Two Nigerian authors, Iheoma Nwachukwu and Samuel Kọ́láwọlé, have been named among the finalists for the 2025 PEN America Literary Awards, joining a prestigious list that honors exceptional literary talent in the United States.
Iheoma Nwachukwu is a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection for his book Japa and Other Stories, published by the University of Georgia Press. Japa and Other Stories came out of a struggle Iheoma Nwachukwu faced when trying to orient himself in the United States from 2017 to 2021, when attitudes toward immigrants suddenly shifted. The Japa characters explored in this book are immigrants who have no plans to return to their home country—for voluntary reasons—although they retain a strong connection to home.
Born and raised in Lagos during Nigeria’s military regimes, Iheoma Nwachukwu has drawn deeply from his personal history and experiences with emigration to shape stories that examine identity, belonging, and the complexities of Nigerian life. His collection, Japa and Other Stories which won the 2023 Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, is notable for its portrayal of modern Nigerian immigrants. Nwachukwu holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. He currently teaches at Eastern University and has been published in respected journals including The Southern Review and The Iowa Review.
Samuel Kọ́láwọlé was also recognized, earning a finalist spot for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel for The Road to the Salt Sea, published by Amistad. His novel follows the harrowing journey of a young man determined to cross the Mediterranean Sea, offering a deeply human portrayal of migration and the sacrifices made in search of a future.
Samuel Kọ́láwọlé was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, and has steadily built a literary career that has garnered international recognition. He has been named a finalist for several awards, including the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Graywolf Press African Fiction Prize, a 2025 Whiting Award Winner In Fiction and the UK’s First Novel Prize. Kọ́láwọlé began his academic journey at the University of Ibadan before earning a Master of Arts in Creative Writing with distinction from Rhodes University in South Africa. He later completed an MFA in Writing and Publishing at Vermont College of Fine Arts and holds a Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing from Georgia State University.
With over $350,000 in prizes across multiple categories to be won, the winners of the PEN America Literary Awards will be announced at a ceremony scheduled to take place on May 8, 2025, in New York City.
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
