Yemipoet March Poetry Contest’26 Theme: The Night I Stopped Apologizing

The Yemipoet March Poetry Contest invited poets to reflect on their journeys of self-acceptance and empowerment. With a free verse of 25 lines maximum, participants shared their stories of growth, struggles, and triumphs with emphasis on the moment they chose to embrace their voices, stand their ground without self-sabotage.

The contest was officially announced on March 1st, 2026, and submissions closed on March 10th, 2026. By the end of the submission period, a total of 255 entries were received from poets across different backgrounds. 

Submission Link

All entries were submitted through the official website @www.yemipoetproduction.com

Evaluation and Winners

Entries were carefully reviewed based on authenticity and emotional depth. Thirty-five outstanding entries were shortlisted as the Top 35 winners. From these, twelve poets were carefully selected as the Top 12, and subsequently, three poets emerged as the Top 3 in the order of First, Second, and Third winners respectively.

Top 3 winners’ spotlight

 First Place 

Name: Oladokun Toluwani 

Title: Salt

Second Place

Name: Avril Shikari Villar 

Title: The Night I stopped Apologizing Came After Centuries of Women

Third Place

Name: Florence Chukwuonye 

Title: That 31st Night

Winners award

The total cash prize of ₦90, 000 was shared among the Top 3 winners.

World Poetry Day Challenge 

The Yemipoet community, in collaboration with Yacso Foundation, marked World Poetry Day with an official post on its Instagram page. Poets were invited to take part in a quick challenge: write six lines of a free verse poem and submit it in the comment section before 4 p.m.

Seven winners were selected at random, each receiving ₦3,000 in cash or credit.

Winners: @vaironical

@chin.edu459

@halimamiftah243

@optimistvictor

@esthersolomon_1

@the_grace_alade

Finally, in the month of March, we had the pioneer of this vision hosted live by Beth Akinsehinwa, founder of PunPoets Media, at her just concluded Closer with PunPoets 3.0. Through this virtual event, we were able to share ideas and discover creative insights that will contribute to the growth of our community.

Appreciation

We sincerely appreciate every poet who participated, every reader who engaged, every volunteer and judge who evaluated the entries, and every supporter who made the Yemipoet March Poetry Contest a success. Your words mattered.

Special thanks to the YACSO Foundation for their continued support and partnership.

See you in the next edition.