Library Of Africa and The African Diaspora

Applications are now open for the third and final iteration of LOATAD’s Black Atlantic Residency.

Are you a writer of African descent based in:

• Africa
• The Americas
• The Caribbean
• Europe

Does your work grapple with the complexities and nuances of what it means to be African/of African descent in the 21st century?

Writers are invited to apply to be in residence at LOATAD in Accra, Ghana, for one month between February 2026 and April 2026 to develop a piece of work in response to the theme: What is Africa to the world?

The residency takes inspiration from the late Congolese scholar, V.Y. Mudimbe’s seminal text, The Invention of Africa. It considers how African worldmaking through literature and activism can upend Western constructions of Africa and create new ones, while building on indigenous systems and knowledge.

Writers receive one month room and board at LOATAD in Accra, Ghana, up to $600 towards travel costs*, and a $500 stipend.

The deadline to apply is 11.59 PM GMT on 7 September, 2025.

Generously supported by Hawthornden Foundation.

Read more and apply here.