Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) has released the longlist of the 2022 edition of her poetry prize. On the list are Onyeka Nwelue, Prof. TanureOjaide, Abdul Monem Ramadan, Abdullah Savonge, Kossi Sena Adufu, and 48 other griots.
The English category features 13 Nigerian poets out of the 15 names longlisted. The other two are Sierra Leonean author, Oumar Faruq Sesay; and S. Haya, Kenyan writer.
The PAWA longlist has four categories: Arabic, English, French, and Kiswahili. All the categories carry 15 longlisted entrants, except Kiswahili, which had only 8 names.
Some of the selected Nigerian poets are heavyweights in the literary world who have amassed several accolades in the past. Tanure Ojaide tops this list [as winner of the Commonwealth Poetry Prize 1987, ANA Poetry Prize 1988, 1994, 2003 and 2011]; award-winning author, Denja Abdullahi; 2015 ANA Poetry Prize winner and publisher, Servio Gbadamosi; 2021 ANA Prose Fiction winner, Onyeka Nwelue (The Baron); winner of ANA Poetry Prize 2016 and 2017, Obari Gomba; and other Nigerian poets who have made their mark in the literary world.
The Pan African Writers Association Poetry Prize 2022: Judges & Shortlisted Names
PAWA POETRY PRIZE: LONG LIST (English Category)
JUDGES: Prof Kwadwo Opoku-Agyemang (Ghana); John Rusimbi (Rwanda); Dr Idris Okpanachi (Nigeria); Lillian Aujo (Uganda); Maureen Isaacson (South Africa)
1. Oumar Faruk Sesay …..Before The Twisted Rib
2. Davison Chimezie Iwunye….A Springs Of Longings
3. Echezonachukwu Nduka…. Chrysanthemum For Wide Eyed Ghosts
4. Tanure Ojaide….A Poetic Diary Of The Coronavirus Epidemic
5. Tolu Agbelusi…Locating Strong Woman
6. Kunule Wizeman-Ajayi… LOCKDOWN
7. Denja Abdullahi… The Road To Bauchi
8. Servio Gbadamosi…. Where The Light Enters You
9. Onyeka Nwelue…An Angel On The Piano
10. Olumide Olaniyan…Akimbo In Limbo
11. Ifesinachi Nwadike…How Morning Remembers The Night
12. Ndubuisi Martins… Answers Through The Bramble
13. Obari Gomba… The Lilt Of The Rebel
14. Clara Jack…The Colors Of The Lust
15. S Haya….. Forgotten Breaths
PAWA POETRY PRIZE: LONG LIST (Arabic Category)
JUDGES: Ashraf Aboul-Yazid (Egypt); Fatima Bouhraka (Morocco)
1. Abdul Monem Ramadan…..Lover
2. Azza Hussain….Train
3. Fares Kebieche….No One
4. Hamid Bakheet….Secrets
5. Mahmoud Al Absi…. Heart
6. Moftah Al Ammari… People Of The Wind
7. Nosaiba Attah Allah …Hosted by Godo
8. Youssef Lazrak….Kept In Cold Space
9. Muhammad Salem Abada…..I Made My Life Stand Up
10. Hatim In Rahal….Yawagit From Samarkand
11. Bouh In Noah…. Staying Up Late For My Gambling
12. Muhammad Kamal Al-Din…..One Day Fate Will Bring Us Together
13. Aisha Gallab…. As Tall As Waiting
14. Muhammad Najib Ali…The Cell Of The Wings
15. Bashir Dhaif Allah….SMS
PAWA POETRY PRIZE:LONG LIST (French Category)
JUDGES: Dr Alain Serge Agnessan (Ivory Coast); Eric Bekale (Gabon); KetlineAdodo (Togo)
1. Kossi SenaAdufu…Des profondeurs de la vie
2. Pere Armel Fakeye….Confidences d’un prêtre
3. Giraud Mbarca…..Inspection de trop
4. Raafat Elsenosi….Début de la Genèse des fins
5. Sékou Chérif Haidara…. Cahier de vertiges
6. Samba Ndiaye …..Les Marrons du feu
7. Sadlay Fiat Lux……Le Fantôme du Griot et les perles de savoix
8. Fatoumata Keita….Ce n’estjamaisfini
9. Rosny le sage Souaga….. Mille nuits sans aurores
10. Ernest Koffiga Kavese. … Demain, La Plenitude
11. Danielle Gonai…… Mosaique
12. Kokovi Dzifa Galley …. Vagues a lame
13. Alain Ehoussou…. L’Amourentranse
14. Sebastien Vondoly….. Les Complaintes de la terre.
15. Abdoulaye Seck….Delices de l’ame et du coeur
PAWA POETRY PRIZE: LONG LIST ( Kiswahili Category)
JUDGES: Dr Hamisi Babusa (Kenya); Ms Esther Karin Mngodo (Tanzania)
1. Abdullah Savonge….Moyo Wahemewa
2. Ali Mohammed…. Kilio Cha Sisimizi
3. Bashiru Abdallah…Wino Was Dhahabu
4. Djibril Adamu….Kipeto Cha Risala
5. Hamisi Kissamvu…Diwani YaMkanyaji
6. Justine Kakoko…Sauti YaHamasa
7. Rashid Othman Ali…Mapinduzi YaKalamu
8. Uledi Bryan….Mwanangu KuaUyaone
The Short List will be out in two weeks time.
