The Andrée Blouin Prize
Andrée Blouin (1921–1986) was a political activist and writer from the Central African Republic (CAR) who became integral to the fight for independence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and this prize is set up in her honour.
The Andrée Blouin Prize supports African women (both cis and transgender) who write about history, politics, or current affairs from a left perspective. The prize foregrounds voices of colour but is open to all women living on the African continent. The winner of the Andrée Blouin Prize will receive an advance of $2000 and a publishing contract with Inkani Books.
Entries for the prize close 30 April 2025, midnight SAST. The winner will be announced in November 2025.
Download the full press release.
Required Manuscript Format for Entries
Type your document using Times New Roman, 12-point size, double-spaced.
On the front page, put your manuscript title and name in all caps, in the centre, and an accurate word count at the top right hand corner.
Please number the pages and left-justify your paragraphs.
Put the word “End” after the end of your text, centred, on its own line.
Accepted file formats: .doc, .docx, .odt
Terms and Conditions
This application form is the only way to enter the prize and submissions will close on midnight SAST 30 April 2025. The winner will be announced in November 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted. Submissions that do not comply with the Ts and Cs will not be read.
Please take note of the following terms and conditions:
- Any African citizen based on the African continent who is over the age of 18 may enter.
- Writers may only submit ONE entry. Repeat entries by the same writer will all be disqualified.
- Submissions must be a maximum of 50,000 words or 150 pages in length.
- Manuscripts must be submitted in English. While you are free to incorporate other languages into your manuscript, it must be able to be understood fully by its English content.
- Simultaneous submissions are not welcome. Any manuscript entered or published elsewhere during the course of judging and publication will be disqualified. The manuscript must not have been previously published (traditionally or self-published) as a book in any format.
- To facilitate easy reading and judging, please format your submissions according to the format stipulated above.
- The judges’ decision is final.
- Inkani Books reserves the right not to issue the prize in a given year if there are no satisfactory entries.
- By submitting a manuscript the author attests that it is their own original work and grants exclusive global print and digital rights to The Tricontinental Pan-Africa and the African Union of Left Publishers from the date of signing their contract. The author attests that their manuscript was not created using generative AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my manuscript need to be complete?
Yes it does.
What kind of topics are you interested in publishing?
We are interested in any non-fiction book that falls into the categories of history, politics, or current affairs written from a left perspective. Below is a list of published books that inspire the work we do at Inkani Books. Take a look at our list for inspiration as well.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline: Learning to Fight in a World on Fire by Andreas Malm
Strange and Difficult Times: Notes on a Global Pandemic by Nanjala Nyabola
The Pink Line: Journeys Across the World’s Queer Frontiers by Mark Gevisser
My People Shall Live: Autobiography of a Revolutionary as Told to George Hajjar by Leila Khaled and George Hajjar
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney
Against Racial Capitalism: Selected Writings by Neville Alexander
Fifteen Colonial Thefts: A Guide to Looted African Heritage in Museums, edited by Sela K. Adjei and Yann LeGall
This Fiction Called Nigeria: The Struggle for Democracy by Adéwálé Májà-Pearce
Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans and the Making of the Modern World by Howard French
The Hidden Face of Eve by Nawal el-Saadawi
A Decolonial Feminism by Françoise Verges
Revolutionary Acts: Love and Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain by Jason Okundaye
All About Love by bell hooks
Reflecting Rogue: Inside the Mind of a Feminist by Pumla Dineo Gqola
I Am Still With You: A Reckoning with Silence, Inheritance, and History by Emmanuel Iduma
The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy
Red Africa: Reclaiming Revolutionary Black Politics by Kevin Ochieng Okoth
Economic and Monetary Sovereignty in 21st Century Africa, edited by Maha Ben Gadha, Fadhel Kaboub, Kai Koddenbrock, Ines Mahmoud and Ndongo Samba Sylla
Revolutionary Movements in Africa: An Untold Story, edited by Pascal Bianchini, Ndongo Samba Sylla and Leo Zeilig
Can I make more than one submission?
No.
Do you accept fiction, poetry collections, memoirs, plays, academic monographs, or children’s book manuscripts?
No.
Can I enter this prize if I haven’t been published before?
Yes.
Will I receive commentary on my manuscript?
Only the winner of the prize will receive feedback on their manuscript during the course of the publishing process.
Can I submit a manuscript that has been self-published already?
No.
What do you mean by living on the African continent?
Entrants are only eligible if they reside in Africa and spend the majority of the year here.
I have African citizenship and live in the African diaspora. Am I eligible for this prize?
No.
What do you mean by African citizen?
The entrant must hold citizenship for an African country.