Not only is it perhaps the most exciting and diverse shortlist yet, it is also full of surprises. Writers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia and Uganda are represented.
In an extremely rare occurrence and for the very first time in a really long while, there is no Nigerian or South African (otherwise Caine Prize favourites) on the list. Also worthy of note is the dominant presence of new online journals based on the continent, in particular Lolwe and Doek!, on the list. Interestingly, the editors of both magazines are shortlisted for their short stories published in the other’s magazine.
The 2021 shortlist also include three previously shortlisted writers. Doreen Baingana (Uganda) was twice shortlisted in 2004 and 2005, Meron Hadero (Ethiopia) in 2019, and Remy Ngamije (Namibia) in 2020.
The winner of the £10,000 prize will be announced via a specially curated virtual award in July. Each shortlisted writer will also receive £500.
The judging panel for the 2021 prize, chaired by Ugandan novelist and Founder/Director of the African Writers Trust (AWT) Goretti Kyomuhendo, included Ugandan-born journalist and BBC World News Presenter Razia Iqbal, Nigerian multimedia artist, photographer and writer Victor Ehikhamenor, Zimbabwean-born independent broadcast journalist Georgina Godwin, and Ugandan poet Nick Makoha.
Speaking on the shortlist, the chairman of the judging panel said: “We were looking for literary excellence and great stories. It is clear that the wealth of stories presented to the Prize speak about the African experience from a multitude of perspectives and forms, while often centering the themes of love, loss, identity, hope and afterlife.
“It has been hugely encouraging to see consistently excellent editing throughout the stories put to our judgment, and we have enthusiastically noticed a large number of submissions from homegrown literary journals from the continent this year.
“What comes across vividly in this year’s shortlisted stories, through their impressive craft and intelligent language is their ability to resonate profoundly with the reader. My fellow judges and I were reminded, once again, of the redemptive power of stories. These remarkable five narratives all exemplify, with delicacy and truth, what good fiction is.
“Intermingling politics and humour, brutality and love, loss and hope, each of these stories poignantly convey images of the continent and its diaspora that demand to be read. The true art of African storytelling is manifested in the voices of these five exceptional pieces.”
The 2021 shortlist was gleaned from 153 submissions from 22 African countries via the new online submissions platform this year.
The judges will meet later in June or July to deliberate on a winner.
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