Punocracy Prize for Young Writers (Nigeria) 2022

Applications are open for the Punocracy Prize for Satire 2022. Punocracy is a community of young writers of satire in Nigeria that was launched in March 2018 to encourage free speech, promote critical thinking, and spread political consciousness.

Their objective is to make satire a widely accepted and understood tool of socio-political commentary in the country and to kindle the fire of interest in the genre. In short, they are on a mission to improve satirical literacy and create a safe space for writers and lovers of satire.

In further advancing these goals, they are seeking entries for the third edition of the Prize for Satire. They believe other forms of writing, from poetry to non-fiction, have received significant attention, and it is high time they equally spotlighted the significance of satirising in opinion-shaping and nation-building. There is hardly a better way to do this than through a healthy rivalry.

About Punocracy

Our name, Punocracy, is derived from the words pun (humorous use of or play on words) and kratos (Greek for rule, government or power). As a word, it means the rule of pun or –– if you please –– punocrats, a rising group of courageous, witty, and punny writers, not afraid to call a spade a spade. Or not exactly… Sometimes they just prefer to call it a monstrous, canine tooth with a special liking for tender soil. Or even something more unrelated, but trusting on the reader’s wisdom to figure it out.  We are Nigeria’s first strictly s...... read more

Punocracy Prize for Young Writers

Aim and Benefits of Punocracy Prize for Young Writers

• Grand prize: N50,000 and certificate.
• Consolation runner-up prizes: Books and certificates.

Requirements for Punocracy Prize for Young Writers Qualification

• Applicants should be Nigerians;
• Be aged between 15 and 30 years as of November 2022.
• Only one entry is allowed per person

Also, the entry must:

• Be written in English and saved in a .doc format.
• Be anything between 300 and 1500 words.
• Not be plagiarised in part or in whole.
• Not be jointly authored or created.
• Not have been previously published.
• Most importantly, be satirical.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Punocracy Prize for Young Writers

Judges are looking for great works of satire, and by definition, this includes articles that creatively deploy wit, irony, sarcasm, and/or ridicule in criticising faults. Entries may take the shape of prose, drama, news, poetry, a speech, a bill, a letter, a manual, a prophecy, an essay, an advert, or even quasi-scriptural passages. Whatever works for you really. There are also no restrictions on topics. They, however, encourage that the selected topic is approached in a way that will make the work relevant for an extended period.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit Punocracy website.