The Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), in partnership with NLNG, is set to host the 16th edition of the CORA-NPL Book Party on Sunday, August 3, at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. This exclusive event, set for 1pm, will celebrate the recently unveiled longlist of 11 exceptional works vying for the prestigious 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literature. While attendance is strictly by invitation, interested guests can join the festivities virtually.
Since its inception in 1996 as a core component of CORA’s literary activism, the Book Party has evolved into a pivotal platform for showcasing and honouring the finest literary creations longlisted for the annual Nigeria Prize for Literature. The Nigeria Prize for Literature, inaugurated by NLNG in 2004, stands as the most esteemed and financially rewarding literary accolade on the African continent, dedicated to fostering excellence and creativity within Nigerian literature.
The CORA Programme Directorate highlighted the remarkable quality of entries for the 2025 prize in a statement.
“Out of the 252 entries received this year, as earlier announced by the organizers, the NPL Advisory Board must have had the arduous task of selecting a longlist of 11,” it noted, further describing the number of submissions as “unprecedented,” attributing it to the steady growth of the Nigerian literary community and emphasising the highly competitive nature of this year’s longlist, which features numerous “heavyweight entries.”
CORA also underscored the significance of the Book Party: “The Book Party represents the first stage of public engagement with the longlisted writers. It is a platform that continues to uphold its essence in bringing the writers’ works under the lens of public discourse and critical engagement. Truly, it’s the year of the heavyweights.”
CORA elaborated on the core mission of the Book Party.
“Since 2010, CORA has been a critical force in the projection of the longlisted works to the attention of the public through the annual CORA-NPL Book Party. To CORA, the 11 on the longlist are the very best titles and writers in the genre this season. It means that, out of the so many (over 250) entries for the year’s edition of the prize, the 11 titles are exceptional, and, any of them could indeed clinch the coveted prize.”
The directorate stressed the event’s objective: “The objective of the Book Party as manifested in the past editions is to ensure that we bring the longlisted writers and books face-to-face with the literary audiences, so that we could create conversations around the work and the author. In its 16th edition, the Book Party has become a respectable platform through which the NPL longlisted writers are engaged on their work by the public. This is the core reason we initiated the CORA-NPL Book Party, essentially to celebrate the accomplishment of the author, and celebrate their individual work on the milestone.”
A shortlist of three finalists will be announced at a later date, with the eventual winner expected to be revealed in October.
In no particular order, here are the synopses and profiles of the longlisted writers for the 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literature:
When We Were Fireflies by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
This novel follows brooding artist Yarima Lalo, who experiences serendipitous events after encountering a moving train for the first time. It triggers memories of past lives in which he was twice murdered, leading him to Aziza, a woman pivotal to understanding his experiences as a third death looms. Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, a celebrated creative writer and journalist, won the Nigerian Prize for Literature in 2016 for his novel, Season of Crimson Blossoms. His debut short-story collection, The Whispering Trees, was longlisted for the inaugural Etisalat Prize for Literature in 2014.
Petrichor, The Scent of a New Beginning by Ayo Oyeku
Set in 1976, this story follows young Jola, who seeks a brighter future at St. Michael’s Anglican Missionary School but finds a nightmare under the guise of Reverend Powell. After a desperate bid for freedom and a subsequent tragedy, Jola finds love and a renewed fight for justice decades later. Ayo Oyeku, an Ebedi International Residency Fellow, has a notable career, with his first children’s book, First among Equals, selected by World Bank (Nigeria) in 2004 for school distribution. His young adult novel, Tears of the Lonely, won the Ezenwa Ohaeto Prize for Fiction in 2015.
The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma
Set during the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s, this epic story follows Kunle, a shy student haunted by guilt, on a journey of atonement to rescue his disappeared younger brother. Conscripted into the Biafran army, he navigates a war he barely understands while facing prophecies of a local Seer. Chigozie Obioma, described by Salman Rushdie as “a major voice,” has had both his previous novels, The Fishermen and An Orchestra of Minorities, as finalists for the Booker Prize. His works have been translated into 30 languages.
The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe
Seventeen-year-old Nani’s world unravels after losing her older sister and father. Isolated, she’s drawn to a charismatic preacher, leading to estrangement from her family and an abusive marriage. The novel explores her fight to break free and reclaim her life. Chika Unigwe holds a PhD in Post-Colonial Studies and is known for her works on displacement, identity, and belonging. Her 2023 novel, The Middle Daughter, was longlisted for the New Voices Award, and she won the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2012 for On Black Sisters’ Street.
Water Baby by Chioma Okereke
Nineteen-year-old Baby in Makoko, a floating slum in Lagos, yearns to escape her predetermined future. She joins a drone-mapping project, and a viral video of her work opens up unimaginable opportunities, including representing her community globally. Chioma Okereke is an award-nominated novelist, short story writer, and poet. Her debut novel, Bitter Leaf, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and her short story, Trompette De La Mort, was named First Runner Up for the inaugural Costa Short Story Award.
Fine Dreams by Linda N. Masi
This novel, set in a fictional school, follows four young friends and track team stars who are kidnapped by terrorists. Their harrowing experience, though resonant with real-life abductions in Nigeria, showcases their resilience in recovering their dreams and hopes. Linda N. Masi is a recipient of the Juniper Prize for Fiction and the Indies Foreword Silver Award for Multicultural Adult Fiction. Her work has appeared in various literary journals and anthologies.
Leave My Bones in Saskatoon by Michael Afenfia
Through the eyes of television presenter Owoicho, this novel spans two cultures as he seeks a better life for his family in Canada. A dark event threatens their plans, while his teenage daughter, Ochanya, grapples with loss and the transition into adolescence. Michael Afenfia is a two-time finalist for the Chinua Achebe Prize for Literature. His novels, including Rain Can Never Know and The Mechanics of Yenagoa, explore themes of migration, identity, and the human condition.
This Motherless Land by Nikki May
Two extraordinary cousins, Funke in Lagos and Liv in England, are set on vastly different paths while grappling with their shared family history. Their bond is tested by tragic events and the choices their mothers made. Nikki May, an Anglo-Nigerian author, won the Comedy Women In Print New Voice Prize for her debut novel Wahala, which is being adapted into a major BBC TV drama series. Her second novel, This Motherless Land, was shortlisted for the 2025 Edward Stanford Prize.
Sanya by Oyin Olugbile
Sanya always felt different, possessing special powers. After a tragedy forces her to leave home, she discovers her powers are linked to a future she must fight, even at the cost of her soul. Her carefully crafted life becomes a catalyst for a deadly war. Oyin Olugbile is a cultural storyteller who reimagines African myths and matriarchal power. She is the co-author of The Road to Good Governance in Nigeria and Africa and has received multiple recognitions for her work across literature, education, and leadership.
New York, My Village by Uwem Akpan
Nigerian editor Ekong Udousoro begins a Toni Morrison Publishing Fellowship in New York. While initially met with kindness, he soon encounters the publishing industry’s ruthless commercial side, racial biases, and grapples with the recent history of the devastating Biafran War.
Uwem Akpan’s first book, Say You’re One of Them, a collection of short stories, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller and an Oprah Book Club selection in 2009. His second book, New York, My Village, is his first novel.
An Unusual Grief by Yewande Omotoso
Mojisola is shattered by the sudden death of her estranged daughter, Yinka. Struggling with unresolved guilt and emotional distance, she travels from Cape Town to Johannesburg and moves into Yinka’s apartment. Immersing herself in her daughter’s mysterious life, Mojisola uncovers secrets, forms unexpected bonds—particularly with Yinka’s sharp-tongued landlady—and rediscovers herself.
Omotoso is a Nigerian-Barbadian South African architect and acclaimed writer. Her debut novel Bom Boy (2011) won the 2012 South African Literary Award for First-Time Published Author. Her second novel, The Woman Next Door, received multiple international nominations, including the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. A past Norman Mailer and Etisalat Fellow, Omotoso has also held a Miles Morland Writing Scholarship. Her latest novel, An Unusual Grief (2021), was longlisted for the 2023 Dublin Literary Award and shortlisted for the 2023 Sunday Times Fiction Prize. She is celebrated for her deep, empathetic explorations of identity, loss, and human connection.
