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Last Updated: Apr 7, 2017 - 11:58:14 PM |
Twenty-one outstanding stories have been selected by an international judging panel out of almost 6000 entries from 49 Commonwealth countries. This was a record number of submissions, an increase of almost fifty percent from 2016. Now in its sixth year the Prize is for the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English.
Chair of the judges, novelist Kamila Shamsie, said of this year’s shortlist:
“The extraordinary ability of the short story to plunge you into places, perspectives and emotions and inhabit them fully in the space of only a few pages is on dazzling display in this shortlist. The judges weren't looking for particular themes or styles, but rather for stories that live and breathe. That they do so with such an impressive range of subject matter and tone has been aparticular pleasure of re-reading the shortlisted stories. The geographic spread of the entries is, of course, in good part responsible for this range - all credit to Commonwealth Writers for structuring this prize so that its shortlists never seem parochial.”
2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize Shortlist:
‘An Enquiry into Morality’, Tom Vowler (UK)
‘By Way of a Life Plot’, Kelechi Njoku (Nigeria)
‘Close to Home’, Jinny Koh (Singapore)
‘Cursing Mrs Murphy’, Roland Watson-Grant (Jamaica)
‘Drawing Lessons’, Anushka Jasraj (India)
‘Echolocation’, Sarah Jackson (UK)
‘Gauloises Blue’, Ruth Lacey (Australia)
‘Gypsy in the Moonlight’, Caroline Gill (Canada)
‘Harbour’, Chloe Wilson (Australia)
‘Hot Pot’, Jasmine Sealy (Canada)
‘Immunity’, Damon Chua (Singapore)
‘Nagmaal’, Diane Awerbuck (South Africa)
‘Numb’, Myfanwy McDonald (Australia)
‘Shopping’, Jon Lewis-Katz (Trinidad and Tobago)
‘Swimmer of Yangtze’, Yiming Ma (Canada)
‘The Brief, Insignificant History of Peter Abraham Stanhope’,
Mary Rokonadravu (Fiji)
‘The Death of Margaret Roe’, Nat Newman (Australia)
‘The Dying Wish’, Caroline Mackenzie (Trinidad and Tobago)
‘The Naming of Moths’, Tracy Fells (UK)
‘The Sweet Sop’, Ingrid Persaud (Trinidad and Tobago)
‘Who is Like God’, Akwaeke Emezi (Nigeria)
For author biographies and extracts from the stories, please visit:
www.commonwealthwriters.org/2017-cssp-shortlist
The Prize is judged by an international panel of writers, representing each of the five regions of the Commonwealth. The 2017 judges are Zukiswa Wanner (Africa), Mahesh Rao (Asia), Jacqueline Baker (Canada and Europe), Jacob Ross (Caribbean) and Vilsoni Hereniko (Pacific).
The overall winner will be announced in Singapore on 30 June 2017.
This year’s Prize is supported by the Jan Michalski Foundation.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is part of Commonwealth Writers, the cultural programme of the Commonwealth Foundation. It is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2000-5000 words). Regional winners receive £2,500 and the Overall Winner receives £5,000. Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible. Translators receive additional prize money.
Commonwealth Writers develops and connects writers across the world. It believes that well-told stories can help people make sense of events, engage with others, and take action to bring about change. Responsive and proactive, it is committed to tackling the challenges faced by writers in different regions and working with local and international partners to identify and deliver projects. Its activities take place in Commonwealth countries, but its community is global.
Commonwealth Foundation is a development organisation with an international remit and reach, uniquely situated at the interface between government and civil society. It develops the capacity of civil society to act together and learn from each other to engage with the institutions that shape people’s lives. It strives for more effective, responsive and accountable governance with civil society participation, which contributes to improved development outcomes. www.commonwealthfoundation.com
The Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature was created in 2004 in Montricher at the foot of the Jura Mountains in Switzerland. Vera Michalski-Hoffmann opened the foundation in her husband’s memory to perpetuate their common commitment to those who devote themselves to the written word.The mission of the Jan Michalski Foundation is to foster literary creation and encourage the practice of reading through a range of initiatives and activities.
© Copyright 2017 by thebahamasweekly.com
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