Poda-Poda stories is a short-story digital platform for Sierra Leone authors to reach a global audience.
The must-read African literature news website Brittle Paper reports that Poda-Poda, founded by Leonean author Ngozi Nicole to showcase stories, poems, essays & critical thought pieces, short films and featured photography, is looking for written submissions as follows:
• Short fiction (1000 words maximum)
• Non-fiction (800 words maximum)
• Book reviews (600 words maximum)
Brittle Paper advises that,
Writers are to ensure that their work has been thoroughly proof-read for errors and clarity. Plagiarised work, as well as writing that contains elements of harmful stereotypes, will not be accepted.
The Poda-Poda website’s About page says,
Poda-Poda started as an idea to have a central digital space, where Sierra Leonean stories will be curated. As a digital publisher, Poda-Poda gathers rich stories from Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leonean disapora.
Poda-Poda?
For those who’ve never had the pleasure, poda-poda is the term given to the public transport mini-buses that enable Leoneans to get about, and a must-do experience for the visitor.
For those less familiar with this delightful country, a post in the essays section of the Poda-Poda website makes for sobering reading, and provides a reminder that barely twenty years ago the country was at war with itself, and the scene of unimaginable atrocities.
Today Sierra Leoneans fight a different battle, against Covid-19, where the plague arrived late but is taking its toll.
Amid which it’s good to see the writing community still focussed on life’s pleasures.
