Calling all African women aspiring editors! We are delighted to be hosting a residential editorial workshop this September for African women living on the continent and interested in editing non-fiction. Alongside our African Women’s Non-Fiction Writing Workshop and our Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Prize, this workshop is part of our mission to increase Black women’s participation in the nonfiction space.
Great writing requires great editors, and we want to nurture and encourage Black women editors to work on and help shape these critical, thoughtful and inspiring works of non-fiction by Black women.
Enter now for a chance to work closely with the critically acclaimed editor, Ellah Wakatama and edit an essay to be published in an Anthology.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
The residential workshop will take place in September over 10 days. Aspiring editors will have the opportunity to learn all the skills and techniques to be a great nonfiction editor; they will share and improve their editing skills, culminating in a final essay that they will edit to be published in an anthology by Cassava Republic Press.
Travel, accommodation and food will all be provided for, and participants need only bring themselves and a willingness to learn!
Applications open 17th May 2024
ABOUT THE ANTHOLOGY
The editors will work on the essays for the anthology developed by writers from the African Women’s Non-Fiction Writing Workshop. The published anthology will be on the theme of Taboo, with a collection of essays exploring this topic from different angles.
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.
How to Apply
Apply via our Submittable link.
We are asking for a CV and cover letter. The cover letter should include your editorial philosophy – what do you believe the role of an editor is and how do you approach a piece of writing as an editor.
Applications close at 23:59GMT on July 31st.
FAQs
We want to learn about you, as a person and as an editor. What type of non-fiction writing are you drawn to? What is your editorial philosophy? Why do you think it is necessary to have more Black women working in nonfiction?
Yes, this workshop is for both new editors and those interested in improving their craft and skills.
Yes, we accept submissions from editor’s who self-identify as a woman, and accept submissions from non-binary editors who are not opposed to the term.
Yes, you can, but you may have to finance your own air travel to South Africa.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, this is not feasible.