As part of the buildup to the finals of the Nigeria Prize for Literature (NLP) 2026, the poets of the 11 longlisted books are set to feature at the 17th CORA-Nigeria Prize for Literature Book Party.

The $100,000 NLP, endowed and promoted by the NLNG, rotates across four genres of prose, drama, poetry, and children literature, with this year’s edition spotlighting the poetry genre.

However, the book party will be held on August 2, 2026 both onsite and virtually.

The onsite will be held at Shell Zenith Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, while the virtual is at zoom with meeting ID – 897 1626 8311 and passcode – CORA2026 by 1pm.

Apart from accommodating virtual guests via Zoom; zoom, the event will also be broadcast live on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

The genre in focus is poetry. The 11 poets on the longlist were drawn from 223 entries received for the competition this year. In alphabetical order, the books on the longlist for the 2026 NPL are: Adult Love, by Tanure Ojaide; Bakandamiya: An Elegy, by Saddiq Dzukogi; Black Passport, by Paul Akpomuje; 2000 Blacks, by Ajibola Tolase; Ceremony for The Nameless, by Theresa Lola and Corpus: Animistic Verses, by Ayo Oyeku.

Others are: Floral’s Love Colony, by Tares Oburumu; The Origin of Wounds, by Rasaq Malik Gbolahan; The Years of Blood, by Adedayo Agarau; Unbind Me Now, by James Ugwu Eze and Why Does God Need a Gun?, by Ogaga Ifowodo.

The book party, a literary feast of ideas and life, celebrates the authors and their works for emerging as the very best in the country. It promises to be an afternoon of literary feasting, featuring performances, wining and dining.