01
Folktales & Narrative Retellings
A retelling of a folktale, with a short note of around 100 words on where the tale comes from, including the people, region or community it belongs to.
800–2,500 words
The Oriire
Folklore Prize
The annual prize for new writing on Nigerian and African folklore, open to writers across the continent and the diaspora. Win a share of ₦425,000, see your work published on Oriire, and feature in the end-of-year Oriire Journal.
₦425,000 in prizes Three categories Open across Africa & the diaspora
The Folklore Prize
The 2026 prize is closed and the winners have been announced. See the winners. The Folklore Prize returns in 2027.
About the prize
Mythology is never just a story; a people's myths are the reflection of their fears, their moral reasoning, their environmental reality, and their cosmology. To preserve myth is to preserve how a people understood themselves.
The Oriire Folklore Prize began last year as the Folktale Prize. This year, we've widened and renamed it to include more categories.
Why folklore? African mythology carries nuance. Our myths are philosophical frameworks, ethical debates and sociocultural records. And yes, they are also cautionary tales, historical echoes, and spiritual blueprints. Oriire was created to ensure that these stories reach enthusiasts, researchers, creators, storytellers, and children who deserve to inherit them.
For more on what Oriire does and why it matters, see About and the essay The Case for African Mythology.
Enter in one of three categories
One entry per writer02
Encounters
A witness account of a mythological or supernatural experience, told as the witness told it, alongside a breakdown of the relevant mythology and scholarship. The witness can remain anonymous; the author is always credited.
1,200–3,000 words
03
Essays
A long-form essay on Nigerian or African folklore, mythology or cultural memory.
1,500–3,500 words
The prizes
₦425,000
Total prize pool
All six shortlisted pieces are published on Oriire, and the winning entries feature in the end-of-year issue of The Oriire Journal.
1stFirst prize₦200,000
2ndSecond prize₦100,000
3rdThird prize₦75,000
★Reader's ChoiceVoted by Oriire members₦50,000
How it's judged
- 01Our editor shortlists six entries from across the three categories.
- 02The editorial team chooses the first, second and third place winners from the shortlist.
- 03Readers vote on the same shortlist to choose the Reader's Choice winner.
The vote
- Anyone can vote. You do not need an account or a membership to take part.
- The Reader's Choice can go to any entry on the shortlist, including one that also wins first, second or third.
- The shortlist and the opening of voting are announced here and in the August newsletter.
The 2026 shortlist
Six entries made the shortlist. The judged places and Reader's Choice are marked below, and every shortlisted piece is published here to read.
The 2026 winners
- First placeSacrifice for Life by Chidimma Obi
- Second placeThe Monkey That Bled a Man: An Encounter in the Kwall Forest by Somtochukwu Udeozo
- Third place · Reader's ChoiceWeeds Sing by Olajumoke Omosule
Reader's Choice is decided by readers and is separate from the judged places. A shortlisted entry can win both.
Past editions
Key dates
Who can enter
Open to all
Writers anywhere on the continent and in the diaspora.
Membership to enter
An active Oriire membership is required to enter. Voting, though, is open to everyone.
One entry
One entry per writer, in the category of your choice.