THE government has launched the third phase of the Mwalimu Nyerere Prize on creative writing, calling on novelists, poets and children’s story writers to submit their works.

The writers have until November 30, this year to send their writings to allow judges to sit down and go through the works for four months before announcing the winners.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, chairman of the National Committee for the Creative Writing Awards of Mwalimu Nyerere Prof Penina Mlama said the prize is aimed at promoting creative writing among Tanzanians while stimulating reading culture.

She said the awards were established in 2022 under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and are coordinated by Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE).

She said that when the award was established, it involved two fields of creative writing namely novels and poetry, and that it has now increased to children’s stories as well as plays on stage, radio and television.

Prof Mlama outlined several key criteria for submissions, including that participants must be Tanzanian, submissions must be written in Kiswahili and authors are allowed to submit one work per category.

“The works should be unpublished and must not have been performed or shown publicly. Authors must sign a declaration confirming that the work is original and unpublished,” she said.

She added that authors who have won first to third place in previous years are ineligible to participate in any field for two years. Manuscripts that ranked fourth to tenth in previous years are also ineligible, though authors may submit new works.

Additional criteria include works that have won other awards will not be considered, submissions should address important social issues and present original ideas.

Winners will get up to 10m/- for first place as well as support of publishing work by the government, distribution in schools, a shield and a certificate.

Second winner will walk away with 7m/- and alongside a certificate and the third winner will get 5m/- and a certificate.