The Capilano Review is pleased to announce the winner of our 2025 Fall Writing Contest as selected by guest judge Hari Alluri. The winning work is “At Washington D.C, a Black Boy drank Borders” by Nnadi Samuel. 

“The necessary dissonances and moving harmonics of this poem embody its devastations, trouble and surprise. This piece, which moves through layered resonances that emanate, had me returning to it: the way it honours its lineages, the way it decries inheritances and instances of harm. And more: its affect lingers, between its parts and pivots, and after. In the air.” 
– Hari Alluri

About the winner:

Nnadi Samuel (he/him/his) holds a B.A in English & Literature from the University of Benin. He is the author of Nature knows a little about Slave Trade, selected by Tate N. Oquendo (Sundress Publication, 2023), and a three-time Best of the Net and eight-time Pushcart Prize Nominee. His third micro-chapbook “Biblical Invasion, BC” was published through Bywords (Ottawa, CA) in 2024. He tweets @Samuelsamba10.

The winning work will be published in The Capilano Review’s Fall 2026 issue.

The Capilano Review would like to extend additional congratulations to the finalists and shortlisted writers:

*Hajer Requiq for “Ra Meets Nepit”

*Kevin Madrigal for “we do this until we’re free like pollen”

*phin for “Transcript of LAST MEMORY AS DAUGHTER”

Kandala Singh for “Seedling Song”

Hajer Requiq for “Inheritance”

Adriana Onita for “Girl / Gârla”

*Finalist