Winner of the 2025 NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature, Oyin Olugbile, has revealed her dream cast for a possible film adaptation of her award-winning novel Sanya.
In an exclusive interview with QEDng, Olugbile said she does not have a specific actress in mind to play the lead character, Sanya, explaining that the character represents a concept rather than a single person.
“I don’t have an actress in mind, which is funny. When I was first asked that question, I felt inadequate not being able to match a face to Sanya. But I realised Sanya is more of a concept than a person. Anyone can be Sanya, because it’s more of an idea than one person.”
However, she disclosed that she had certain celebrities in mind while developing other characters in the book.
“Agonju, for example, I thought of David Oyelowo. Trust me, when I was writing, when that character was being developed, it’s been David Oyelowo on my mind. For Ososi, it’s been Anthony Joshua on my mind, even though he’s not an actor, he is a boxer. I’m telling you that image has not left my mind,” she said.
“For Oko, one of the villains, it’s been Burna Boy on my mind. And for Dada, I pictured Lateef Adedimeji and he’s been on my mind for a very long time. I’ve never met him, but even when I started writing Dada as a child, I imagined him growing into that character.”
Sanya, published in 2022, reimagines Yoruba mythology through themes of identity, love and self-discovery. The novel follows Sanya, a young woman connected to the spiritual realm, as she navigates destiny and power while confronting patriarchal expectations.
Olugbile was announced winner of the 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literature on October 10, beating other authors shortlisted for the $100,000 award sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited.
