09/12/2025
In 2026, the United States will celebrate 250 years of independence and YOU can be part of this historic milestone! The U.S. Embassy Harare, in collaboration with Business of Books, is excited to announce a Creative Writing Competition for Zimbabwean writers aged 18โ35.
๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐: The Pursuit of Happiness/Mufaro/Injabulo
Reimagine Americaโs founding ideals of โlife, liberty, and the pursuit of happinessโ through a uniquely Zimbabwean perspective.
See the whole Declaration of Independence here: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฌ: Selected stories will be published in a Business of Books anthology. Winners will receive mentorship from a U.S. literary scout!
๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ:
โข Open to Zimbabwean nationals only.
โข Entries must be in English.
โข Entries must be original, unpublished short stories (no poetry).
โข Word count: 2,500โ3,000 words.
โข Submissions must reflect personal creativityโAI-generated text is not permitted. Repeat: No AI!
๐
๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐:
โข ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐: December 1, 2025
โข ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐: January 30, 2026
๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ:
โข Email your entry to [email protected] with the subject line: The Pursuit of Happiness/Mufaro/Injabulo.
โข Include a cover page with your full name, email, date of birth, gender, phone number, and social media handles.
โข Entries must be in Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced, with justified margins.