2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize Shortlist Announced

An international judging panel has shortlisted twenty-five outstanding stories for the world’s most global literature prize. The shortlisted writers hail from 18 countries across the Commonwealth and will all move through to the next round of judging. Five regional winners each representing the five regions of the Commonwealth will be announced on Wednesday 14 May, and the overall winner will be announced on Wednesday 25 June.

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.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 56 Member States. It is the most accessible and international of all writing competitions: in addition to English, entries can be submitted in Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish.

The stories on the 2025 shortlist were selected from a total of record-breaking 7,920 entries from 54 Commonwealth countries—almost ten percent higher than 2024. Two Commonwealth countries— Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia—have authors on the shortlist for the first time. The shortlisted writers range in age from 21 to 75 and all but one have never been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize before.

Chair of the Judges, writer and filmmaker Dr Vilsoni Hereniko from Rotuma, Fiji, said:

‘A great story moves us, causes us to think, and sometimes changes us. When a whole life, or a slice of life, is distilled into a short story, we marvel at the writer’s ability to find the perfect sequence of events and fit them into the short story form. This shortlist of relevant, vibrant, and essential reading is made up of the best 25 stories from a pool of almost 8,000 entries. Together, they demonstrate why the short story form must continue to be supported and promoted. As chair, and on behalf of the esteemed jury, I congratulate and thank the Commonwealth Foundation for keeping this competition alive and thriving.’

Dr Anne T. Gallagher AO, Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation, the intergovernmental organisation which administers the prize, commended everyone who entered stories in 2025 adding: ‘Every single writer who entered this year’s prize deserves our congratulations. The breadth of voices, perspectives, and experiences is awe-inspiring, and a powerful reminder of the creative energy that unites us as a Commonwealth of people. We congratulate those who made the shortlist; their work speaks not only to our shared challenges but also to our hopes and aspirations. Through this prize, we continue to nurture and elevate storytelling that crosses borders and generations—testimony to our belief in the transformative power of literature to forge understanding and inspire change.’

The 2024 shortlist in full:

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. Aládéuyì (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)

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