Introducing our 2026-2026
Donald E. Waterfall Scholar:
Isaiah Adepoju
““The least I expect is to win anything for poetry— I am still shocked—especially at this time. Winning this scholarship fund came at a time when, already at the base of my confidence as a poet, I decided to dedicate the next two years of my life to studying and writing poems.
Poetry is often a difficult thing for me to grasp, and my inability to dedicate quality time to it, while still being called a poet, embarrasses me. So, the money and the mentorship provided as prizes of the scholarship are an immense blessing to me. They will allow me to focus squarely on this poetry for the next one year. And I am so excited for this, and deeply appreciate everybody who has made this possible. Thank you.””
Isaiah Adepoju is a Nigerian poet from Osogbo, whose work moves between memory, myth and the music of everyday speech. As our first Donald E. Waterfall Scholar, Isaiah embodies the spirit of this mentorship: curiosity, craft and a commitment to language as a bridge between generations. Rooted in this belief, the DEW Scholarship honours mentorship as a living bridge.
Through the year-long scholarship, he will receive personalized mentorship, editorial guidance and opportunities to share new work through Archipel’s platforms and partners across West Africa and beyond.
The DEW Scholarship — named in honour of my father, Donald E. Waterfall — celebrates creative mentorship as an act of continuity: one writer reaching toward another, one generation shaping the next. Isaiah’s practice reminds us why that bridge matters.
