Penned in Rage Literary Journal
TABLE of CONTENTS
1. Editorial by Chukwuebuka Freedom Onyishi
2. The Metaphor of How We Render the Anthem of Broken Clouds by Abubakar Auwal
2b. Theoretical Constitution of Broken Metaphors by Abubakar Auwal
3. Happiness is Selfish by Gargi Sidana
4. Scars and Stars by Msendoo Rachel Tarter
5. The Pariah’s Resume by Owen Lwanda
6. What Anger Learns When it Stays by Abraham Aondoana
7. Go Home by Uche by Chidozie Okorie
8. The Janitor of the ICC by Majekodunmi O. Ebhohon
9. The tongue we never lost at sea by Uchechukwu Onyedikam
10. Art by Philasande Musawenkosi Ntombe
11. Age of Content by Osahon Oka
12. If you come to my country Mambas will swallow you by Obaji Godwin
13. A Review of Michael Emerald Oladosu's chapbook: Every Little Thing That Moves
14. The Passage by Chisom Umeh
Latest Edition of Journal
Please Click Link to Read Happiness Is Selfish by Gargi Sidana. 'Happiness is a selfish choice — mere bits of trial and error. A cauldron of peace that hung above the zenith. I fail to find things on tracks or subway, alleys or along the walking corridors. A chiselled way to smile back at none other than moist feelings. I trench the tunnels of sheer sadness — I'm the host. There, I saw a flickering child smiling through the curls of her lips. There, I witnessed happiness smiling back at me chasing joy from nowhere.'
The Metaphor of How We Render the Anthem of Broken Clouds, by Abubakar Auwal. 'my father’s name is the cnemial anatomy/ i landed my bones on. i mean a synonym for the stories /that hold water and turned me into a flower/ & the haven of crippling solace; a tale chewing/ its ribs. the flowers. the monsters. the demons./ & tales that consume the mountain, god buried his /toothbrush for the nighthawks, for the fire singing /to define the history of sky.'
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Creative of the Month
Terms & Conditions Poem: must not exceed 40 lines. Stories: up to 1000 words. *Creative must have been published in reputable outlets before or must be well-known. If submission is accepted, you'll be contacted and asked to pay £5.00. The link only lives for a month, following which you are free to resubmit your work elsewhere. I do not pay for published work this space is for a paid feature. After subscribing, kindly upload your poem/story/art via the linked form or email to: pennedinrage@outlook.com with recent passport-sized photo.
Why We Struggle With Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa
1. Socioeconomic Factors- unaffordability of books -
Earnings and outgoings spent on essentials instead e.g.- grocery shopping, utilities, bills, transportation, healthcare.
The absence of a love for reading has also negatively impacted on creative pieces, leading to a disproportionate amount of formal or metered poetry being produced and published in the continent.
Meet One of the Poetry Editors of Penned in Rage
Onyishi Chukwuebuka Freedom (he/him) is a Publicity Secretary for Muse no. 51, and a graduate of the University of Nigeria. He is the winner of the 2025 Coalition of African Literature in partnership with the University of Leicester’s Avoidable Deaths Network and the SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative, a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee, runner-up for the 2025 Bridgette James Poetry Prize, a shortlist for the inaugural BCD-Utulu Prize, Reader at Chestnut Review, and longlisted for the Paradise Gate House. His work has appeared in Eye to the Telescope: (non)binaries, Harrow House, Northern Writers Forum, Heathentide Orphans: Zoetic Press, African Studies Review, Pill Bottle Press, The Port Harcourt Literary Review, Wherein The World, African Studies Review, The Biochar, Strange Quark Press, Kathai Literary, The Nine Muses Review, Ojuju Magazine, Poets in Nigeria Initiative, EveryBody Magazine, University of Bournemouth Journal, African Migration Report, The Muse Journal, Hidden Peek Press, and elsewhere. He tweets @Bukaty33612.
Read more about him here: https://ellaspoems.com/general-9#editorial-chukwuebuka-onyishi
Contributor Payment Notice
I value and appreciate every creative voice that contributes to my publications. At present, I am unable to offer financial compensation for submissions. All contributions are on a voluntary basis - except where work was solicited for $10 USD - and I aim to provide a platform for your work to reach a wider audience.
About the Editor-in-Chief of Penned in Rage
I’m pleased to announce that head judge for the 2026 poetry competition is Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto. Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto is a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he is also a teaching assistant. He holds a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature. Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto is the author of a collection of poems: The Naming (University of Nebraska Press, 2025) and the chapbook: The Teenager Who Became My Mother. https://www.chinuaezenwa-ohaeto.com/
Osahon Oka Won The 2025 Bridgette James Poetry Competition
Osahon Oka is a Pushcart nominee whose poems opens the anthology Soil Unfurling from Stem. Mr Oka has been widely published in his home country: Nigeria. He will serve as a competition judge in the 2026 Bridgette James Poetry Competition.
Meet One of the Poetry Editors of Penned in Rage
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Get featured on Bridgette’s Writing School Facebook page. Please send an email, subject header: Paid Feature to pennedinrage@outlook.com Please DO NOT Pay until you’ve received a confirmation that your book will be advertised on social media. Packages – A 2-day package: (two) days advertisement - £5.00 (Pounds Stirling) A 5-day package (five) days advertisement - £20.00 (Pounds Stirling).
Submit a Poetry Manuscript to be Edited or Reviewed - £10.00 (up to 20 poems); £20.00 (up to 40 poems). Email: pennedinrage@outlook.com
Soil Unfurling from Stem is a multi-author collection of nature poems from sub-Saharan Africa. Contributors include Dr Kayode Adesimi Robbin-Coker an English Language and Literature graduate of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Dr Jive Lubbungu from Zambia, Chukwuebuka Freedom Onyishi, the current Winner of the 2025 Coalition of African Literature, a Nonprofit organisation in Nigeria and fifteen-year-old Namibian secondary school student, Utaara Tjozongoro.
The anthology, Soil Unfurling from Stem, 2025, features two Nigerian brothers: Emerald & Daniel. Please click gallery to read more.
We're a small but thriving community of readers. Join us by submitting work.
SUBMIT a 40-line Poem, or a 1000-word Flash Fiction or Essay - Only One Submission Allowed Per Person Each Quarter, Thank You.
We Do Not Pay for Submissions.
Subscribe First: Please Click Link
Submit Free of Charge: This Journal Only Features Writers from Sub-Saharan Africa; its Diaspora & Ethnic Minorities
Editorial Feedback on Poems (To receive feedback on your submission): £2.00
Email Submissions from May 1- 31 to: pennedinrage@outlook.com
Please Address Your Submission to The Editors of Penned in Rage.
About Penned in Rage Journal
Penned in Rage magazine is focused on publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, flash fiction, experimental prose and hybrid works, written by underrepresented writers. Each quarter a submission is chosen as the featured piece. The journal aims to create a community of subscribed readers who enjoy contemporary creative writing styles. Penned in Rage invites submissions from underrepresented and marginalised writers.
Submissions: Open in January, May (for the poetry competition; submissions from the slush pile will be considered for their suitability for the journal too) and October each year.
The 'unthemed' submission window will reopen Friday 01 MAY 2026 for the fifth online edition of Penned in Rage Literary Journal.
CLOSES 30 MAY 2026.
Submissions: You may submit a 40-line poem for consideration. Styles accepted: free verse, haiku, Fibonacci, prose et cetera preferred over meters. Maximum lines 40. Flash Story - maximum 1000 words; Fiction, Nonfiction and Non-academic essays accepted. We do not publish metered poetry of any shape or form, neither do we accept anything that offends other social groups. Flash fiction not exceeding 500 words on any genre or topic may be submitted, as may non-academic essays or creative nonfiction not above 500 words. Underrepresented writers from anywhere may submit a poem or flash fiction for consideration. We only consider submissions sent through our online submission portal https://www.ellaspoems.com/#subscribe-to-penned-in-rage-journal or by email. Please provide a brief 30-word third-person bio to accompany your submission. Only one poem not exceeding 40 lines and/or one story of not above 500 words will be considered.
Simultaneous Submissions & Withdrawals: We accept simultaneous submissions, but we must be immediately notified if a piece is accepted elsewhere. If you wish to withdraw your submission, please email me directly at pennedinrage@outlook.com with the title/s of the work(s) you are withdrawing.
Previously Published Work: Except for submissions to be considered for Creative of the Month, we will not publish pieces which have appeared elsewhere, including social media sites.
Publishing Rights: We ask for first time worldwide rights for accepted pieces. Following publication, all rights revert back to the author.
Payment: Penned in Rage Journal was borne out of a small, self-funded project. At this time, we are not able to offer payment to our contributors for published works; however, the PDF version of the journal is widely circulated to subscribers and promoted on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
How is the journal published?
Triannual Online Publication - Downloadable PDF: January 31st, May 30th, October 31st
