Good News for Christian Writers!
CLC Kenya ACABA / MABB
Hi There! This Is the Creative Writing Competition 2026

Write For CHRIST

Raising Christian writers whose words inform, inspire, disciple and transform lives.

The Vision

One Generation. Many Pens. One Message.

The Creative Writing Competition 2026 exists to discover, nurture and celebrate Christian writers across Kenya and Africa.

This is more than a competition. It is a call to Christians to steward their creativity with courage, excellence and biblical conviction. Through fiction, memoir, devotionals, allegory and other storytelling-led expressions, writers are invited to shape messages that can become books, resources and conversations serving the Church, family, marketplace and the next generation.

2026 Competition Year
Eligible Christian Writers
Kes 500 Entry Fee
20 Nov Submission Deadline
Sponsors • Partners • Conveners
Is This You?

Is Your God-given Message Ready to Grow?

01

You Already Write

Perhaps you write devotionals, stories, reflections or messages for your church, ministry, WhatsApp group or community.

02

People Keep Saying It

Your friends, family or ministry colleagues keep telling you, “You should write a book.”

03

You Carry a Message

You have a testimony, experience, story or idea that could encourage, disciple or transform another person.

This competition is for you. Register, write, submit, learn, grow and allow your words to serve your generation.
Competition Focus

Think Deeply. Write Boldly. Speak Faithfully.

01

Faithful Message

Entries should reflect Christian values, biblical conviction and a desire to build, disciple, encourage or transform readers.

02

Creative Excellence

Write with originality, clarity, courage and beauty. The pen may be small, but the assignment can be mighty.

03

African Voice

We welcome stories and ideas shaped by African realities, family life, faith, culture, leadership, work and purpose.

04

Community Impact

Christian communities can use this opportunity to identify writers, thinkers, creatives and storytellers within their fellowship.

05

Publishing Pathway

Strong entries may lead to mentorship, editing, publishing development and wider visibility.

06

Kingdom Stewardship

This is a call to use your gift for God's glory, not simply applause. One obedient manuscript can become seed in many lives.

20+ Years & Above
Eligibility Requirement

Age Bracket

Applicants for the Adult Creative Writing Competition should be 20 years old or above at the time of application.

Important Eligibility is determined by your age on the date your application is submitted. If another competition below better fits your age or current stage of study, please submit through that category instead.
How It Works

From Idea to Entry. From Entry to Impact.

01 / PRAY

Discern Your Message

Begin with prayer. Ask God what burden, story, lesson or testimony He may want you to shape through words.

02 / WRITE

Prepare Your Entry

Write clearly, creatively and faithfully. Let your voice be fresh, but let your foundation remain anchored in biblical truth.

03 / REVIEW

Polish Before Submission

Edit your work, strengthen your structure, check grammar and ensure your message serves your reader well.

04 / SUBMIT

Enter the Competition

Submit your manuscript together with your KES 500 payment proof by 20 November 2026.

Award Ceremony

Meet Us at the Annual BookFest.

DATE

Saturday

5 December 2026

TIME

8.30am

Programme runs throughout the BookFest day.

VENUE

NPBC

Garden Estate, Nairobi, Kenya.

PURPOSE

Raise Writers

Develop Christian writers and future authors.

Awards for Grabs

From Raw Gift to Refined Manuscript.

The awards are designed to move promising Christian writers towards mentorship, publishing preparation and visible impact.

Bronze Award

Writing Mentorship Kes 18,000

  • 14-week writing mentorship class sponsorship.
  • Manuscript shaping and author-development guidance.
Silver Award

Mentorship + Publishing Kes 78,000

  • Everything in Bronze.
  • Publishing package by CLC Kenya.
  • Editing, design, layout, proofreading, ISBN and copyright facilitation.
Gold Award

Publishing + 50* Copies Kes 93,000

  • Everything in Bronze and Silver.
  • 50 printed copies of the book, subject to award terms and upto Kes 15,000.
  • Publishing preparation support.
Finalists

Keep Growing

  • 10% discount on writing mentorship classes, publishing cohorts or print-on-demand services.
  • Encouragement to continue the publishing journey.

Terms and Conditions apply. Awards are non-monetary sponsorships of services and cannot be exchanged for cash.

Submission Guidelines

Read Carefully Before You Submit.

Your work should be original, Gospel-centred, storytelling-led and suitable for Christian adult readers.

01

Original Written Work

Submit your own original work, between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Plagiarised or falsely attributed work will be disqualified.

02

Responsible AI Use

Submissions must not be fully AI-generated. Light assistance for brainstorming, grammar, outlining or clarity is acceptable, but the final work must reflect your own voice and creativity.

03

Accepted Genres

Fiction, memoir, devotional, allegory and black-and-white comics. Entries outside the accepted genres may be disqualified.

04

Storytelling-Led

Self-help or formulaic motivational manuscripts such as “5 Principles” or “10 Keys” are not the focus of this competition.

05

Gospel Alignment

The submitted work must advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ and align with CLC Kenya's Christian literature mandate.

06

Clean Content

No explicit sexual content, vulgar language, occult promotion, graphic violence, glorification of sin or content contradicting the Gospel message.

07

Mentorship Commitment

Award recipients must be available for the 14-week writing mentorship programme, held for approximately 1.5 hours weekly.

08

Publishing Terms

Publishing-related benefits are subject to applicable CLC Kenya publishing terms, agreements and editorial processes.

09

Attendance

Shortlisted participants and award recipients should be available to attend the Annual BookFest in Nairobi on 5 December 2026 at their own cost.

10

Deadline

Complete submissions must be received by 20 November 2026. Late entries may be disqualified.

Topics for Adults

3 Priority Areas. Write With Purpose.

Choose one category and develop an original, thoughtful and well-structured manuscript that responds to real needs in family life, men's discipleship and everyday Christian living.

01

Family

Family is the priority category for this competition. We are looking for strong Christian manuscripts that speak into the realities of marriage, parenting, relationships and the building of healthy, Christ-centred homes.

  • Marriage and family relationships
  • Parenting and raising children in faith
  • Building Christ-centred homes
  • Communication, forgiveness and reconciliation
  • Family values and intergenerational relationships
  • Navigating family challenges with biblical wisdom

Important: This category is is to strengthen Focus on the Family Unit initiative of 2025/2026.

02

Men

This category is specifically intended to increase quality Christian publications written by men for men. Submissions in this category must therefore be written by male authors and primarily address men.

  • Biblical manhood and identity in Christ
  • Men as husbands and fathers
  • Spiritual leadership and discipleship
  • Character, integrity and responsibility
  • Work, purpose, calling and stewardship
  • Brotherhood, mentorship and accountability
  • Emotional, relational and spiritual growth for men

Important: This category is strictly for men writing for men.

03

Christian Living

Christian Living is an additional category for manuscripts that explore faithful discipleship and practical Christian life beyond the specific Family and Men categories.

  • Personal relationship with God
  • Prayer, Bible study and spiritual discipline
  • Christian identity and spiritual growth
  • Faithfulness in work, ministry and society
  • Integrity, character and godly decision-making
  • Purpose, calling, service and discipleship
Judging Areas

What Judges Will Look For.

01

Guideline Fit

Adherence to the submission guidelines, word count, genre and content requirements.

02

Gospel Advancement

A clear Christian worldview and capacity to advance the Gospel, even where Scripture is not directly quoted.

03

Clarity of Message

A coherent, purposeful message communicated with strong structure, creative excellence and reader impact.

Our Mentorship Programme Team

Meet Your Mentors & Administrative Team.

Dr. Muthoni Omukhango National Director, CLC Kenya. Convener, ACABA & MABB.
Patrick Omukhango Director – Media, Research & Development.
Jackline Ingasian Programs Coordinator.
Adnah McKenna Head of Outreach – Print on Demand.
Chrystal Hera Head of Outreach – Mama Africa Book Box.
Valerian Nandujja Administrative Assistant – Publishing & Post-Publishing.
Shalom Kabithi Administrative Assistant – YouVersion Bible Plans.
Milkah Mwangi Administrative Assistant – Rights, Translations & Media.

Do You Have a Message to Write?

This is your invitation to begin. Register. Write. Submit. Learn. Grow. And perhaps, one day soon, another reader will hold your book and say, “This helped me.”

Entry fee: Kes 500 • Deadline: 20 November 2026 • Award Ceremony: 5 December 2026
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Program Sponsorship

Mama Africa Book Box is Proudly Sponsored by The Foundation, USA

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support that makes our family-centred reading and discipleship programs possible.

Under the Focus on the Family Initiative of 2025/2026
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