The Poetry Journal Prize 2025 Longlist

Aishat Yahkub is a Nigerian writer and medical student. Her work has appeared in Brittle Paper, Agbowó, Fiery Scribe Review, Pepper Coast Lit, and elsewhere. She was a finalist for the 2024 Akachi Chukwuemeka Prize for Literature. She is on Twitter @AishatYahkub.

Akanni Festus Olaniyi is a Nigerian poet, playwright, and children's writer. He is also a medical doctor. His work was longlisted for the Beeta Playwriting Competition 2023 and The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2024.

Chioma Emmanuel Judith, who writes under the pen name Chyna, is a Nigerian teacher and writer. She holds a B.Ed. in Economics Education from the University of Abuja. Her work has appeared in Daily Trust, ACWUA Blog, SPRINNG, and elsewhere. She was shortlisted for the 2023 Paradise Gate House Poetry Competition.

Emmanuella Chisom James is a Nigerian writer. Her work has appeared in Eremite Poetry, Blank Paperz Media, the We Arose at Sixty anthology, and elsewhere. She won the WritingGamesNG award by the University of Sussex, and her poem The Rise of the Orphans was longlisted for the Humanitarian Poetry Prize in 2018. She is a book reviewer for The Journal of African Youth Literature.

Fatima Boyi Mahuta is a student, poet, a spoken word artist and a lover of art and nature. She is an avid reader with a love for storytelling. Her journey into writing started as a way to express herself and use her voice to raise awareness about important issues such as gender inequality and domestic violence.

Jimoh Kamaldeen is a poet and essayist. By day, he works as an agronomist; by night, he writes.

Leka Lebari is a Christian and a writer with a messed-up circadian rhythm. She blames chunky books, late-night singing, and cooking like a cozy grandma that keep her up past reason. A proud Ogoni/Ijaw Nigerian and law graduate of Benson Idahosa University, she’s a hermit who only leaves the house for emergencies.

Obasi Nancy is a writer from Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Her work often explores the everyday experiences of young women.

Oluwanifemi Olawole is a Mass Communication student living in Nigeria. She is a practising Christian whose writing explores various aspects of life, with an interest in advocacy and storytelling.

Zainab Kuyizhi is a Nigerian poet and spoken word artist. Her work explores themes of love, pain, and anger, and has appeared in House of Poetry, The Muse Journal No. 50, Tower Magazine Vol. 1, Tilted House Review (Issue 5, Spring 2022), The Ayanfe Magazine, Harpy Hybrid Review, That One Black Boy Review, and elsewhere. She is a member of the Minna Literary Society, co-founder of Minna Paint & Sip, and founder of Tea and Reflection, a mental health support initiative in northern Nigeria.