The shortlist for the 2018 Caine Prize for African Writing has been announced! The Prize is awarded annually for African Creative Writing and was awarded last year to Sudanese writer, Bushra al-Fadil. The five-writer shortlist was unveiled by this year’s Chair of judges, award-winning Ethiopian-American author, Dinaw Mengestu. The Prize is awarded for a short story by an African writer published in English (3,000 to 10,000 words).
The shortlist for the 2018 Caine Prize showcases a diversity of themes and a wealth of literary talent. It consists of three Nigerians, one Kenyan and one South African and they are:
Nonyelum Ekwempu (Nigeria) for ‘American Dream’, published in Red Rock Review (2016) and republished in The Anthem (2016). Read ‘American Dream’
Stacy Hardy (South Africa) for ‘Involution’, published in Migrations: New Short Fiction from Africa, co-published by Short Story Day Africa and New Internationalist (2017). Read ‘Involution’
Olufunke Ogundimu (Nigeria) for ‘The Armed Letter Writers’, published in The New Orleans Review (The African Literary Hustle, 2017).Read ‘The Armed Letter Writers’
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Makena Onjerika (Kenya) for ‘Fanta Blackcurrant’, published in Wasafiri(2017). Read ‘Fanta Blackcurrant’
Wole Talabi (Nigeria) for ‘Wednesday’s Story’, published in Lightspeed Magazine (2016). Read ‘Wednesday’s Story’
Joining Dinaw Mengestu on the 2018 judging panel are:
• Henrietta Rose-Innes, South African author and winner of the 2008 Caine Prize
• Lola Shoneyin, award-winning author and Director of the Ake Arts and Books Festival and
• Ahmed Rajab, a Zanzibar-born international journalist, political analyst and essayist.
The prize awards £10,000 and the winner will be announced at an award ceremony and dinner in the Beveridge Hall at Senate House, SOAS, on Monday 2 July 2018 – in partnership with the Centre for African Studies. Each shortlisted writer will also receive £500.
The shortlisted stories will be published in June in New Internationalist’s 2018 Caine Prize anthology, Redemption Song, and through co-publishers in 16 African countries who receive a print-ready PDF with no charge.
We congratulate all the shortlisted writers!