THE 17th CORA-NPL Book Party takes place today, Sunday, August 2, at the Shell Zenith Hall of the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

It will celebrate the 11 poets longlisted from the original 223 entries received for the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, one of Africa’s richest literary awards, valued at $100,000.

Organised by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) and sponsored by Nigeria LNG, the event will also be streamed live on Zoom, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram from 1 pm.

The annual Book Party brings together readers, writers and critics to discuss the longlisted works, offering the public an opportunity to engage with books selected from among the more than 200 entries typically received for the Nigeria Prize for Literature.

The event features readings, performances and conversations around the nominated books. It is a special edition of the CORA Book Party, first introduced in 1996 following a review of the early years of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, to broaden public engagement with the award and its shortlisted works.

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CORA is a collective of artists, critics, promoters and cultural advocates committed to the development of contemporary Nigerian and African arts. Since 1999, it has organised the annual Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF), now in its 28th edition. This year’s festival is scheduled for 16–22 November under the theme, ‘The Workover Starts, NOW.’

The longlisted titles, in alphabetical order, are: Adult Love by Tanure Ojaide; Bakandamiya: An Elegy by Saddiq Dzukogi; Black Passport — Paul Akpomuje and 2000 Blacks — Ajibola Tolase.

Ceremony for The Nameless — Theresa Lola; Corpus: Animistic Verses — Ayo Oyeku; Floral’s Love Colony — Tares Oburumu; The Origin of Wounds — Rasaq Malik Gbolahan; The Years of Blood — Adedayo Agarau; Unbind Me Now — James Ugwu Eze and Why Does God Need a Gun? — Ogaga Ifowodo.