised work will be automatically disqualified and exposed.
8. Only ONE entry per person is allowed.
9. Entrants may give their works any interesting title of their choices; but the theme of the works must comply with the Rule No. 3 above 👆
10. Entries should be sent to:
achebeanthology.gmail.com
and copied to:
synwanambrachapter.gmail.com
11. Subject of the mail should read “10TH CHINUA ACHEBE ESSAY/POETRY ANTHOLOGY (SPECIFY THE GENRE OF YOUR ENTRY)”
Example: “10TH CHINUA ACHEBE ESSAY/POETRY ANTHOLOGY (POETRY)”
12. Entry and its title MUST be type-written and sent in the body of the mail; NOT AS ATTACHMENT. Entries sent as attachment will be automatically disqualified.
13. Submission Deadline: October 24th, 2025
Late entry/submission will not be ACCEPTED.
13. Entry may be written in either English or Igbo Language.
BENEFITS:
● All successful/accepted essays and poetry will be published in the 10th Chinua Achebe Poetry/Essay Anthology (soft and hard copies).
● Media promotion of successful/published essays and poems and the entrants.
● Every accepted/published entrant for the anthology will receive a Certificate of Participation.
● Every accepted/published entrant is entitled to a copy of the published anthology.
● Authors/poets of the best ten essays and poems respectively will be given outstanding recognition and Certificate of Award at the 2025 Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture holding in November.
● Automatic/free membership and admission into Society of Young Nigerian Writers (for accepted young Nigerian entrants.)
For inquiries or support, contact:
achebeanthology.gmail.com
synwanambrachapter.gmail.com
+2348163938812, +2348028029868
Izunna Okafor (Editor-in-Chief).
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