Isele Magazine has revealed the shortlist for its prestigious Isele Prizes. Now in its third year, the initiative continues to recognize exceptional short stories, poems, and essays published in the magazine. This year, over 190 works vied for recognition across the prize categories.
A notable addition for 2024 is the inclusion of photo essays in the Isele Nonfiction Prize category. This expansion reflects Isele Magazine’s commitment to exploring diverse storytelling forms. As a result, 12 works now compete for the nonfiction prize, alongside 11 short stories and 10 poems.
Below are the longlists according to their categories:
The Isele Nonfiction Prize
- Dear Father I Write to You From The Land of the Living, by Ucheoma Onwutuebe
- A Few More Words About Breasts, by Gloria Mwaniga
- Neither Here Nor There:Muslim Women and Resistance, by Izza Ahsan
- Lagoon Front, by Izehi Amadasu
- Photo Series, by Tushar Gidwani
- Waist Beads, by Ber Anena
- Photo Essay, by Hassnain Riza
- How to Speak of a Miracle, by Joshua Chizoma
- The Branches and The Wind and The Rain, by Zenas Ubere
- Silence Is Not My Culture (Kwuo Okwu Gi), by Nora Nneka
- Faint Lines, by Nwanne Agwu
- Queer Resistance Can Be Many Things Including Dark, by Obed Hailsham
Isele Poetry Prize
- Instead Of Measuring My Life in Productivity, by Melissa Sussens
- Elegy, by Kharys Ateh Laue
- Little Joy (in no particular order), by Adebisi Amori
- Two Poems, by Claire Pinkston
- Two Poems, by Omodero David
- Three Poems, by Erinola Daranijo
- Two Poems, by Godwin Adah
- Gurl, by Taiwo Hassan
- Five Poems, by Annalisa Hansford
- Two Poems, by Chiwenite Onyekwelu
Isele Short Story Prize
- Fritcn Surreal, by Victor Forma
- The Dinner Party, by Percy Bharucha
- To Live a Little, by Alissia J.R.Lingaur
- Atlas Raging Gale, by Mohamed Mahou
- Dreams of a City, by Nawawi Sani Dean
- Propane,Propane, by Alex Leslie
- Is it Too Late?, by Pegah Ouji
- Potential For Beauty, by Nelson CJ
- Parental Material, by Crystal Gross
- Origin Of Giant Trees, by Elisha Oluyemi
- She Lingers, by Okoronkwo Chisom
The shortlists and the winners’ announcement will be revealed on April 8 and May 15 respectively.
