Writers Called To Tell Abuja’s Story In Ambitious New Literary Anthology
Celebrating Abuja Through Storytelling
A new literary initiative is inviting writers from across Nigeria and the diaspora to contribute to a short story anthology that will explore the many faces of Abuja and preserve its stories for future generations.
The Abuja Narratives Initiative (TANI) announced the call for submissions as part of efforts to create a collection that reflects the city’s rich cultural, social and historical landscape.
The anthology seeks to place Abuja at the centre of literary exploration, highlighting experiences that reveal both the visible and hidden dimensions of the nation’s capital.
A City as Character, Not Just Setting
At the heart of the project is the theme “Abuja: Seen, Unseen, Remembered, Imagined,” which challenges writers to think beyond traditional storytelling approaches.
Rather than treating Abuja as a passive backdrop, contributors are encouraged to portray the city as a living presence that shapes relationships, memories, ambitions and conflicts.
The organisers believe that such narratives can offer deeper insight into the capital’s identity while capturing its role in shaping the lives of those who pass through it.
Stories may draw inspiration from the city’s architecture, communities, institutions, history, migration patterns and evolving social realities.
Opening a Platform for Diverse Voices
The anthology welcomes submissions from writers at different stages of their literary journeys.
Whether emerging talents or established authors, participants are invited to share original stories rooted in their experiences, observations or imaginative engagements with Abuja.
By embracing a broad range of voices, the organisers hope to assemble a collection that reflects the diversity of people who have encountered the city from different social, cultural and geographic perspectives.
The initiative also extends participation opportunities to members of the Nigerian diaspora whose lives or memories remain connected to Abuja.
Guidelines for Participation
Interested writers are required to submit original and unpublished short stories between 1,000 and 5,000 words in length.
Exceptional shorter works may also be considered based on literary quality and relevance to the theme.
Submissions must be sent electronically in Microsoft Word format, accompanied by a short biography and contact details.
Timeline for Entries
The call for submissions opened on 11 May 2026 and will remain open until 30 July 2026 at 11:59 p.m. West African Time.
Completed manuscripts should be sent via email to taniabujaculture@gmail.com and copied to salamatu@fahimta.ng with the subject line:
“Short Story Submission – [Title] – [Full Name]”
Through the initiative, TANI hopes to preserve the many narratives that have shaped Abuja while encouraging writers to tell the city’s story through personal memory, imagination, experience and creative interpretation.
Preserving the Many Stories of the Capital
For TANI, the anthology represents more than a publishing project; it is an effort to build a cultural archive dedicated to Abuja’s evolving story.
As Nigeria’s capital continues to grow and change, the initiative seeks to preserve voices, memories and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked.
By bringing together stories of places, people, struggles, dreams and transformations, the anthology aims to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s literary landscape while offering readers a deeper understanding of the city at the heart of the nation.
The project ultimately encourages writers to tell Abuja as they have known it, imagined it, remembered it or survived it, ensuring that the city’s many narratives are recorded through the power of literature.
