Meet the Longlist
Announcing the Longlist for the 2026 Afritondo Short Story Prize
Afritondo is delighted to announce the longlist for the 2026 Afritondo Short Story Prize.
This year's theme, transition, inspired an extraordinary response, over 760 stories from writers across more than 40 countries worldwide, and we are truly grateful to all the writers who trusted us with their work.
After careful consideration by our judges, the following writers have been selected for the 2026 longlist.
We congratulate each of them on this achievement and thank every writer who submitted a story.
The 2026 Afritondo Short Story Prize Longlist
Caiphus Mmino Mangenela When Heaven Went Quiet (Botswana)
Ekenedirichukwu Alita Ozoemekwanam (Nigeria)
Kerlly Telebwe A Return to the Land of the Living (Zambia)
Jeffrey Ehijie The Shape of a Life After Tenderness (Nigeria)
June Ndurumo Let Them Build (Kenya)
Quinton Manning The Rust Man (South Africa)
Joe Ruzvidzo The Hollow Hill (Zimbabwe/Switzerland)
Owen Habel Lwanda The Sun of God (Kenya)
Joe Lyimo Things We Don’t Say At The Border (Tanzania/Austria)
Lynette Sifiso Between Living and Gone (United States/ Zimbabwe)
Baone Peace Moalosi Between Seasons: On Growth After Growth (Botswana)
Wame Molefhe You Brought Rain (Botswana)
Stephen Langtry The Horn (South Africa)
Adesomola Adedayo Rain (Nigeria)
Mali Kambandu Not My Mother’s Kitchen (Zambia)
The longlisted stories reflect the range and depth of contemporary Black and African writing—from intimate explorations of personal change to bold, expansive narratives of community, migration, memory, and becoming.
Our judges will now move into the next stage of deliberation. The shortlist will be announced in the coming weeks, with the overall winner of the 2026 Afritondo Short Story Prize to follow.
For updates on the prize, follow Afritondo on our social channels and visit our website regularly.
