Chinwemmeri’s ‘A Window Between Us’ wins Awele’s Heart Short Story Peace Prize

By Godwin Okondo

IKECHUKWU Celina Chinwemmeri, a 300-level Optometry student of the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, has won the maiden edition of Awele’s Heart Short Story Peace Prize with her short story ‘A Window Between Us.’ It’s an annual literary competition organised by Sumaila Isa Umaisha-led Authors’ Hub to promote peace, unity and national reflection through creative writing. The ₦150,000 naira prize money was donated annonymously.

Chinwemmeri was declared the winner on January 1, 2026, following the conclusion of a comprehensive adjudication process by a three-member jury. She was formally presented with the cash prize at a ceremony held on Friday. Certificates were also issued to writers whose works made the shortlist and longlist in recognition of the quality and range of submissions received.

The competition was organised in honour of a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and a respected literary scholar, cultural advocate and intellectual figure, Dr. Awelẹ Ilusanmi, in recognition of her enduring contributions to literature, learning and intellectual development in Nigeria. According to the organisers, the initiative was conceived as both a tribute and platform for encouraging writers to engage critically and creatively with the idea of peace in a complex national context like NIgeria’s.

The Awele’s Heart Short Story Peace Prize was sponsored by an anonymous member of Authors Hub, with the sponsorship facilitated through The FAMBI Group, while Authors’ Hub was entrusted with the responsibility of administering the contest. The organisers expressed gratitude to the sponsor and partner organisations for supporting a literary initiative focused on social cohesion and dialogue.

The theme of the competition, ‘Peace in Nigeria,’ called on writers to explore peace beyond rhetoric, inviting them to interrogate lived experiences of conflict, grief, reconciliation, justice and hope. Writers were encouraged to demonstrate peace through character, plot and emotional truth rather than overt moral instruction, grounding their stories in authentic Nigerian settings and realities.

Prize winner, Ikechukwu Celina Chinwemmeri

Submissions were open to all interested writers, including non-Nigerians, reinforcing Authors’Hub’s identity as a global community of writers. Entries were received between December 15 and December 26, 2025, through the Authors Hub WhatsApp platform. Each submission was required to be between 1,000 and 2,500 words and to comply with clearly stated guidelines on form and content.

At the close of the submission window, a total of 96 entries were received and documented by the organisers. Nine entries were disqualified for failing to meet the rules of the competition, while one submission could not be opened. To ensure transparency and accountability, a real-time list of submissions was generated and shared with members of Authors Hub throughout the submission period.

The jury, comprising Dr. Lizi Ben-Iheanacho as chairperson, alongside Dr. Ola Ifatimehi and Dr. Ismail Garba Bala, held three virtual meetings to agree on assessment criteria, review submissions and deliberate on the entries. The judges evaluated the stories based on narrative strength, originality, thematic relevance, emotional depth and overall literary quality.

Following the adjudication process, three stories were shortlisted for the final stage. Chinwemmeri’s ‘A Window Between Us’ emerged as the winning entry, ahead of ‘Segun’s Story’ by Sylvester Ihonwa and ‘We Built a Wall in May’ by Salamatu Suleiman Usman, both of which were commended for their craftsmanship and nuanced engagement with the theme.

In its report, the jury described ‘A Window Between Us’ as a compelling and emotionally resonant story that examines grief, remembrance and reconciliation within the context of religious and communal tensions. The judges noted that the story’s strength lies in its attention to quiet, human moments and its refusal to reduce complex social realities to simplistic binaries.

Authors Hub disclosed that the honouree provided a modest honorarium of ₦50,000 for the judges, despite the demanding nature of the task, which involved assessing nearly one hundred entries within a limited timeframe. In a gesture that drew commendation from the organisers, the chairperson of the jury, Ben-Iheanacho, relinquished her share of the honorarium, requesting that it be distributed between the other two judges.

Presenting the jury’s report to members of Authors Hub, the Coordinator, Umaisha, expressed appreciation to the judges for their diligence, professionalism and sacrifice. He also thanked the sponsor and The FAMBI Group for the support, noting that the success of the competition underscored the importance of sustained investment in literary development.

Umaisha observed that participation by non-Nigerian members of Authors Hub was low, possibly due to the mistaken belief that the competition was restricted to Nigerian writers. He clarified that all programmes organised by Authors Hub are open to all members, irrespective of nationality, and encouraged greater participation by non-Nigerian writers in future competitions and programmes.

He further announced that the sponsor has confirmed that the Awele’s Heart Short Story Peace Prize will be held annually, describing the commitment as a significant milestone for Authors Hub and an important addition to its literary calendar. According to him, plans are underway to announce additional competitions in due course, as part of efforts to create more opportunities for writers to develop their craft.

Umaisha also acknowledged challenges encountered during the adjudication process, particularly the difficulties posed by the use of WhatsApp as a submission platform, which resulted in entries being submitted in varying formats. He noted that future editions of the competition would likely adopt a more streamlined submission process, including a dedicated email address and standardised formatting requirements.

Chinwemmeri, the winner, began writing from an early age, drawing motivation from her mother and inspiration from her father. Her creative work spans poetry and prose, through which she explores themes of peace, culture, lifestyle and human relationships. She is particularly interested in the fragile intersections between grief and healing, conflict and reconciliation, and the ways in which small acts of humanity can rebuild trust in divided communities.

She is also a recipient of the YASCO Poetry Prize for her poem, ‘Dear Self,’ and her winning story, ‘A Window Between Us,’ the judges noted, reflects her belief in the power of remembrance, empathy and moral courage. The story, according to the jury, offers a timely narrative on the difficulty and necessity of choosing peace over inherited pain in a society shaped by recurring conflict.

The organisers described the competition as part of a broader effort to use literature as a tool for dialogue, reflection and social healing, and expressed optimism that the annualisation of Awele’s Heart Short Story Peace Prize would continue to attract diverse voices and deepen conversations around peace in Nigeria and beyond.