Nigerian poet Omobodunde Ajayi has won the first Heart2World Book Prize, a poetry award combining a cash payment with support to publish and promote the winning collection.
Ajayi was presented at Heart2World Publishing’s LitFest anniversary event on 25 September in Lagos. The publisher’s official event page identifies him as the inaugural winner. heart2worldpublishing.org
The Guardian reported on 9 October that Ajayi was selected from 112 submissions. The event also marked the publishing company’s tenth anniversary. guardian.ng
What the winner receives
According to the official prize terms, the award includes ₦250,000 in cash and 12 months of editorial, publishing and marketing support, which the organiser values at ₦5 million.
The publishing package covers production and distribution of 500 paperback copies, an e-book edition and bookstore placement in Nigeria.
The organiser also promises the author 100% of royalties on net sales revenue. The ₦5 million figure represents the estimated value of publishing and marketing services, rather than an additional cash payment.
After the initial print run, further copies may be produced at the author’s expense under separately agreed terms. heart2worldpublishing.org
A prize focused on Nigerian poetry
The competition was open to Nigerian writers living in Nigeria, with submissions required to be unpublished poetry collections exploring everyday life and shared human experiences.
Its stated aim is to discover and publish accessible poetry for a broad readership. Individual poems could previously have appeared elsewhere, but the submitted collection could not already have been published in full. heart2worldpublishing.org
About Ajayi
Heart2World’s biography says Ajayi was born and raised in Lagos and sustained his interest in poetry while studying at Lagos State University, where he graduated in 2021.
He also works in fashion and is the author of Negroid’s Journal and Kiss Me Before Last Bus Stop.
The prize’s next stage is the year of editorial work, production, and promotion set out in its publishing package. The sources reviewed do not identify the winning manuscript’s title or give a publication date. heart2worldpublishing.org, heart2worldpublishing.org
