Here’s the 2026 shortlist for the Caine Prize for African Writing.
Today, the Caine Prize for African Writing, which awards £10,000 annually to the best short story by an African writer living on the continent or in the diaspora, has announced its 2026 shortlist. These five writers were selected from a
The Caine Prize for African Writing has unveiled its 2026 shortlist, comprised of five exceptional short stories penned by African writers. The prize, which presents a £10,000 award annually, received a record-breaking 407 submissions from 27 African nations.
Gladwell Pamba from Kenya, Melara Mvogdobo from Cameroon, Akinwande Jordan from Nigeria, Yasmine Zohdi from Egypt, and Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza from Zimbabwe were chosen for their compelling narratives. Pamba's "The Last Shop" was featured in Gladwell Pamba (Kenya) for “The Last Shop,” Jahazi Press (August 2024); Mvogdobo's "Dieu Merci!" appeared in Literatur.Review (August, 2025); Jordan's "So Long Now It’s Starting To Look Like Eternity" was published in Naira Books (February 2026); Zohdi's "The Absence of Stains" was in The Republic (August 2025); and Kundizeza's "The Blue Fighter" was featured in The Shallow Tales Review (June 2024).
The final winner of the 2026 Caine Prize will be revealed at a ceremony in London in October, and will subsequently receive the prize in their home country.
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