Five writers gain a shot at the £10,000 Caine Prize after a 2026 shortlist drawn from a record 407 entries submitted from 27 African countries. The prize, awarded each year to the best short story by an African writer living on the continent or in the diaspora, named five finalists whose work spans publishers and publication dates between June 2024 and February 2026.
The shortlist opens with Gladwell Pamba of Kenya, nominated for "The Last Shop," which appeared in Jahazi Press in August 2024. From Cameroon, Melara Mvogdobo is shortlisted for "Dieu Merci!" first published in Literatur.Review in August 2025. Akinwande Jordan of Nigeria made the list with "So Long Now It’s Starting To Look Like Eternity," published by Naira Books in February 2026.
Egyptian writer Yasmine Zohdi is included for "The Absence of Stains," from The Republic in August 2025. Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza of Zimbabwe completes the five with "The Blue Fighter," published in The Shallow Tales Review in June 2024. Together the finalists represent five countries and five distinct publications across the shortlist.
The organisers will announce the 2026 winner at a ceremony in London in October. After the result is revealed there, the winner will be presented with the Prize in their country of origin. The Caine Prize’s annual £10,000 award remains the concrete reward for the winning story.
The shortlist follows a record submission year, with 407 entries from 27 countries forming the pool from which judges selected these five. Each finalist’s story lists a publication and date, reflecting the prize’s focus on short fiction that has found a platform either on the continent or abroad. Congratulations to the five shortlisted writers.
