For our upcoming issue, we’re inviting writers to explore A Day in the Life. We’re looking for short, fictional stories that open the door to mundane moments and allow us to find beauty and meaning in the ordinary rhythms of living. The quiet routines, the fleeting encounters, the subtle dramas of daily life - that’s what we’re interested in.

Whilst we love and appreciate stories from the diaspora, for this issue we ask that stories are firmly rooted on the African continent. We want to experience the traffic in Johannesburg, the barbershops of Mombasa, an afternoon in a small town in Namibia, or a night in Tunis. We’re ready to go wherever you want to take us - what matters most is that it feels real.

You can obviously weave in flashbacks or memories, but we’re not looking for stories that span long periods of time, or hinge on complex, layered plots. We just want to walk beside your character for a day, and see the world through their eyes. That’s all.

Submission Guidelines

Word Count:

Max. 5,000 words.

Deadline:

Friday, October 17th.

Please note that we read and accept submissions on a rolling basis, and may close earlier if we fill the issue. We encourage you to submit early.

Eligibility:

We welcome submissions from writers anywhere in the world, but for this issue, stories must be set on the African continent.

Review process:

We consider all submissions and we aim to respond within four weeks of receipt. Sadly, we can’t offer individual feedback but please bear in mind that some stories may be well written, yet still unsuitable for AFREADA.

Compensation:

We pay £100 for each accepted submission.

Fine print:

Writers retain full rights to their work post-publication. Work should be previously unpublished – personal blogs and websites are an exception. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please withdraw your work from consideration if accepted elsewhere.

Ready to Submit?

Send your story as a Word attachment to editor[@]afreada[.]com.

Please include your name and contact details on the first page of your story.

We’d also love to know about you, so make sure to include a short bio in your email.

Questions?

Feel free to contact us at editor[@]afreada[.]com.

If you don’t have any questions, what are you waiting for?