Six Questions for Nancy Adimora, Founding Editor, AFREADA

AFREADA is an online literary magazine, featuring original short stories from emerging writers across the Continent. We live for the well-crafted narratives and effortless reads that speak to our daily realities as Africans at home and abroad. We publish short fiction and visual arts. Read the complete submission guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Nancy Adimora: AFREADA is an online literary magazine focused on African stories from across the continent and diaspora. I started the magazine because I was coming across exceptional asotries on people’s personal blogs and I thought that it would be great to have a central platform where avid readers could travel across the continent through beautifully crafted stories.


SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

NA: We always look for originality The story (plot and characters) has to be believable, and we also look for some sort of intentionality, with sentences and words used to describe scenes.


SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

NA: Multiple exclamation marks or letters to put emphasis on tone. e.g. Hurry UP!!!!!!! Or Hurryyyy Uppppp! < this is unacceptable, lol.


SQF: Do you provide comments when you reject a submission?

NA: We always try to give individual feedback where possible, but this all depends on the volume of submissions we’ve received.


SQF: Based on your experience as an editor, what have you learned about writing?

NA: I’ve learnt that writing doesn’t need to follow any particular format. Our focus isn't on the technical ability to write. It's on the story. I’ve learnt that writers should have the freedom to write in whatever way comes naturally because we’ve seen the most beautiful and unforgettable stories emerge from the most simple sentences/dialogues.


SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

NA: What does the name AFREADA mean? How did you come up with it? 

AFREADA is a fusion of the two words, ‘Africa’ and ‘Reader’. Not only does it reflect our focus on Africa, but also our ambition to include the ‘reader' into the literary space. There’s so many conversations about writers but not enough about the individuals who fund the publishing industry. So whilst we love writers and appreciate and honour their contribution to our platform, we’re on a mission to share their work with as many readers as possible.


Thank you, Nancy. We all appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.