SA writer shortlisted for Commonwealth Short Story Prize
A PANEL of international judges has shortlisted 23 exceptional stories for the world’s most prestigious literary award.
South African writer Jayne Bauling, 70, has been shortlisted for the third time. Her story, A Song Sung in Secret, tells of a chance encounter between two estranged former friends as they queue for their pensions.
Across continents and decades, the shortlisted writers hail from 13 countries across the Commonwealth.
Most of the stories are told from the perspective of children – about their parents splitting up, about school and about their sometimes perplexing relationships with adults.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 56 member states.
This year, 414 entries were submitted in languages other than English.
The stories on the 2024 shortlist were selected from 7 359 entries from 53 Commonwealth countries – 10% more compared to 2023. Three small countries – Mauritius, Rwanda and St Kitts and Nevis – have authors on the shortlist for the first time. The shortlisted writers – six men, 15 women and two who identify as non-binary – range in age from 26 to 70. All but one have never been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize before.
Chair of the judges, Ugandan-British novelist and short story writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi says: “This is a dream list for lovers of the short story form – readers who wish to read around the world, writers who wish to hone their skills, agents looking for talent and content creators who relish the challenge of predicting regional winners and the overall winner … For the judging panel, it has been an incredible literary journey.”
Director-general of the Commonwealth Foundation, Dr Anne T Gallagher AO, commended everyone who entered stories in 2024, adding: “The Short Story Prize is legendary for unearthing and nurturing the rich creative talent of our Commonwealth. This year is no exception and I have been overwhelmed by the depth and reach of the 2024 shortlist. My congratulations to the 23 writers whose stories will now secure a truly global audience.”
Winning or being shortlisted for the prize opens a wealth of opportunities for the selected writers, propelling them further in their writing careers.
The 2024 shortlisted stories will be published online, in the innovative online magazine of the Commonwealth Foundation, adda (addastories. org), which features new writing from across the Commonwealth.
The judges will choose a winner for each of the five regions. The regional winners will be announced on May 29 before being published online by literary magazine Granta. The overall winner will be announced on June 26.