An international judging panel has shortlisted twenty-five outstanding stories for The Commonwealth Short Story Prize, administered by the Commonwealth Foundation. The shortlisted writers hail from 18 countries across the Commonwealth. Two Commonwealth countries— Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia —have authors on the shortlist for the first time. Five regional winners, each representing the five regions of the Commonwealth, will be announced on May 14, and will then be published online by the literary magazine Granta. The overall winner will be announced on June 25, 2025, at the Commonwealth Short Story Prize Award Ceremony.
Stories by Caribbean writers (in alphabetical order) include: “Jumbie Pond” by Joanne C. Hillhouse (Antigua and Barbuda), “Pomp and Circumstance” by Kellie Magnus (Jamaica), “Redeye Cat” by Jessie Mayers (Saint Lucia), “Margot’s Run” by Subraj Singh (Guyana), and, in the Canada/Europe category, “Descend” by Chanel Sutherland (Canada/Saint Vincent and the Grenadines). See the complete shortlist below.
Description: The shortlisted stories conjure a wide range of scenarios—from a soldier on an unnamed border to a Beijing taxi driver with a vulnerable passenger, from a mother who turns to desperate measures to escape her abusive husband to a football-mad young boy and a ‘sacred’ Tamarind tree with a hidden secret. Many stories feature journeys—young people starting new lives overseas, an elderly woman travelling to the capital to campaign for the rights of her people, a crushing final voyage on a sinking slave ship. There are tales of exploitation, racism, greed, arrogance and betrayal—but also unexpected kindness, humour, courage and resistance, and the unexpected effects of small actions. [. . .]
Shortlist:
AFRICA
- ‘The Flute Player’ by Priscilla Ametorpe Goka (Ghana)
- ‘A Room Full of Teddy Bears’ by Dorechi (Kenya)
- ‘The Sun isn’t Dead Yet’ by Vashish Jaunky (Mauritius) (translated by Edwige-Renée
- Dro from the French, ‘Le soleil n’est pas encore mort’)
- ‘The mothers’ by Olákìtán T. Aládéṣuyì (Nigeria)
- ‘Broken String’ by Stephen M. Finn (South Africa)
- ‘Mothers Not Appearing in Search’ by Joshua Lubwama (Uganda)
ASIA
- ‘An Eye and a Leg’ by Faria Basher (Bangladesh)
- ‘Mrs Gaonkar’s Girls’ by Parul Kaushik (India)
- ‘Tamarind’ by Tino de Sa (India)
- ‘The Dot’ by Tahoor Bari (Pakistan)
CANADA AND EUROPE
- ‘Descend’ by Chanel Sutherland (Canada/Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
- ‘Nualu Nu’ by Damhnait Monaghan (Canada/Ireland)
- ‘The Crossing’ by David Frankel (United Kingdom)
- ‘Bread and Butter’ by Dushi Rasiah (United Kingdom)
- ‘Beasts’ by Tess Little (United Kingdom)
CARIBBEAN
- ‘Jumbie Pond’ by Joanne C. Hillhouse (Antigua and Barbuda)
- ‘Margot’s Run’ by Subraj Singh (Guyana)
- ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ by Kellie Magnus (Jamaica)
- ‘Redeye Cat’ by Jessie Mayers (Saint Lucia)
PACIFIC
- ‘Crab Sticks and Lobster Rolls’ by Kathleen Ridgwell (Australia)
- ‘The Drum and the Bell’ by Keith Goh Johnson (Australia)
- ‘Threads of Truth’ by Lachlan Alexander (Australia)
- ‘The Pale Blue Dot’ by Angela Pope (New Zealand)
- ‘We’ll meet again’ by Maria Samuela (New Zealand)
- ‘Final Effort of the Wind’ by Gillian Leasunia Katoanga (Samoa/New Zealand)
Author photos, biographies and summaries are available for download here.
For more information, see commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize
An international judging panel has shortlisted twenty-five outstanding stories for The Commonwealth Short Story Prize, administered by the Commonwealth Foundation. The shortlisted writers hail from 18 countries across the Commonwealth. Two Commonwealth countries— Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia —have authors on the shortlist for the first time. Five regional winners, each representing the five
