Olajuwon Joseph Olumide is the winner of the April/May 2022 edition of the bi-monthly Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (BPPC). A prolific poet, soul singer, and author, Olumide clinched the first prize for the poem “Do Not Die in Their War”. It is his fourth time finishing at the top of the BPPC.
‘Unlearning The Art,’ authored by multiple award-winning poet Blessing Omeiza Ojo, is in the second position, with Jewo Oghenetega’s ‘Ravens,’ rounding out the top three. Praise Ebirim, Hassan A. Usman, Zion Ayomide Shittu, Nnadi Samuel, Franklyn Orode, Olafisoye-Oragbade Oluwatosin David, Ude Vivian Chidimma, and Tanimonure Richards Adewale are the other poets in the top ten of the edition.
BPPC awards ₦30,000 in prize money shared among the top three entries. The top 10 poems are also automatically entered for the annual Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP).
The TOP 20 poems of the edition are published in a chapbook titled ‘DO NOT DIE IN THEIR WAR‘.
WINNERS’ PROFILES
OLAJUWON JOSEPH OLUMIDE is an award-winning Nigerian poet, soul singer and author. He studied Mass Communication at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, and teaches English Language and Literature at the secondary school level. Olajuwon has published three books, including ‘Walking the Pathway’ of Excellence and ‘Beyond Our Dreams’. He has also won the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (BPPC) a record four times.
BLESSING OMEIZA OJO is an award-winning writer and author of Light Dish, a 2020 poetry chapbook. His writing has been published or is forthcoming in Split Lip Magazine, Olney, Icefloe, The Deadlands, and elsewhere. His literary awards include the 9th Korea-Nigeria Poetry Prize (Ambassador Special Prize), the 2020 Artslounge Literature Teacher of the Year award, the 2021 Words Rhymes & Rhythm Nigerian Teacher’s Award, and the 2022 Maryam Aliyu Award for Best Teacher (Male). He is presently a creative writing instructor at Jewel Model Secondary School, Abuja, Nigeria.”
JEWO OGHENETEGA is a poet, creative writer, and Christian spoken word artist. His works have appeared or are forthcoming in WSA Magazine, Brittle Paper, PoeticAfrica, Artslounge, Itanile, Mayó, ChristApoet, Spillwords. Jewo is the winner of the CreativeNaija Blog’s IAMNIGERIA Contest (writing category), and 2nd runner-up of the BPPC (August/September 2021). He is presently an undergraduate of Medicine and Surgery at Lagos State University.
The BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST is a writing contest aimed at rewarding the under-appreciated talent of young Nigerian poets. It was instituted in February 2015 in honour of Brigitte Poirson, a French poet and lecturer, and editor, who has over the years worked assiduously to promote and support African poetry. The BPPC is one of Nigeria’s most popular, especially among the younger poets.
