Library Of Africa and The African Diaspora

Open Call! LOATAD Black Atlantic Residency III

What is Africa to the World? African Worldmaking and the Reinvention of Africa
Deadline: 7 September, 2025 | 11.59 PM GMT

***MEET THE 2026 LOATAD BLACK ATLANTIC RESIDENTS!***

Are you a writer of African descent from:

  • Africa
  • The Americas
  • The Caribbean
  • Europe

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

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Following on from the inaugural LOATAD Black Atlantic Residency, What is Africa to me?, and the second, What is Africa to us?, the third and final iteration draws attention to the many ways in which writers, scholars, and activists are disrupting ideas of Africa in the world and re/creating the meaning of Africa by exploring the question, 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.

For 2026, the LOATAD Black Atlantic Residency will consider the following questions:

  • What is Africa’s place in the world?
  • What role can writers play in African worldmaking and redefining perceptions of Africa?
  • How can new/renewed literary movements bring together writers, artists, and activists from across the continent and the Diaspora in common cause?
  • How can genres such as Africanfuturism shape/create new worlds in real life?
  • What ecosystems exist, or should exist, to support writers on the continent to get their work out into the world?
  • How can readers of African literature become co-authors in shaping new narratives about Africa?

Generously supported by Hawthornden Foundation, the LOATAD Black Atlantic Residency seeks to break down barriers between writers from across the continent and the Diaspora by bringing them together physically, in community, around a common purpose and theme.

Overview

  • Length of Residency: One Month / 4 weeks
  • Location: LOATAD, Greater Accra, Ghana
  • Open to: Writers of all genres whose work centres or engages with Africa and/or the African Diaspora
  • Residency Dates: February 2026 – April 2026
  • Deadline to Apply: 7 September, 2025 | 23.59 GMT
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Eligibility

  • Beginner, Emerging and Established writers from and/or based in Africa, the Caribbean, North America, South America, and Europe whose work engages with issues concerning Africa and/or the Diaspora, specifically, The Black Atlantic.
  • Writers of fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry, playwrights, and academic texts with good publication credits in literary journals / magazines / newspapers, etc.
  • Writers can write in any language, but must be able to communicate in English.
  • Writers must be aged 21 or over.
  • Writers must own a valid passport and be willing to travel to Ghana to participate in the physical residency.

What Writers Receive

  • Up to $600 USD to cover travel costs to and from Ghana
    *Please note: We are unable to provide any funding for travel from or to the USA due to the conditions of our funding. If you are based in the United States and would like to apply, you will be responsible for your own travel costs to and from Ghana*
  • One month room and board at LOATAD in Accra, Ghana.
  • A stipend of $500 USD.
  • Access to the library’s extensive resources.
  • Trips to relevant places of interest in Ghana.
  • Meetings with key players in the Ghanaian/African literary space.

What Is Expected Of Residents

Residents must:

  • Be willing to commit to the entirety of the residency programme.
  • Produce a piece of writing between 2,500 and 10,000 words on the theme, What is Africa to the World? for publication in the anthology to be published by LOATAD at the end of the residency.
  • Be committed to the objectives of the residency and use the time and space provided to advance their work.
  • Be prepared to work collectively and individually, and take part in critique sessions and workshops.
  • Agree to participate in a public event at the end of the residency, photography and videography of the creation process, and any publicity that may arise from the programme.

To Apply

Complete the application form and upload the following documents in one single PDF document by 7 September, 2025, 23.59 GMT:

  • Letter of motivation (one page)
  • Description of how your work to date has engaged with the themes of this residency
  • Writing sample of no more than 1500 words in English, or with an English translation 
  • Name and contact information of two referees (they will only be contacted if your application is successful)

Name your PDF submission using the following convention: 

Surname_First Name_Country_Genre

E.g. Lumumba_Patrice_DRC_Nonfiction

By applying to the residency, you accept the Terms and Conditions below.

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Terms and Conditions

  • Writers must commit to the entire duration of the residency i.e. one month. Shorter or longer stays cannot be accommodated.
  • There is no option to extend the residency, either before it officially begins or after its official end. Should you wish to arrive in Ghana before your residency start date or stay in Ghana after the residency ends, you will need to make your own accommodation arrangements.
  • Residents will be required to take part in presentation and critique sessions and share their work with other residents and the LOATAD team. Optionally, you may choose to give a public presentation of your work.
  • Residents are required to present a work plan at the start of the programme and must be prepared for reviews to check progress from time to time.
  • Residents may be asked to engage in community work with our local and extended LOATAD community. This could involve, for example, giving a creative writing workshop at a local school or giving a poetry performance to children.
  • Residents will be accommodated individually in rooms, each with its own bathroom, a desk, and access to WiFi. Rooms have fans (no aircon). 
  • Residents are responsible for keeping their own rooms clean throughout the duration of their residency.
  • Residents are responsible for ensuring they have adequate travel and health insurance.
  • Residents agree to be photographed, video recorded, or audio recorded over the course of the programme for archival documentation or promotional purposes by LOATAD and/or their partner(s).
  • Residents must follow COVID-19 protocols set by LOATAD in accordance with Government of Ghana regulations.
  • Residents agree to respect the rules of the Residency.
  • Residents agree to respect all laws of the Republic of Ghana. 

Main image: A map representing the true size of Africa.