African Writer Magazine

@ikhide Oga Nnamdi, when are we getting all the books you've been teasing for decades? It's not fair o!

My village has streets. We don’t know their names. Well, the little path that goes from my father’s house to my mother’s hamlet is called the little path. Ukpofan. It loses meaning in English, many things get lost in easy translation. My grandpa is buried by the path half way to my mother’s people. Well, you could say he is no longer buried; someone built a big house over my grandpa’s bones. My village did not name her streets because she saw the coming of e-mail addresses, Twitter and Facebook. I come from a village of seers. We see the future, someone else makes billions from our vision. Na so life be.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize takes the allegations of AI use in the 2026 Prize seriously. Looking ahead, we are committed to reviewing our processes to better consider the rapidly evolving risk of AI. We recognise the upset felt by our community, and reiterate our support for all of our writers, alumni, judges and partners. Read our full statement: bit.ly/4tQZsNM

Papa filled spaces the way an electric bulb lit up a room. When he was around, we would all be so utterly subsumed in the euphoria of his warming glow, that we’d forget the possibility of even a single moment without him... Victor Asogwa | Burning Sky africanwriter.com/victor-asogwa-…

...from kitchen to room to kitchen, flirting with the knife giving a life/ and taking it back, until the August wind rises blows the knife off the sill and into you. Rachael Aiyke | For Jude… africanwriter.com/rachael-aiyke-…

Na man wey don win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Yankee… A man wey big pass, wey don teach kings… A famous man… And, most importantly, a man wey no go let you forget am. ‘Shèun and Bebe Ominira-Bluejack | Prof africanwriter.com/sheun-and-bebe…

I don’t remember when I first met Mrs. Aluko. I don’t remember much from the affair, honestly. All those experiences melted together under the heat of my youth... Tosin Balogun | Ripples, Golden africanwriter.com/tosin-balogun-…

‘Me and Ma’am’ by Lisa-Anne Julien is a day-in-the-life story about the tangled relationship between a domestic worker and her employer. Selected as the Africa regional winner for its rich balance of humour, introspection and humanity, the story offers a nuanced exploration of class, care and solidarity in contemporary South Africa. The story has been published on Granta: granta.com/me-and-maam/

Tourist, your shoebox of toys turns into hours of silence A white bunny on a shelf You read the ingredients on the back of the petroleum jelly label You wipe a sea of brown sticky fingers on my dress... Abigail George | Livestock africanwriter.com/abigail-george…

Last Friday, I touched an athlete’s Olympic gold medal for the first time in my life in Lagos. Let me be honest… I checked it twice to be sure nobody would shout “please drop it” 😅 But in that moment, it hit me—winning isn’t loud. It’s heavy. Literally. You could feel the years in it. The early mornings. The “one more try.” The days nobody clapped. Funny thing is, from afar, gold looks shiny and simple. Up close? It feels like sacrifice wrapped in metal. And somehow, holding it made everything clearer: Winning isn’t just about crossing the line… it’s about who you become while chasing it. Still smiling about it. Still thinking too. #winnermindset #Goldmedal #Olympic

The moment he realized I had the wrong number, he had made a joke. A dry one, poorly timed, yet seconds later, it had been unexpectedly hilarious. I laughed so hard my stomach folded in on itself... Carolyn W. Gatonye | Ten Digits and a Lifetime africanwriter.com/carolyn-w-gato…

He was a man of umunthu, a person who understood that a human is a human through other humans. Yet, today he walked alone toward a place where humanity was stripped like bark from a tree... Khosa J.K. Chambalo | Groaning of Prisoners africanwriter.com/khosa-j-k-cham…

"I’ve always viewed the short story as a gambit of premise and outcome. A thing happens and then the story is in what happens after the thing happens..." Jesutomisin Ipinmoye: Dreaming Outwards africanwriter.com/jesutomisin-ip… via @AfWriterMag

Tonight we analyse the work of @CMushomoro where he demystifies the hypocrisy of most African funerals. Kilonzo gives a raw tribute to a petty thief murdered by a mob, reminding everyone about the failures of the departed. #AWarmPlaceBelowTheSurface courtesy @AfWriterMag

In modern day Britain, the Akòtó takes on a different type of protection... It stands as armour shaped by centuries of culture to make the wearer appear non-threatening... Nailah Mahomed | The Helmets We Wear In Contemporary Britain africanwriter.com/nailah-mahomed…

Issue 25 submissions window opens May 1st to 31st, 2026. We are open to entries across all genres: poetry, fiction, essays, one-acts, cultural profiles, art, & photography. Guest editor (poetry): Loic Ekinga (@1stLoicYouKnow) Click on the link in bio for full guidelines.

I acknowledge that my journey from here to wherever there is is a long and winding one. With any luck, that fact will prove to be part of the fun of getting there once I do... ‘Shèun Ominira-Bluejack | Juvenilia africanwriter.com/sheun-ominira-…

All I wanted was to say ‘water’ in seven tongues seven silver rivers. and hear seven rivers answer... Elkis | Unsubtitled africanwriter.com/elkis-unsubtit…

It’s such a shame the driver sped away. They swear those who witnessed it... The old man’s face shined till the end. @madhukutalent Talent Madhuku | Hit and Run africanwriter.com/talent-madhuku…

We are thrilled to announce the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist. The international panel of judges has selected 25 writers from a pool of 7,806 entrants. Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation, Razmi Farook, said: ‘Congratulations to all the shortlisted writers. Each year, the Prize becomes more competitive, and this year’s shortlist reflects the remarkable creativity found across our Commonwealth. Storytelling continues to play a vital role, offering space for voices and perspectives that help us better understand one another and imagine a more hopeful, inclusive future.’  The full shortlist is listed below. Follow @cwfcreatives for detailed coverage of the prize. Africa region: Lois Akoma Antwi (Ghana) Ken Odak Odumbe (Kenya) Dawn Immanuel (Nigeria) Hussani Abdulrahim (Nigeria) Ola W. Halim (Nigeria) Oluwatoke Adejoye (Nigeria) Lisa-Anne Julien (South Africa) Asia region: Anmana Manishita (Bangladesh) Shazed Ul Hoq Abir (Bangladesh) Rafaa Dalvi (India) Rupsa Dey (India) Sharon Aruparayil (India) Mohamed Nasser Mohamed (Malaysia) Jacqueline Chang (Singapore) Canada and Europe region: John Edward DeMicoli (Malta) Alison Armstrong (UK) Jennifer Harvey (UK) Caribbean region: Cosmata Lindie (Guyana) Celeste Mohammed (Trinidad and Tobago) Jamir Nazir (Trinidad and Tobago) Jason Dookeran (Trinidad and Tobago) Jochelle Greaves Siew (Trinidad and Tobago) Roger-Mark De Souza (Trinidad and Tobago) Pacific region: M.S. Bhatia (Australia) Holly Ann Miller (New Zealand) Learn more about the writers: commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-pr…

If there’s anything the internet excels at, it’s manufacturing and disseminating rage... Marina McPhail | Hermit Crab, Pigeon, Rodent africanwriter.com/marina-mcphail…