By Ngozi Onyeakusi—In a matter of a few days,   the Commonwealth Foundation will announce the winner of the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize to a live online audience across the world.
A statement by the organisers says its panel of judges have shortlisted five regional winners from Eswatini, Fiji, Jamaica, Singapore and United Kingdom / St Vincent and the Grenadines. However, only one writer will win the global prize.
Date is Tuesday 21 June and the time is; 7 am Kingston / 1 pm London / 2 pm Mbabane / 8 pm Singapore / 12 am (+1) Suva.
According to the prize’s Chair of Judges, Guyanese writer Fred D’Aguiar: “If a reader harboured any doubt about whether fiction is relevant to today’s world, these stories answer with a riposte that resonates beyond a resounding ‘yes.’.. These stories fulfill a higher function.”
This is true for the thousands of writers who entered into the 2022 prize competition amidst a global pandemic.
Below is the list of winners:
Africa – Eswatini: Ntsika Kota, ‘and the earth drank deep’
Born in Mbabane, Eswatini, Ntsika Kota is a chemist by training and self-taught writer. ‘Being shortlisted was a shock of its own, but winning the regional prize as a rank amateur… even I would never write such an improbable storyline!’
Asia – Singapore: Sofia Mariah Ma, ‘The Last Diver on Earth’
Sofia Mariah Ma is a writer born and raised in Singapore with Javanese origins. ‘Coming from a small island-nation, it is a great honour to have my story chosen to speak on behalf of the stunningly diverse, polyphonic Asian region.’
Canada & Europe – United Kingdom: Cecil Browne, ‘A Hat for Lemer’
A college lecturer in Maths, Cecil Browne was born in St Vincent and the Grenadines, but has lived in the UK since his teens. ‘Knowing that my entry was shortlisted was a really fabulous feeling, discovering that I was the regional winner has filled me with joy.’