Stories Without Borders: Meet the Commonwealth Short Story Prize Team
May 19 @ 18 h 00 min - 19 h 00 min
We are delighted to welcome representatives of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for a conversation about the Prize, its history, the 2026 shortlist, and wider discussions around the state of the contemporary short story. The speakers include Razmi Farook (Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation) and Emma D’Costa (Consultant to the Foundation) who managed the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for many years and remains a valued advisor and consultant for the prize.
The judging process for the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize is underway. The shortlist will be announced in April, the regional winners in May, and the overall winner will be announced during the award ceremony in June 2026. The 2026 judging panel is chaired by award-winning British novelist and dramatist Louise Doughty. Louise’s fellow judges, drawn from the five regions of the Commonwealth, are: South African journalist, author and short story writer Fred Khumalo (Africa); Bangladeshi writer, translator and essayist Rifat Munim (Asia); Padlei Inuk Canadian poet, novelist and scholar Norma Dunning (Canada and Europe); short story writer, novelist and lawyer Sharma Taylor from Jamaica (Caribbean); and poet, illustrator and author Maxine Beneba Clarke from Australia (Pacific).
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is managed by the Commonwealth Foundation, and was set up in 2012 to inspire, develop and connect writers and storytellers across the Commonwealth. The Prize replaced the Commonwealth Short Story Competition (1996-2011).
Please join this online event via Teams: Link TBC.