The Kano Book Club, in collaboration with The Third Space, is pleased to announce the call for entries for the Bashir Tofa Prize, an initiative aimed at advancing Hausa culture and literary tradition. Our aim is to help push new grounds in Hausa writing and literary production.
Named after Bashir Othman Tofa (1947–2022)—a statesman, writer, and advocate for the Hausa language—the prize seeks to celebrate and reward exceptional short stories written in Hausa, ensuring that the language, culture and its heritage continue to thrive.
Submission Window:
📅 Opens: April 1, 2025
📅 Closes: May 15, 2025
Prize includes:
- Winner: 150,000 Naira only
- First Runner Up: 100,000 Naira only
- Second runner Up: 50,000 Naira only
- Possibility of collating the top ten remarkable entries into an anthology of Hausa fiction
Eligibility:
- Open to writers 18 and above
- Open to writers able to craft stories in Hausa
Guidelines:
- Stories must be Fiction
- Stories must be between 2000 – 3000 words on any theme
- All stories must be written in Hausa
- We accept Hausa translations of original and unpublished English stories
- Font size 12, EB Garamond
- Double line spacing
- Work must be original and not previously published
Submission Guidelines:
- Submit work as a Word document attachment to thethirdspace2024@gmail.com
- Name the document in this way: BTP_Story Title_Date eg: BTP_Mutumin Kirki_01-04-2025
- Include word count on the first page of the document
- Do not include your name anywhere on the document.
- The subject of the mail should read: BTP Entry/Story Title/Date/Name eg: BTP Entry/Mutumin Kirki/01-04-2025/Usman Balarabe
- In the body of the mail, include your name, contact details, and a brief bio in third person (100 words)
- Work originally written in English is acceptable, provided it is your own work. Indicate in the body of the email if the entry is translated. Provide the name and details of the Hausa translator. This can be you or another person else. Also, attach a Word document containing the English version of the story
- Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please indicate immediately if it is shortlisted or announced as winning story elsewhere
The prize will be announced and awarded in Kano between July and August 2025
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the legacy of Hausa literature while gaining well-deserved recognition. We encourage all writers and storytellers passionate about the Hausa language and literature to submit their works.
For more details and inquiries, contact The Third Space across all social media handles.