The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has announced the shortlists for its 2026 literary prizes, with works spanning poetry, fiction, drama, literary criticism, non-fiction, children’s fiction, young adult literature and the Chinua Achebe Prize for Literature.
The association released the shortlists ahead of its 45th International Convention, with shortlisted works presented in no particular order.
For the ANA/KMVL Prize for Poetry, the shortlisted authors are Abraham Aondoana for Songs for a Burning Continent, Ebi Yeibo for Cantos of a Capsized Canoe, and Jide Salawu for Contraband Bodies.
The ANA/King Dakolo Prize for Fiction has Yejide Kilanko’s In Our Own Ways, Onyikan Braithwaite’s Cursed Daughters and Onyeka Nwelue’s Murder in Orania on the shortlist.
In the ANA Prize for Drama, the shortlisted works are Uzo Nwamara’s Eye of the Emperor, Selome Medemaku’s The Throne of Silence and Bolaji Olatunde’s Life Less Abundant.
Three works were also shortlisted for the ANA/Amina Talaku Zakama Prize for Literary Criticism. They are Onyebuchi Nwosu’s “Poetic Kaleidoscope: Portrayal of Judicial Corruption in Niyi Osundare’s ‘My Lord, Tell Me Where to Keep Your Bribe’”; Barthlomew Chizoba Akpah’s “Negotiating Nigeria’s Cohesion and the Rhetoric of Herdsmen Attack in Ahmed Yerima’s Hendu”; and Ekikerebong Aniekan Usoro’s “Postcolonialism in Transition: From Counter Discourse to Non-Counter Discourse in Joe Ushie’s Yawns and Belches.”
For the ANA/Sir Chukwuemeka Sam Nwelue Prize for Non-Fiction, the shortlisted entries are Al-Bishak’s Humility Sparks Progress and Chude Jideonwo’s How Depression Saved My Life.
The ANA/Ngozi Chuma-Udeh Prize for Children Fiction has Amaechi Odimeze’s Avarice, Foluke Sijuwola Falayi’s Beans for Supper and Amaka Confidence Obinwogu’s Friends till Friday on the shortlist.
In the HRM Eze M. O. Kanu/ANA Prize for Young Adult Literature, the shortlisted works are Erhu Kome’s The Smoke that Thunders, Peter Adah’s A Twist of Fate and Bolaji Tijani’s Adamu in Trouble.
The Chinua Achebe Prize for Literature, which recognises excellence in Nigerian fiction, also has three shortlisted works: Dexter Loko’s The Bako of Zereshe, Henry Akubuiro’s No Place Like Home and Oyedikachi Uzozie Nmezi’s Chikoba.
The announcement places works by established and emerging Nigerian writers across multiple literary genres in contention for the 2026 ANA prizes.
The winners of the various categories are expected to be announced as part of activities surrounding ANA’s 45th International Convention.
