Hi, my name is Mustapha Enesi, and I am a writer from Nigeria.

I recently got accepted into the fiction track of the University of Mississippi's MFA program, to begin in Fall 2026. I am beyond thrilled because this opportunity offers me three years to dedicate myself fully to the art of storytelling.

My writing career over the last five years has been a dream come true, and being offered a fully funded MFA that places me with a cohort of writers from all over the world—to build community and engage in serious writing while being mentored by the amazing faculty at Ole Miss—feels like the natural next chapter.

My writing centers on memory, displacement, the tensions between tradition and modernity, and the quiet devastations of family life. I write literary fiction and literary magical realism, and I approach my stories with the belief that the most urgent human experiences—whether grief, longing, identity, or survival—deserve to be told with utmost honesty and care.

The economic climate in Nigeria makes saving for international relocation almost impossible. Between black tax, rent, transportation, and rising inflation, I barely have enough to aid my relocation. As someone who is financially independent and has built everything from scratch, this fully-funded offer from Ole Miss means everything to me. But finances stand in the way. I need your support to help raise the funds for my relocation to the University of Mississippi.

Breakdown of estimated costs:

Total: $5000

Thank you for helping me reach my goal. I'm immensely grateful.

—Mustapha Enesi