10 April 2019

Two New Zealanders and one Australian writer are among the finalists for the 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

New Zealand writer Maria Samuela was shortlisted for ‘Bluey’, as was Harley Hern for ‘Screaming’. Australian writer Emma Ashmere was shortlisted for her story ‘Nightfall’.

Samuela, Hern and Ashmere are among 24 writers to be shortlisted for the prize, which is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction between 2000 and 5000 words. The prize covers the Commonwealth regions of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Pacific and the Caribbean.

The regional winners, to be announced on 9 May, will receive £2500 (A$4580) each. The overall winner, to be announced on 9 July, will receive £5000 (A$9160).

Last year’s winner was Kevin Jared Hosein, from Trinidad and Tobago, for his story ‘Passage’.