Longlisted Poem: “Golgotha”
Ife O. Olatona is a multidisciplinary writer and Johns Hopkins alum. A former contributor to The New York Times’ “Modern Love” column, in 2021, he was spotlighted by The Times as one of five young poets under 25 to watch. He grew up in Nigeria and served as a presenter at the 2025 Emmy Awards. He is working on a novel.