Kenyan poet and fiction writer Migwi Mwangi has been shortlisted for the Evaristo Prize for African Poetry 2026 for his piece titled Still Life as Coffin Maker, ranking him among six finalists competing for the Sh193,000 ($1,500) award.
Mwangi, a Nairobi-born poet and fiction writer, has had a good start to the year with literary wins. This recognition follows his win of the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize 2026 and a Sh646,000 ($5,000) cash award for his debut collection Desire Path.
Selected by poet Terrance Hayes, the collection will be published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in September as part of the Pitt Poetry Series. Desire Path explores how everyday life, memory, history, and politics work against and toward each other across communities and national boundaries.
The African Poetry Book Fund announced the shortlist on April 21 for the Evaristo Prize for African poetry, formerly known as the Brunel International African Poetry Prize. The annual award recognises African poets for a manuscript of ten poems, with the 2026 winner expected to be announced in May.
The 2026 Evaristo Prize for African Poetry shortlist also features Joel Oyeleke (Nigeria) for Intshabalalo Kuphela; Alobu Emmnauel (Nigeria) for Àlàáfíà; Joemario Umana (Nigeria) for Boy With A List In His Pocket; Tim Fab-Eme (Nigeria) for Supply Chain; and Chisom Eze (Nigeria) for Self-introduction As Visa Applicant. The shortlist was selected by judges Ladan Osman (chair), Tsitsi Jaji and Leila Chatti.
Established in 2012 by British writer Bernardine Evaristo, the prize was renamed in 2022 and is now administered by the African Poetry Book Fund. Evaristo, former president of the UK Royal Society of Literature, serves on the fund’s editorial board.
The African Poetry Book Fund promotes African poetry through prizes, publishing initiatives, workshops and international collaborations. It also administers other awards, including the Sillerman First Book Prize and the Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry.
Mwangi’s work has also been featured in prominent literary platforms, including Prairie Schooner, and has been recognised by the Poetry Society of America, with additional writing forthcoming in Fence. He is currently an MFA candidate in creative writing at New York University and is based in Brooklyn, New York.
In recent days, several Kenyan writers have been recognised in prestigious literary prizes, including Ken Odak Odumbe, who was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize with The Runner’s Gift; Owen Habel Lwanda, who was shortlisted for the Afritondo Short Story Prize with The Sun of God; and poet Awuor Ouma, who won the 2026 Cave Canem Poetry Prize with Blue Hands, Brown Skin.