Four African writers — Chidima Anekwe, Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim, Prosper C. Ìféányí and Maria Shehata have been named finalists in this year’s American Literary Review (ALR) Creative Writing Awards, one of the United States’ established literary competitions for emerging and mid-career voices in fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction.
Founded in 1990 at the University of North Texas, the American Literary Review publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction from around the world and runs an annual contest that has helped spotlight several now-prominent authors.
The 2025 finalists feature 10 fiction, 10 creative-nonfiction, and 20 poetry entries drawn from an international pool of submissions. The contest, run annually by the ALR at the University of North Texas, awards $1,000 in each category, with publication in the review’s upcoming issue.
In the fiction category, Nigerian writer Chidima Anekwe was recognized for her story ‘The Doll Problem,’ while Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim, also from Nigeria, earned his place for ‘A Hymen Tale.’ In poetry, Prosper C. Ìféányí advanced for his piece Anamnesis, and in creative nonfiction, Egyptian writer Maria Shehata was selected for ‘The Forever Dress.’
About the Finalists
Chidima Anekwe is a Nigerian-American short story writer and essayist and two-time Pushcart Prize nominee. She recently graduated from Yale University, where she studied English Literature. Her writing has appeared in or is forthcoming from MAYDAY, Torch Literary Arts, SWING, Chapter House Journal (formerly Mud City), The Madrid Review, and elsewhere. She has received scholarships and support from the GrubStreet Center and the SAEF Grant.
Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim is a Nigerian writer and editor currently based in the UK. He won the Creative Future Writers’ Awards, the 2022 Quramo Writers’ Prize, and received support from the Jessica George Bursary. His work has been selected for Best Small Fictions anthology, and has been a finalist for Faber Children’s FAB Prize, Miles Morland Writing Scholarship, a Masters Review anthology prize, and twice for Moon City Short Fiction Award. He has also been longlisted for Commonwealth Short Story Prize, CRAFT Short Story Prize, Laura Kinsella Fellowship, and Dzanc Diverse Voices Prize. He has multiple nominations for both the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net.
Among other things, he is currently the Managing Editor of JAY Lit.
Prosper C. Ìféányí writes from Lagos, Nigeria. A finalist for the 2024 Greg Grummer Poetry Prize and the 2023 Gerald Kraak Anthology Prize, his works are featured or forthcoming in The Offing, Salt Hill Journal, Obsidian, ANMLY, Black Warrior Review, Denver Quarterly, New Delta Review, the Oxonian Review and elsewhere.
Maria Shehata is an Egyptian American writer and comedian based in London. Her creative nonfiction often blends humor with reflections on diaspora and belonging; her work has been featured on BBC Radio 4 and Comedy Central.
Congratulations, Chidima Anekwe, Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim, Prosper C. Ìféányí, and Maria Shehata!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
