Winners of 2019 Kreative Diadem Creative Writing Contest
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2019 Kreative Diadem Creative Writing Contest. Now in its third year, the prize seeks to recognize the best writings by Nigerian writers aged 21 years and below.
This year we received 92 poems and 57 flash fiction pieces from which our guest judge, Kechi Nomu, selected three winners for the poetry category and the flash fiction was judged internally.
Here are are the winners with comments from the judges:
Poetry Category
Winner: “Ode to Our Body on Fire” by Anthony Okpunor
Okpunor’s voice is a revelation. He does what all poets struggle to do: make timeless language of the present, sentient moment. Picking any one of the three winners was hard because they all deserve to be on this list. But, Okpunor manages with almost every line of this poem to take risks with language without losing the reader. I look forward to reading more poems by this poet.
1st Runner-up: “Grief Will Remake” by Ernest Ogunyemi
Ogunyemi’s poem is unexpected and tender and not afraid to get lost in itself. Without devaluing his subject matter, he offers readers many lighthearted moments. The language of this poem is beautiful and surprising always.
2nd Runner-up: “Falling Waters” by Lade Falobi
The transitions of Lade Falobi’s poem were assured. The poem is trancelike, full of grace and the innocence we lose when we take on the hardness survival demands. I did not want it to end.
Honourable mentions:
“What is Your Body” by Onyekwelu Chiwenite
“How Last Tuesday Became Black Tuesday” by Praise Osawaru.
“Remember Us” by Chibueze Obunadike.
Flash Fiction Category
Winner: “Ayomide” by Nneoma Mbalewe
Nneoma Mbalewe’s piece is a captivating portrayal of a small, intimate apocalypse; pulsating with a delicate urgency.
1st Runner-up: “Born Again” by Tunji Akande
Akande’s story is deeply-imaginative, it has an engaging voice and impeccable diction.
Second Runner-up: “The Fallen Angel” by Ebeigbe Brian
Ebeigbe Brian tricked us into speculative fiction delivered in such liquid prose and vivid imagery it hardly requires suspension of disbelief.
Honourable mentions:
“How Bodies Become Fluid” by Obasiota Ben Ibe.
“To Pull a Lion’s Tail” by Boloere Seibidor.
“Shey Sugar Wey Enter Tea Dey Come Out” by Ife Olatona.
Congratulations to the winners!
We are grateful to our guest judge (Kechi Nomu) and everyone who sent in their work.
Interviews with the contest winners will be published at a later date.
The maiden edition which held in 2017 was judged by Su‘eddie Vershima Agema (Flash Fiction) and Okwudili Nebeolisa (Poetry).
