Longlisted Poem: “A Poem Comes Out of a Hole in a Country’s Heart”
Tukur Ridwan is a graduate of Political Science from the University of Ilorin, a photographer and the author of three poetry chapbooks. A recipient of the Brigitte Poirson Monthly Poetry Contest (March 2018), literary reviewer and poetry mentor at SprinNG Writing Fellowship, Ridwan’s works appear in Afrihill, Afrocritik, Aké Review, The Argyle, Barzakh, Cordite, Engendered, Kalahari, Prosetrics, Rising Phoenix, Stripes, and elsewhere. He was shortlisted for the Collins Elesiro Poetry Contest (2019), the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize (2020), the Bridgette James Poetry Competition (2025), and was also featured in art exhibitions by Prince Saheed Adelakun (2024 & 2026). He loves black tea, sometimes coffee.