Remembering Defining moments in Africa.

General Guidelines

Before submitting your work to any category, please carefully read and adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Only original pieces will be considered. Previously published pieces and excerpts from a larger body of work are not accepted.
  • Submissions should be in EB Garamond or Times New Roman, size 12, and submitted in Word document format, including the word count.
  • Submissions should be in English or translated into English. Writers are, however, allowed creative freedom with the expression of their languages.
  • Submissions must be based on an event that has happened on or affected the continent, regardless of where characters in the telling are located.
  • Submissions must contain a brief historical setting description (max. two sentences) formally describing the historical events in telling (included in the Word document, not email).
  • Submissions must have at least two reference links to the historical events in the telling (included in the Word document, not email).
  • We accept simultaneous submissions; however, please notify us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
  • Ensure your submissions are meticulously reviewed for correct formatting, grammar, and punctuation. Significant mistakes in these areas can hinder the likelihood of your work being considered for publication.

Fiction

We are currently not accepting submissions.

We are interested in a car crash in 2004 published in the local newspapers as much as we are in the Rwandan and Biafran genocides of 1994 and 1967, respectively. Fiction submissions can be speculative or factual tellings of African history, centred on the following themes: Economics, Society & Politics; Gender & Feminism; Hope & Healing; Identity & Belonging; and War, Conflicts & Disaster. 

2,000 – 4,000 words

 

Personal Essays

Submissions are open all year round.

Witnessing is our space for personal stories that situate individual memory to broader African historical contexts. We are seeking personal essays, memoirs, or narrative interviews that explore individual, familial, or communal interactions with specific and significant historical events that have shaped Africa. Essays should answer questions such as: How did you live through (witness) a specific moment in history, directly or indirectly? Or how did you experience a historical event differently from what is popularly or publicly known?

  • 1,500 – 3,000 words or a short pitch.
  • Not academic, but deeply reflective
  • Selected essays may be referenced in future academic or cultural work

To submit your work or pitch, send an email to submissions@lounloun.com with the subject ‘Witnessing Submission.’ In the body of the email, include your third-person bio and attach the story. Please ensure the story has references and is in Word document format.

Compensations

Lọ́unlọ́un offers an honorarium of $50 CAD for each accepted submission. Payment is issued upon publication.

Rights

Upon acceptance, contributors grant Lọ́unlọ́un first serial rights to publish the work in print and/or digital formats. All rights revert to the author after publication. If the work is republished elsewhere, we ask that Lọ́unlọ́un be credited as the original place of publication.

Review Process

Our editorial team carefully reviews each submission. We strive to provide feedback whenever possible and appreciate the time and effort you put into your work. Please be patient; the review process may take 3-6 weeks after the deadline.

Contact

If you have questions or encounter issues during submission, please contact our editorial team at contact@lounloun.com.