The Obibiezenna Prize for Literature, an annual literary award established to celebrate outstanding African writing, is organizing its 2026 edition with a singular focus on poetry.
Established by writer and poet, Collins C. Oparaocha to honor the best of African literature, the 2026 edition of the prize seeks to encourage and award writing by African writers, which is imaginative, original and will likely help improve the understanding of African life and condition. The Prize, which rotates between fiction and poetry, invites entries in both genres for its different editions. The 2026 edition will be dedicated to poetry. The guiding vision of The Obibiezenna Prize For Literature is simple: Literature without apology.
The judging panel for this year’s prize includes Nigerian writer and poet Ikenna Okeh, Mexican poet Pablo Gross Herrera and Nigerian writer and poet Abraham Aondoana.
Eligibility
- African writers: Eligible.
- Qualification: Applicants should be aged 18 years or above.
- Applicants’ nationality/citizenship should be indicated in the application.
- African diaspora: Eligible.
- It is open to writers from all over the continent and African writers in the diaspora.
Who Can Submit?
African writers from 18 years old and above are invited to participate in The Obibiezenna Prize for Literature 2026.
Three poets will be recognised, with the first-prize winner receiving ₦100,000, the second-prize winner ₦70,000, and the third-prize winner ₦50,000.
Submissions will close on November 5, 2026, with the shortlist to be announced on November 30, while the winners will be announced on December 12.
On October 10, 2026, the Obibiezenna Prize for Literature will open its doors for submissions to African poets and poets of the African diaspora.
Best of luck to all applicants!
