‘Unbound,’ an anthology of Nigerian poets under 40, set for release in March 2024

Nduka Otiono, the Nigerian-Canadian writer, and Darlington Chibueze Anuonye, the literary conversationalist, have announced an upcoming generational poetry anthology.

Titled ‘Unbound: An Anthology of New Nigerian Poets Under 40’, the literary project is expected to be released in March 2024.

Otiono, who is an associate professor and director of the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, and Anuonye, a Ph.D. student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the United States, partnered with publisher Griots Lounge Publishing Canada for the project.

Also featured in the anthology are Tolu Oloruntoba, the Griffin Poetry Prize and Governor General’s Award-winning Nigerian-Canadian poet; Romeo Oriogun, winner of the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Literature; Saddiq M Dzukogi; Fumi Gaji, Gbenga Adeoba; Logan February; Amarachi Attamah, Ndubuisi Aniemeke, and other noteworthy poets.

In a press statement, Otiono and Anuonye expressed delight over “the acquisition of an outstanding generational poetry anthology”. 

They also described the collection as an “agenda-setting anthology”. 

“The volume provokes intergenerational conversations with its forerunners such as Voices from the Fringes (1988), edited by Harry Garuba; Poets in their Youth (1988), edited Uche Nduka and Ositadinma Ike; Gems Out of Africa: A Wake Anthology of 100 Nigerian Poets (1998), edited by Eddie Ayo-Ojo, Obafemi Obadare and Mac Amarere; and Camouflage: Best of Contemporary Nigerian Writing (2006) edited by Nduka Otiono and Odoh Diego Okenyodo,” the statement reads in part. 

“But importantly, ‘Unbound’ is the first anthology to periscope the works of the emerging generation of Nigerian poets born in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, most of whom launched their writing careers on social media.

“The unique anthology will be released in March 2024. Griots Lounge Publishing Canada will first launch this amazing collection in Canada and the United States before it moves to the rest of the world. 

“Carefully curated and professionally edited, Unbound: An Anthology of New Nigerian Poets Under 40 is expected to further showcase the enduring power of Nigerian poetry to stakeholders on the global literary scene.”

The publishers added that the collection of works can be pre-ordered here.