Address
P.O Box 13355, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaPlot No. 267 D, House 5,
Mnadazagawa Street, Mbezi Beach A.
(Opposite Goba Traffic Lights,
Between Shamo Tower and Shamo Park)
P.O Box 13355, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Tel. +255222617280 | Mob. +255 712450448
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
Call for Nominations
The Mashariki Literary Rights Gala Awards are a flagship component of the Mashariki Literary Rights Marketplace. The Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, 21 August 2026, at the Mlimani City Conference Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, commencing at 6:00 p.m.
The Awards celebrate excellence in literary rights and recognise individuals, organisations, and initiatives that are transforming literary works into valuable intellectual property (IP) through publishing, licensing, translation, adaptation, and other rights-based opportunities.
The Awards honour outstanding contributions to the creation, protection, promotion, and commercialisation of literary rights while showcasing literary intellectual property that generates cultural, social, and economic value across East Africa and beyond.
Nominations are invited in the following categories
Recognising a literary work that has either been successfully adapted, or demonstrates strong potential for adaptation into another format, including film, television, theatre, animation, audio, gaming, digital media, or other rights-based channels.
Recognising a publisher that has demonstrated excellence in publishing, author development, literary rights management, market development, rights sales, and the promotion of literary works locally, regionally, or internationally.
Recognising outstanding contributions to literary translation, translation rights, literary exchange, and the promotion of Kiswahili and other East African languages through writing, publishing, translation, adaptation, or cross-border circulation.
Recognising programmes, prizes, festivals, platforms, institutions, or initiatives that have made an outstanding contribution to promoting creative writing, reading culture, literary excellence, audience development, and market access for literary works.
Recognising individuals, organisations, or initiatives that have significantly advanced women’s writing, increased the visibility of women authors, strengthened women’s ownership and commercialisation of literary rights, or promoted gender equality in the literary sector.
Recognising an emerging author whose work demonstrates originality, literary excellence, growing recognition, and strong potential for publishing, translation, adaptation, or other rights-based opportunities.
Recognising collaborations that have strengthened literary rights, publishing, adaptation, translation, licensing, collective management, or market access within the literary ecosystem.
Recognising sustained and exceptional contributions to the advancement of literature, literary rights, publishing, copyright, adaptation, translation, or the wider literary ecosystem.
Nominations are invited for authors, publishers, literary agents, translators, copyright professionals, Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), producers, educational institutions, literary organisations, and other stakeholders whose work has made a significant contribution to literary rights and the growth of the literary and creative economy.
Self-nominations are welcome.
Nominees will be assessed based on:
Nominations must be submitted through the online submission portal by the stated deadline.
Applicants should provide:
July 24, 2026
All eligible nominations will be screened by the Mashariki Secretariat before being submitted to an independent Jury comprising experts in literature, publishing, literary rights, copyright, adaptation, and the creative industries.
The Jury will evaluate nominations against the published selection criteria and the specific objectives of each award category. The Jury’s decision shall be final.
