The mission of the West African Poetry Prize is to expand the audience for poetry in the region and deepen regional cultural cooperation.
Our focus shall be on the major poetic traditions of West Africa. There have been two major poetic traditions--the anglophone and francophone--which need recognition. West Africa is predominantly French-speaking with a smattering of Portuguese. The WAPP hopes to start by recognising poetic products from these tangents, even though it will go further in providing platforms for showcasing other sub-genres and traditions.
The WAPP will be awarded annually, even though a biannual schedule is being considered as the initial stage.
