The Library Of Africa and The African Diaspora (LOATAD) is pleased to announce the second edition of its West African Writers (WAW) Residency programme for writers who are citizens of any one of 16 West African countries (see list of countries below). 

Talented writers with a radical literary vision are invited to apply to be in residence at LOATAD in Accra, Ghana, for a period of one month between August 2023 and December 2023 (except October 2023). 

We are particularly looking for writers who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling, and working in areas that are underrepresented in contemporary African literature e.g. Africanfuturism, nature writing, folktales/folklore, narrative nonfiction, literary criticism etc.

The residency offers committed writers working on a long-form project uninterrupted time and space to focus on their work in a supportive and well-resourced African-centred literature environment with other writers from across the region. 

Writers stay in self-contained rooms with all meals provided.

The cost to attend the residency is free. Travel to and from Ghana will be covered by LOATAD.

This programme is generously run with the financial contribution of the European Union and the support of the OACPS Secretariat – Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States

Overview

Length of Residency: One Month / 4 weeks

Location: LOATAD, Greater Accra, Ghana

Open to: Writers of all genres, Literary Translators

Residency Dates: August 2023 – December 2023 (except October)

Deadline to Apply: 6 August, 2023 | Midnight GMT

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to writers of all genres at all stages of their writing careers including:

• Childrens and YA writers 
• Screenwriters
• Playwrights
• Poets and Performance Poets
• Translators
• Academic writing

Writing in:

• English 
• French
• Spanish
• Portuguese
• Any African language

Must be a citizen of, and resident in, one of the following countries:

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cape Verde
• Ivory Coast
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Liberia
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Niger
• Nigeria 
• Senegal 
• Sierra Leone
• Togo

Must be aged 21 or over

Must commit to the full duration of the residency

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 will be required 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.
• The residency is based in Greater Accra.
• Residents are responsible for ensuring they have adequate travel and health insurance.
• Residents agree to be photographed, videotaped, or recorded over the course of the programme for archival documentation or promotional purposes by LOATAD or their partner(s).
• Residents must follow COVID-19 protocols set by LOATAD in accordance with Government of Ghana regulations.
• Residents agree to respect all laws of the Republic of Ghana. 
• Residents agree to respect the rules of the Residency.

To Apply

Complete the application form at https://bit.ly/loatadwaw23 and upload the following documents in one single PDF document by 6 August, 2023:

• Letter of motivation (one page)
• Description of the writing project you intend to work on while in residence including proposed outputs over the four weeks (one page)
• 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. Nwapa_Flora_Nigeria_Fiction

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

Any questions? residency@loatad.org. Subject line: WAW Residency.