The organizers of the New Voices Poetry Contest have released the longlist for the 2025 edition of the competition, featuring 30 emerging poets from across Ghana.
Launched in May 2025, the contest is dedicated to spotlighting new literary voices and providing a platform for young poets to share their work.
The longlist is as follows:
- Akua Akyere Sarpong Akosah (Sallywrites) — If I Wake The Spirits
- Asare Albert Kweku (K. Asare-Bediako) — Petitioning The Gods
- Benedict Anganmwine Molonaah — Forsaken Gourd
- Benedicta Kyeremaa Addai — Kwame.. Lost But Not Forgotten
- Bukari Samari Nafisah — Lost Treasure
- Christopher Armoh — Untitled [Speak To Me In Tongues Of Fire]
- Clinton Nana Duah (King’s Tail) — Communion With The Deceased
- Denoo Edinam Yawo (Poetic Siren) — Afe
- Dzorgbo Karen Sedinam — Who Whitewashed Us
- Eastwind-Blessmann Jewell (Jewell King-Speaks) — Ancestors, Answer Me
- Emmanuel Papa Quansah — Homecoming
- Estella Esinam Apenuvor — To Them That Bleach Because Life Is Not Fair
- Henaku-Budu Jedidiah Kwame (Theodore Kotompo) — What’s The Name Of The Sankofa Bird
- Joel Gyamfi Anane (Wakanda) — Where Did We Go Wrong?
- John Aryeetey Nunoo (Johnspencil) — All Hail
- Nana Adwoa Nhyira Bonsu (Blessing Wright) — Ancestors, Answer Me
- Nunya Apetsi — Notse
- Okaibea-Larbi Pearldrina (Wordsmith) — Weight Of Ancestral Scars
- Osae-Koranteng Derrick (Scott Frost) — A Voice From The Dead
- Peggy Andam Quainoo — Voice Of The Unseen
- Richard De-Graft Tawiah (Richydegraft) — The Beautiful Ones Are Still Not Born Yet
- Roland Malcolm Appiah (Abd) — Echoes From The Past To Me Now
- Saviour Lee Aziagba (Salvatore Lee) — Stars That Don’t Die
- Sedem Appleh — Conversations With The Before
- Stephen Baidoo — The Guinea Wails
- Steven Larbi — Can We Be Great Again?
- Winniefred Frederica Gbemuotor — Where Are The Fireflies
The New Voices Poetry Contest was born from a desire to give poetic voices in Ghana a platform to celebrate the richness of Ghanaian expression, language, and imagination. The contest aims to inspire a new generation of Ghanaian poets to speak boldly, write honestly, and be seen.
Congratulations to all longlisted authors!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
