shortlist for the 2025 afritondo short story prize
We are pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2025 Afritondo Short Story Prize.
This year’s shortlist features five exceptional writers of Nigerian, Zimbabwean, South African and Ghanian heritage, whose stories showcase the extraordinary talent and diversity of African literature today.
These stories were selected from an initial longlist of fifteen, each of which responded to the theme of “masks” with originality, depth, and emotional resonance.
Our judges—Rémy Ngamije, Ama Asantewa Diaka, and Umar Turaki—were deeply impressed by the quality and range of the submissions. In their words:
“The stories on this year's shortlist display an exceptional mastery of language and craft—there is no doubt that African storytelling is a fully-fledged discipline with nuance and style.
The writers whose short stories have been curated here display not only the present and healthy state of creative writing from Africa and its diaspora but also hint at its future as the gateway to exploring world-shaping things like migration and movement, family and belonging, the mystic and the unknown, and the possibilities of connection and redemption.”
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the shortlisted writers and thank all who submitted their work. The winner of the 2025 Afritondo Short Story Prize will be announced on May 9, 2025. All longlisted stories will be published in our forthcoming anthology, ensuring these powerful voices reach a wider audience.
2025 Afritondo Short Story Prize Shortlist
Efua Boadu The Twenty-Eighth Day (Ghana / United Kingdom)
Mustapha Enesi Mrs Coker and the Headless Masquerade (Nigeria)
Emelda Nyaradzai Gwitimah Bible Blues (Zimbabwe / Canada)
Gift Nyoni Heat (Zimbabwe / United Kingdom)
Zoe Ngombane To my right, the ocean, to my left, the hills (South Africa)
Congratulations once again to our outstanding shortlist!