2025 afritondo short story prize Longlist

We are excited to announce the longlist for the 2025 Afritondo Short Story Prize. Our judges chose the longlist of fifteen stories from a pool of over 500 stories from 34 countries.

We thank all the writers who submitted their stories to the Prize and our team of readers and judges who had the difficult task of selecting the longlist.

Speaking on the longlist, Rémy Ngamije said: “Showcasing the diversity of writers propelling the continued magic of African storytelling, this year’s longlist is an eclectic collection of tales of home, hope, memory, loss, and discovery told in a dizzying array of styles and voices.”

“Africa and its rich diaspora abound with talent, wit, heart, and magnetic stories that will engage the curious reader,” he added.

Congratulations to these writers whose stories made it to the 2025 Afritondo Short Story Prize longlist:

1. Efua Boadu The Twenty-Eighth Day (United Kingdom / Ghana)

2. Rigwell Addison Asiedu The Masque of Transfiguration (Ghana)

3. Olivia Adekola Seasons (Nigeria / United States)

4. Ekpenyong Kosisochukwu The Country of Moths (Nigeria)

5. Emelda Nyaradzai Gwitimah Bible Blues (Zimbabwe / Canada)

6. Jen Thorpe Waiting for a Sign (South Africa)

7. Olufunmilayo Makinde Elect (Nigeria)

8. Baaba Tekyi-Mensah This is how to stay alive (Ghana)

9. Anisha Namutowe The Weight of a Legacy (Zambia)

10. Yvonne Zabu Wamara Pineapple (Uganda)

11. Nzube Nlebedim The Coy Smile of Birds (Nigeria)

12. Mustapha Enesi Mrs Coker and the Headless Masquerade (Nigeria)

13. Gift Nyoni Heat (Zimbabwe / United Kingdom)

14. Hussani Abdurahim Spider Girl (Nigeria)

15. Zoe Ngombane To my right, the ocean, to my left, the hills (South Africa)

The shortlist will be announced on April 18, and the winner will be announced on May 9.

The longlisted stories will be published in an anthology later this year. More details to come soon.

Congratulations again to the writers! Their author profiles can be found here.

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