What May Leaves Behind!
The Month That Asked Questions
May has come to an end, and with it, another chapter in our search for stories.
This month, the submission window for the 2026 Quramo Writers Prize officially closed. Hundreds of writers sent us pieces born from memory, imagination, heartbreak, hope, and curiosity. To everyone who shared their work with us, thank you. The courage to submit a story is often the first act of storytelling itself
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May also brought moments that captured public attention in different ways, from cultural conversations to creative releases that got people talking. These moments, whether in literature, music, or everyday life, remind us of the many forms storytelling can take.
Elsewhere, conversations in culture reminded us why stories matter. And speaking of stories, the crown for hip-hop’s GOAT remains a topic of endless debate, but Drake keeps making it hard to ignore his name in the conversation. With “Iceman”, he’s back doing what he does best: dropping records, sparking debates, and giving fans plenty to talk about. Whether you’ve been riding with him since So Far Gone or just pressed play yesterday, Iceman is worth a listen.
Beneath the headlines, streaming numbers, and online debates lies something familiar: people trying to make sense of themselves, their ambitions, and their relationships. In many ways, that is what literature has always done.
The same could be said of life in Nigeria today. We live amid uncertainties that shape our daily choices and test our optimism. Yet even in uncertain times, stories endure. They help us name what we feel, preserve what matters, and imagine what is possible beyond the present moment.
As we step into June, we find ourselves between endings and beginnings. The Writers Prize submissions have closed, but the journey of discovery has only just begun. Somewhere among the entries received this year are voices waiting to be heard, conversations waiting to happen, and stories waiting to leave their mark.
Perhaps that is the lesson May leaves with us: every ending is simply a manuscript changing hands.
And now, we turn the page.
Tomiwa Ajibola-Williams,
For Quramo.