Nigerian speculative-fiction writer Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki has been named to the longlist of the 2025 Santa Fe Writers Project (SFWP) Literary Awards for his novel Birth of Orisha.
The announcement was released as part of the program’s annual update, which noted that nearly 1,700 entries were submitted for this year’s cycle.
Founded in 1998, the Santa Fe Writers Project is an independent press that runs an international awards program for fiction and creative nonfiction. The contest awards a grand prize of US $1,500, and the winning manuscript is considered for publication. Longlisted submissions remain under review for potential acquisition by the press’s publishing wing.
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, who was born in Ughelli, Delta State, is known for his work in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His writing frequently addresses subjects such as inequality, power, resistance, and decolonization. He is the first African-born author to win a Nebula Award and has also received a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, an Otherwise Award, and multiple Nommo Award honours.
Birth of Orisha, the work recognized by SFWP, is the first book in what Ekpeki has described as an “Afropantheology” trilogy. The novel is set in a far-future African landscape shaped by catastrophic change and follows characters navigating survival and identity in a transformed world. The book was recently acquired for publication by Caezik SF & Fantasy, an imprint of Arc Manor.
Congratulations, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki!
