Ten emerging African women writers have completed a month-long residency in Nairobi, with a renewed commitment to telling African stories.
The 2026 Africa Women Writers Residency (AWWR), organised by Majesty Publishing House Africa, brought together writers from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ethiopia and Malawi.
The programme attracted more than 450 applications from 23 African countries, with 10 writers selected to participate in a three-week virtual programme followed by a week of in-person sessions in Nairobi.
The residency focused on helping participants develop their individual voices, strengthen their writing skills and exploring the African contexts and audiences their work seeks to reach.
Its first week centred on identity and personal perspectives, before participants moved on to examining African storytelling and the audiences for whom they write.
The third week focused on creative techniques, including creative non-fiction and character development, with sessions led by writers Kinyanjui Kombani and Ber Anena also known as Harriet Anena.
The Nairobi programme also brought together authors, a media practitioner and a literary scholar for five days of masterclasses and discussions.
Author Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor engaged participants on how women find and express their voices through writing, while Glass House PR Chief Executive Officer Mary Njoki addressed how writers can connect their work with intended readers and audiences.
Professor Miriam Maranga-Musonye led a masterclass on the evolution of Africa’s literary heritage, while author June O’Sullivan explored writing about people, places and history.
Majesty Publishing House Africa Founder and Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Onduru said the programme was designed to give African women writers the time, editorial guidance and peer support needed to develop their work.
“The residency was built on a simple premise: African women writers do their strongest work when they have time, rigorous editorial input and a cohort of peers,” Onduru said.
She added that the participating writers would showcase their work in an upcoming anthology titled ‘New African Voices: Stories That Shape Africa’s Future’.
The residency was supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya, which said the initiative was part of its efforts to promote gender equality and amplify women’s contributions to society.
In a statement, the Embassy said empowering women writers from different African backgrounds to share their perspectives would help ensure diverse voices are heard while supporting a new generation of storytellers.
“Empowering female writers from various different backgrounds across Africa to share their perspectives is a powerful tool in ensuring that all voices may be heard, supporting a new generation of storytellers whose work will help shape conversations, challenge perceptions, and inspire positive change,” the embassy said.
The projected anthology story will feature stories informed by the experiences and perspectives of women from the nine participating countries, organised around three sub-themes.
