Hello All,

My name is I.S. Jones (Itiola Jones), 2025 Winner of the APR / Honickman First Book Prize for my debut collection Bloodmercy, and I am fundraising on behalf of my colleague, Precious Okpechi, who is coming to the States to pursue his Master of Fine Arts (MFA). Having written his letters of recommendation, I can say firsthand that this is a writer, poet, and thinker I trust completely with the written word. Here are a few of my favorite poems of his:

1. lonely and great god

2. other principles of floatation

3. patrilineal ruin

Precious is a Nigerian poet, editor, and community-oriented person. In his undergraduate years, he was the Custodian of his university’s writing community, and because of his work with the writing community, he was able to join 20.35 Africa as an assistant editor and later become its managing editor. At 20.35 Africa, he has managed several projects which have contributed to the uplifting of African poetry in the global scene. These include the New Poet Series, the Conversation Series, and the Anthology Series which is our primary project where we work towards publishing and archiving contemporary African poetics.

Right now, Precious is looking to expand his community by joining the 3-year MFA program at Arizona State University, working and learning among some of his favorite writers which includes Natalie Diaz and Safiya Sinclair. But there's the cost of acquiring a visa, flight ticket to the States, and other incidentals, which are proving to be a hassle. This is why I am reaching out to the literary community for support covering these few fees:

Sevis Fee: $350

Visa Fee: $200

Flight Ticket: $1750

First month rent: $1000

Security Deposit: $500

Feeding until first stipend: $1000

Total: $4800