Twenty-four outstanding stories have been selected by an international judging panel from 5182 entries from 48 Commonwealth countries. The writers come from 14 countries including, for the first time, Samoa and Ghana.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English from the Commonwealth. As well as being open to entries translated into English from any language, it is the only literary prize in the world where entries can be submitted in Bengali, Chinese, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, and Tamil. Again, in 2018, we’re delighted that a translated story has reached the shortlist. The inclusion of other languages in the Prize speaks to Commonwealth Writers’ recognition of the need for linguistic diversity to promote the richness of varied literary traditions and lesser-heard narratives.
The 24 entries have earned their place on the shortlist – a rich collection of stories showcasing the skill and talent of the writers and capturing the attention of the judges. Chair of the judges, award-winning novelist and short story writer Sarah Hall, said of this year’s shortlist:
The versatility and power of the short story is abundantly clear in this shortlist. With such a range of subject, style, language and imagination, it is clear what a culturally important and relevant form it is, facilitating many different creative approaches, many voices and versions of life.
With a panel of judges also spanning the globe there was a sense of depth and breadth to the selection process, and each commonwealth region showcases the very best of its traditions, adaptations, and contemporary approaches.
This is such a great, unique prize, one that seeks to uphold both literary community and particularity, crossing borders with the ambition of collating our common and unique stories. It is an enormous pleasure, and illuminating, to have been part of the reading process.
The Prize is judged by an international panel of writers, representing each of the five regions of the Commonwealth. The 2018 judges are Damon Galgut (Africa), Sunila Galappatti (Asia), Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm(Canada and Europe) Mark McWatt (Caribbean) and Paula Morris (Pacific).
The 2018 Commonwealth Short Story Prize Shortlist in full:
‘Dancing with Ma’, Harriet Anena (Uganda)
‘Matalasi’, Jenny Bennett-Tuionetoa (Samoa)
‘An Elephant in Kingston’, Marcus Bird (Jamaica)
‘Tahiti’, Brendan Bowles (Canada)
‘Ghillie’s Mum’, Lynda Clark (United Kingdom)
‘Goat’, Sally Craythorne (United Kingdom)
‘The Divine Pregnancy in a Twelve-Year-Old Woman’, Sagnik Datta (India)
‘Soundtracker’, Christopher Evans (Canada)
‘Passage’, Kevin Hosein (Trinidad and Tobago)
‘Jyamitik Zadukor’ (The Geometric Wizard) by Imran Khan (Bangladesh) translated by Arunava Sinha
‘Talk of The Town’, Fred Khumalo (South Africa)
‘Night Fishing’, Karen Kwek (Singapore)
‘Nobody’s Wife’, Chris Mansell (Australia)
‘The Boss’, Breanne Mc Ivor (Trinidad and Tobago)
‘Holding On, Letting Go’, Sandra Norsen (Australia)
‘Empathy,’ Cheryl Ntumy (Ghana)
‘A Girl Called Wednesday’, Kritika Pandey (India)
‘Chicken Boy’, Lynne Robertson (New Zealand)
‘Hitler Hates You’, Michelle Sacks (South Africa)
‘After the Fall’, James Smart (United Kingdom)
‘Son Son’s Birthday’, Sharma Taylor (Jamaica)
‘Berlin Lends a Hand’, Jonathan Tel (United Kingdom)
‘True Happiness’, Efua Traoré (Nigeria)
‘Juju’, Obi Umeozor (Nigeria)
1. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is part of Commonwealth Writers, the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation. Now in its seventh year, it is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2000-5000 words). Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000. Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible. Translators receive additional prize money.
2. Commonwealth Writers develops and connects writers across the world. It believes that well-told stories can help people make sense of events, engage with others, and take action to bring about change. Responsive and proactive, it is committed to tackling the challenges faced by writers in different regions and working with local and international partners to identify and deliver a wide range of cultural projects. www.commonwealthwriters.org
3. Commonwealth Foundation is the Commonwealth’s agency for civil society. It supports people’s participation in democracy and development. www.commonwealthfoundation.com
