Nigerian Writer, Kanyinsola Olorunnisola, Has Won the 2020 K & L Prize

Today, 1 August, 2020, Kanyinsola Olorunnisola has won the 2020 K & L Prize. The prize has been awarded to Kanyinsola Olorunnisola for his afrofuturist story, “Abija: The Architect of Mayhem”.  His short story was selected from a longlist of ten writers, which included writers from Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria, and from a shortlist of three. 

The other shortlisted writers are: Audrey Obuobisa-Darko, Izuchukwu Udowku, and Yvonne Nezianye. 

Kanyinsola Olorunnisola’s short story was chosen by Arthur Chigbo Anyaduba and Dione Joseph, both of whom were the judges for the prize this year.

About the K & L Prize

The K & L Prize is sponsored by Myles Ojabo and is worth $1000 in cash prize. It is open to writers who are between the ages of 18 and 25. The longlisted stories are published in an annual anthology. 

For 2020, they called for submissions on the theme of Afrofuturism. This year, the longlisted stories will appear in the anthology, Black Skin, No Mask. 

In 2019, Sisca Julius won the prize for her story, “Honey Bee”.

Reacting to His Win

Kanyinsola, who is well-known for his poems and brilliant essays, considers this win a very immense blessing; it is the first time he is getting recognised for his short story. 

“I have struggled with getting some recognition for my fiction, no matter how hard I worked at perfecting it. It’s a blessing to say I won a continental prize for fiction,” he said.

About Kanyinsola Olorunnisola

Kanyinsola Olorunnisola is a poet, essayist and writer of fiction. He was born and raised in Ibadan, a historic city in the south-west of Nigeria.

He is the founder of SprinNG, a literary movement dedicated to amplifying the voices and nurturing the talents of young Nigerian writers while providing them opportunities for growth and recognition. 

His experimental works have appeared on platforms such as Popula, Gertrude, Brittle Paper, The Account, On the Sea Wall, Bird’s Thumb, Kalahari Review, Bombay Review, Lunaris Review, African Writer, Tuck Magazine, Gyroscope Review, Parousia Magazine and Sampad International Anthology.

Congratulations to Kanyinsola! We can’t wait to read his story and the other amazing works that will be published in the anthology, Black Skin, No Mask!

You can also check out this article on how to write speculative fiction, and our recommended short stories.