Saddiq Dzukogi (born in

Minna Minna is a city in Middle Belt Nigeria. It is the capital city of Niger State, one of Nigeria's 36 federal states. It consists of two major ethnic groups: the Gbagyi and the Nupe. History Archaeological evidence suggests settlement in the ...

) is a Nigerian poet and assistant professor at

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...

's Department of English. He is the author of ''Your Crib, My Qibla,'' a highly-acclaimed poetry collection which has earned him the 2022

Derek Walcott Sir Derek Alton Walcott (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include the Homeric epic poem ''Omeros'' (1990), which many critics view "as Walcot ...

Prize for Poetry, and the 2021 Julie Suk Award as a co-winner. The collection was also shortlisted for the $100,000

Nigeria Prize for Literature Nigeria Prize for Literature is a Nigerian literary award given annually since 2004 to honor literary erudition by Nigerian authors. The award rotates among four genres; fiction, poetry, drama and children's literature, repeating the cycle every ...

Education

Saddiq Dzukogi holds a degree in mass communication from

Ahmadu Bello University Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, Al ...

Zaria Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau Emirate Council, and one of the original seven Hausa city-states ...

in 2015. In 2022, he received a PhD in English with specialization in Ethnic Studies & Creative Writing at the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

where he was a recipient of the Othmer Fellowship. At University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dzukogi was awarded the "Student Luminary Award" in 2022 in recognition of his exceptional leadership and commitment to improving the university campus, and the Vreeland Award for Poetry in 2020 and 2022.

Works and awards

Dzukogi is the author of ''Inside the Flower Room'', which was selected by

Kwame Dawes Kwame Senu Neville Dawes (born 28 July 1962) is a Ghanaian poet, actor, editor, critic, musician, and former Louis Frye Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts at the University of South Carolina. He is now Professor of English at the University of N ...

and

Chris Abani Christopher Abani (born 27 December 1966) is a Nigerian-American and Los Angeles- based author. He says he is part of a new generation of Nigerian writers working to convey to an English-speaking audience the experience of those born and raise ...

for the APBF New-Generation African Poets Chapbook Series (2018). His poems have appeared in ''Oxford Review of Books,

Kenyon Review ''The Kenyon Review'' is a literary magazine based in Gambier, Ohio, US, home of Kenyon College. ''The Review'' was founded in 1939 by John Crowe Ransom, critic and professor of English at Kenyon College, who served as its editor until 1959. ...

Oxford Poetry ''Oxford Poetry'' is a literary magazine based in Oxford, England. It is currently edited by Luke Allan. The magazine is published by Partus Press. Founded in 1910 by Basil Blackwell, its editors have included Dorothy L. Sayers, Aldous Huxley, R ...

, Salamander, Southeast Review,'' ''

Crab Orchard Review Southern Illinois University (SIU or SIUC) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. The university enrolls students from all 50 s ...

'', ''

Prairie Schooner ''Prairie Schooner'' is a literary magazine published quarterly at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with the cooperation of UNL's English Department and the University of Nebraska Press. It is based in Lincoln, Nebraska and was first publish ...

'', ''

New Orleans Review ''New Orleans Review'', founded in 1968, is a journal of contemporary literature and culture that publishes "poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, photography, film and book reviews" by established and emerging writers and artists. ''New Orleans Revie ...

'', '' South Dakota Review'', and ''Obsidian,'' among others. Dzukogi was a finalist for the 2017

Brunel International African Poetry Prize Brunel International African Poetry Prize is a literary award aimed at the "development, celebration and promotion of poetry from Africa." The prize is sponsored by Brunel University and Bernardine Evaristo. In the past it has been partnered by Comm ...

. His poem "Paradise" won him the 2021 Wilbur Gaffney Poetry Prize. He was the first-Runner up for the 2022

Maureen Egan Maureen Egan is a writer/director who has directed several music videos, including the MTV2 Award-winning "Screaming Infidelities" for Dashboard Confessional. Her parents were actors Richard Egan and Patricia Hardy. Egan is one half of a directing ...

Writers Exchange Award. He has also been a three-time finalist for the Association of Nigeria Authors' Poetry Prize in 2012, 2014 and 2016. In October 2022, Dzukogi's anthology, ''Your Crib, My Qibla'' was announced as the winner of the

Prize for Poetry. In the same month, the collection was announced as a co-winner of the Julie Suk Award for the Best Poetry Book Published by a Literary Press in 2021. The collection was equally one of the three shortlisted for the $100,000

. The anthology was selected as one of Oprah Daily's 29 best poetry books in America for 2021. It was also named as one of the 50 Notable African Books of 2021 by the

Africa Centre The Africa Centre, in Cape Town, South Africa, is structured as a not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to provide a platform for Pan-African arts and cultural practice to function as a catalyst for social change. All the projects it con ...

and

Brittle Paper ''Brittle Paper'' is an online literary magazine styled as an "African literary blog" published weekly in the English language. Its focus is on "build(ing) a vibrant African literary scene." It was founded by Ainehi Edoro (at the time a doctoral ...

, as one of the 20 must-read literary books of 2021 in the

Africa Report Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. Dzukogi was at different times a recipient of several fellowships and grants from the

Nebraska Arts Council The Nebraska Arts Council is a state agency that seeks to promote, cultivate and sustain the arts in Nebraska. The organization in its present form was established in 1974, and is funded by the state of Nebraska, the National Endowment for the Arts, ...

, Pen America, the Obsidian Foundation, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and the Ebedi International Writers Residency.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dzukogi, Saddiq Living people Ahmadu Bello University alumni University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni Mississippi State University faculty Nigerian poets Nigerian writers Year of birth missing (living people)