The shortlists for the Walcott Prize 2025 are out. The poetry shortlist features three Nigerian authors among its fifteen finalists: Hussain Ahmed for his work Blue Exodus, Theresa Lola for Ceremony for the Nameless, and Ajibola Tolase for 2000 Blacks. The three poets were selected from submissions by non-US citizens published anywhere in the world, representing a strong showing for contemporary Nigerian poetry on the international stage.
The prize, offered annually for a book of poetry by a non-US citizen, carries a $2,000 honorarium. This year’s winner will be announced in October, with distinguished Jamaican poet and essayist Ishion Hutchinson serving as judge.
Hussain Ahmed’s longlisted work Blue Exodus, published by Orison Books, continues his exploration of displacement, identity, and belonging that has marked his previous collections. Ahmed, who has gained recognition for his powerful treatments of migration and cultural intersection, brings his distinctive voice to themes of departure and arrival that resonate with contemporary global experiences and echo Walcott’s own concerns with movement between worlds.
Theresa Lola’s Ceremony for the Nameless, published by Penguin Press, represents a significant achievement for the poet who has been building her reputation through performances and previous publications. Her work often addresses themes of ancestry, ritual, and the reclamation of forgotten histories, making her contribution to the shortlist particularly compelling for its blend of personal and collective memory that aligns with Walcott’s exploration of Caribbean and postcolonial identity.
Ajibola Tolase’s 2000 Blacks, published by University of Pittsburgh Press, showcases the poet’s engagement with questions of race, identity, and social justice. Tolase‘s work has been noted for its unflinching examination of contemporary Black experience, and this collection continues his commitment to addressing complex social and political realities through poetry, carrying forward the tradition of socially engaged verse that Walcott embodied throughout his career.
This year’s win will mark another milestone in the Walcott Prize’s mission to celebrate international poetry that honors Derek Walcott’s extraordinary legacy of literary excellence and cultural bridge-building.
The Walcott Prize has established itself as a significant platform for recognizing non-American poets whose work contributes to global literary conversations, much as Walcott himself did through his Nobel Prize-winning career that spanned continents and cultures. By featuring voices from across the world, the prize continues to fulfill its founding vision of celebrating poetry that transcends national boundaries while honoring local experiences and perspectives.
Congratulations to Hussain Ahmed, Theresa Lola, Ajibola Tolase, and all the shortlisted poets for this remarkable recognition of their contributions to contemporary world poetry!
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