Lolwe is looking for work that is bold, different, and blurs or pushes boundaries: play with form and language, ignore the limitations and classifications, send in your fears and joys, your doubts and faiths, your curiosities and silences.

Submissions should be drama, orature, translation, hybrid writing, and visual art.

From 2025, submissions in the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories will be from the Lolwe Academy alumni only except where solicited.

We are open to Black (African, Caribbean, Diaspora) artists from anywhere in the world.

Please read the submission guidelines carefully before submitting and send us your work to the right category via Submittable. Any work sent via email will not be read and will be automatically rejected. 

While not mandatory, we recommend you have a look at our past issues here before you submit.

• Format: Word document, Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced.
• Response: 3-4 months after submission deadline.
• Multiple submissions: No. Please submit one submission and to only one category. Any submission to more than one or the wrong category will be automatically rejected.
• Simultaneous submissions: Yes. Just remember to withdraw or notify us if accepted elsewhere. Please note that failure to withdraw or notify us of work accepted/published elsewhere will lead to an automatic disqualification of the entire work submitted.
• Republishing: No. Only original, unpublished submissions will be read. Previously published work is not accepted unless it's a translation. Submission fees: None.
• Payment: Lolwe will offer a modest remuneration for work that is accepted for publication. You can help by donating to Lolwe.
• Bio: Send a brief bio alongside the submission.
• Queries: info@lolwe.org. Only queries sent to this email will be replied to. Please don't send DMs as they will be ignored.