Four Nigerian writers have been shortlisted for the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards administered by the Commonwealth Foundation.
The organisers announced a shortlist of 25 writers from 14 countries, selected from 7,806 entries across 54 Commonwealth countries. Five regional winners will be revealed on May 13, while the overall winner will be announced in June.
The Nigerian writers on the list are Hussani Abdulrahim for Arewa Girls, Oluwatoke Adejoye for New Things, Dawn Immanuel for The God under the Bed and Ola W. Halim for Shock Me I Shock You. All four are in their early thirties.
Hussani, 31, is based in Kano and has previously been shortlisted for the 2024 ALCS Tom Gallon Trust Award. He won the 2023 Writivism Prize and the 2022 Toyin Falola Prize. His work has appeared in several international journals.
Dawn, also 31, is a writer and editor from Ibadan. The God under the Bed is her debut short story. She is the founder of Patchwork Quilt, a book production studio.
Ola, 30, from Ekpoma, was previously shortlisted for the prize in 2021. His work has appeared in publications such as SmokeLong Quarterly and Fractured Lit, and he has received nominations for the Pushcart Prize and the Caine Prize.
Oluwatoke, 31, is a Nigerian born writer based in Canada. A lawyer by training, she holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and has been published in several literary magazines.
Seven writers from Africa made the shortlist this year.
The prize is awarded annually for the best unpublished short fiction from writers in Commonwealth countries. Entries are judged regionally before an overall winner is selected. Regional winners receive £2,500, while the overall winner receives £5,000. Winning stories are published online and in a print collection.
Organisers said fewer than 200 entries reached the final stages of judging this year, reflecting the scale and competitiveness of the prize.
