Call For Submissions: Aliyu Mohammed Book Prize For Hausa Manuscript
BACKGROUND
The Aliyu Mohammed
Book Prize is an annual award, open to new works of fiction or non-fiction
written in Hausa. The prize is the Gusau Institute (GI)’s contribution to the
encouragement of writing in Hausa, the most populous Chadic language and the
major language of West Africa. It is both the first language and/or the lingua franca of millions in the region,
and the award is meant to celebrate the cultural richness Hausa lends to
several populations across state borders.
This new
competition for unpublished Hausa manuscripts offers editing, design and layout
assistance for the winning entry, as well as an official introduction at the first
Kaduna Book and Arts Festival (Kabafest), following the announcement of the
winning manuscript. The prize will alternate between fiction (in even years)
and non-fiction (in uneven years).
Entrants to the
Aliyu Mohammed Book Prize competition are asked to submit an excerpt of their
manuscript, along with a 500-word synopsis, by the 31st of January
of the year of entry. The three writers who make the shortlist, to be announced
in mid-March, will be asked to send in a completed manuscript before the end of
April, and the winner will be announced by the end of May. The competition will
be judged by a rotating panel of four judges consisting of a publisher, editor,
translator and an established writer. The total worth of the prize is N500,000
of which N300,000 will be a cash prize for the author. The balance will go
towards editing and layout services, and the printing of 100 copies of the book
for sale at the Kabafest.
COMPETITION RULES
ELIGIBILITY: Hausa writers are
invited to enter. For any contestant who has not reached the age of majority in
his/her state or country of residence, parental or guardian consent is
necessary to enter the contest. Employees of the GI and their immediate family
(father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter) and persons living under the same
roof, are not eligible to enter this competition. Previously published authors
may submit texts providing that the submissions are unpublished works. There
must be only one author per entry. All works that have already been published
or broadcast are considered not eligible for the competition.
RIGHTS: Entrants warrant they have
created the work they are submitting and that they own all rights to it. They
will indemnify and hold the GI harmless from and against any and all loss,
damage, costs and other expense arising out of claims, whatever their nature,
resulting directly or indirectly from breach of this warranty.
ENTRY DEADLINE: Before or on the
31st of January of any given year an excerpt and a 500-word synopsis
of the manuscript must be submitted. The three shortlisted authors must then
submit their full manuscripts by the end of April. Please note that the prize
will be awarded to a full-length fiction
manuscript in even years and a
full-length non-fiction manuscript
in uneven years.
MANUSCRIPT DETAILS: Only unpublished
manuscripts between 100,000 and 150,000 words are accepted. Collections of
original short stories written by a single author are eligible, but anthologies
will not be considered. Poetry is not eligible. The decision of the judging
panel as to whether a book is eligible shall be binding and no correspondence
shall be entered into.
JUDGING: Manuscripts are judged
anonymously on the basis of the author's use of language, originality of
subject and writing style.
GENERAL RULES:
· Should participants
make any false statement, they shall be automatically disqualified from the
competition. If plagiarism is alleged, the jury shall conduct a reasonable
inquiry in the circumstances, and if it determines that plagiarism has
occurred, the participant concerned shall be disqualified and shall return the
prize money. Such a decision by the jury shall be final and cannot be appealed.
· All personal
information, such as your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address,
is collected solely for the purposes of administering this competition and
shall not be used for any other purpose without your consent. By providing this
information, you consent to it being used for the stated purposes.
· By entering,
participants agree to abide by the competition rules. All decisions of the
judging panel are final and without appeal.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Each entrant must
forward the following information/documents to info@gusauinstitute.com or gusau.institute@gmail.com before or on the 31st of January:
1. A
10-page excerpt (12 point font, 1.5 line spacing, 2.54cm page margins) and a
500-word anonymous synopsis of the manuscript (the name of the entrant must not appear anywhere on the text to ensure
the objectivity of the jury);
2. A
resume, including full names, date of birth, passport or ID number, permanent
address and contact details;
3. Parental permission if applicable.
(Note: The three shortlisted authors will be
informed by mid-March and will be required to submit their full manuscripts via
Dropbox by the end of April.)
RESTRICTIONS:
·
All submissions are
final: no changes or substitutions are allowed.
·
No handwritten
manuscripts will be accepted.
·
Works will not be
returned and editorial comments will not be given on the works.
A non-refundable
fee of N3,000 for administration purposes is required for each manuscript
entered. The competition is 100% not-for-profit, with all fees going towards
covering administrative costs, which include payment of readers and jurors of
the competition. Candidates will not be eligible until payment has been
received and deposited. Banking details will be supplied upon receiving an
eligible entry.
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