Narrative Landscape Press is set to publish a new anthology of Nigerian short stories in 2027, inviting emerging and established Nigerian writers to submit unpublished fiction for consideration. Titled Stories They Forgot to Tell: An Anthology of Nigerian Short Stories, the forthcoming collection will be edited by Nduka Otiono and Funmi Gaji and aims to bring together fiction that reflects the diversity and vitality of contemporary Nigerian storytelling. The anthology welcomes fantastical and realist fiction, as well as abstract, intimate, lyrical and experimental work, with the editors particularly interested in stories demonstrating strong craft, distinctive voice, compelling characterisation and emotional resonance.
The project positions the short story as an important and evolving form within Nigerian literature, drawing attention to a tradition represented by writers including Uwem Akpan, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Igoni Barrett, Uche Okonkwo, Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike and Chinelo Okparanta. The editors say the anthology seeks to foreground contemporary writers shaping the form today, including voices that were not represented in Ben Okri’s African Stories, published in 2025. Otiono is a professor of English and African Studies and Director of the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, while Gaji is a writer, researcher and professional editor and the founding editor of ArtisansQuill. Their anthology is scheduled for publication by Lagos-based Narrative Landscape Press in 2027.
Submissions are open to Nigerian writers for original, previously unpublished short stories of 3,000 to 5,000 words. The editors will also consider extracts from novels-in-progress where the excerpt constitutes a complete story or episode. Stories may engage with themes including identity, memory, survival, dislocation and japa, loss and grief, and desire and sexuality, although the call does not restrict submissions to these subjects. Writers should submit double-spaced, page-numbered manuscripts in Word or DOCX format, accompanied by contact details and a third-person biography of no more than 100 words. The deadline is December 15, 2026, with submissions to be sent to storiestheyforgottotell@gmail.com.
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