Adinkra Poetry Prize 2026
Opportunity type: Prize
For: Poets
Deadline: 30/01/26
Rewards: Up to ₵5,000 + potential 4-week residency in Watermill, NY for the winner
Location Eligibility: Africa & the diaspora
About this opportunity
The Adinkra Poetry Prize 2026 invites poetry submissions from Ghanaian writers whose work responds to or engages with an Adinkra symbol and its meaning. The prize celebrates creativity rooted in Ghanaian cultural philosophy, encouraging poets to explore traditional symbols through contemporary poetic expression.
Organized in partnership with the All African Women Poetry Festival, the prize highlights emerging Ghanaian voices in the diaspora and at home. Finalists will be announced in May 2026 and invited to the award ceremony during the festival.
Rewards
- 1st Place: ₵5,000
- 2nd Place: ₵2,000
- 3rd Place: ₵1,000
- Winner considered for a 4-week residency at Watermill, NY (June 2026)
- Finalists’ poems may be featured in festival programming and publications
Eligibility
- Open to Ghanaian citizens aged 18 and older living in Ghana or North America
- Writers must not have published a full-length manuscript in any genre
- Only one unpublished poem per person (any length, style, or subject)
- Poem must incorporate a chosen Adinkra symbol and its meaning
- Simultaneous submissions accepted (notify if accepted elsewhere)
- Previous winners and finalists may apply if they have not published a chapbook or full-length collection
Entry Fee
₵50 / $5 (via Mobile Money or Venmo)
How to Apply
Apply using the link: Adinkra Poetry Prize 2026
All questions regarding this prize should be sent to adinkrapoetryprize@gmail.com
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