Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, a distinguished Nigerian-British playwright and screenwriter, has been named one of the recipients of the 2025 Windham-Campbell Prizes in the Drama category. This prestigious literary award, administered by Yale University’s Beinecke Library, recognizes exceptional literary talent and grants each winner an unrestricted prize of $175,000.
The Windham-Campbell Prizes, established in 2013 in honor of Donald Windham and Sandy M. Campbell, celebrate outstanding achievements in fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. Ibini’s recognition places her among an esteemed cohort of writers who have significantly influenced literature as a whole.
Born and raised in London to Nigerian parents, Ibini pursued a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing at London Metropolitan University, followed by an MA in Playwriting and Screenwriting from City University, where she earned a distinction and was awarded a scholarship from BAFTA and Warner Bros.
Her debut play, Muscovado (2014), set on a 19th-century sugar plantation in Barbados, offered a haunting portrayal of slavery’s brutality while highlighting Black love and friendship amidst violence. The play was performed at Theatre503 in 2015 and was one of the three winners of the Audience Award at the Alfred Fagon Award that year. Beyond theatre, Ibini has also made her mark in screenwriting. She contributed to the 2023 British psychological thriller miniseries Wilderness, produced for Amazon Prime Video, which starred Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
Ibini’s contributions to the literary and theatre world have earned her widespread recognition. In 2023, she was jointly awarded the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright, alongside Marcelo Dos Santos. She was also nominated for the Disability Champion Award at the 2024 Black British Theatre Awards, further throwing a strong light on her commitment to amplifying marginalized voices.
In her words, she says:
“I am over the moon and currently hurtling through space somewhere near Jupiter… just marveling at all of this; the past, the present, and the crystallizing future. I am eternally grateful to my ancestors and everyone who has helped me get this far. And so appreciative to everyone involved at the Windham-Campbell Prizes for this thoughtful injection into my career”
Congratulations Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
