December in Africa is more than a month. It offers an experience unlike anything else: dry winds, loud
nights, packed streets, and hearts coming home. Every December, the IJGBs arrive in waves. The
parties are wild, we dance with reckless abandon, and even more than that, we fall in love. Sometimes,
it’s a fleeting love—sweet, short, and bound to disappear with the last notes of December. And every so
often, though rare, it’s the kind that lingers, steady and lasting, stretching quietly into forever. Love in
Detty December was born from this energy—a space to explore what it means to fall in or out of love
during the most electric moment of the year.
Since our first edition, we’ve received stories that capture the chaos, sweetness, and intensity of
December romance. From wild flings to deep connections, traditional to unexpected, we’ve celebrated
love in all its forms—culminating in our second edition, which doubles as our first print anthology: A
Man and A Woman and Other Stories.
Now, for our third edition, we’re inviting young Nigerian and African writers to send us fiction or
nonfiction pieces that explore love in December. We want bold, blatantly authentic, unforgettable work
that reflects our realities and reimagines them. Surprise us. Move us. Show us what it means to love in
your world. Show us what it means to love in your words.
WORTH
- Selected writers will be paid and published.
ELIGIBILITY
We welcome submissions from African writers of all experience levels, from anywhere in the world, so long as the story is rooted in Africa, features African settings or characters, and captures an authentic African experience.
THINGS TO NOTE:
- Submission Window: From September 1, 2025, to October 10, 2025
- Genre(s): Fiction and Nonfiction
- Language & Style: All submissions must be in English, with consistent verb tenses and proper grammar throughout. However, use of local & tribal languages/lingo/slangs, and dialects in the story is acceptable. Capitalise proper nouns and ensure factual accuracy—your attention to detail matters.
- Word Count: We accept short fiction and creative non-fiction between 3,500 and 4,000 words. Please respect these limits.
- Be Original: We only accept original, unpublished work. Plagiarism or AI-generated content will be immediately rejected, no exceptions.
FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
- Submissions should be in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
- Include the title, your full name, email address, social media profile URLs or handles (Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter), and exact word count in the document header.
DEADLINE: October 10, 2025
To submit and for more information, click here