The TY Buratai Literary Initiative has officially launched its call for entries for the 2025 Young Adult Literature Prize, marking the second year of the competition aimed at promoting Nigerian young adult fiction.
The prize, which offers a grand award of N1.5 million, seeks to develop the young adult literature genre in Nigeria by recognising and publishing outstanding unpublished manuscripts targeted at readers aged 13-19.
According to the announcement made yesterday, the competition is open to all Nigerian writers both within and outside the country. Submissions must be original novellas or novels between 80-120 pages, formatted in Arial font size 12.
The Initiative specifies that submissions should feature age-appropriate content that resonates with teenage readers. The language should be accessible and may include slang and colloquial terms that appeal to the target demographic.
The Initiative has outlined specific thematic requirements, noting that entries should incorporate common young adult literature themes such as solo quests to change the world, rags-to-riches stories, diversity, identity exploration, or creative reinterpretations of classic tales.
The competition will select six regional winners who will each receive N500,000 and certificates of merit. These regional winners will automatically qualify for consideration for the grand prize. All participants will receive certificates of participation, and shortlisted entries will be featured on the TY Buratai Literary Initiative’s digital platforms.
The Initiative has also announced plans to publish the top ten manuscripts in a post-event anthology, furthering their mission of expanding the young adult literature genre in Nigeria.
Strict eligibility rules have been implemented to maintain the competition’s integrity. Previous judges must wait two years after their service before they can participate, while family members of prize administrators and recent judges are ineligible. Previous participants, including past winners, may submit new entries that differ from their previous submissions.
The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2025, with the grand prize winner scheduled to be announced on November 1, 2025.
Interested writers are required to complete an application form on the Initiative’s website and submit their manuscripts via email to tybliteraryi@gmail.com with the subject line “TYBLI Young Adults Literature Prize 2025.”
For additional information, the Initiative has provided contact details, including an email address and phone number (08052771123) for inquiries.
The TY Buratai Literary Initiative continues to establish itself as a significant contributor to Nigeria’s literary landscape through this prize, which aims to discover and nurture the next generation of young adult fiction writers in the country.
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