The Rainbow Book Club (RBC) of Port Harcourt is preparing to host a significant virtual event, connecting the global literary community directly with Nigerian audiences. The “2025 Nigeria Prize for Literature Shortlist Webinar” will feature an exclusive live interaction with all three shortlisted authors for Africa’s most esteemed literary award.
Scheduled for Sunday, 21 September 2025, at 5:00 PM West Africa Time (WAT), the free webinar on Zoom provides bibliophiles, critics, and aspiring writers with a unique opportunity to engage with the authors behind the year’s most acclaimed Nigerian novels.
The shortlist, announced on August 28th by the Advisory Board for the Nigeria LNG-sponsored prize, was narrowed down from a competitive longlist of 11 titles. The finalists, all based in the United States, are:
• Oyindamola Olugbile for Sanya
• Chigozie Obioma (two-time Booker Prize finalist) for The Road to the Country
• Nikki May for This Motherless Land
One of these distinguished authors will be awarded the $100,000 prize on October 10, 2025, cementing the award’s status as one of the most significant literary prizes in the world.
“This event is a fantastic opportunity to democratise access to these literary giants,” said a representative of the Rainbow Book Club. “Attendees will have the chance to ask questions, share their observations, and gain deeper insight into the creative processes behind these powerful stories. It’s about creating a direct dialogue between the authors and the vibrant community of readers right here in Nigeria.”
The webinar highlights the Rainbow Book Club’s ongoing mission to promote an enlightened and self-empowered African society through reading, especially among children and young adults. This advocacy played a key role in UNESCO’s designation of Port Harcourt as the World Book Capital in 2014.
Event Summary:
• What: 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literature Shortlist Webinar
• Who: Shortlisted authors Oyindamola Olugbile, Chigozie Obioma, and Nikki May
• Host: Rainbow Book Club, Port Harcourt
• When: Sunday, 21 September 2025, 5:00 PM WAT
• Where: Zoom (Registration details available on Rainbow Book Club’s social media channels)
About The Rainbow Book Club:
The Rainbow Book Club is a non-profit organisation dedicated to revitalising the reading culture in Nigeria and across Africa.
Through its programs and advocacy, the RBC seeks to use literature as a tool for social development, education, and unity. Its most notable achievement was leading the successful campaign for Port Harcourt to be named the UNESCO World Book Capital in 2014, a first for any African city.
