Ugandan poet Nick Makoha has been shortlisted for the 2025 T.S. Eliot Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in British poetry, for his collection The New Carthaginians (Penguin Books). The prize, valued at £25,000, is the most valuable poetry award in Britain.

The ten-poet shortlist was selected from 177 collections by judges Michael Hofmann (Chair), Patience Agbabi, and Niall Campbell. Hofmann described the shortlisted works as possessing “great range, suggestiveness and power,” noting that “from Entebbe to Manitoba, from blocks of text to threads of voice, there is something here for everyone.”

The New Carthaginians explores a world where time is out of joint, beginning with the 1976 hijacking at Entebbe International Airport that precipitated Uganda’s descent under Idi Amin and eventually led to Makoha’s own flight from the country as a child. The collection is concerned throughout with flight and falling, weaving together samples and loops to create what has been described as a work of staggering originality. Makoha prises apart familiar Western canons of art, history, and philosophy, reassembling them to reimagine exile, myth, and Black futurity.

This is Makoha’s second full-length poetry collection, following his acclaimed debut Kingdom of Gravity (2017), which won the 2016 Brunel International African Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for several other awards. His work has appeared in numerous publications, and he has served as poet-in-residence at multiple institutions.

The shortlist features a diverse range of poets from the UK, Ireland, St. Lucia, Canada, and the USA, including seasoned voices, two debuts, and two second collections. Other shortlisted poets include Gillian Allnutt, Isabelle Baafi, Catherine-Esther Cowie, Paul Farley, Vona Groarke, Sarah Howe, Tom Paulin, Natalie Shapero, and Karen Solie.

The T.S. Eliot Prize, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, is judged purely by established poets. Each shortlisted poet receives £1,500, with the winner taking home £25,000.

The shortlist readings will take place on January 18, 2026, at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, hosted by Ian McMillan. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on January 19, 2026.

Congratulations to Nick Makoha on this significant recognition!