The SEVHAGE Literary Prizes 2024 winners for fiction, nonfiction, literary criticism, and poetry were officially announced on Saturday, December 31, 2024, continuing the tradition of celebrating literary excellence in African storytelling. Organised by the SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative and SEVHAGE Publishers, these awards highlight SEVHAGE’s unwavering commitment to fostering literature, promoting reading culture, and supporting developmental initiatives.
Founded in 2013 by Nigeria-born UK-based S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema, SEVHAGE has consistently championed literary voices, publishing dozens of titles, many of which have received nominations and wins in prestigious literary awards. In 2015, SEVHAGE solidified its position within the African literary space by hosting the SEVHAGE Literary Festival, a significant event that brought together prominent writers in Makurdi, Nigeria.
For the 2024 edition, entries were called across four main categories, reflecting the diversity and depth of African literature. The E. E. Sule/SEVHAGE Prize for African Literary Criticism focused on critical analysis and thought-provoking engagement with African literary works. The Eugenia Abu/SEVHAGE International Prize for Creative Non-Fiction, named after the celebrated Nigerian journalist and writer Eugenia Abu, sought to honour creative nonfiction that challenges, inspires, and delves deeply into the human experience.
The K & L Prize for Fiction, originally founded in 2018 by New Zealand-based Nigerian writer Dr Myles Ojabo, celebrated short fiction by African residents aged 18 to 25. Over the years, the prize has grown significantly, producing winners such as Sisca Julius (2019), Kanyinsola Olorunnisola (2020), and Mustapha Enesi (2021). This year, it was incorporated into the SEVHAGE Literary Prizes in the fiction category, expanding its reach while maintaining its focus on amplifying young African voices.
The poetry section stood out as a key highlight of the competition. Designed to cater to different demographics, it featured a category dedicated to teen authors, honouring the late Vivian Ihaza. This segment targeted unpublished poems by Nigerians aged 12 to 17, nurturing and celebrating emerging talents in their formative years. The general poetry category, organised in collaboration with the Journal of African Youth Literature (JAY Lit), included the Hyginus Ekwuazi Poetry Prize and the S. Agema Honourable Poems Prize, showcasing exceptional poetic works across varied themes and styles.
The judging process was intensive and thorough, led by Professors Hyginus Ekwuazi and Maria Ajima, supported by an esteemed panel of judges and readers. Their meticulous evaluations reflected the high quality of submissions, with many exceptional works narrowly missing the final lists due to the fiercely competitive nature of the prizes. Speaking on the process, SEVHAGE President S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema remarked, “The absence of certain works on this list should not be seen as a reflection of their quality but rather the result of limited slots in a highly competitive field.”
The winners for the 2024 SEVHAGE Literary Prizes and runners-up are as follows:
K & L Prize for Fiction 2024
Founded in 2018 by Dr Myles Idoko Ojabo, the 2024 edition of the K & L Prize highlights short fiction that addresses mental health themes, reducing stigma, and inspiring positive narratives.
- Winners (₦500,000):
✨ The Thing with Feathers by Ekpenyong Kosisochukwu
✨ This, too, will pass by Amanda Ilozumba - Runners-Up (₦20,000 each):
✨ Alkaline by Queen Deraa
✨ Book of Confrontation by Hajaarh Muhammad Bashar
✨ Neneh by Uchenna Ekweremadu
✨ Nurturing a Child by Chinaza Agomuo
✨ The Water Scar by Enit’ayanfe Ayosojumi Akinsanya
Eugenia Abu/SEVHAGE International Prize for Creative Non-Fiction 2024
Named in honour of celebrated Nigerian broadcast journalist Eugenia Abu, this prize celebrates creative nonfiction that inspires, challenges, and provides profound insights into the human experience.
- Winners (₦1,000,000):
✨ We Bought an Album in June by Nana Sule
✨ The Protest Lamb by Blessing Ojo
✨ Compass Rose by Abasi-maenyin Esebre - Runners-Up:
✨ Afụnwaelotanna by Chinonso Nzeh
✨ Crossing the Road by Olaposi Halim
✨ Five Things Mother Did Not Prepare Me For by Sumaiyah Muhammad Salisu
✨ Grave Visits and Other Worries by Sanusi A. Sanusi
✨ I Have Come to Understand That a Daughter’s Marriage is Also as Difficult as Giving Birth to Her by Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto
✨ Motherhood by Summaya Jaeh
✨ Rinsing Death by Nasiba Babale
✨ Riverside Resurgence by Juliet Ugbedeojo
✨ To Ife, My Life in Songs by Chinaza James-Ibe
E. E. Sule/SEVHAGE Prize for African Literary Criticism 2024
This prize honours critical writing on African literature, named after distinguished scholar Professor Sule Emmanuel Egya (E. E. Sule).
- Winner (₦285,000):
✨ In Defense of Leopartitude: A Case to Update an Indigenous African Literary Theory by Bizuum Yadok - Runners-Up:
✨ An Appraisal of the Poetry of the Ìkòyí-ẹ̀ṣọ́ Lineage by Ademuyiwa Adewale
✨ Muddling the Waters: Matriarchal Failure and Patriarchal Intervention by Gber, Ebinehita Petrina
✨ The Pen-Pusher and the Gun-Wielders by Onyebuchi Nwosu
✨ The Manifestation of the Tripartite Psyche by Terese Uwuave
POETRY PRIZES
- SEVHAGE-JAY LIT/Hyginus Ekwuazi Poetry Prize Winners (₦38,000 each):
✨ Oil on Canvas by Aman Bibi Gray
✨ Four Incantations for the Earth by Arikewusola Abdul Awal - SEHVAGE-JAY LIT/S. Agema Honourable Poems Winners (₦5,000 each):
✨ State of Emergency by Timi Sanni
✨ Three Deaths by Salama Wainaina
THE VIVIAN IHAZA [SEVHAGE] TEEN PRIZE 2024
A prize in honour of Vivian Ihaza an unpublished poem of not more than 50 lines by a Nigerian (aged 12-17). For a prize pool worth N500,000 in cash and other rewards. To be announced at the Benue Book and Arts Festival holding in Makurdi (20th to 22nd February 2025 – details at http://bbaaf.com).
The SEVHAGE Team thanked their partners, including Goethe Institut, Dr. Myles Ojabo, Daisy Odey, ALINEA Initiative, Mrs Eugenia Abu, and Professor Sule Egya, for the successful execution of the competition; and to the judges, Professors Hyginus Ekwuazi and Maria Ajima, Deborah Oluniran, Oko Owoicho, Torkwase Igbana, S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema and others. They also extended their gratitude to Dr Agatha Agema, Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, James Murua, Journal of African Youth Literature, Dr Victor Oladokun, Dapo Olorunyomi, The Eugenia Abu Media Centre, Dami Ajayi, Tolu Daniel, Konya Shamsrumi, Mustapha Enesi, Otene Ogwuche, and the entire Nigerian writing community, for their invaluable contributions and partnership.
The awards and certificates will be presented at the Benue Book and Arts Festival, taking place in Makurdi, Nigeria, from 20th to 22nd February 2025. Visit www.bbaaf.com for more details.
