The list for the 2023 Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Literature was published on Monday, 9th January, 2023 after a successful nomination process which ended on 30th December, 2022.
The entry for this literary prize was free.
Notably, this prize is an online popularity contest stretched into five categories:
- Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Poetry
- Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Drama
- Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Fiction
- Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Non-Fiction
- Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Children’s Literature
The Akachi Ezeigbo Prize for Literature is awarded to authors in different categories whose books receive the highest number of votes from the online participants. This is the inaugural edition of the award.
The shortlisted books were carefully selected based on the criteria of submission written on the website. Any wrong entry was not accepted.
The 2023 list for all the categories is captured below:
Note that the list is in no particular order.
- The Lockdown, by Nnamdi Chibuzo Anumihe (Poetry)
- This City Knows My Name, by Abayomi Abiru (Poetry)
- Lagos is Killing Me, by Oloyede Michael Taiwo (Poetry)
- A Spring of Longings, by Davidson Chimezie Iwunze (Poetry)
- Memory And The Call of Waters, by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema
- Seven Shredded Sisters, by Kate Apaflo Awuku-Darko (Poetry)
- The Betrayal, by Ndubuisi Nwankwo (Fiction)
- Pain in the Bone, by Ikechukwu Asika (Drama)
- Looking Glass Bullet, by Akintomiwa Akinnimi (Fiction)
- Harmattan and Other Poems, by Olufemi Dokun-Babalola (Poetry)
- A Platter of Gold, by Olasupo Shasore (Non-Fiction)
- 1960, by Bimbo Manuels (Drama)
- Mirror on the Wall, by Jesutofunmi Fekoya (Children’s Literature)
- In the Long Run, by Chukwuebuka Amaechi (Drama)
- The Invincible Will , by Amadi Ekwutosi Njoku (Children’s Literature)
- Black Opal, by Gloria Ogo (Fiction)
- At The Centre of No-Man’s-Land, by Uche Nnyagu (Fiction)
- The Text, the Critic and Conflict Resolution in Nigeria, by Onyebuchi James Ile (Non-Fiction)
- Judi Series, The Truth About Tuesday by Gracious Osuagwu (Fiction)
- Nkwuzo, by Ojiro Ogada (Non-Fiction)
- The Oldman and The Donkey, by Onyinye Amamgbo Constance (Children’s Literature)
- The Eden in Nigeria, by Franklin I. Diala (Non-Fiction)
- Slay Queen, by Emmanuel Ifediata (Fiction)
- Do not Say It’s Not Your Country, by Nnamdi Oguike (Fiction)
- Naked Coin, by Albrin Junior (Fiction)
- Brief, by Daniel Abah Iduh (Fiction)
- Soro Soke, A Novel by Sunday Akande (Fiction)
- Undeserved, by Michael Chukwudi (Fiction)
- Kambili, by Obiageli A. Iloakasia (Poetry)
The top winners from each category will be announced on the 11th of February, 2023.
The winner in each category receives $100 and a noble mention that celebrates literary ingenuity. This literary prize was instituted in 2022 by Dr. Onyeka Nwelue, Dean, School of Cinematography, University, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Visiting Fellow, University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, the founder of James Currey Society and Abibiman Publishing in honour of Professor Theodora Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, a distinguished literary scholar in Nigeria and Africa, at large.
All the details will be available on the website. Note that voting is free!