Witnessing is a space for personal stories that connect individual memory to broader African histories. With Witnessing, we’re focusing on personal historical essays, memoirs, or even narrative interviews that explore individual, familial, or communal interactions with major historical events that have shaped Africa.

We’re looking for essays that answer questions like:
How did this historical moment impact you, your family, or your environment?
What did the world say happened—and how did you experience it?

Whether you’re writing about a deforestation that changed your childhood environment, a genocide that shaped your family’s beliefs, or growing up in a mineral resource-rich area, your story matters. Especially when it sheds new light, challenges controlled historical narratives, or reveals the emotional weight of moments that shaped African lives. Our memories can and should influence what we call history; altogether, we wish it for the best.

Submission Guidelines:

• Personal historical essays & memoirs (non-fiction)
• 1,500 – 3,000 words
• Open for submissions all year round
• Not academic, but deeply reflective
• Selected essays may be referenced in future academic or cultural work

Have a story to tell? Submit your stories to submissions@lounloun.com with the subject, ‘Witnessing Submission,’ and help us remember Africa—through real lives, real voices, and defining moments.

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