The Creative African Nexus(CANEX), an initiative of Afreximbank has announced the shortlist for the 2025 CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa, recognizing and celebrating publishers who promote African Literature through bold and brilliant storytelling across the globe.
Following a rigorous judging process with Prof. Egara Kabaji as the chairman, five outstanding works for their exceptional creative style, courage and cultural impact have been selected.
- No Pink in a Rainbow by Angel Patricks Amegbe, published by Masobe Books
- Dear Zimi by Chiziterem Chijioke, published by Quramo Official.
- The Comrade’s Wife by Barbara Boswell, published by Jacana Media
- Broken: Not a Halal Love Story by Fatima Bala, published by Masobe Book
- In Silence My Heart Speaks by Thobeka Yose published by Karavan Press.
The CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa is a part of the CANEX Book Factory. The CANEX Book Factory is an annual programme of events of the Creative Africa Nexus initiative of African Export – Import Bank (Afreximbank) that is designed to spotlight and elevate the African book value chain through the prize, a Pan-African writing workshop, and an e-newsletter highlighting African literature.
The winner will be announced at CANEX@IATF2025, Algiers, Algeria scheduled to take place from 4–10 September 2025.
Congratulations to all the five authors and publishers who made it to the shortlist!
Sarah Adeyemo
Sarah Adeyemo is a poet, writer, editor, and spoken word artiste from Nigeria. She is a fellow of the SprinNG Writing Fellowship. Sarah has work published or forthcoming work in ANMLY Lit, D’Iit Review, The Fiery Scribe Review, Con-Scio Magazine, Sevhage Review, Okiti Literary, Synchronized Chaos Magazine, Pepper Coast Magazine, The Weeds Review, Akpata Magazine, The Shallow Tales Review, The Muse Journal, The Weganda Review, Everscribe Magazine, Afrillhill Press, TV-63 Magazine, Poems for Persons Interest, Northern Writers Forum Journal, Eboquills, Rinna Lit. Anthologies, and elsewhere. Her works have been shortlisted for the 2025 Labari Prize for Poetry and longlisted for the 2025 Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize. She serves as the Managing Editor at Words-Empire Magazine, a Poetry Editor at Yarnz Magazine, PFPOI, and a News & Feature writer at the Journal of African Youth Literature (JAY Lit). She was a writing resident of the Rongo Artist Residency in 2026 and is currently a writing resident at the Ebedi International Writers Residency. She is a member of The Swan Collective. A dramatic poet who tweets @sarahinkspires.
