Ghanaian poet Daniel Naawenkangua Abukuri has won the Poetry category of the 8th African Writers Award, earning a cash prize of $250 for his poem The Old Law of Griots.
- The award forms part of the literary honours linked to the African Writers Conference 2025, set to take place in Maseru, Lesotho, and recognises outstanding creative writing across the continent. Abukuri’s winning poem emerged from a competitive field of submissions themed 'African Pride: A Cultural Narrative.'
- Now in its eighth edition, the African Writers Award celebrates excellence in poetry and short fiction, spotlighting voices that engage deeply with African history, identity and cultural memory. Poetry submissions for this year’s prize were limited to 14 lines, challenging poets to convey meaning with precision and depth.
- Abukuri’s The Old Law of Griots impressed judges and his win places him among a growing list of African writers whose work bridges tradition and contemporary expression.
- The African Writers Award is sponsored by Antony Onugba, with each category winner receiving $250. The prize sits alongside several other literary honours announced in the lead-up to the 2025 conference, including the Wanjohi Prize for African Poetry, the African Teen Writers Award, and the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature—all aimed at nurturing literary talent across generations.