Submit Your Work
"The Unserious Collective Fellowship"
We invite emerging Nigerian poets worldwide to submit original, bold, and exciting poetry for the annual Unserious Collective Fellowship.
Submission Guidelines
The Fellowship does not prefer any theme, style, or approach. Just quality writing that is bold and exciting. We want your proudest works.
The fellowship is open to only Nigerian poets called Emerging. Our STRICT definition of an emerging poet is that entrants must NOT have published a full-length poetry book (excluding self-published books).
Submit up to TEN (previously published or unpublished) pages of poems in a .doc or .docx file.
You may submit both published and unpublished work, but NOT only PUBLISHED WORK.
Single-spaced. Font: 12, Garamond or Times New Roman. Each page must be paginated.
The submission title should read, "UCPS 2026", and must be submitted via our submission portal.
Entries submitted via email will not be read.
No identifying information (including publication history of individual poems) should be on the file.
The 4 Fellows will have their entries published in a microchapbook.
DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2026
7 Blind Reading Seats: To maintain absolute review integrity, all entries are completely anonymized (blinded) and evaluated by our 7-seat editorial reading board.
The Fellowship Prize
A total of four (4) emerging Nigerian poets will be selected annually.
Each selected Fellow will receive a prize of ₦150,000 from a total pool of ₦600,000 to support their creative growth.
Fellows' winning portfolios of poems will be featured and published on our website.
The selected poems of the four Fellows will be published in a microchapbook designed and distributed by the collective.
Key Dates
Fellow Obligations & Copyright
All selected Fellows agree to allow the collective to publish their submitted portfolios on our website and in the microchapbook publication.
Selected Fellows must provide a short bio (under 200 words) and a high-resolution portrait photograph.
Copyright of all poems remains with the poet at all times. The collective retains the non-exclusive right to publish the poems in our fellowship materials and website archives.
Fellows agree to participate in promotional announcements and activities of the collective.
Submissions Closed
The submission window for the 2026 Unserious Collective Fellowship closed on June 30, 2026. Thank you to everyone who submitted their manuscript.
Keep track of announcements and shortlisted fellows on our website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a submission fee?
No. The Unserious Collective Fellowship is entirely free to enter.
Who is eligible to submit?
Only emerging Nigerian poets. We define a 'Nigerian poet' as a person born in Nigeria, or whose parents (at least one) are Nigerian, or a person living in Nigeria naturalized as a citizen. 'Emerging' means you have not published a full-length poetry book (excluding self-published collections).
How many poems do I submit?
Submit up to ten (10) pages of poems in a single .doc or .docx file.
Can I submit previously published work?
Yes. You may submit both published and unpublished work, but your submission must NOT consist only of published work. If any poems are previously published, ensure their publication history is clearly acknowledged in your file.
How does the blind review work?
To maintain absolute integrity, all submissions are completely anonymized (blinded). None of your personal details, bios, or contact info are shown to our readers. The work is evaluated by our 7-seat blind reading board.
When is the deadline?
The deadline was June 30, 2026. Submissions are now closed.