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Held Too Briefly Launched
Anthology Release
Held Too Briefly
New anthology amplifies African creative voices on avoidable disaster deaths through literary and visual arts advocacy.
Held Too Briefly, an anthology born out of the 2025 Art for Life (Art4Life) campaign, is now available to the public. This powerful collection of poetry, flash fiction, and visual art from across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) brings into focus the human stories behind avoidable disaster deaths from drowning, maternal mortality, silicosis, and snakebite.
The anthology is published as part of the 2025 International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD), through a collaboration between the Custodians of African Literature (COAL), Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN), and SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative, with support from the University of Leicester Institute for Environmental Futures. The anthology serves as a creative advocacy tool for raising awareness, igniting discussions, and inspiring policy dialogues on disaster risk reduction in SSA.
Divided into four thematic sections, Held Too Briefly is a tribute to lives lost too soon, not to fate, but to systemic failure. The anthology features work by both emerging and established African creatives, whose voices turn personal and communal grief into artistic advocacy for change. Their works expose how proximity, poverty, and poor risk governance frameworks often determine who survives and who doesn’t.
Over 100 submissions were received from across: Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The final selection showcases pieces chosen for both their artistic merit and alignment to the campaign’s call.
Held Too Briefly is now available in digital format and will be launched across multiple platforms including virtual engagement, literary festivals, and advocacy events in Africa and the UK.
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Opportunities for Creatives
Sprinng Writing Fellowship 2025
Deadline: April 15, 2025
Anthology Publication+ Mentorship + 1-Year MasterClass Membership
The Pulitzer Center Underreported African Stories Grant
Deadline: Apr 27 2025 – Jun 07 2025
The Pulitzer Center is seeking proposals from journalists worldwide to advance wide-reaching and relevant journalism on issues impacting communities in Africa
The Female Voices Short Film Fund 2025
Deadline: June 30, 2025
With a financial grant of $10,000 and a direct pitching opportunity to a development deal with one of the UK’s largest Independent finance and production companies, Goldfinch.
African Women In Photography X The End Fund 2025
Deadline: April 30, 2025
$10,000 + Mentorship
Anna Awards 2025
Deadline: June 27, 2024
Women-identifying artists from Africa
- First Prize: R100,000 cash prize
The Toyin Falola prize 2025
Deadline: April 15, 2025
As every other writing opportunity, The Toyin Falola prize 2025 holds on to histories and stories that shape their vision.
The Purorrelato Micro-Story Contest 2025
Deadline: April 16, 2025
- First award: 750 euros
- Second award: 375 euros
- Third award: 225 euros
Ripples Center For Data And Investigative Journalism Africa Fund
Deadline: April 26, 2025
The RCDIJ Africa Fund has a ceiling of $10,000. Approved sum for each project ranges from under $1,000 to $10,000
Lọúnlọún: Call for Illustrators
Deadline: January 31, 2026
The Writing Room is a learning platform for aspiring African writers.
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL)
Deadline: April 27, 2025
We are seeking recommendations of writers of diverse literary forms, including writers of drama, fiction, graphic fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenplays.
The the Andrée Blouin Prize 2025
Deadline: April 30, 2024
The winner of the Andrée Blouin Prize will receive an advance of $2000 and a publishing contract with Inkani Books.
Bridport Prize 2025
Deadline: May 31, 2025
There is a £20k prize fund split between the categories.
The International Audio Drama Competition 2026
Deadline: June 4, 2025
$500 stipend, travel cost worth up to $600, access to the library’s resources, an accommodation and participant must be 21 years above with a valid passport.
Goethe Zentrum Kampala’s Open Call for Proposals
Deadline: May 02, 2025
The Goethe-Zentrum Kampala/Ugandan German Cultural Society’ (GZK/UGCS) invites different creatives to submit their proposals on diverse projects that are unique and promotes the cultural scene in the Ugandan community
Annual Call
The Custodians of African Literature (COAL) through the Grassroots Accelerated Education Fund invests in community-led initiatives that improve learning outcomes for out-of-school and underserved children in Nigeria. Instead of a handout approach, we co-create solutions with grassroots educators who best understand the needs of their communities.
After a successful 2024 pilot that supported 125 children, with 13 transitioning to formal school, we’re expanding in 2025. This fund supports projects that build formal and informal inclusive learning for underserved children and youth in Plateau State.
What we are looking for
To enhance access to quality education for marginalized and underserved children, COAL is seeking proposals from grassroots-led initiatives that deliver structured, foundational learning programs rooted in local context. The 2025 Micro Educational Grant builds on insights from our 2024 cohort, where successful projects demonstrated the power of locally adapted curriculum, skilled facilitation, and strong community engagement to create sustainable learning pathways.
- Proposals should demonstrate strong community involvement from parents to local leaders and government actors.
- Projects should demonstrate clear plans for facilitator and teacher training
- Ensure adequate tracking of learners progress, and transition pathways into formal education for those that are out of school.
- Successful models should demonstrate sustainability through community ownership and partnerships for long-term change.
- If your initiative champions practical, creative, and inclusive education solutions, we want to hear from you.
See the application guidelines for more details of what we fund.
Eligibility Criteria
Support is open only to legally registered, non-profit, community-based organizations and social enterprises operating in Nigeria.
Projects must focus on improving literacy in grassroots, low-income, and underserved communities in Plateau State.
Initiatives must be locally led with strong community involvement, including parents, educators, government, and other stakeholders.
Applicants must have a clear 12-month implementation plan with a timeline, budget, and expected outcomes.
Preference is given to projects with long-term sustainability and scalability potential.
Innovative approaches (e.g., play-based, technology, arts-based learning, creative methods) are encouraged to boost engagement and outcomes.
Organizations must have robust child safeguarding policies and practices in place.
A commitment to monitoring, evaluation, and learning is required for continuous improvement and accountability.
Projects should prioritize marginalized and underserved children and youth up to age 18.
Applicants must have an organizational bank account as funds will not be disbursed to personal accounts.
Past micro-grant recipients may reapply, showing scalable and/or a new model for continued impact.
Grant Amount and Capacity Building
If your project is selected, you’ll be eligible for a micro grant of up to ₦2,000,000, depending on your project’s scope and scale. In some cases, we may consider larger grants for projects with potential for widespread impact.
Additionally, both successful and unsuccessful applicant will receive technical and institutional support in the following:
- Corporate governance for non-profit management
- Project management in the development sector
- Basics of monitoring, evaluation and learning
- Resource mobilization
- Financial management
- Accelerated education models
- Child safeguarding and protection measures.
- Youth volunteers to support the implementation of successful initiatives and many others.
How to apply
- Interested organisations should submit a proposal by downloading and filling out the proposal template below.
- After completing the proposal template, please fill out the application form to provide additional information about your organization and project. Before submitting your application, upload the completed proposal and other additional supporting documents stated in the proposal template.
- Please make sure that all the information included in your application is complete, as you will not be able to make any changes to your application once it is submitted.
Deadline: All applications should be submitted by 11:59pm on 16th May 2025.
For any questions or inquiries, please contact us at info@coalng.org.
Selection process
All proposals will be reviewed by a panel. Shortlisted applicants may be invited for an interview or to provide additional information. Final decisions will be communicated within 8 weeks of the application deadline.
- Selected organizations will receive notification of their acceptance by June 2025.
- Final award decisions will be publicly announced in June, with agreements finalized and first milestone of funds disbursed by the end of June 2025.
- Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, detailed feedback will not be provided to organizations that are not selected.
Information session
We also encourage applicants to attend our upcoming webinar to learn more about the application process and tips for success on 26th April 2025 at 10:00AM WAT, register here to attend.
This session is designed to provide prospective grassroots organizations with a clear understanding of the grant’s purpose, application process, eligibility criteria, and expected outcomes. Through this session, we hope to equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to develop impactful, community-driven proposals that respond to local educational needs.
Application Guidelines
Proposal Template
Apply here
Call for Submissions: Art for Life Campaign
Use your art as to advocate for more lives worth saving!!!
Opportunities for Creatives
Wasafiri – Fiction, Life Writing, and Poetry: Open Call
Deadline: November 22, 2024.
With least payment of 50-150 Euro
Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Workshop
Deadline: November 25, 2024
The mentorship is awarded annually to an unpublished Indigenous writer who has made substantial progress on a work of fiction or non-fiction.
Applications for 2025 NACN Bursaries in Arts, Culture and Creative Fields Now Open
Deadline: November 26, 2024.
These bursaries are available for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in various arts, cultural, and creative fields.
The Safal Kiswahili African Literature Prize.
Deadline: July 2025
Total prizes of $15,000 will be awarded as follows: the first-place winner in the novel and poetry categories will each receive $5,000; and the second-place winners in the novel or poetry categories, or any other category, will receive $2,500 each.
Open Call for Submissions: Visual Art Exhibition on Reparations
Deadline: November 30th, 2024.
THERE IS NO PARTICIPATION FEE. All submissions are eligible for exhibition in The Artiverse (Virtual) Gallery.
Sundog Lite: Call for Submissions
Deadline: December 1, 2024
Sundog Lit is serious about representing the literary scene and supporting diverse and underrepresented voices. We want to hear from women, people of color, queer and trans writers. we will be able to offer our contributors a small payment of $50 upon publication.
Offing Mag Open Call
Deadline: December 16, 2024
open to submissions of up to 5000 words in English for their ‘Insight’ call! Upon publication, contributors will be paid a $25–$100 fee, depending on
Afritondo Short Story Prize 2025
Deadline: December 23, 2024
The Afritondo Short Story Prize is open to all black and white african writers worldwide. Stories must be written in English and between 3,000 to 5,000 words.
Poetry Journal Call for Submission
Deadline: December 30, 2024
PJ 2025 Prizes
- Winner: ₦300,000
- Second place: ₦150,00
- Third place: ₦75,000
Prism International Rolling Submisions
Deadline: December 31, 2024
We purchase first North American serial rights and pay $40 per printed page for prose and $45 per printed page for poetry. Contributors also receive two copies of the issue in which their work appears.
The Caribbean Writer
Deadline: 31 December 2024
The Caribbean Writer: Possibilities – Beyond Traditional, Inside of Courage.
Opportunities for Creatives
Opportunities for creatives
Empowering Citizen Aid Actors Training Modules
At COAL, we recognize the vital role these grassroots initiatives play in Nigeria’s development. Through our “Empowering Citizen Aid Actors” project, we’ve carefully curated series of capacity-building sessions designed to strengthen the organizational systems and processes of citizen aid actors working on development and humanitarian initiatives in Nigeria.
Opportunities for Creatives
Are you a writer, journalist, or artist looking for exciting opportunities? Look no further than our collection of grants and competitions! From the Deutsche Welle Multimedia Journalists Programme to the LOATAD Black Atlantic Residency, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss out on the chance to win awards and prizes, travel the world, and hone your craft. Whether you’re interested in African research, Caribbean literature, or feminist curatorial work, we’ve got you covered. Take a closer look and find out how you can apply for these amazing opportunities today!
Micro Education Grant Winner 2024
Three Organizations Selected for the COAL 2024 Micro Educational Grant