Nigerian writer Ishola Abdulwasiu Ayodele has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Iska Book Prize for his manuscript, A Conspiration of Guardian Demons.
Ayodele emerged as the winner from a shortlist of eight writers, which included Ghanaian writer and JAY Lit poetry editor Gabriel Awuah Mainoo for Keteke Symphony.
The Iska Book Prize celebrates outstanding prose and hybrid manuscripts, seeking irreverent, nonconforming, and experimental work that challenges stereotypes about African writing. Its founder, Iskanchi Press was founded by Nigerian writer and publisher Kenechi Uzor, who also founded Iskanchi Magazine. The magazine was launched in 2020 to create space for innovative and experimental African writing. The name “Iskanchi” is derived from the Hausa word iskanci, associated with mischief, irreverence and non-conformity, reflecting the publication’s focus on work that challenges conventional forms and representations of African literature.
Ishola Abdulwasiu Ayodele is a creative writer, visual artist, and educator whose work moves across forms and genres. He was a finalist for the 2023 Isele Magazine Short Story Prize and the winner of the 2022 Ibua Journal Continental Poetry Prize. His writing has appeared in, or is forthcoming in, publications including Iskanchi, Brittle Paper, African Writer, Isele Magazine, and Omenana. His work has also been featured in several notable anthologies, including The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022, SpaceFunk, and Sauúti Terrors.
Congratulations, Ishola Abdulwasiu Ayodele!
