Long-list for the Nigeria Prize for Literature

The Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature announced the long-list of 11 drawn from 173 books, for the 2019 edition of the prize over a month ago. All 11 long-listed authors are in the running for winning the cash prize of $100,000 (₦36,200,000)


The 11 books on the long list of 11, in alphabetical order by the title of the book, are:

- A Hero’s Welcome by Ndidi Enenmor
- Boom, Boom by Jude Idada
- Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
- Double ‘A’ for Adventure by Anisa Daniel-Oniko
- Ginika’s Adventures by Nnena Ochiche
- Igho Goes to Farm by Anote Ajeluorou
- Mystery at Ebenezer’s Lodge by Dunni Olatunde
- Obioma: A Girl’s Journey to Self-Discovery by Nkiru Uzoh
- She Calls Him Daddy by Oladele Medaiyese
- Spurred Surprises by Lami Adejoh Opawale
- The Great Walls of Benin by O. T. Begho

A Book Party was held for the 11 authors whose books were long-listed for the 2019 Nigeria Prize for Literature, an initiative of NLNG.

Meet the Authors:

9 out of the 11 long-listed authors were present at the event while the other 2, Dunni Olatunde (author of Mystery at Ebenezer Lodge) and O.T. Begho (author of The Great Walls of Benin) joined via skype from Canada and St Kitts & Nevis respectively.


1. Anote Ajeluorou
Anote is the author of Igho Goes to Farm. When asked why he used a farm, he said:

“I am reliving my childhood experience. Going to the farm at that time was a form of punishment for me, but in reality, it isn’t. The village offers something unique that isn’t in the city. Most children do not know how maize, yam, etc, look. The main character, Igho, takes on a different experience. He is excited and encourages his siblings to go to the farm instead of Disneyland.”

2. Jude Idada
Jude is the author of Boom Boom. He said that he always aims to write stories that are multi-layered. In his book, he addresses sickle cell from the physical, emotional and mental angles.

Jude is presently working on a sickle cell foundation and aims to do his bit in changing the identity from ‘sickler’ to sickle cell warrior.

3. Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor
Ndidi is the author of A Hero’s Welcome. She said that moonlight stories have always enthralled her, and served as inspiration for her book.

4. Oladele Medaiyese
Oladele, author of She Calls Him Daddy whose book tells the story of Julia, a young girl who lives with her mother and step-father. Julia is unfortunately molested by her step-father, who threatens her to make her keep quiet. This book chronicles the ordeal of what most children face in today’s world and offers them the power to speak out.

5. Anisa Daniel-Oniko
Anisa is the author of Double ‘A’ for Adventure. There are a lot of fascinating things about her, most obvious of which is her age; she is 12 years old, the youngest to make the shortlist in the history of The Nigeria Prize for Literature. Another fascinating thing about her is that she is home-schooled.

“I like to read fantasy and adventures, so in my book, I tried to find a way to merge both to develop my story.”

6. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Adaobi is the author of Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree, a book of 330 pages which is written in a documentary style. Adaobi’s book is centered around the issue of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria.

“With this book, I tried to capture my experiences working as a journalist working in the North East of Nigeria. During this time, I met with women who had been captives of Boko Haram militants, and some young men captured by the militants. It’s a non-fiction masquerading as a fiction work.”

7. Nnenna Ochiche
Nnenna is the author of Ginika’s Adventures, a six-chapter book filled with different illustrations, which tells the story of Ginika, an introverted girl who uses the power of observation to help others.

8. Lami Adejoh Opawale
Lami is the author of Spurred Surprises. The lead characters in her book are all females. She hopes to promote national unity through her work.

9. Nkiru Uzoh
Nkiru is the author of Obioma: A Girl’s Journey to Self-Discovery. Her book addresses the inferiority complex of a child. Nkiru believes that positive affirmation helps a lot, so she is using her book to pass that message across to children.


Announcement of the Shortlist

The top 3 books will be announced in September 2019.


Watch the Highlights from the Book Party: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdA1HNMF6Gw


This post originally appeared on Okada Books

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