Administered by the Commonwealth Basis, the Commonwealth Brief Story Prize, thought of to be the “world’s most world literature prize,” is awarded for the very best piece of unpublished brief fiction (2000-5000 phrases). The Basis simply introduced the shortlist, “28 writers from 19 international locations and spotlight[ing] the ‘beat and pulse’ of up to date storytelling.” Regional winners will probably be introduced on Could 17; these regional winners will probably be printed on-line by the literary journal Granta. The announcement of the general winner and the award ceremony will happen on June 27, 2023. The 2023 shortlisted tales will probably be printed on-line, within the modern on-line journal of the Commonwealth Basis, adda (addatories.org), which options new writing from across the globe.
The shortlisted writers from the Caribbean are Alexia Tolas (Bahamas), Cosmata Lindie (Guyana), Demoy Lindo (Jamaica), Kwame McPherson (Jamaica), and Deborah Matthews (Trinidad and Tobago). [Their works are emphasized in bold print below.]
Twenty-eight excellent tales have been shortlisted by a world judging panel for the world’s most world literature prize. The writers come from 19 international locations throughout the Commonwealth, and the shortlisted entries deal with topics from sickness, human trafficking and decay to relationships and hope – in addition to household secrets and techniques, rising up homosexual in a hostile world, technology gaps, bittersweet friendships, and making one’s method on this planet of labor. They span genres from speculative and comedian fiction to historic fiction and crime.
The Commonwealth Brief Story Prize is awarded yearly for the very best piece of unpublished brief fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 56 Member States. It’s the most accessible and worldwide of all writing competitions: along with English, entries may be submitted in Bengali, Chinese language, Creole, French, Greek, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish. Such linguistic variety in a brief story prize partly displays the richness of the Commonwealth, not least its many and assorted literary traditions. In 2023, 475 entries have been submitted in languages aside from English. [. . .]
The tales on the 2023 shortlist have been chosen from a complete of 6,642 entries from 56 Commonwealth international locations together with, for the primary time, Togo and Gabon—the very latest members of the Commonwealth. The shortlisted writers—10 males and 18 girls—vary in age from 20 to 74. Twenty-seven writers, 1 / 4 of whom are nonetheless of their twenties, are new to the prize shortlist this yr. Chair of the Judges, Pakistani author and translator Bilal Tanweer mentioned, ‘On behalf of the jury, I’m thrilled to disclose the shortlist for the 2023 Commonwealth Brief Story Prize. This yr’s shortlist is a live performance of voices from throughout the Commonwealth, showcasing the richness of its writing traditions, histories, and views. These tales brim with the vitality and urgency of the current second—learn them to expertise the beat and pulse of up to date storytelling.
‘These tales carry out the important operate of the very best fiction: they make us see what we couldn’t see, awaken our sympathies for folks we didn’t know, and produce us nearer to the world we already inhabit. What we see listed below are writers, who with their assorted types and methods, stretch our sense of the true. These tales, like music, go clear by way of our intestine and backbone, filling us with sensations starting from dysphoric anguish to euphoric laughter, and after studying every story, we get up to the world, modified.’ [. . .]
5 judges be a part of the Chair Bilal Tanweer on the 2023 judging panel, every representing the 5 areas of the Commonwealth. These are Rwandan-born author, photographer and editor, Rémy Ngamije (Africa), Sri Lankan creator and writer Ameena Hussein (Asia), British-Canadian creator Katrina Greatest (Canada and Europe), Saint Lucian poet and novelist Mac Donald Dixon (Caribbean), and New Zealand’s former Poet Laureate, Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh (Pacific). [. . .]
The 2023 shortlist in full:
AFRICA
‘Worth Tags’ by Buke Abduba (Kenya)
‘Punching Strains’ by Josiah Mbote (Kenya)
‘Arboretum’ by H. B. Asari (Nigeria)
‘Mama Blue’ by Michael Boyd (South Africa)
‘The Undertaker’s Apprentice’ by Hana Gammon (South Africa)
‘Falling from a knife tree’ by Matshediso Radebe (South Africa)
ASIA
‘Deficiency Discover’ by Arman Chowdhury (Bangladesh)
‘A Groom Like Shahrukh’ by Vidhan Verma (India)
‘Relative Distance’ by Shih-Li Kow (Malaysia)
‘Khicheenk!’ by Usama Lali (Pakistan)
‘Oceans Away From My Homeland’ by Agnes Chew (Singapore)
‘Ideas of Accounting’ by Rukshani Weerasooriya Wijemanne (Sri Lanka)
CANADA AND EUROPE
‘Misplaced Boys’ by Trevor Corkum (Canada)
‘So Lengthy, Gregor’ by Mehdi M. Kashani (Canada)
‘The Fisherwoman’by Eva Koursoumba (Cyprus) translated from Greek by Lina Protopapa
‘Lech, Prince, and the Good Issues’ by Rue Baldry (UK)
‘Crossing Lake Abaya’ by Gail Davey (UK)
‘As a result of You Drowned’ by Jay McKenzie (UK)
CARIBBEAN
‘The Ovelias at Benzie Hill Dump’ by Alexia Tolas (Bahamas)
‘The place The Winds Blow’ by Cosmata Lindie (Guyana)
‘Highway Journey and Fall’ by Demoy Lindo (Jamaica)
‘Ocoee’ by Kwame McPherson (Jamaica)
‘Teef From Teef’ by Deborah Matthews (Trinidad and Tobago)
PACIFIC
‘Sauce’ by Jean Flynn (Australia)
‘Catching Up’ by Janeen Samuel (Australia)
‘Sugartown’ by Emma Sloley (Australia)
‘Kilinochchi’ by Himali McInnes (New Zealand)
‘When this island disappears’ by Dennis Kikira (Papua New Guinea)
Creator images, biographies and summaries can be found for obtain right here: 2023 CSSP Press – Dropbox
For extra on the CSSP, see https://commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/
For extra data, see commonwealthfoundation.com