11 poetry collections make NLNG’s $100,000 literature prize longlist
By Adeola Ogunrinde
The Nigeria LNG Limited has unveiled the 11-book longlist for the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, selecting the titles from 223 poetry collections submitted for this year’s competition.
The announcement was made by the Chairman of the Advisory Board for the prize, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, and was contained in a statement issued by the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall.
The longlisted works are Adult Love by Tanure Ojaide, Bakandamiya by Saddiq Dzukogi, Black Passport by Paul Akpomuje, 2000 Blacks by Ajibola Tolase, Ceremony for the Nameless by Theresa Lola, Corpus: Animistic Verses by Ayo Oyeku, Floral’s Love Colony by Tares Oburumu, The Origin of Wounds by Rasaq Malik Gbolahan, The Years of Blood by Adebayo Agarau, Unbind Me Now by James Ugwu Eze and Why Does God Need a Gun by Ogaga Ifowodo.
Adimora-Ezeigbo described the announcement as a major milestone in the 2026 edition of the prize, noting that the longlisted collections reflect the quality, creativity and diversity of contemporary African poetry.
She said the works explore human experience through cultural memory, historical reflection and artistic expression, while examining the forces that shape collective identity and the resilience of individuals and communities in the face of violence, oppression and social fragmentation.
The advisory board chairman also praised the collections for their diverse poetic styles, saying they combine lyrical intensity, symbolic depth and artistic innovation with folklore, oral traditions and contemporary realities to produce rich and thought-provoking works.
Meanwhile, she commended the panel of judges for their work and reaffirmed the Advisory Board’s commitment to a transparent selection process, literary excellence and the promotion of a strong reading culture.
The announcement marks the beginning of the next stage of the competition, with a shortlist of three books expected in August and the winner to be announced in October, when the author of the winning entry will receive the $100,000 prize in the 22nd edition of the annual award, which is devoted to poetry this year.
