Africa’s Calling (With Cash Prizes!) – Purorrelato 2025
Remember when we were kids and someone would challenge us to tell a story in just one breath? Well, grab your metaphorical inhaler because Casa África is back with their micro-story contest, and it’s basically the grown-up version of that childhood game—except with actual money involved!
What’s This Purorrelato Thing Anyway?
Purorrelato (fun to say, right?) is now in its 11th edition, and it’s all about writing super short stories connected to Africa. The cool part? You don’t need to have ever set foot on the continent. Maybe your character drinks Ethiopian coffee, or perhaps your entire tale unfolds in the Sahara. The Africa connection can be as subtle as a whisper or as obvious as a lion roaring in your living room.
And the best part? No stuffy requirements about having an MFA or a publishing history. If you’re over 18 and haven’t won this contest before, you’re in! (Sorry, Casa África staff—you folks have to sit this one out.)
The Nitty-Gritty Details
Here’s where you need to pay attention (I know, I know, writers and details… but these are the fun kind!):
- Length: Maximum 1500 characters INCLUDING spaces. Not words—characters! That’s like a very wordy tweet or a very short bathroom break read.
- Languages: Spanish, English, French, or Portuguese. Take your pick!
- Content: Must be original, unpublished, and not currently making the rounds in other contests. In other words, fresh material only!
- Theme: Anything you want, as long as Africa appears somewhere in the mix.
Show Me The Money!
Because we’re all secretly in this for the glory AND the cash:
- First Prize: €750 (That’s a lot of coffee and notebooks!)
- Second Prize: €375 (Still enough for a decent mechanical keyboard!)
- Third Prize: €225 (Hey, that’s dinner for a week!)
And get this—they might even give special mentions to stories that place 4th through 6th. Not too shabby for something shorter than this blog post!
Why I’m Excited About This (And Why You Should Be Too)
Look, we all know literary opportunities that actually pay are rarer than typo-free first drafts. But beyond the money, Purorrelato is judged by actual African and Spanish literary experts. This isn’t your cousin’s blog contest—this is legit recognition for your work.
Plus, writing micro-stories is like literary CrossFit—it forces you to trim every ounce of fat from your prose. If you can tell a compelling story in 1500 characters, you can do anything!
Next Steps (It’s Easier Than Meal Prepping)
- Download and fill out the participation form (they’ll have this on their site)
- Write your micro-masterpiece(s)—remember, you can submit up to THREE!
- Scan your ID or passport (they need proof you’re a real human, not an AI)
- Register on their platform and upload everything
- Do a little dance while waiting for the results
If technology fails you (as it often does to us writer-types), just email them for help.
Deadline: April 16, 2025 at 14:00 GMT+0. That’s plenty of time to obsess over every single character!
Ready to give it a shot? Head over to Casa África’s website to get all the official details and submission forms. Your 1500-character masterpiece could be worth €750—and bragging rights forever!
What are you still doing here? Those characters aren’t going to count themselves!
