Nigerian Poet Adeniyi Odukoya Honored by Vanderbilt Prize

Nigerian-born poet Adeniyi Odukoya has received an honourable mention in the 2026 Vanderbilt University Literary Prize, as announced by Vanderbilt University in the United States. Odukoya, who is completing a Master of Fine Arts in Literary Arts at Brown University, was one of eight poets recognized this year from nearly 400 submissions.

The prize was awarded to Jane Huffman for her manuscript, "Dilemma," set to be published in March 2027. Odukoya noted that this honourable mention adds to his previous accolades, including winning the Food Poetry Prize from Poets in Nigeria in 2018 for his poem "Food is Peace," which addressed poverty and food insecurity.

He also published his debut chapbook, "Preserve This Light," in 2021. His poetry has appeared in various literary journals, and he has worked as a literary critic, with reviews published in World Literature Today.

Odukoya is expected to graduate from Brown University in December 2026.