Nigerian poet James Ngwu Eze has expressed his excitement and validation after being shortlisted for the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, one of Africa's richest literary awards. Eze's third poetry collection, Unbind Me Now, published by Masobe Books, is among the final three titles competing for the $100,000 prize. The other shortlisted works are Ogaga Ifowodo's Why Does God Need a Gun? and Tares Oburumu's Flora's Love Colony.
The shortlist was selected from 223 entries, which were narrowed down to 11 books before the final three were chosen. Eze's collection was praised by the prize advisory board for its "fluid and aesthetically captivating language" and its movement from sociopolitical dysfunction toward redemption. The poet said he had "deliberately woven layers of hope into most of the poems" in Unbind Me Now.
Eze's journey to the shortlist began with the completion of the manuscript in December 2025. He received news of the shortlist with a mix of relief and disbelief, feeling that his book had "finally found its readers." The poet's work has previously been recognized, with his debut collection, Dispossessed, longlisted for the same prize in 2022 and winning the Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize in 2020.
On 11 February 2026, Eze was honoured as "The People's Poet" by the English Department of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, following a reading of his debut collection. He described being shortlisted for the NLNG Prize as a great deal, saying it means his work has been noticed and validated. Eze expressed his confidence, saying he doesn't think about not winning, and that he believes God will crown him with glory.
Eze's new collection, Unbind Me Now, is described as a more battered speaker taking "a bold and courageous rise to the tongue of the inferno." If his book does not take the prize, he still hopes it will be remembered as "a watershed in Nigeria's contemporary poetry" and "the book whose impact rang the loudest in recent memory." The winner of the prize is expected to be announced on 9 October.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited, and this year's cycle attracted 223 entries. Eze's shortlisting is seen as a significant achievement, and his work will be competing with two other notable collections. The prize advisory board's praise for Unbind Me Now highlights the poet's skill in crafting a narrative that moves from dysfunction to redemption.
James Eze's shortlisting for the $100,000 NLNG Prize for Literature is a notable achievement for the poet and his collection Unbind Me Now. The prize is a significant recognition of literary excellence in Nigeria, and Eze's work will be competing with two other notable collections. The announcement of the winner is expected on 9 October.
Key points
- James Eze's collection Unbind Me Now is among the final three titles competing for the $100,000 NLNG Prize for Literature.
- The shortlist was selected from 223 entries, which were narrowed down to 11 books before the final three were chosen.
- Eze's collection was praised by the prize advisory board for its "fluid and aesthetically captivating language" and its movement from sociopolitical dysfunction toward redemption.
