Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards – Namibia

The Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards are awarded every two years to celebrate the works of four Namibian literary artists—two writers (fiction and nonfiction), a poet, and a visual artist—published in Doek! Literary Magazine (Doek!).

Bank Windhoek, the official sponsor of the Awards, has always been a prominent and active supporter of Namibian art and artists. These literary awards are an important milestone in the country’s young democracy and it could not have been reached without Bank Windhoek’s generous support and continued commitment to Namibians and Namibia.

The Awards

• Each winning literary artist is awarded NAD5000 in cash sponsored by Bank Windhoek.
• The winners are also presented with a unique trophy commissioned from a Namibian artist.
• All longlisted, shortlisted, and winning literary artists are provided with unique opportunities within their particular fields of creation. Such perquisites may include book prizes, further publication in select anthologies, offers of representation, appearances at literary festivals, participation in creative workshops, access to mentorship programs, exhibitions in local, national, and international galleries, and art residencies in Namibia and abroad.

Eligibility Criteria

• Fiction And Poetry
  • The following categories of fiction writers and poets may submit their work for consideration:
    • Namibian citizens living in the country or in the diaspora (outside the Namibia); and
    • Foreign nationals who permanently reside in Namibia.
  • Writers, poets, and visual artists from Africa and the African diaspora are asked not to submit fiction or poetry unless they have been specifically requested to do so. African writers who do not meet the above criteria are encouraged to submit their work to any of the literary magazines curated on The Doek List whenever their respective submission windows open.
  • Accepted Fiction and Poetry Submissions
    • Doek! seeks original and exciting writing which continuously explores new thematic terrain. The editorial team considers the following:
      • Narrative (plot)-driven short fiction of any genre (such as crime, erotica, fantasy, historical, horror, humour, literary, magical realism, mystery, romance, science fiction, or any experimental writing which creatively blurs the margins between such genres) that lingers with the reader long after the final full stop; and,
      • Poetry (written for the page, not performance) that takes the reader to the edge of their senses and beyond.
    • The editorial team is interested in reading submissions that discuss a wide variety of topics in interesting styles; prospective writers and poets should read previous issues of Doek! to see the themes and topics that have been previously explored. Storytellers are encouraged to discover fresh narrative territories. In particular, death, grief, and trauma are topics which have been covered extensively in past issues; contributors exploring similar topics are encouraged to find new ways of engaging with such subject matter. Submissions which are directed at the white gaze are not encouraged.
• Nonfiction And Visual Art
  • The following categories of nonfiction writers and visual artists may submit their work for consideration:
    • Namibian citizens living in the country or in the diaspora (outside Namibia); and
    • African writers, and those of African descent, living on the continent or in the diaspora (such as North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, or elsewhere).
  • Nonfiction writers and visual artists who do not meet the provided eligibility criteria must not submit their work for consideration.
  • Accepted Nonfiction and Visual Art Submissions
    • Doek! seeks nuanced nonfiction writing and riveting visual art which continuously explores new thematic terrain. The editorial team considers the following:
      • Creative nonfiction (such as essays, memoirs, or narrative nonfiction) that explores the known and the unknown; and
      • Visual art (such as illustrations, graphic design, and photography) that shows the viewer hidden parts of the world and themselves.
    • The editorial team is interested in considering submissions that discuss a wide variety of topics in interesting styles; prospective nonfiction writers and visual artists should read previous issues of Doek! to see the themes and topics that have been previously explored. Storytellers are encouraged to discover fresh narrative territories. In particular, death, grief, and trauma are topics which have been covered extensively in past issues; contributors exploring similar topics are encouraged to find new ways of engaging with such subject matter. Submissions which are directed at the white gaze are not encouraged.

For more information, visit Doek!.