CANEX Book Factory
A fully funded, five-day residential workshop for emerging
African and Caribbean prose writers. Lagos, Nigeria · November 2026.
About the Workshop
Creative
Writing
Workshop.
The CANEX Creative Writing Workshop is a fully funded, five-day residential programme for aspiring prose writers of African and Caribbean heritage — running alongside CANEX Book Factory at CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Across five immersive days, 20 selected writers receive intensive training in creative craft, the business and legal aspects of writing, and the professional networks that sustain a literary career. Every session is led by acclaimed authors, experienced editors, and publishing professionals.
Across Africa and the Caribbean, extraordinary literary talent exists in abundance. Too often, it goes unheard — not for lack of ability, but lack of access. This workshop exists to close that gap.
Travel, accommodation, meals, and workshop materials are fully covered for all selected participants. There is no application fee.
What You’ll Gain
Voice, structure, character, dialogue, point of view, and the art of revision. Hands-on sessions and manuscript workshops led by celebrated authors.
The African and international publishing landscape, rights and intellectual property, working with agents and editors, and the business realities of a writing career.
Direct access to acclaimed authors, editors, and publishing professionals across five intensive days — plus a closing reception celebrating your progress.
A curated cohort of 20 writers from across Africa and the Caribbean — real relationships forged in shared work that last long after the workshop ends.
Who This Is For
Built for you — if…
- ✓ You’re working on your first novel, memoir, short story collection, or narrative non-fiction project
- ✓ You’re passionate about storytelling but haven’t yet had the opportunity to participate in a structured writing programme
- ✓ You want to develop your craft, understand the publishing industry, and connect with a community of African and Caribbean writers
- ✓ You’re a citizen of an African Union member country or a CARICOM member country — including diaspora writers living anywhere in the world
- ✓ You’re 18 or older, hold a valid passport, and can be in Lagos, Nigeria for the full five days in November 2026
- ✓ You write in any language — including French, Arabic, Swahili, Portuguese, or any other AU or CARICOM language
- ✓ You may have been published in journals, magazines, or online — but you have not yet published a full-length trade book with a commercial publisher
- — A guarantee of publication or literary representation
- — Open to writers who have already published a full-length trade book with a commercial publisher
- — A poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, or academic writing programme — prose fiction and creative non-fiction only
- — Open to previous participants of any edition of the CANEX Creative Writing Workshop
- — Allowing partial attendance — the full five days are required
Self-published writers are eligible. You do not need prior publications to apply. We welcome writers at the very beginning of their journey.
How Selection Works
Rigorous, fair,
and merit-based.
Applications are reviewed by a panel of literary professionals, scored on writing quality, creative potential, and cohort diversity.
Online portal opens. Completely free to apply.
23:59 GMT. Late submissions cannot be accepted.
Literary professionals independently score all submissions.
20 selected + 5 reserve. Only successful applicants contacted.
Five-day residency. Arrive 3 Nov. Depart 9 Nov.
Your Facilitators
Led by the best.
The 2026 facilitator lineup will be announced in early 2026 — follow CANEX on social media for updates.
Voices from the Workshop
What past participants say.
“Testimonial from a 2025 Algiers cohort participant will appear here.”
“Testimonial from a 2025 Algiers cohort participant will appear here.”
“Testimonial from a 2025 Algiers cohort participant will appear here.”
From the Workshop
Algiers, Algeria · 2025
Scenes from the second edition of the CANEX Creative Writing Workshop — five days of craft, conversation, and community in Algiers.
Apply Now
Your story
matters.
Application deadline: 31 May 2026, 23:59 GMT
Open to writers of African and Caribbean heritage, aged 18+. Travel, accommodation, meals, and materials fully covered for selected participants. Prose fiction and creative non-fiction only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know.
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A fully funded, five-day in-person residential writing programme for aspiring prose writers of African and Caribbean heritage. It is a flagship initiative of the CANEX Book Factory, run by Afreximbank through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme. The workshop provides intensive training in creative craft, the business and legal aspects of writing, and professional development — completely free for all selected participants.
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No. The inaugural edition took place in 2024 in Aburi, Ghana, as a 10-day residential programme. The second edition took place in 2025 in Algiers, Algeria, as a 5-day residency. The 2026 edition in Lagos, Nigeria, is the third.
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The workshop focuses exclusively on prose writing for trade books — fiction (novels, novellas, short stories) and creative non-fiction (memoir, personal essay, literary journalism, narrative non-fiction, travel writing). Poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, graphic novels, academic writing, children’s literature, self-help, and religious texts are not covered in this programme.
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The workshop will be delivered in multiple languages with translation services provided in the official languages of the African Union: English, French, Arabic, Swahili, and Portuguese. Participants should have sufficient working proficiency in English to engage fully in sessions and discussions.
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You are eligible if you are a citizen of an African Union (AU) member country or territory, OR a citizen of a CARICOM (Caribbean Community) member country. You must be aged 18 or older and hold a valid passport. Diaspora writers are fully eligible — if you live outside Africa or the Caribbean but hold citizenship of an AU or CARICOM country, you are very welcome to apply.
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Yes. Publication in anthologies, literary magazines, journals, blogs, or online platforms does not disqualify you. The workshop is only closed to writers who have already published a full-length trade book (novel or non-fiction book) with a commercial publisher. Self-published writers are also eligible.
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No. Previous participants of any edition of the CANEX Creative Writing Workshop are not eligible for the 2026 workshop. However, if you applied in a previous year but were not selected, you are warmly encouraged to apply again.
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Your application should include: a completed online form with your personal details and contact information; a 300-word statement of purpose explaining why you want to participate and how the workshop supports your writing journey; a 500-word original prose sample (fiction or creative non-fiction); and a scan of the biographical data page of your valid passport.
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500 words of original prose — either fiction or creative non-fiction. It may be a standalone short piece or an excerpt from a longer work-in-progress. Choose your strongest work: something that demonstrates your voice, your command of language, and your storytelling instincts. AI-generated writing samples will result in immediate disqualification — the sample must be entirely your own work.
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Yes. You may submit your writing sample in any official language of an AU or CARICOM member state — no translation is required. The review panel includes readers with competence in major languages of submission, and the programme will engage specialist readers for less common languages. Every effort is made to assess all work fairly.
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Applications are reviewed by a panel of literary professionals. Each application is read and scored independently by at least two reviewers, using a standardised rubric. Selection is based on the quality of the writing sample, the strength of the statement of purpose, the applicant’s creative potential, and the overall composition of the cohort — geographic, linguistic, and genre diversity all factor into final selection. Only successful applicants will be contacted.
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Yes — completely free to apply for and to attend. For selected participants, CANEX covers: round-trip economy-class flights to Lagos, Nigeria; accommodation for the full duration; all meals; workshop materials; travel insurance; and visa support. There is no application fee. If anyone contacts you asking for payment in connection with this programme, it is a scam — please report it immediately to our helpdesk.
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You do. All creative work produced by participants before, during, and after the workshop remains the intellectual property of the respective participant. CANEX does not claim any rights over your writing, at any stage.
Have a question we haven’t answered? Email bookfactory@canex.africa — we respond within 48 hours during the application period.