Final Call: Submit Your Entry for The Things Fall Apart Festival Essay Competition 2025

Are you a student, thinker, writer, or lover of literature? Don’t miss your chance to enter The Things Fall Apart Festival Essay Competition, part of this year’s exciting festival lineup celebrating Chinua Achebe’s legacy and the enduring relevance of Things Fall Apart.

Submissions are still open—but not for long. This is your opportunity to add your voice to an important cultural and literary conversation.

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Theme: Rethinking Gender in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Essay Topic:
Beyond Strength and Silence: Rethinking Masculinity and Femininity in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

This year’s topic urges you to look deeper into Achebe’s characters and challenge conventional interpretations of gender. How do societal ideas of “manliness” and “womanhood” shape individual lives, define relationships, and either uphold or break apart cultural systems?

From Okonkwo’s internal battles to Ekwefi’s strength in silence, Achebe presents gender not as fixed, but as a complex force of identity, resistance, and change. The Things Fall Apart Festival Essay Competition invites you to explore these tensions.

Eligibility for the Things Fall Apart Festival Essay Competition

The Competition is open to the following categories:

• Secondary School Students
• Tertiary Institution Students
• The General Public

Writers in all categories are welcome to explore bold ideas, rethink tradition, and showcase their literary insight.

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Prizes

Cash prizes will be awarded in each of the three categories:

• ₦200,000 – First Place
• ₦150,000 – Second Place
• ₦100,000 – Third Place

Winners will also be honored during the Things Fall Apart Day finale event on July 5, 2025, at the closing of the festival.

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Submission Guidelines for the Things Fall Apart Festival Essay Competition

To ensure your essay qualifies, please follow these requirements:

• Word Counts:
  • Secondary School: 800–1,200 words
  • Tertiary Students: 1,300–1,500 words
  • General Public: 1,600–2,000 words
• Formatting:
  • Font: Times New Roman, 12pt
  • Line spacing: Double-spaced
  • Language: English (Ìgbò proverbs and idioms are welcome)
  • The essay file must not include your name, watermark, or any AI-generated content.
• Include in Email Body:
  • Full Name
  • Contact Information
  • Category of Entry
  • Institution (if applicable)

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Deadline for Submission

June 14, 2025
Send your essay to kedu@centreformemories.org
Use the subject line: Essay Submission – TFA Festival 2025

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Why You Should Enter The Things Fall Apart Festival Essay Competition

This is more than a writing contest—The Things Fall Apart Festival Essay Competition is an invitation to challenge yourself, share your perspective, and participate in a growing literary tradition. Whether you’re analyzing Achebe’s characters or engaging with deeper cultural themes, this is your platform to shine.

Want to polish your writing before submitting? These expert guides will help:

• 5 Tips for Becoming a More Eloquent Writer
• Should You Hire a Professional Editor for Your Manuscript?

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Have Questions?

Contact the organizers at:
+234 703 724 3634 or +234 808 238 3374
Email: kedu@centreformemories.org

Read more about the festival here.