The 2026 African Writers Awards has announced its longlist, with writers from across Africa selected across poetry, prose, short stories and children’s literature.
The longlist covers the ninth edition of the African Writers Awards in Poetry and Short Story, alongside the fifth African Teen Writers Awards in Poetry and Prose, the first Na-La Mapambazuko Afrika Award and the seventh Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature.
Nigeria has the largest representation across the selections, with writers also longlisted from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Senegal, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
The longlisted works include:
The 5th African Teen Writers Awards (Poetry)
- Broken Is Beautiful by Ajidotan Havilah (Nigeria)
- I am Smart by Ibifuro Wariboko (Nigeria)
- Lies in Disguise by Legacy Ojeikere (Nigeria)
- The bird’s song by Keisha Kabiaro (Kenya)
- The Real Me by Sameerah Billings (South Africa)
- The Teen Behind Social Media (A Reflection on the Screen and thé Soul) by Sean Mpofu (Zimbabwe)
- The Teen Behind Social Media (The Thing you don’t see) by Thanyani Ndou (South Africa)
- The Teen Behind Social Media by Anjola Fashola (Nigeria)
- The Teen Behind Social Media by Tobi Brian (Nigeria)
- The Version they upload by Deborah Chiemeke (Nigeria)
The 5th African Teen Writers Awards (Prose)
- As though grief can be solved with Persistence by Masturah Alaro (Senegal)
- Behind the perfect feed by Amisa Zulu (Zimbabwe)
- Behind the Screen by Omotosho Daniel Oluwafunmilale (Nigeria)
- How to get pretty in 30 days by Raheema Auwal (Nigeria)
- Lies by Abigail Dereje (Ethiopia)
- Nobody Actually Knows You by Ikuzo Hitima Magnifique (Rwanda)
- Shadows and Screens by Naeto Iloh (Nigeria)
- The Child I Buried by Lynn Watetu (Kenya)
- The Teen Behind Social Media by Amirah Bello (Nigeria)
- The Weight of the Glow by Joy Suleman (Nigeria)
The 2026 African Writers Awards – 9th edition (Poetry)
- Anatomy of being human by Zimuzo Onah (Nigeria)
- Citizen of Nowhere by Atim Priscilla Ariance (Uganda)
- Her Indelible Last Words by Don Moriah (Uganda)
- Longing for Home by Anthony Agbator (Nigeria)
- My Tongue Will Not Jump off My Mouth and Run into Fire by Pacella Chukwuma-Eke (Nigeria)
- Pick Me by Frances Okeke (Nigeria)
- The Homecoming by Joseph Ikhe (Nigeria)
- The Shape of the Red Dress by Joshua Ejiroghene Koro (Nigeria)
- Vernacular by Wisdom Adediji (Nigeria)
- When Dew Glows by Sebueng Ekny Lephatsa (Lesotho)
The 2026 African Writers Awards – 9th edition (Short Story)
- “Before It Became a Story” by Jacob Stephen Olule (Uganda)
- “Scapegoat” by Busola Adebayo (Nigeria)
- “That Baby is Me” by Joy Eyisi (Nigeria)
- “The Barcode to Nowhere” by Charles Okon Edet (Nigeria)
- “The Empty Line” by Abiola Abajo (Nigeria)
- “The Soil Remembers Your Name” by Bill Nwonwu (Nigeria)
- “The Weight of Soil” by Daniel Hagenimana (Rwanda)
- “Things We Don’t Admit” by Ummusalma Yahaya Isa (Nigeria)
- “This Ground, This Name” by Chiemeziem Everest Udochukwu (Nigeria)
- “Two Lies And a Truth” by Aniebiet Asuquo (Nigeria)
The 1st Na-La Mapambazuko Afrika Award
- Doto-moto wa Ajabu wa Baharini by Joyce Njeri (Kenya)
- Fursa ya Pili by Lubnah Abdulhalim (Kenya)
- Kijiji mwishoni mwa upinde wa mvua by Mariam Kaoneka (Tanzania)
- Malipo ya Sungura by Hassan Kassim (Kenya)
- Msale na ngozi ya nyoka by Ramadhani Msale (Tanzania)
- Rais wa Makuli by Salum Ali Mselem (Tanzania)
- Ukaidi wa mwana kuku by Fatuma Suleiman (Tanzania)
- Zingo na Zendi by Elenzian Komba (Tanzania)
The 7th Edition of the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature
- Achoo! by Mercy Kioko (Kenya)
- Adam the coder by Samira Tamim (Tanzania)
- Kawadwa’s Creation by Latwifah Mayanja (Uganda)
- The Boy with the Binary Crown by Olajide Ojeniyi (Nigeria)
- The Day the Internet Forgot Us by Makhosini Mpofu (Zimbabwe)
- The Day the Sky Went Missing by AK. Stine (Kenya)
- The Memory Maker by Jane Awino (Kenya)
- The World inside the Screen by Abiola Abajo (Nigeria)
- Zola’s Book Delivery Service by Yvonne Aore (Kenya)
The longlist was selected by an international judging panel comprising writers and literary practitioners from across the continent, including Nahida Esmail (Tanzania), Patrick Nzabonimpa (Rwanda), Haliru Ali Musa (Nigeria), Daniel Naawenkangua Abukuri (Ghana), Corona Cermak (Tanzania), Comfort Nyati, SDB (Zimbabwe), Tamunomieibi Enoch (Nigeria), Blessing Amatemeso (Nigeria), Halieo Motanyane (Lesotho), Namse Udosen (Nigeria), Grace Tendo (Uganda), Omadang Yowasi (Uganda) and Richard Mabala (Tanzania).
The shortlist is expected in the first week of October, while the winners will be announced during the 2026 African Writers Conference in Kampala, Uganda, scheduled for October 25 to November 1.
Congratulations to all longlisted writers!
