ANA unveils new literary prize to boost author promotion and rewards
In a strategic move to enhance the welfare of local writers, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has officially announced the launch of a new literary prize: the ANA/Awele Ilusanmi Book Promotion Award.
The award is designed to strengthen the reward system for Nigerian creatives while tackling the perennial hurdle of book visibility. For the 2026 cycle, the prize will grant N100,000 each to the top winners in three core categories: poetry, fiction and drama.
Beyond the cash prize
While the N300,000 total purse offers immediate financial recognition, the award’s true impact lies in its long-term professional support. Winners will benefit from structured assistance in book promotion and distribution—an intervention aimed at solving what many insiders describe as the “distribution bottleneck” in the Nigerian literary ecosystem.
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The award is named after Dr. Awele Ilusanmi, a distinguished Fellow of ANA and a globally recognized figure in the literary community.
Dr. Ilusanmi is not only a celebrated author but a dedicated mentor who has spent years equipping writers with the business acumen needed to survive the publishing industry. Her body of work focuses heavily on marketing strategies for authors, navigating the complex publishing landscape and building sustainable literary careers.
By institutionalizing this award, ANA aims to continue Dr. Ilusanmi’s legacy of ensuring that Nigerian stories do not just get written, but are successfully marketed and read across the globe.
