Nigerian Poet Rasaq Malik Takes Home 2024 Anhinga Prize
- Nigerian poet Rasaq Malik Gbolahan has won the 2024 Anhinga Prize for Poetry for his collection The Origin of Wounds
- Malik, a renowned poet and literary advocate, has previously received multiple accolades, including a Pushcart Prize nomination and Brunel shortlist
- The Anhinga Prize, a prestigious award recognizing outstanding poetry manuscripts, offers winners publication, a cash prize, and national recognition
Rasaq Malik Gbolahan, a US-based Nigerian poet and scholar, has been named the winner of the prestigious 2024 Anhinga Prize for Poetry for his manuscript The Origin of Wounds.
Selected by the prominent literary judge Kaveh Bassiri, this collection has been described as "a beautiful elegy to war and violence."
Source: Original
The Anhinga Prize, which has been awarded annually since 1983, recognizes outstanding works of poetry and provides winners with publication, a cash prize, and a platform to reach a wider audience.
Bassiri, the judge for the contest, expressed his profound admiration for Malik’s winning manuscript. In a statement, he said:
"Last year, I had the privilege of selecting the Anhinga Prize for Poetry. Look for this haunting elegy, The Origin of Wounds, by @rasaq_malik_gbolahan, forthcoming from @anhinga_press. And in the meantime, check for his poems online."
Nigerian poet earns prestigious global accolade
Gbolahan, a Nigerian poet, performer, translator, and essayist, has made significant contributions to African and global literature. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Agbowó and a co-founder of Àtẹ́lẹwọ́, the first digital journal dedicated to publishing literary works in the Yorùbá language.
His poetry chapbooks, No Home In This Land and The Other Names of Grief, have received critical acclaim, with the former being selected for Chapbook Box edited by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani.
His work has appeared in several esteemed literary journals, including POETRY, Ploughshares, The Nation, Prairie Schooner, Michigan Quarterly Review, Rattle, Poet Lore, LitHub, and elsewhere.
Over the years, he has garnered recognition for his literary excellence, earning an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Best of the Net for his poem Elegy. He was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2017 by both Rattle and Poet Lore, shortlisted for the Brunel International African Poetry Prize in 2017, and was a finalist for the Sillerman First Book for African Poets in 2018.
His co-edited anthology, African Urban Echoes, was published in Spring 2025 by Griots Lounge, Canada. He is currently engaged in writing a Yorùbá novel and a translation project.
Malik wins $1000 cash prize
The Anhinga Prize for Poetry is one of the most respected literary awards, offering poets a platform to showcase their work to a broad audience.
The competition is open to U.S. poets submitting original poetry manuscripts in English. Winners receive a $1,000 cash prize, 25 author copies of their book, and a 50% discount on additional copies.
Additionally, the prize includes an online reading opportunity, and as of 2025, a $500 stipend for book-related travel. Past recipients of the award include acclaimed poets such as Joaquin Zihuatanejo, Erika Meitner, and Elizabeth A.I. Powell.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
Source: Legit.ng
