Nigerian publishing house Parrésia Publishers has won the 2026 CANEX Prize for Publishing for South Side, a novel by Nigerian writer Akin Adesokan, and will receive a $20,000 cash prize.
The award was announced on November 6 during the 2026 Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND) in Lagos. The prize recognises publishers for their work in producing and distributing books, with four other shortlisted publishers each receiving $2,000.
Published in 2025, South Side follows Abel Dankor, a writer born in international waters in the 1930s who grows up without citizenship in any country. His search for a permanent home takes him to Mande, a fictional West African country, where he hopes to secure citizenship. There, the death of his mentor and his relationship with a woman named Valeria shape the course of his journey.
Founded in 2012 by Azafi Omoluabi and Richard Ali, Parrésia Publishers was established to serve Nigerian readers and promote freedom of the imagination and the free press. The publishing house has worked with authors including Helon Habila, Chika Unigwe, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Ogaga Ifowodo and the late Pius Adesanmi.
Its previous publications include Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, which won the 2016 Nigeria Prize for Literature.
Congratulations, Akin Adesokan, and Parrésia Publishers!
