The Poetry Journal Prize 2025 Shortlist

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.

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.