Nigerian bags over a million naira in poetry contest

Nigeria’s Romeo Oriogun has been announced winner of the 2017 Brunel International African Poetry Prize worth over N1m (£3,000).  The judges described Oriogun’s work as “deeply passionate, shocking, imaginative, complex and ultimately beautiful explorations of masculinity, sexuality and desire in a country that does not recognise LGBT rights.” In discussing hardships and threats in Nigeria […]

Nigeria’s Romeo Oriogun has been announced winner of the 2017 Brunel International African Poetry Prize worth over N1m (£3,000).

 The judges described Oriogun’s work as “deeply passionate, shocking, imaginative, complex and ultimately beautiful explorations of masculinity, sexuality and desire in a country that does not recognise LGBT rights.”

In discussing hardships and threats in Nigeria Oriogun said: “Sometimes this is the price I pay for writing but it is better than keeping quiet. I know queer people may not be free to love openly in my lifetime but it is a journey and we are laying the stones for the future.

“Each poem I write is a door into another, I don’t dwell much on my writing but I’m moved when someone says because of my poems he knows he’s not alone and his feelings are valid. It makes me feel that what I’m doing is living a life of its own and it’s traveling with light into dark places.”

Oriogun was one of four Nigerian poets to reach this year’s shortlist, which included Sahro Ali (Somalia); Leila Chatti (Tunisia); Kayo Chingonyi (Zambia); Saddiq Dzukogi (Nigeria); Yalie Kamara (Sierra Leone); Kechi Nomu (Nigeria); Richard Oduor Oduku (Kenya); Rasaq Malik (Nigeria); and Nick Makoha (Uganda). 

The judges this year were the poets and academics: Chris Abani (Northwestern University); Kwame Dawes (University of Nebraska); Safia Elhillo (winner of the 2015 Prize); Patricia Jabbeh Welsley (Penn State University) and chair and founder, Bernardine Evaristo (Brunel University London).

The poetry prize, sponsored by Brunel University London and Commonwealth Writers, is aimed at the development, celebration and promotion of poetry from Africa. It is open to African poets worldwide who have not yet published a full poetry collection. It is a partnership between Brunel and Commonwealth Writers, and works closely with Kwame Dawes and the African Poetry Book Fund (APBF) at the University of Nebraska.

All the winners and most of the shortlisted poets of the past four years have had poetry pamphlets published with APBF in their New Generation African Poets series of box sets, in partnership with US publishers Slappering Hol Press and Akashic Books. Some of these poets have also published, or are about to publish, their first full length collections.

Last year, Nigeria’s Gbenga Adesina and Chekwube O. Danladi were joint winners of the same prize.