Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s literary ecosystem by providing platforms that promote reading, creative expression and engagement between writers and the public.
The company, in partnership with the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), hosted the first 11 poets longlisted for the 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature at the annual CORA Book Party in Lagos.
A statement by Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, Manager, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, yesterday, said the event held shortly after the announcement of the 2026 longlist brought together the selected poets, readers, critics, journalists, publishers, students and other stakeholders in the literary community for readings, discussions and conversations around the nominated works.
The longlisted entries emerged from 223 submissions received for this year’s poetry cycle following the call for entries in February.
The longlist represents a major stage in the adjudication process ahead of the shortlist and the announcement of the winner in October.
Speaking at the event, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, said the Book Party underscores the need to sustain platforms that take literature beyond the pages of books into the public sphere.
She said the Nigeria Prize for Literature was established not only to recognise outstanding writing but also to strengthen Nigeria’s reading culture, encourage critical engagement and promote creative expression.
According to her, the 2026 poetry category celebrates a genre that captures complex realities through powerful language while giving voice to diverse human experiences.
“The 2026 Poetry cycle attracted 223 entries, each offering a distinct rhythm, perspective and artistic expression. Together, these submissions attest to the vitality of Nigerian poetry and to the confidence Nigerian writers continue to place in the NLNG-sponsored Nigeria Prize for Literature,” Horsfall said.
CORA Secretary-General, Mr. Toyin Akinosho, described the Book Party as a unique intervention in Nigeria’s literary landscape, noting that it provides a rare opportunity for authors to interact directly with readers before the eventual announcement of the prize winner.
He also commended NLNG for its sustained investment in Nigeria’s literary and reading culture.
“We are here because a profitable Nigerian gas company decided that a way to spend some share of its profit is to enable the Nigerian reading space.
“I’d like to thank NLNG for continuing to support this yearly afternoon of book conversation and the celebration of this country’s finest authors,” Akinosho said.
He added that the CORA–Nigeria Prize for Literature Book Party occupies a unique place in the literary prize process by allowing longlisted authors to publicly discuss the inspiration behind their works with members of the reading community.
Now in its 22nd year, the NLNG-sponsored Nigeria Prize for Literature rotates annually among Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Children’s Literature. This year’s edition is dedicated to Poetry, with winner expected to be announced in October.