Meet our class of 2026! ✒️ A. Mulamba Chibesakunda ✒️Abraham Aondoana ✒️Chibuzor Mokelu ✒️Emmanuel Ikechukwu Imemba ✒️Nonye Alo ✒️Richard Phiri ✒️Ogonna Annette Onwudiegwu ✒️Trycent Milimo ✒️ Zimuzo K. Okeke Please join us in congratulating them! jaylit.com/idembeka-creative…

From Idembeka to the world!

The Idembeka Creative Writing Workshop (@Idembeka)is pleased to announce its fourth cohort of fellows. Taken from the Igbo word for "pillar" (ide) and the Bemba word for "star" (mbeka), the Idembeka Creative Writing Workshop was established in 2022 by Frances Ogamba (@FrancesOgamba), Kasimma, and Mubanga Kalimamukwento to serve as a pillar of light for emerging African writers. The following writers will attend a five-day virtual workshop, from the 5th to the 9th of January 2026, taught by Rafeeat Aliyu, Sihle Ntuli, Michelle K. Angwenyi, Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim and Gloria Mwaniga Odary:

From Idembeka to the world! Congratulations to Idembeka co-founder, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, on making Afrocritik’s list of Most Anticipated Books of 2026. afrocritik.com/afrocritik-mo… @PontasAgency

Congratulations to our @adedayoagarau (Ubwali Masterclass instructor & Hope Prize Mentor), @ChinuaEzenwa (Hope Prize Mentor) & Mubanga Kalimamukwento (Editor-in-Chief)!

Meet 𝐙𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐳𝐨 𝐊. 𝐎𝐤𝐞𝐤𝐞, an emerging Igbo Nigerian writer and poet interested in experimental forms. His works explore grief and the human experience. He's a member of The Society, a community of writers from Southern Nigeria. @1the_zikorian

Meet 𝐓𝐫𝐲𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐨, whose poems appear in 𝒰𝒷𝓌𝒶𝓁𝒾 𝐿𝒾𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝑀𝒶𝑔𝒶𝓏𝒾𝓃𝑒, 𝒟𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓁𝑜𝓃𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝒫𝒶𝓈𝓈𝒶𝑔𝑒 & 𝒫𝑒𝓃𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝑅𝒶𝑔𝑒. He is the 2024 regional winner of the Bridgette James Poetry Competition & 3rd runner-up - Zambia Best Poets.

Meet 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐈𝐤𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐤𝐰𝐮 𝐈𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐚, an Igbo writer and poet. He is currently pursuing a degree in Microbiology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is a lover of music and movies, an admirer of nature and many other beautiful things.

Meet 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐳𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐮, a creative writing enthusiast from Nigeria with an educational background in public health, reproductive and family health. She has worked with NGOs tasked with improving research management in Africa and volunteered with various others.

Meet 𝐎𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐰𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐰𝐮, a law graduate, story curator and blogger who believes that everyone deserves a chance at love. She loves to tell untold stories, particularly those with women as their centrepiece. Read her blog - ogonnannette.com

Congratulations, guys!

Meet 𝐀𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐚, a lawyer whose work has been published or is forthcoming in 𝑅𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒟𝒾𝒶𝓂𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝒫𝑜𝑒𝓉𝓇𝓎, 𝐼𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓌𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝒜𝓃𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓎 (𝑅𝑒𝓃𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈) & 𝒮𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓊𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝐼𝓃𝓈𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈. @AondoanaAbraham

Meet 𝐀. 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚, a medical doctor & published author of children’s literature. Her poetry appears in 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒲𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒶 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌.

From Idembeka to the world!🌍 We spy ICWW founders - @FrancesOgamba “Wrong Portraits” (Isele Magazine) & @kasimmam's “Ishi Agu (Leaking Tigritude)” (CRAFT), & ICWW alums Chisom Nsiegbunam's “Shush”, @CIAtumah's “The Prophecy” & Immaculate Halla's “I Can See You”.

Read here⬇️ afrocritik.com/afrocritik-40…

“As far as the essay goes, 2025 offered a broad spectrum of essays on culture, art, politics, and literature.” Afrocritik’s Editorial Board presents 40 Notable Essays from Africa in 2025⬇️ afrocritik.com/afrocritik-40…

From Idembeka to the world!🌍 We spy ICWW founder Mubanga Kalimamukwento's essay “Silhouette of a Daddy's Girl” (The Coachella Review), 2026 instructor Michelle Angwenyi's “Letter to Uncle Frank” (Off Assignment), & ICWW alum Azubuike Obi's “The Weight Of Duty” (The Republic)!