Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
FEMALE writers between the ages of 14 to 21 are being encouraged to enter the Intwasa Lockdown Stories Writing competition in order to tell compelling stories about their Covid-19 experiences.
Submissions for stories have begun with the deadline being May 31. Entries should be original, in English and not exceed 1 500 words. The best story will be awarded US$100, second prize US$50 and third prize US$25.
In the spirit of celebrating women, Intwasa Arts Festival director Raisedon Baya said they are inviting young women to tell stories about their experiences under lockdown and Covid-19.
“We’re focusing on young women because the competition is part of Intwasa’s focus on amplifying women voices and empowering them.
We want their voices and experiences. This is an extension of the 100 Voices, 100 Girls project that is part of Intwasa,” said Baya.
“We are calling on young female writers to submit stories about Covid-19, especially during the lockdown period. We’ve heard stories of how the pandemic affected women and we hope to get good stories out of that.”
He said once they receive the stories, they will shortlist 15 that will be published.
“We’ll shortlist about 15 stories and from those, we’ll come up with a booklet or small anthology that speaks to Covid-19 issues. This will be our way to archive or keep as a record of history, what happened between 2020 and 2021.”
Writers can submit their stories to the Intwasa email or the Intwasa WhatsApp number available on the festival’s social media pages.
Online Reporter