By Ihechi Enyinnaya
The Nigeria Prize for Literature has announced the three books shortlisted for the 2026 edition of the prestigious literary award.
The shortlisted works are Flora’s Love Colony by Tares Oburumu, Why Does God Need A Gun by Ogaga Iwowodo, and Unbind Me Now by James Ngwu Eze.
The organisers described the three books as offering “three distinct voices” and “three ways of helping us see ourselves and our world more clearly.”
The shortlist, announced as part of the 2026 Nigeria Prizes, celebrates the contribution of the three authors to contemporary African poetry and the wider literary conversation.
The organisers said the shortlisted writers had widened this year’s literary conversation through their different poetic voices and perspectives.