Nigerian art writer, essayist and poet, Iyanuoluwa Adenle has been announced as the winner of the Kofi Awoonor Poetry Prize 2024 for her evocative poem, babe.
The announcement was made by the award committee, with the amazing writer Othuke Umukoro serving as the guest judge for this year’s competition.
The Kofi Awoonor Poetry Prize, named in honor of the late Ghanaian poet and literary icon, celebrates outstanding poetic works that reflect innovation, cultural resonance, and artistic excellence. This year’s competition attracted entries from across Africa and the diaspora, showcasing the vibrant diversity of contemporary African poetry.
In babe, Iyanuoluwa Adenle explores the complexities of love, vulnerability, and the fragility of human connection. The poem, set against the backdrop of Ash Wednesday, reflects on the duality of desire and destruction, questioning what parts of ourselves can be dismantled or rebuilt. The speaker contemplates the raw, often painful nature of loving someone deeply, imagining a love so intense it feels like a kind of death. Yet, there’s also a yearning for permanence and healing, symbolized by the sprinkling of holy water and the hope of eternity together.
A graduate of Linguistics and African Languages from Obafemi Awolowo University, Iyanuoluwa Adenle is a Nigerian art writer, essayist, and poet based in Lagos. She explores themes of grief, loss, and love in her writing.
Her works have been featured in publications such as Kalahari Review, Africanwriter, Empty Mirror, The Hellebore, Onejacar, Lolwe, Kissing Dynamite, and Olongo. Adenle has contributed to art platforms including Tender Photo, Art News Africa, Pavillon54, and Omenai, where she currently serves as the head writer.
To read her winning poem, click here.
Congratulations Iyanuoluwa Adenle on this well-deserved honor!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
