Submission Guidelines (see note)

For Photo Gallery

PONAL welcomes photo-event submissions for our photo gallery which will be updated four times a year. Events must be African-literature related: conferences, symposia, readings by writers, lectures, etc. For each event, send five pictures and credits to info@projectponal.com. We particularly encourage submissions from Africa.

For Audio Library

We welcome audio submissions – excerpts from published poetry, drama, and prose – from new and emergent African writers to help expand our audio library. Writers based in Africa will enjoy special attention in line with PONAL’s policy of according due publicity to continental developments. Submissions should be in MP3 format.

 

For Gboungboun: The PONAL Magazine

We welcome submissions for the various sections of our quarterly magazine as follows:

Writers in the News: reviews of new publications, literary events centered on a writer or group of writers, readings, prize announcements.  Word limit: 1,200.

Commentary: polemical essays on controversial and burning literary issues; the style does not necessarily have to be academic. Word Limit: 2,000.

Hidden Texts: This very important section seeks to highlight new important work that is ‘hidden’, unseen, unknown because of the politics of (especially international) publishing and sundry reasons. Preference will be given to works published in Africa. Word limit: 1,500.

Conference Notes on: international and continental African studies conferences, writers festivals (like the  Annual Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors, the South African festival, ‘Time of the Writer’ meetings of the African Literature Association, the African Studies Association, and the Canadian African Studies Association etcetera).Word  limit: 2,000.

The PONAL Quarterly Forum: is by invitation mostly but we welcome efforts initiated by prospective scholar interviewee/guest contributors, who would like to convene a forum on a particular topic for brainstorming with other scholars, bearing the following guidelines in mind:

  • Interview proper: 9,000-10,000 words.
  • Response (2 Respondents): 1,500 – 2000 words per respondent
  • Wrap-up: 500 – 1,500 words.

We prefer electronic submissions but also consider contributions by snail mail. All electronic text submissions should be in Microsoft word document. Photographs (with credits) should be in jpeg format. Photographs of authors or personalities under discussion must accompany text submissions, where they are available. Photographs of conferences notes and writers festivals are also encouraged. All Audio clips should be in MP3 format. Snail mail submissions should be sent to:

 

Project on New African Literatures

1812 Dunton Tower
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,
K1S 5B6

 

All interested in participating should see Volume 1, issue 1 of Gboungboun Magazine, Volume 1 of PONAL Quarterly Forum, or any other section of interest for an example of the nature and spirit of the Journal.