2026 Afritondo Short Story Prize
The Afritondo Short Story Prize celebrates outstanding fiction from Black and African writers worldwide.
Each year, the prize invites entries that creatively address a chosen theme, showcasing fresh perspectives and imaginative storytelling.
Theme
This year’s theme is “transition”.
Synonyms include transformation, change, alteration, metamorphosis, adaptation, transfiguration, mutation, evolution, passage, movement.
A woman gives birth to her first child. A young, impressionable boy comes of age. A community bands together after the mysterious death of their beloved king. Far and wide, humans have become accustomed to this essential aspect of our existence. Yet, many people wrestle with it. Familiarity, after all, breeds comfort.
What happens when a place, a system, a people are in the process of becoming, or become something else? How much change is too much? When does transitioning become unbearable, unpardonable? And how do people respond to it? What do people learn from it?
We’re always looking for stories that surprise us, that take risks with imagination and language. An ideal story for our prize will offer a unique interpretation of the theme, reveal something sly, something unexpected about the human condition, and leave us gasping days after we’ve put the story away.
Judges
The 2026 short story prize will be judged by Pete Kalu, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, and Fayssal Bensalah.
Terms and Guidelines
The Afritondo Short Story Prize is open to Black and African writers worldwide. Stories must be written in English and between 3,000 to 5,000 words.
The deadline for the 2025 Prize is 23 December 2025.
Please click on the link below for full terms and guidelines.