Three amazing writers of African origin—Hussain Ahmed, Theresa Lola, and Ajibola Tolase—have been shortlisted for the 2025 Walcott Prize, which honors outstanding books of poetry by non‑US citizens.
Arrowsmith Press, the prize’s organizer, announced the 15‑name shortlist this week. The winner, who will receive a $2,000 honorarium, will be revealed in October.
Named after St. Lucian Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, the prize recognizes excellence in global poetry and celebrates the cross‑cultural reach of the art form.
About The Authors.
Hussain Ahmed – Blue Exodus
Hussain Ahmed is a Nigerian poet and environmental advocate whose work explores themes of memory and the natural world. He is the author of Blue Exodus (Orison Books, 2024), which won the 2022 Orison Poetry Prize. Ahmed holds an MFA from the University of Mississippi and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Cincinnati.
His poems have appeared in leading journals such as Poetry Magazine, Kenyon Review, and American Poetry Review.
Theresa Lola – Ceremony for the Nameless
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in London, Theresa Lola is a British‑Nigerian poet whose work bridges cultural heritage and identity. She is the author of Ceremony for the Nameless (Penguin Press, 2024), a collection praised for its lyrical exploration of naming, memory, and belonging. Lola was the joint winner of the 2018 Brunel International African Poetry Prize and served as Young People’s Laureate for London from 2019 to 2020.
A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Oxford’s MSt in Creative Writing, she has performed widely and been commissioned for high‑profile events, including the unveiling of Millicent Fawcett’s statue in Parliament Square.
Ajibola Tolase – 2000 Blacks
Ajibola Tolase is a Nigerian poet and essayist whose collection 2000 Blacks (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2024) won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and the Florida Book Award Gold Medal. Raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, Tolase later earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and held fellowships at Stanford University and Colgate University.
Congratulations Hussain Ahmed, Theresa Lola, Ajibola Tolase!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
