APPLY: Cassava Republic Non-Fiction Writing Workshop

Cassava Republic Press is calling on all African women non-fiction writers for a residential writing workshop this July for African women living on the continent and interested in writing non-fiction.

This is a chance to work closely with an acclaimed Black women author and have your work published in an anthology called, Taboo!

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
This is a 10-day residential workshop of creativity and collaboration in Johannesburg in July 2024, led by an acclaimed Black women author.

The workshop offers writers the opportunity to refine their craft and engage critically with the long tradition of non-fiction writing as they explore their own unique voice.

The workshop will culminate in a final essay to be published in an anthology by Cassava Republic Press.

BENEFITS 

Travel within the continent, accommodation and food will all be provided for, and participants need only bring themselves and a willingness to learn and complete their essay!

THE WORKSHOP THEME
The workshop’s theme, Taboo, is an invitation for writers to explore subject from different angles, leading to a published collection of essays on the theme.

Taboos are practices that are forbidden, restricted and even controversial. They are shaped by social and religious customs, and vary across cultures. What does taboo mean to you? It is a question that sparks curiosity and invites introspection. This could be a historical or theoretical exploration of the origins of different taboos, or a more journalistic piece on the effects of breaking an existing taboo or if the theme hits closer to home, perhaps a personal essay on navigating a taboo and the felt experience. This theme is an invitation to provoke and stimulate discourse;and the anthology will stand as a testament to the allure of the forbidden.

Final essays will be a minimum of 5,000 words and should be beautiful, thoughtful, rigorous and bring a fresh insight to the conversation.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINE

You will need to submit a short pitch letter about your ideas for the topic and the first draft of the essay you will be working on at the workshop, on the theme of Taboo. You can enter via Submittable.

The prize is open to all Black women over the age of 18 who live in Africa.

Applications close at 23:59GMT on May 31, 2024.