Edinam Yawo has been shortlisted for the inaugural Arole Agarawu African Poetry Prize with her manuscript Bonu Bonu Kpoo.
Denoo is among 10 poets selected from 356 submissions received from writers across 21 countries. She is the only Ghanaian poet to make the final shortlist.
She had earlier been named among the 30 poets on the longlist, alongside three other Ghanaian writers, Bright Aboagye with Bright Poems of Lyric, Daniel Naawenkangua Abukuri with Decolonised Ear and Alhassan Mohammed with A Catalog of Soft Ruins
More than 3,500 poems were considered during the selection process before the field was narrowed to the final 10.
The 2026 Shortlist
- Isaiah Adepoju — Alfred: Cantos — Nigeria
- Ameen Animashaun — Dog Fighting a Heron — United States
- Edinam Denoo — Bonu Bonu Kpoo — Ghana
- Rafiat Lamidi — The Lord of Loneliness — Nigeria
- Sydney Mayes — By The Sweat of The Mountain's Brow — United States
- Migwi Mwangi — Ndombolo Creation Story — United States
- Blessing Omeiza Ojo — Monologue with God in his Bivouac — Nigeria
- Chiwenite Onyekwelu — John the Baptist — Nigeria
- Rasheed Ayinla Shehu Shehu — Baggage of Assorted Wishes — Nigeria
- Salma Abdulatif Yusuf — GRAINS OF PARADISE — Kenya
The inaugural prize will award $1,000 to the overall winner. An additional $1,000 Arole Grayling Wraith Prize will go to an eligible shortlisted poet living on the African continent.
The Arole Agarawu African Poetry Prize was established in memory of Alhaji Arole Agarawu, a West African songwriter and composer known for his contributions to Yoruba musical traditions including Sakara, Apala and Waka.
The winner is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.