President of Literary Authors Cooperative Society of Nigeria (LiTACO) and Chairperson of The Awele Ilusanmi Foundation, Dr. Awele Ilusanmi has congratulated authors whose works made the longlist for the 2026 Nigeria Prize Literature (NPL).
In her congratulatory message, Dr. Ilusanmi who is a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) said that the longlisted authors are already winners in their own rights and must be celebrated for their creativity ahead of the announcement of the laureate.
The longlisted titles, in alphabetical order, are:
Adult Love by Tanure Olajide
Bakandimiya by Saddiq Dzukogi
Back Passport by Paul Akpomuje
2000 Blacks by Ajibola Tolase
Ceremony of The Nameless by Theresa Lola
Corpus: Animistic Verses by Ayo Oyeku
Floral’s Love Colony by Tares Oburumu
The Origin of Wounds by Malik Gbolahan
The Years of Blood by Adebayo Agaru
Unbind Me Now by James Ugwu Eze
Why Does God Need a Gun by Ogaga Ifowodo
Commending the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited for instituting and sustaining the Prize for over two decades, Dr. Ilusanmi however lamented that most books, after making the long list and eventually winning the Prize, seem to fade into oblivion, hardly reaching large audiences of enthusiastic potential readers nationwide.
She offered authors on the 2026 NPL long list an opportunity to have their books promoted by leveraging an extensive network of passionate readers, courtesy of the ’36 States & FCT Rewarding Reading Initiative’ championed by LiTACO and The Awele Ilusanmi Foundation, with the primary objective of enhancing book distribution channels, boosting sales and sustaining a robust reading culture nationwide.
According to her, “It is a great feat for a book to make the NPL long list out of over 200 books submitted for consideration. It indicates that the book meets universal standards of an exceptionally creative work, and readers look forward to exploring the author’s insights. But we must confront the challenge of accessibility to such great works, including books that win the Prize.
“The wide gap between such books and potential readers across the country must be closed, and LiTACO, in partnership with the Awele Ilusanmi Foundation, working with private and public sector stakeholders, would be proud to use our extensive networks across the country in providing sustainable solutions towards closing the gaps permanently.”
While wishing authors whose books made the 2026 NPL long list best of luck, she further explained that the ’36 States & FCT Rewarding Reading Initiative’ is an innovative model guaranteed to boost reading at a massive scale nationwide, and invited the authors to benefit from the scheme.
Dr. Awele Ilusanmi, popularly known as the ‘Queen of Books’, is a distinguished author and multiple award winner celebrated for her priceless support and contributions to the Nigerian literary sector. Her books include the iconic ‘Profitable Pages: How to Sell Your Books Directly to Your Readers and Make Maximum Profits’. She has spoken at various fora in Nigeria and outside, sharing deep insights on book marketing and promotions, focusing on how how authors can succeed.
In May, 2026, she received an international award in Tanzania as one of the 100 Reputable Women of African Descent. She is the Vice-President of The African Woman Summit, USA, and recently made history as the first Nigerian woman to be appointed Assistant Editor, Journal of Human Services, Training & Research, Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas, where she is currently pursuing her doctorate degree.
She can be contacted on: launchpaddymarket@gmail.com
