Downtown Africa
With all the devastation and sadness being experienced by the world as a result of the COVID pandemic, a poem about family and hope seems more than appropriate to be awarded the 2021 African Poetry Prize. Thus, it was a welcome announcement when a Nigerian writer, Othuke Umukoro, was declared the 2021 African Poetry Prize winner for his entry which speaks about family and hope among other things.
With the winning, Othuke also took home a cash prize of £3,000. Displaying his excitement about being declared winner, the 31-year-old poet stated that he hopes his success will bring attention to other African poets.
This year’s chairperson of the African Poetry Prize, Mrs. Karen McCarthy Woolf, described Othuke as a skilled poet who handled his topic well. According to Mrs. Woolf, Othuke’s
“language is lush, mesmeric and deftly handles the balance between lyric and narrative. These are unafraid, thoughtful pieces – playful, yet serious, making us look at love, life, mortality afresh.”
Othuke’s winning entry was chosen from more than 1,000 other entries from around the African continent. This report was submitted by our Independent Reporter, Onyinyechi Cynthia (Nigeria). You too can start earning money by becoming our Independent Reporter. Contact us at IR@downtownafrica.com
