Submissions are now open for the Gerald Kraak Award and Anthology on the topics of gender, human rights and sexuality for a range of writing genres and photography.

The award is named after Gerald Kraak, a South African writer and former anti-apartheid activist.

Kraak passed away in October 2014. One year later, ZAM published fragments of his unfinished novel Shadow Play. The book will be released later this year.

The Jacana Literary Foundation (JLF), in partnership with The Other Foundation invites writers, journalists, academics, bloggers, poets and photographers to submit exceptional works – published or unpublished – which explore, interrogate and celebrate the topics of gender, sexuality and human rights.

The judging panel seeks pieces that engage with gender and sexuality in ways that promote new insights into human rights issues on our continent. The best submissions will be shortlisted and published in an anthology.

The winners will be announced at a 2017 award ceremony, hosted by The Other Foundation.

The overall winner will receive a cash prize of R25,000.

The initiators hope to see the anthology, and information about the award, disseminated as widely as possible throughout the African continent. To this end, partnerships have been established with Africa World Press (Ethiopia), Amalion (Senegal), FEMRITE (Uganda), Kwani (Kenya), Weaver Press (Zimbabwe) and Word Weaver (Namibia).

Other publishing houses based in Africa with an interest in participating are also encouraged to join. More info here and here.