African Literary magazines are a mostly uncelebrated anchor for literary talents around the continent and in the diaspora.
In a continent where the traditional publishing capacity is hardly enough to cater to the number of budding literary talent geniuses, these popular magazines provide platforms for the very best to showcase their works and come to the attention of publishing professionals and reader audiences globally.
Here are some of the most popular magazines publishing African literary talents:
Host Location: Chicago, USA (Online)
Founded: 2010
Founder: Ainehi Edoro
Notable for publishing: Fiction, essays, poetry, book reviews, interviews, and literary news
Brittle Paper is easily the most recognizable name in African literary media. Brittle Paper is where book nerds go to get the juice, be it fiction, hot takes, or literary drama.
If a new book’s out, a writer wins an award, or a publishing scandal erupts, Brittle Paper probably broke the news first. From its early days as a humble blog to becoming a digital powerhouse, it has remained a vital archive and amplifier of African voices.
They accept short fiction (under 2,500 words), essays (under 1,500 words), poetry, and even literary criticism. Submissions are open all year, and there’s no fee. However, they don’t pay contributors.
What you get is visibility — and lots of it. They prefer original, unpublished work, and response times are generally quick.
Host Location: Nigeria
Founded: 2009
Co-founders: Emmanuel Iduma, Dami Ajayi and Tolu Ogunlesi
Notable for publishing: Themed issues, chapbooks, early-career fiction, and poetry
Saraba is a popular Nigerian-based magazine that became widely influential for nurturing young literary talent. Saraba played a key role in launching the careers of now-established African writers and has remained committed to amplifying fresh African literary voices.
They run themed calls for submissions, typically once every few months across poetry (3 poems at a time), fiction (4,500 words), nonfiction (3000 words), and visual art, including photography and illustrations.
Saraba Magazine offers a flat fee per contributor.
Host Location: Nigeria
Founded: 2020
Founder: Ukamaka Olisakwe
Notable for publishing: Fiction, poetry, essays, interviews, and personal narratives
If Brittle Paper is the news-savvy big sister, Isele is the thoughtful, reflective one with a soft voice and powerful presence.
It’s a space for both polished voices and promising newcomers, and its emphasis on memory, identity, and culture is hard to miss. In just a few years, Isele has become a go-to spot for African writers craving honest and lyrical storytelling.
They accept fiction, essays, poetry, and interviews on a rolling basis and typically respond within six months. Isele Magazine accepts fiction, poetry, and book reviews. All accepted submissions, except for book reviews, are automatically considered for the Isele Prizes.
Host Location: Nigeria
Founded: 2017
Co-founders: Habeeb Kolade and Dolapo Amusat
Notable for publishing: Themed issues of poetry, fiction, essays, and visual art
Started by University of Ibadan alumni, Agbowó has become a vibrant platform for creative and intellectual expression. Its annual themed issues showcase the depth and diversity of African literary voices.
What you’ll find inside are poems that punch, stories that linger, and essays that make you sit with your own thoughts for a while.
Agbowó accepts works of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, one-act plays, visual art and photography, interviews, and reviews, usually for themed issues. Writers can submit one work per genre. Nigerian contributors get between ₦20,000 and ₦50,000, depending on category.
In addition, the Editor’s Prize for Poetry comes with a prize of $100.
Host Location: Online / Pan-African
Founded: 2021
Co-founders: Ladi Opaluwa and Oris Aigbokhaevbolo
Notable for publishing: Essays, poetry, short fiction, and cultural narratives
Efiko is for the smart, nerdy types who love a mix of literature and intellect. The pieces are deep, intentional, and proudly African. It may be one of the newer lit mags on the scene, but it’s already setting a high bar for what it means to write and think as an African in the 21st century.
They open submissions per issue. Poetry (up to 10 pages) and prose (1,200 to 5,000 words) are welcome. Nigerians get paid ₦20,000 to ₦30,000 per accepted work, while international contributors receive a free book worth up to $40.
Host Location: Online / Pan-African
Founded: 2022
Founder: Mubanga Kalimamukwento
Notable for publishing: Fiction, essays, poetry from new and rising African writers
Ubwali focuses on intimate, authentic storytelling that reflects the lived experiences and dreams of people on the continent. It’s known for its simplicity and accessibility. It’s small but mighty, with a heart for the emerging writer.
Stories published here are often raw, lyrical, and proudly grounded in everyday African realities. There’s no pretence. Just good writing that connects.
Submissions are open in January, May, and July to Zambian artists, while submissions from other African countries (by Africans) are open in January only.
They welcome fiction, poetry, and essays, as long as it’s original and solo-authored. There’s no reading fee. And yes, they pay a flat $10 to artists.
Host Location: New York, USA
Founded: 1992
Founder: Carolyn A. Butts
Notable for publishing: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction and visual art from Black and African diaspora creatives
African Voices has a long history of publishing and promoting Black artists, writers, and culture-makers. It bridges literary and visual art, often spotlighting underrepresented creatives.
It’s a hybrid platform that brings literature and visual art together with the flair of a New York gallery and the soul of a Lagos open mic. With over three decades of publication behind it, the magazine has carved out a space that celebrates Black artistry in all its forms.
Submissions are open year-round via Submittable. They accept fiction (500–2,500 words), poetry (up to 3 poems), and visual work. There’s a $3.77 submission fee, but contributors are paid between $25 and $300 depending on the genre and available funding.
If you’re looking to submit to a cross-cultural platform that values storytelling and the visual imagination, this is a solid bet.
Host Location: Nigeria (Lagos)
Founded: 2021
Founder: Otosirieze Obi-Young
Notable for publishing: Longform profiles, essays, interviews, cultural criticism, and book news
Open Country Mag isn’t your typical popular literary magazine — it’s more like a high-end lifestyle feature meets deep literary dive. Featuring thoughtful profiles of literary giants to sharp takes on books, film, and the African creative industry, it’s a breath of fresh air for readers and writers who want depth with a side of polish.
There isn’t a formal submission portal, but writers often pitch directly through the editor’s email or social media. Payment isn’t publicly stated, but contributors are generally compensated, especially for commissioned features and essays.
Host Location: Kenya
Founded: 2020
Founder: Troy Onyango
Founder: Fiction, poetry, personal essays, photography, and visual art
Named after the Luo word for Lake Victoria, Lolwe is a beautiful platform that showcases African and Black voices from the continent and diaspora.
Lolwe rose rapidly for its artistic boldness and commitment to powerful, boundary-pushing narratives. It’s both a literary and visual experience.
Lolwe accepts works in drama, orature, translation, hybrid-genre, visual art, along with fiction, poetry, and nonfiction on a rolling basis.
Submissions are open to Black contributors (African, Diaspora, Caribbean), with a modest remuneration offered to artists.
Host Location: Namibia
Founded: 2019
Co-founders: Mutaleni Nadimi and Rémy Ngamije
Notable for publishing: Fiction, poetry, essays, and nonfiction from Namibian and African writers
Doek! is easily one of the most popular, exciting literary projects out of southern Africa right now. With just a few issues, they’ve managed to put Namibian literature on the map in a serious way.
They publish in English and welcome voices that explore identity, history, and place.
They run themed calls for submission. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are all welcome, but must be strictly pan-African and not “directed at the white gaze.”
For fiction and poetry, Doek! accepts submissions from only Namibian citizens (local or diaspora-based) or foreign nationals who permanently reside in Namibia. There is no remuneration for artists.
Host Location: Nigeria
Founded: 2019
Founder: Nzube Nlebedim
Notable for publishing: Fiction, poetry, essays, one-act plays, and creative nonfiction
The Shallow Tales Review is sharp, cultured, and rooted in African realities. The magazine prides itself on being fiercely African, proudly Nigerian, and creatively unboxed.
The editorial taste leans into bold voices, daring themes, and work that holds a mirror to African societies — without losing its artistic flavour.
They publish fiction (usually under 5,000 words), nonfiction, poetry, and one-act plays thrice a year in January, June, and November.
There’s no submission fee or payment. However, they nominate accepted works for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, Best of a Shallow Year award, and BSFA.
Host Location: Originally Uganda; now based at Harvard University, USA
Founded: 1961
Founder: Rajat Neogy
Notable for publishing: Essays, criticism, fiction, memoirs, and cultural commentary from Africa and the Black diaspora
Transition is one of the OGs — an intellectual heavyweight in Black and African letters. It’s been the go-to place for radical thought, revolutionary essays, and deeply intellectual takes on culture and politics since the ‘60s.
These days, Transition continues to blend sharp academic prose with literary flavour, and while it’s got Ivy League ties now, it hasn’t lost its rebellious streak.
Submissions are accepted year-round on a rolling basis by the Hutchins Centre at Harvard. They seek critical essays, memoirs, longform fiction, and commentary.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed, and, while there’s no monetary payment, contributors are rewarded with a print copy of the issue in which their work appears and the chance to reach a wider, international audience.
Host Location: Nigeria
Founded: 2023
Founder: Sesi Morgan
Notable for publishing: Cultural essays on African languages, food, religion, folklore, and traditional practices
Oriire is part archive, part passion project. It focuses on the preservation and documentation of African indigenous cultures, not just through facts, but through stories, essays, and lived experience. If you’re looking to write about Yoruba food taboos, Hausa naming ceremonies, or Zulu oral traditions, Oriire is your spot.
They open calls for works in African History, African Myth, and African Food. Submissions should include at least two high-quality images.
Articles must be under 3,000 words. Writers are paid ₦10,000 per accepted piece.
Host Location: Cameroon
Founded: 2011
Founder: Dzekashu MacViban
Notable for publishing: Fiction, essays, translations, and Cameroonian literature in both English and French
Bakwa Magazine is one of Africa’s leading literary voices — stylish, multilingual, and unafraid to challenge norms.
With its bilingual platform, it bridges the gap between Francophone and Anglophone African writing and has published writers across genres and countries.
They issue calls and accept unpublished fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews, photography, and cartoons. Their submission windows are tight, opening just once every year, so timing is everything.
Bakwa Magazine pays $60 for each accepted piece.
Host Location: Nigeria (Pan-African)
Founded: 2014
Co-founders: Chinelo Onwualu and Mazi Nwonwu
Notable for publishing: African speculative fiction, fantasy, horror, and science fiction
Omenana is a popular digital literary magazine dedicated to African speculative fiction. It provides a platform for stories that explore the surreal, futuristic, fantastical, or mythical within an African context.
Over the years, it has become a significant space for genre writers on the continent, offering fresh, imaginative narratives that often challenge social norms and reimagine African cosmologies, histories, and futures.
Omenana puts out quarterly calls for speculative fiction in horror, fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism (no more than 5,000 words), essays, and reviews. They don’t accept reprints, and your story should have strong African or Black speculative themes.
Payment is $20 for every story published.
Host Location: USA/Nigeria
Founded: 2020
Founder: Kenechi Uzor
Notable for publishing: Experimental fiction, nonfiction, hybrid forms, poetry, and interviews
Iskanchi Magazine is part of Iskanchi Press and focuses on publishing innovative and boundary-pushing work from African and diaspora writers. It features a range of genres, including short stories, essays, hybrid pieces, and poetry.
This popular magazine prioritizes work that reflects the diversity and complexity of African identities, often with experimental or cross-genre approaches.
Iskanchi Magazine publishes unsolicited prose and works that “engage with and examine what the experimental form looks like in the African literary context.”Â
Accepted works receive an honorarium of $50.
Host Location: Nigeria
Founded: 2022
Founder: Pamilerin Jacob
Notable for publishing: Nigerian poetry in English, Yoruba, and other indigenous languages
Poetry Sango Ota is a community-based literary platform that focuses on poetry inspired by Nigerian culture and identity.
It features works in English as well as works translated into English. Poetry Sango Ota is committed to fostering local talent and celebrating the cultural richness of Nigeria through poetic expression.
Poetry Sango Ota aims to publish one African poet monthly, with submissions limited to two previously unpublished poems of any length.
Contributors are paid a token of ₦10,000 per poem.
Host Location: Botswana (Online)
Founded: 2012
Founder: Oremeyi Akah
Notable for publishing: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, essays, and cultural commentary from Africa and the African diaspora
The Kalahari Review is a web-based weekly African popular literary magazine focused on writing that reflects the complexity, beauty, and contradictions of everyday African life. It seeks to explore contemporary issues and cultural identity through creative storytelling and thoughtful nonfiction.
The magazine is particularly open to new voices and strives to create a space where writers from across the continent and the diaspora can share narratives rooted in African experience.
Submissions are accepted year-round and include fiction (up to 3,000 words), essays, creative nonnonfictionoetry, and commentary. Writers are encouraged to submit pieces that are reflective, personal, and rooted in African perspectives.
Although it’s one of the most popular literary magazines around, The Kalahari Review currently does not offer payment for accepted work. However, it provides valuable visibility for emerging and established writers through a wide international readership.
They typically acknowledge receipt of writer submissions within 1–5 days, and follow up with a decision on whether it’s a good fit within 2–3 weeks.
