Saraba is pleased to announce the 2013 longlist for the PEN Nigeria/Saraba Poetry Prize.

The PEN Nigeria/Saraba Poetry Prize 2013 shall be awarded to the writer of the winning poem selected from all poems published in Saraba in 2012.

The publishers and poetry editor of Saraba have made a longlist of five poems, from which Jumoke Verissimo will make a shortlist of 3 poems.

The shortlist shall be announced on Wednesday, November 27, 2013.

The winning poem will be chosen by Chuma Nwokolo who is the judge for 2013.

There shall be an award-giving ceremony on Saturday, December 21, 2013 where the winning poem shall be announced. The award-giving ceremony is planned as part of the December edition of the Artmosphere Literary Event, hosted by the Writehouse Collective in Ibadan.

The winner shall be awarded the sum of 60,000 Naira (endowed jointly by PEN Nigeria Chapter and Saraba) while the two other shortlisted poets shall receive the sum of 15,000 Naira each (endowed by Saraba). We hope that each year the prize monies increase.

All poems published in the magazine and chapbooks (print or electronic) are eligible for consideration. The works of the publishers, editors, the prize sponsors, as well as members of their respective families are however not eligible.

The Prize shall be awarded only to Nigerian writers living in Nigeria at the time of publication of the poem.

The decisions of the judge and the prize sponsors are not subject to review and questions as to the propriety of decisions shall not be entertained.

The Longlist:

  1. “Tales One Shouldn’t Tell Often” — Su’eddie Vershima Agema
  2. “Masquerades”—Frank-Ito Hilary
  3. “What Caused the Maiden’s Laughter?” —Joshua Osemenho
  4. “Intervention”—Uchechukwu Agodom
  5. “The Old Riverbank”—Tonye Willie–Pepple

Previous winners of the Prize include Omale Abdul-Jabbar (2011) and Kolade Ajayi (2012)

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