NSEMIA: 2063: Kenya @ 100 Short Story and Essay Contest

Nsemia Inc. Publishers announces 2063: Kenya @ 100 Short Story and Essay Contest that will run in the months of December 2011 and January 2012. The contest intends to task writers’ imagination and thought to paint a picture of the country at 100 years of age.

 

Nsemia: 2063

Predicting the future has its dangers, but writers are encouraged to take creative license and imagine the journey to the 100th birthday of the country: its socio-economics, politics/freedoms, urban/rural society, pastoral/farming/working life, the family, relationships, marriage, divorce, births, deaths, child/ health care,, education system, science/ research/ technology/ inventions; the young/old, name it! Think of how Kenya would have changed and the society that it would become.

Writers are free to choose their style of presentation (persuasive,
comparative, descriptive, narrative or otherwise) dictated by scenes, events, places, personalities, conditions and the like. Writers’ aim is to tell an interesting, logical story that grips readers’ attention. Preference will be given to short stories and essays that are believable with high creative elements, readable, and able to hold the interest of the reader; stories that paint a comprehensive picture the state of life of the time.

The awards for the winning five essays are $1000, $750, $500, $250 and $100, respectively. In addition the top five winners will be offered publishing contracts for book length versions of their essays and short stories. The next 20 essays will be published an anthology 2063: Kenya at 100 Perspectives. We are actively seeking sponsors to broaden the award categories as such more awards will be announced as we get respective sponsors.

The contest report will be published as a book of between 100 and 150 pages, featuring the top 25 contestant profiles and abstracts of their short stories and essays. Other report content will include a historical background of Kenya and developments to date, highlighting major milestones in the making of the Kenyan nation.

Further, the report will have short history the Kenyan literary scene and ongoing trends; and opinions on the future of Kenyan literature in the face of globalization. A few chosen works from the Kenyan literary scene and (where relevant) from outside the country will be featured.

There is limited advertising space for entities wishing to advertise in the contest report.

Opportunities for participation include being a sponsor, a contestant or a judge/reviewer.

Proposed categories for sponsorship include Top Female Contestant; Top Contestant Under 18 ; Top Urban Contestant; Top Urban Contestant Over 18 ; Top Contestant from rural Kenya; Top Contestant from the Diaspora ; Top Contestant from the Diaspora under 18; Top Male Contestant over 65 years and Top Female Contestant Over 65 years; Top Contestant on the subject of the girl child

 

Interested parties can get further information, including contest
rules, sponsorship information, advertising and entry form from
kenya2063@nsemia.com.

 

The contest closes on January 31st, 2012.