ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ PRIZE FOR YORÙBÁ LITERATURE 2025

ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ Cultural Initiative was founded on the 1st of June, 2017 as a response to the many challenges and threats facing the preservation and survival of the Yorùbá culture and language. Apart from the fact that most people nowadays cannot even read in their indigenous African languages, there is also a greater concern as regards the waning presence of quality literature materials in these languages. And this has no doubt impeded our ability to sufficiently and originally contribute to global discussions and solutions.

As a course changing initiative, ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ is dedicated to the reviving and repositioning of the Yorùbá culture with the mission to:

Provide a platform for stoking interest and generating fulfilling engagements with the dynamics of the Yorùbá culture through competitions, lectures, dialogues and regular meetups.
Provide a platform for the documentation and preservation of Yorùbá ancient knowledge, culture and language in keeping pace with technological advancement.
Rekindle people’s interest in Yorùbá literature by organising readings, making Yorùbá literature available for purchase and publishing new voices in the Yorùbá Language.

In line with our goals and objectives, ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ has hereby announces the 5th edition of the annual “ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ PRIZE FOR YORÙBÁ LITERATURE.” This is a special edition to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Prize. The competition is open to previously unpublished works in Yorùbá language.

The ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ PRIZE FOR YORÙBÁ LITERATURE is instituted to address some of the problems–committed publishers, distribution, cultivating invested readerships, etc.–that creative writing in Yorùbá faces. The ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ PRIZE FOR YORÙBÁ LITERATURE intends to rejuvenate the more than the century old, vibrant, universally praised, and unquestionably rich Yorùbá literary culture.

Guidelines

Those interested in submitting for this prize must adhere to the following guidelines:

Each work submitted must be a. POETRY b. PROSE c. DRAMA or d. TRANSLATION
The prize is only open to writers who haven’t published the novel, play, or book length collection of poems written in Yorùbá as at the time of this prize. This means that submitted works must not have been previously published anywhere, whether in physical book format, social media platforms or any digital book platform.
Writers interested in submitting for the prize must be at least of 18 years of age.
All entries must be properly tone-marked with correct diacritics. See here and here for suggestions of tools and apps to help you.
One writer. One Work. One Entry.
Writers are required to send in their manuscripts–around 50 to 100 pages or more (1.0 spacing, font size 12)– in a Microsoft Word document format ONLY.
For Translation works, you can either translate Yorùbá books into English language, or you can translate other languages into Yorùbá language, but we encourage you to translate into Yorùbá language. All the works you will be translating MUST be in the public domain in line with the copyright laws of Nigeria and if they are not, you must get express permission from the author or publisher of said work. Evidence of this should be attached to your submission.
Previous winners are not eligible to submit entries. By previous winners, we mean anyone whose name appears on the various shortlists below from 2021 till date.

ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ has the right to disqualify any submission that does not follow the stated rules above.

Deadline

We will not consider any manuscript submitted after March 7, 2025.

Judges

To be unveiled

Prize

We are going to unveil ONE overall winner. This winner will receive One Million Naira (N1,000,000) in cash prize and an opportunity to publish hard copies of their manuscript with us. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Enquiries

For enquiries, support and partnership: 07061282516/08169864345

Submission

Click this link to submit your work. No one should send their manuscripts to our email address.

Shortlist 2021 - 2024

Ṣeun Adéjàre (T’ẹníkú Ló gbé)
Amos Ọlátúnjí Pópóọlá (Akínkanjú Ọdẹ Nínú Igbó Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn)
Sodiq Lawal (Koówè Ń kéé (Àròjinlẹ̀ Àròfọ̀))
Agboọlá Àyándìran (Ó Já Sọ́pẹ́)
Mustapha Sheriff (Akọdan) – Olùgbégbá Orókè

Waliyullah Tunde Abiimbola (Oko Ẹranko, a Yorùbá translation of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”). Olùgbégbá Orókè
Kafilah Ayọ̀bámi Fashola (Àbẹ̀ní)
Bákárè Wahab Táíwò (Atewolara Akewi-Akowe)
Anífowóṣe Zainab Olúwafúnmilọ́lá (Igbeyin Owuro)
Abdulkareem Jeleel Ọlasunkanmi (Ewì Kòbọmọjẹ́)

Babátúndé A. Shittu (Láàdì) Olùgbégbá Orókè
Jimoh Lateef Adérójú (Àròfọ̀ Àsìkò)
Álímì – Adéníran O̩mo̩s̩aléwá (Àwọn Obìnrin Òwu, a translation of Women of Owu by Femi Osofisan)
Rasheed Malik Adeniyi (Nǹkán Yán)

Adéwùmí Fatimah Luqman (Ọ̀rẹ́ Àtàtà) Olùgbégbá Orókè
Fámúyiwa Olúwafẹ́mi (Àtẹ̀yìntọ̀)
Abdulrosheed Ọlálékan Fádípẹ̀ (“Àwọn Arìnrìn Àjọ̀ Àkọ́kọ́ Sínú Òṣùpá”, a translation of “The First Men in the Moon” by H.G Wells)
Adémọ́lá Ọláyíwọlá (Ewì Àrìnyè)