Southern Writers Bureau

25/04/2026

POETRY OPEN MIC NIGHT 📝🎙️

Alliance Française de Lusaka and Colour Culture Arts invite you to the April Edition of our Poetry Open Mic this Friday, 24th April!

Performers can create with the theme FREEDOM. Sign up to perform via the link bit.ly/4eyEFdP or email [email protected].
Entrance and participation is FREE.

📆 Friday, 24th April at 18:30hrs!
🎫 Entrance and Participation are FREE
🍷Snacks & Drinks available at our Café

See you on Friday!

25/04/2026

Official page for the upcoming novel The Mutomolo Ceremony by Chola EJ Simutenda. A tale of legacy, power, and destiny among the Namwanga people. Dive into the ancient and modern world colliding through sacred rites.

25/04/2026

Join us at the Inaugural edition of the Fitabo Book Fair, running from the 23rd to the 25th April.
This book fair hosted right here at AF Lusaka by Sortrane Publishers, brings together authors, readers, publisers, educators and literature lovers.
Experience book exhibitions, panel discussions, masterclasses , live readings, writing workshops, meet and greet the authors and network with the literary and academic community, over the course of 3 days.
Entrance is FREE with registration, see you there!

📆 Thursday 23rd April to Saturday 25th.
⏰ 08am to 4pm

18/04/2026

The 2026 Afritondo Short Story Pize SHORTLIST is here!

From the outstanding longlist of 15 exceptional writers, these five writers made the shortlist.

- Joe Lyimo
- Lynette Sifiso
- Owen Habel Lwanda
- Ekenedirichukwu Alita
- Joe Ruzvidzo

Huge congratulations also to every longlisted writer. Your stories left a lasting impression on the judges and elevated this year's prize.

Meet the shortlist on our website now: afritondo.com/shortlist26

18/04/2026

THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER. 🎭✨

The stage is being prepared , the DATES are locked in, and the vibe? Unmatched. The Kwimbo National Arts Festival is officially in motion!

We’ve got the DATES and the VENUE secured now the only question is: ARE YOU READY? 🎤🎬🎨

Turn on those post notifications so you don’t miss the big reveal! 🔔

18/04/2026

The 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist is here! Meet this year’s cohort of 25 standout writers, selected from 7,806 entries.

Africa region:
Lois Akoma Antwi (Ghana)
Ken Odak Odumbe (Kenya)
Dawn Immanuel (Nigeria)
Hussani Abdulrahim (Nigeria)
Ola W. Halim (Nigeria)
Oluwatoke Adejoye (Nigeria)
Lisa-Anne Julien (South Africa)

Asia region:
Anmana Manish*ta (Bangladesh)
Shazed Ul Hoq Abir (Bangladesh)
Rafaa Dalvi (India)
Rupsa Dey (India)
Sharon Aruparayil (India)
Mohamed Nasser Mohamed (Malaysia)
Jacqueline Chang (Singapore)

Canada and Europe region:
John Edward DeMicoli (Malta)
Alison Armstrong (UK)
Jennifer Harvey (UK)

Caribbean region:
Cosmata Lindie (Guyana)
Celeste Mohammed (Trinidad and Tobago)
Jamir Nazir (Trinidad and Tobago)
Jason Dookeran (Trinidad and Tobago)
Jochelle Greaves Siew (Trinidad and Tobago)
Roger-Mark De Souza (Trinidad and Tobago)

Pacific region:
M.S. Bhatia (Australia)
Holly Ann Miller (New Zealand)

They tell tales of migration, displacement and conflict, as well as exploring the intricacies of familial and romantic relationships. Their stories take place against the backdrop of vivid countries and continents, with geographical context a theme in itself. A diverse array of protagonists – including a musician, an athlete, a migrant worker and a stray dog – lead readers through each story.

Five regional winners will be announced on 13 May, with the overall winner revealed in late June. The shortlisted stories will be published on adda later this year.

Learn more about the writers and their excellent stories:
https://commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/

18/04/2026

18/04/2026

Dr. Mwaka Siluonde-Njalamimba is a lecturer in Literature and Head of the Department of Education in the School of Social Sciences at Mulungushi University, Zambia, where she has taught for ten years.

She holds a PhD in English (Literature) from the University of the Free State, South Africa, where she remains a research fellow.

Her scholarship focuses on Zambian and African literatures, with particular emphasis on decolonisation, identity, women’s narratives, orality, transnationality, and migration.

A contributor to critical conversations on the state of the Zambian book industry, she brings both academic insight and a deep commitment to the region’s literary and cultural development.

18/04/2026

Your story deserves to be told. Do you have the eye to tell it?

American Spaces Zambia, in partnership with the Meet My Mentor Foundation, is opening applications for the Story Lab. This is a free, 8-week documentary filmmaking program at American Corner at NIPA in Lusaka, starting April 20.

This year, the United States marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Story Lab is built around that milestone. Under the theme "250 Frames of Freedom," participants will explore the shared histories of Zambia and the United States through documentary film, learning to find the stories that matter and build the skills to tell them.

Over eight weeks, participants will train in documentary techniques, advanced video editing, and AI tools in creative production, with direct mentorship from industry professionals. No prior experience is required. Selection is based on potential, commitment, and perspective.

Spaces are limited. If you are an emerging Zambian creative ready to develop your voice as a visual storyteller, apply before spaces close.

🔗 Apply here: https://forms.gle/YSXjvR43Qw7y3bZy7
📍 American Corner at NIPA, Lusaka
📅 Starting Monday, April 20

What story would you tell if given the tools and the platform? Tell us in the comments.

04/01/2026

Libros Editing and Publishing is thrilled to present an extraordinary and profoundly moving memoir, ‘The Language of Dawn’, by Celine Meena Nair.

Courageously chronicled for the first five decades of her life in this uplifting book, from her childhood through her seasons of crushing doubt, silent battles, and quiet acts of faith that sustained her, what began as deeply private journal entries capturing her darkest nights and brightest glimpses of hope, transformed into a sacred calling as she neared her 50th birthday.

Her gentle honesty, the fierceness that heals, and the living proof within the pages makes the ‘The Language of Dawn’ more than a memoir. It's a phoenix testimony, rising beyond her circumstances. When faith leads, impossible paths open, broken wings mend, and anyone can rise into a new dawn.

Coming soon!

This is a book that will speak hope into weary souls—don't miss it.