Caine Prize for African Writing 2024 shortlist announced

The five-person shortlist of the Caine Prize for African Writing 2024 has been announced today, Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

The Caine Prize for African Writing is awarded annually to an African writer published in English for an outstanding short story since the year 2000. It has recognised some of the most famous writers working today like Leila Aboulela, Helon Habila, Yvonne Adhiambo Owour, and many more. In recent times, winners have been Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo (2023), Idza Luhumyo (2022), Meron Hadero (2021), Irenosen Okojie (2020), Lesley Nneka Arimah (2019), Makena Onjerika (2018), Bushra al-Fadil (2017), and Lidudumalingani Mqombothi (2016).

The jury for 2024 is chaired by award-winning writer and academic Chika Unigwe alongside Zimbabwean writer, scholar, and filmmaker Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, Sierra Leonean poet, artist, and filmmaker Julianknxx, South African Hip-Hop artist Tumi Molekane, and award-winning writer Ayesha Harruna Attah.

This year’s 320 submissions encompassed a diverse range of talent from 28 different countries including South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Namibia, Morocco, Gambia, Senegal, Eritrea, Malawi, Liberia, Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Libya, Algeria and Cameroon.  From these, the following shortlist has been selected,

• The Dishwashing Women, Tryphena Yeboah (Ghana), Narrative Magazine (Fall 2022)
• Bridling, Nadia Davids (South Africa), The Georgia Review (2023)
• Adjustment of Status, Samuel Kolawole (Nigeria), New England Review, Vol. 44, #3 (Summer 2023)
• Animals, Uche Okonkwo (Nigeria), ZYZZYVA (2024)
• Breastmilk, Pemi Aguda (Nigeria), One Story, Issue #227 (2021)

Jury chair Chika Unigwe said: “The judging process was both challenging and rewarding. We read over 200 eligible stories, uncovering many gems from both familiar and new writers. Our discussions were passionate, and when we reached our (unofficial) longlist, we wished we could have included every story. Our consolation is knowing that these works are out in the world, being read, recognized with other prizes, and receiving the attention they deserve.

Responses

See, I am just so happy to be in such excellent company! An honour to be in this cohort. Thank you, @CainePrize for years of celebrating African stories. Thank you, @chikaunigwe and the judges for choosing “Breastmilk!”

Pemi Aguda

Absolutely thrilled! ❤❤❤

Uche Okonkwo

What an absolute honor to be on this list, and to be in such stellar company too! Congratulations to the writers! ✨💕📚 Grateful to the Caine Prize judges for their care & attention, and to @NarrativeMag for being the first home of my stories

Tryphena Yeboah

Grateful for this and congrats to my fellow shortlistees @PemiAguda @UcheAnne, Nadia and Tryphena.

Samuel Kolawole

Ellah Wakatama, Chair of The Caine Prize Board of Trustees, said: “As Chair, I look forward to using the 2024 Prize as an opportunity to amplify my publishing colleagues’ efforts to highlight Africa’s rich writing history and showcasing the best of Africa’s new voices. I hope that this year’s format will spark wide curiosity and interest in past and contemporary literature from the country that birthed and influenced this year’s winner.  This fresh approach also ties in with our goal of hosting more events on the continent during our 25th Anniversary celebrations. For 24 years the Prize has helped bring African writers to the literary world stage. We are now taking the world to Africa and its writers. We welcome your encouragement, support, and commitment as we boldly move forward.”

There will be no ceremony for the 2024 with the winner announced via a pre-recorded address on September 17.

The shortlisted writers will be integrated into the Caine Prize’s 25th anniversary celebrations, participating in a ‘meet the writers’ event, and appearing alongside past winners and shortlisted writers in readings and discussions held at partner institutions. Celebrations will include tribute events for writers such as Charles Mungoshi (Zimbabwe) and Binyavanga Wainana (Kenya), whom we have lost since they won or were shortlisted for the Prize. All of the shortlisted stories will be published in The Caine Prize Anthology alongside stories written at the Caine Prize Workshop, held this year in Malawi.

Please support our work at Writing Africa with a one-off donation or regularly on Mobile Money, PayPal, or Patreon starting at US$3 a month by clicking here