Longlist for Pawners Paper Magazine and Intellectual Property Institute Nigeria Creative Competition

The longlist for our creative competition has officially been released. We commend all participants for their outstanding submissions.

The longlist for the Pawners Paper Magazine and Intellectual Property Institute Nigeria creative competition has officially been released. We commend all participants for their outstanding submissions and celebrate those whose works advanced to this stage.

Judge’s Note

It has been an honor and a genuine pleasure to serve as judge for this contest. We received seventy-eight entries across the categories, and I was awed throughout by the imagination, depth, and boldness that animated each work. How every writer and artist showcased their own distinct brilliance, which of course, made the task of selection exhilarating and exacting. The Poetry / Short Story category, in particular, presented a remarkable breadth of voices and styles to the theme “Uncharted”, therefore becoming the most competitive category among the others.

After much attentive reading and thoughtful consideration, we are moving forward with the following entries to the next phase of the review process.

Please note that the numbering below does not reflect ranking or winning positions.

— Daniel Aôndona

Feature Editor, Pawners Paper Magazine

Longlist

Poetry / Short Fiction

 1. The Beginning of Fallible Things - Joy Joseph 

 2. Mohbad. – Onyedikachi Shaquille Johnson

 3. Maggots and Beetles. – Pamela Erhiakeme

 4. Welcome to the Matrix…. – Joseph Olamide Babalola

 5. The Journal of a Normal Girl. – Oyindamola Oluwakemi Martins

 6. Entangled Web. – Entangled Web

 7. Chihiro - Rachael Madakan Dandi

Essay / Review

 1. Cultural Symbolism and Identity. – Ononuju Fortune Chijioke

 2. The Virtuosic Brilliance of Mustapha Enesi: A Review of I Cry at the Feet of My Other Body. – Azubuike Obi

 3. Uncharted: The Search for Why We Are Here. – Victor Egbo

 4. Technology and the Nigerian Child: Navigating the Uncharted Future. – Yahuza Usman

 5. Uncharted: The Map That Calls. – Benedict Chinagorom

 6. God’s Lonely Hut: Love and Loss at the End of the Universe. – Daniel Gauss

 7. Uncharted Waters of the Human Spirit. – Idungafa Benedicta Godwin.

Visual Art

Based on some certain factors, the longlist for the visual category will not be released today. It has been subjected to further reviews.

Further reviews will be shared soon.

Shortlisted entries to be announced on 30th September, 2025.