Kenyan poet Faith Nyokabi Njunge and Zimbabwean poet Augustine Tashinga Mudzudza are among the winners of the Pulitzer Center’s 2026 Fighting Words Poetry Contest for young adults.
Selected from 334 entries submitted by graduating high school seniors and poets aged 18 to 24, representing 27 U.S. states and 27 countries, the winners were chosen by semifinal and final round judges Ethan Widlansky, Morgan Varnado, Hannah Berk, Josaphat Barcenas-Argueta, and Kara Andrade:
- Faith Nyokabi Njunge earned second place in the Climate and Environment category for her poem, Cartography, while
- Augustine Tashinga Mudzudza won first place in the Peace and Conflict category with A Site of Burning.
The contest invited participants to write poems inspired by Pulitzer Center-supported reporting on global issues. This year’s categories included Climate and Environment, Global Health, Human Rights, Information and AI, and Peace and Conflict.
In the announcement, the Pulitzer Center said the contest aims to encourage participants to engage with news stories through poetry, creating space to reflect on the human experiences behind current events.
Congratulations, Faith Nyokabi Njunge and Augustine Tashinga Mudzudza!
