Chinaza James-Ibe’s short story Fly and Corpse won the Awele Creative Trust Short Story Award 2024 on Wednesday, April 24, 2025.
The Awele Creative Trust is a non-profit organisation created to provide an enabling environment and platform for creative young persons, founded by Chika Unigwe. Its annual prize, the Awele Creative Trust Award, rewards a short story of up to 5,000 words by a Nigerian writer aged between 16 and 26. Previous winners include Caleb Adebayo (2014), Nneoma Ike Njoku (2015), Caleb Somtochukwu Okereke and Anthony Ezekwoh (2016), Imade Iyamu (2017), Bakporhe Ufuomaoghene (2019), Joshua Chizoma (2020), Mustafa Enesi (2021), Akunna James-Ibe (2022), and Olayinka Yaqub (2023).
The longlist for the most recent edition of the prize was announced on Monday, March 18, before the shortlist was made public on Saturday, April 12.
The winner announced on Wednesday is Chinaza James-Ibe for Fly and Corpse, a short story that the jury said is “as unsettling as it is compelling. A haunting exploration of grief, denial, the supernatural, & the dangers of holding on too tightly to what has been lost, it’s a testament to the power of storytelling. With an original and deeply disquieting premise (a daughter gives birth to her deceased father) the story deftly navigates themes of love, sorrow, and the human compulsion to defy loss. In an age where we’re taught that anything is attainable, instantly and on demand, this story is a reminder that some boundaries are not meant to be crossed. Fly and Corpse impressed the judges with its ambitious and original concept, its exceptional prose, and its vivid imagery. The story leaves a lasting impression and demonstrates remarkable promise. Congratulations to James-Ibe”
Chinaza James-Ibe said after the announcement, “I don’t know what people say when they win, but I won! <3<3😚 Thank you @AweleCreative”
Chinaza James-Ibe wins the N100,000 cash prize.
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