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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a8b0589cb9a7f51293337af7220d63ea">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.</p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-02f0f4ea2bb5015dd083bbddbf9ca59b">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.</p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-77305eda9ca214a818339f5206c5a648">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.</p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-14936fc971d76ece9773d20cbc634474">The K &; L Prize for Fiction, originally founded <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">in </span>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 <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">as </span>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.</p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a9e490211a029317d94df63b4a0d0bb6">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.</p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c37e110878c291659254069b6806a22f">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, <em>“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.”</em></p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-51a53ad043f67900319546a5d17f866c">The winners for the 2024 SEVHAGE Literary Prizes and runners-up are as follows:</p>



<p><strong>K &; L Prize for Fiction 2024</strong></p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c63e50f09c54345b52a124df4f3677d5">Founded in <strong>2018</strong> by <strong>Dr Myles Idoko Ojabo</strong>, the 2024 edition of the <strong>K &; L Prize</strong> highlights short fiction that addresses mental health themes, reducing stigma, and inspiring positive narratives.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Winners (</strong><strong>â¦</strong><strong>500,000)</strong>:<br>⨠<em>The Thing with Feathers</em> by <strong>Ekpenyong Kosisochukwu</strong><br>⨠<em>This, too, will pass</em> by <strong>Amanda Ilozumba</strong></li>



<li><strong>Runners-Up (</strong><strong>â¦</strong><strong>20,000 each)</strong>:<br>⨠<em>Alkaline</em> by <strong>Queen Deraa</strong><br>⨠<em>Book of Confrontation</em> by <strong>Hajaarh Muhammad Bashar</strong><br>⨠<em>Neneh</em> by <strong>Uchenna Ekweremadu</strong><br>⨠<em>Nurturing a Child</em> by <strong>Chinaza Agomuo</strong><br>⨠<em>The Water Scar</em> by <strong>Enit’ayanfe Ayosojumi Akinsanya</strong></li>
</ul>



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<p><strong>Eugenia Abu/SEVHAGE International Prize for Creative Non-Fiction 2024</strong></p>



<p>Named in honour of celebrated Nigerian broadcast journalist <strong>Eugenia Abu</strong>, this prize celebrates creative nonfiction that inspires, challenges, and provides profound insights into the human experience.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Winners (</strong><strong>â¦</strong><strong>1,000,000)</strong>:<br>⨠<em>We Bought an Album in June</em> by <strong>Nana Sule</strong><br>⨠<em>The Protest Lamb</em> by <strong>Blessing Ojo</strong><br>⨠<em>Compass Rose</em> by <strong>Abasi-maenyin Esebre</strong></li>



<li><strong>Runners-Up</strong>:<br>⨠<em>Af</em><em>ụ</em><em>nwaelotanna</em> by <strong>Chinonso Nzeh</strong><br>⨠<em>Crossing the Road</em> by <strong>Olaposi Halim</strong><br>⨠<em>Five Things Mother Did Not Prepare Me For</em> by <strong>Sumaiyah Muhammad Salisu</strong><br>⨠<em>Grave Visits and Other Worries</em> by <strong>Sanusi A. Sanusi</strong><br>⨠<em>I Have Come to Understand That a Daughter’s Marriage is Also as Difficult as Giving Birth to Her</em> by <strong>Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto</strong><br>⨠<em>Motherhood</em> by <strong>Summaya Jaeh</strong><br>⨠<em>Rinsing Death</em> by <strong>Nasiba Babale</strong><br>⨠<em>Riverside Resurgence</em> by <strong>Juliet Ugbedeojo</strong><br>⨠<em>To Ife, My Life in Songs</em> by <strong>Chinaza James-Ibe</strong></li>
</ul>



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<p><strong>E. E. Sule/SEVHAGE Prize for African Literary Criticism 2024</strong></p>



<p>This prize honours critical writing on African literature, named after distinguished scholar <strong>Professor Sule Emmanuel Egya (E. E. Sule)</strong>.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Winner (</strong><strong>â¦</strong><strong>285,000)</strong>:<br>⨠<em>In Defense of Leopartitude: A Case to Update an Indigenous African Literary Theory</em> by <strong>Bizuum Yadok</strong></li>



<li><strong>Runners-Up</strong>:<br>⨠<em>An Appraisal of the Poetry of the Ìkòyí-</em><em>ẹ</em><em>Ì</em><em>á¹£á»</em><em>Ì Lineage</em> by <strong>Ademuyiwa Adewale</strong><br>⨠<em>Muddling the Waters: Matriarchal Failure and Patriarchal Intervention</em> by <strong>Gber, Ebinehita Petrina</strong><br>⨠<em>The Pen-Pusher and the Gun-Wielders</em> by <strong>Onyebuchi Nwosu</strong><br>⨠<em>The Manifestation of the Tripartite Psyche</em> by <strong>Terese Uwuave</strong></li>
</ul>



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<p><strong>POETRY PRIZES</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>SEVHAGE-JAY LIT/Hyginus Ekwuazi Poetry Prize Winners (</strong><strong>â¦</strong><strong>38,000 each)</strong>:<br>⨠<em>Oil on Canvas</em> by <strong>Aman Bibi Gray</strong><br>⨠<em>Four Incantations for the Earth</em> by <strong>Arikewusola Abdul Awal</strong></li>



<li><strong>SEHVAGE-JAY LIT/S. Agema Honourable Poems Winners (</strong><strong>â¦</strong><strong>5,000 each)</strong>:<br>⨠<em>State of Emergency</em> by <strong>Timi Sanni</strong><br>⨠<em>Three Deaths</em> by <strong>Salama Wainaina</strong></li>
</ul>



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<p><strong>THE VIVIAN IHAZA [SEVHAGE] TEEN PRIZE 2024</strong></p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-49821ce3f8d10337ac97ee64372d1d14">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 <a href="http://bbaaf.com/">http://bbaaf.com</a>).</p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-58bb5f3e925f8eb9d7ffc8474fb397d6">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.</p>



<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ba3a51983e4d9e0cca151962709bd0fe">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 <a href="http://www.bbaaf.com"><strong>www.bbaaf.com</strong></a> for more details. </p>



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SEVHAGE LITERARY PRIZES 2024: Celebrating Excellence in African Literature
