Oha, Chiazor-Enenmor, Udenwe shortlisted for ANA/Chinua Achebe Literary Prize 2025
By Editor
THREE writers, one woman and two men, have been shortlisted for the ANA/Chinua Achebe Literary Prize 2025 for prose fiction. A statement from ANA President, Dr. Usman Akanbi and the CALP-EF BoT and Steering Committee Chair, Prof. Charles Aniagolu, said the shortlistees are Prof. Anthony Oha for his work, Insignia of the Gods, Obinna Udenwe for his recent work, Years of Shame (Udenwe won the inaugural prize in 2021 with Colours of Hatred) and Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor for her recent work, See Morocco See Spain. The ANA/Chinua Achebe Literary Prize has monetary value of one million naira (N1,000,000).
The statement continued, “We wish to commend the Book Review Committee comprising Prof. Razinat Mohammed, Prof. James Tsaaior, and Mr. Andrew Bula for painstakingly ploughing through a huge pile of very competitive fictional titles to come up with the above shortlistees. May the best entry win!”
Chiazor-Enenmor expressed delight at being so honoured with a prize associated with legedary Achebe, saying, “I feel very delighted that See Morocco See Spain is on the shortlist for the Chinua Achebe Prize. It is an honour for me. Achebe was such an erudite and trailblazing writer who left a big footprint on the global literary scene. To be identified with a prize named after him is a privilege I can’t take for granted.”
Udwnwe was no less ecstatic about coming close to winning the prize again with the shortlist, as he said, “When the writer embarks on the solitary work of writing, he hopes that his work gets some visibility by being read and recognized. It is only when his work is read and talked about that he feels some form of satisfaction. But being nominated for literary prizes gives the writer some added confidence that that which he did in solitude has made an impact on the people, the society.
“Since winning the first edition of the Chinua Achebe Literary Prize in 2021, my works and I have received greater attention and I feel more confident. Now, being shortlisted for the second time, for Years of Shame, makes me feel like a warrior charged to war, ready to conquer his world. And that confidence to conquer the world of literature is now more prominent than ever.”
“It’s good to be on the shortlist because it marks the dawn of my literary upheavals, as I continue to tell the tale of our society’s irrepressible truth,” enthused Prof. Oha.
The CEO of Purple Shelves Literary Services, Amara Chiemeka, was no less ecstatic about two of her writers making the shortlist, not unlike Masobe Books at the just-ended The Nigeria Prize for Literature, which had two of its writers – Oyin Olugbile (Sanya that won the prize) and Chigozie Obioma (The Road to the Country).
“As publishers, we at Purple Shelves Literary Services are honoured,” said an excited Chiemeka. “It is such a joy to see stories we believed in find their way into the hearts of readers. Both titles have had good reception from readers, especially Years of Shame. So, to have them make the shortlist of 3 for the prestigous Chinua Achebe Literary Prize for Fiction means a lot. It brings some validation and legitimacy to the hype. It is both a reassuring pat on the back and a nudge to do more.
“One of our goals at Purple Shelves is to tell stories that matter, that challenge narratives and inspire, and moments like these remind us that excellence and authenticity do get noticed. It is both humbling and motivating. We are reminded that we are on the right path. We are proud of our authors. They deserve this spotlight. For our team, it is a call to keep pushing boundaries and maintaining the quality and integrity that define our work.
“At the end of the day, we see this as a collective win — for masterful storytelling, for literature, for creativity, and for everyone who still believes in the power of a good book.”
