Ooreoluwa O. Agbede has emerged winner of the 2026 Quramo Writers Prize (QWP) with his manuscript, Four Months, taking the top prize at the 2026 edition of the literary competition.
The announcement was made during the 2026 QFest, where Agbede was recognised for his winning entry after competing alongside 19 other shortlisted writers.
Speaking on the judging process, the lead judge, Mrs. Ugonma Nduka-Nwosu, described the quality of the entries as impressive, saying the writers demonstrated an ability to observe their environments, conceptualise their experiences and use language to draw readers into unfamiliar worlds.
Nduka-Nwosu, who said it was her first time serving as a judge for the prize, expressed appreciation to QFest Convener, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore, for creating what she described as a significant platform for writers at a time when reading faces competition from digital distractions.
“When I saw the prize, I was surprised and elated at coming up with this huge prize,” she said, adding that the shortlisted writers had “a job to do” in contributing to the literary culture.
According to her, the entries were engaging enough to make the judges read and reread them, with several of the stories creating suspense and prompting questions about what would happen next.
“They took their time to write what’s very relatable. They did something very engaging. They let the readers be engaged. They made us read and reread, and they then created suspense.
