Nigerian poet Maryhilda Obasiota Ibe has been named one of five recipients of the prestigious Poetry Foundation’s 2025 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship, which comes with a $27,000 award. As one of the most significant awards available to young poets in the United States, this recognition places Ibe among an exceptional cohort of emerging voices recognized for their outstanding contributions to contemporary poetry.

Ibe joins fellow poets Jada Renée Allen, a writer and culture worker from South Side Chicago; DeeSoul Carson, whose work meditates on Blackness in America; Andres Cordoba, a Massachusetts-born writer pursuing his MFA at New York University; and Aris Kian, who served as Houston Poet Laureate from 2023-2025.

The fellowship which was established in 1989 as part of its mission to amplify poetry and celebrate poets provides monetary support that recipients can use as they see fit in developing their craft, along with recognition of their current contributions to the field.

Born in Nigeria, Ibe received her BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Calabar before pursuing her MFA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her academic journey reflects a commitment to bridging Nigerian literary traditions with American poetic forms, creating work that speaks to both local and global experiences.

Ibe’s poetry has earned significant recognition, including the 2025 Indiana Review Poetry Prize, 2024 American Literary Review Poetry Prize, and 2020 Bloomsday Poetry Prize. Her work has appeared in distinguished publications including Indiana Review, American Literary Review, Chestnut Review, and Brittle Paper, demonstrating her growing influence in both American and African literary circles. She is also a Best of the Net nominee and currently serves as the Hoffman-Halls Emerging Artist Fellow (HEAF) at the Wisconsin Institute of Creative Writing.

“We are thrilled to honor these five gifted poets with Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships,” said Poetry editor Adrian Matejka. “Each of these young writers is exemplary for both their creative and social practices. They are writing important poems even as they support their local communities at a moment when we need art and activism desperately.”

The Poetry Foundation’s recognition of Ibe highlights the organization’s commitment to supporting poets whose work bridges cultural traditions and contemporary American experiences. Her poetry brings Nigerian perspectives to American literary conversations while addressing universal themes of identity, displacement, and belonging that resonate across communities.

Each fellow receives a subscription to Poetry magazine and an invitation to submit work to the renowned publication. Additionally, the Poetry Foundation will sponsor attendance at the O, Miami Poetry Festival, where the fellows will participate in their inaugural reading as a cohort, providing Ibe with a national platform to share her work.

The organization’s investment in this diverse cohort reflects poetry’s evolving role in American cultural life, positioning young poets as essential voices for cross-cultural understanding, social justice, and community engagement. Ibe’s inclusion in this prestigious group underscores the vital contributions Nigerian poets are making to global literary conversations.