Sokoka Books proudly announced the top 3 winners of the inaugural Blessing Kolajo Poetry Prize. Amidst a pool of talented entries, these three exceptional works captivated their judges:
- Agboola Tariq for ‘Anatomy of my grandmother hanging in a scythe’
- Eliongema Udofia for ‘Laments: Where the things I love, are slowly going extinct’
- Timileyin Adepoju for ‘Boys from my home has a thing for grief’
This year’s theme of Fragments of Time, is a poetic one that delves into the fleeting nature of moments and the essence of time itself.
The winner will receive an award worth 100 000 Naira.
The Blessing Kolajo Poetry Prize is proudly sponsored by the Blessing Kolajo Poetry Writers Association (BKPWA), the International Literary Magazine and Art Initiative for New Experiences (IMAGINe), and Geko, a notable arts organisation. Together, they continue to foster the growth of African poetry.
Congratulations to Agboola, Eliongema, and Timileyin on this marvellous achievement!
Read our previous article on the Blessing Kolajo Poetry Prize here.
Bongiwe T. Maphosa
Bongiwe Maphosa is a writer whose fiction and poetry offers fresh, imaginative perspectives on the human condition. Her work has been published in prominent literary spaces, including Isele Magazine, Akowdee Magazine, the AVBOB Poetry Anthology, Journal of African Youth in Literature (JAY Lit), and more. She was also nominated for the 2025 Best of the Net Anthology. Bongiwe is one of six writers selected for the inaugural Caine Prize Online Editing program and serves as a content writer, peer reviewer, and tier three awards judge for JAYLit. Bridging inner reflection with speculative worlds, she continues to carve out a distinctive voice within contemporary African literature for a growing global audience.
