Two Kenyans were among 28 shortlisted authors selected on Tuesday, April, 4 from over 6,600 submissions by the International Judging Panel.
The 28 writers were shortlisted for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Regional winners each receive Ksh 414,063 while the overall winner gets Ksh828,126.
Buke Abduba and Josiah Mbote were among the 28 authors who were congratulated by the Commonwealth Foundation after the list was unveiled.
Buke Abduba is the author of Price tags, a story that highlights the plight of a young girl who pays the price in pursuit of a better life.
Buke Abduba is a writer who is a professional banker and accountant.
"Being shortlisted for the prize is an absolute honour, writing in any form is what I hold very dearly to my heart and to receive recognition for it is absolutely incredible," commented Buke.
Josiah Mbote is a freelance writer, studying Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Nairobi.
He is the author of Punching Lines, a story that highlights the character of a failure who introspectively evaluates his state of failure and the concept of failure in totality.
Shortlisted writers are 10 men and 18 women whose ages range from 20 to 74 years.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is considered the world's most global literature award. It is awarded annually for the best unpublished short fiction from any of the 56 Commonwealth Member States.
Shortlisted short stories to be published in the Commonwealth Foundation's online magazine which features new writings from all over the world.
"On behalf of the Jury, I'm thrilled to reveal the shortlist for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. This year's shortlist is a concert of voices from across the Commonwealth, showcasing the richness of its writing traditions, histories, and perspectives," announced chair of Judges Bilal Tanweer.
The Jury comprises 5 Judges, each representing 5 regions of the Commonwealth: Africa, Asia, Carribean, Canada and Europe, and Pacific.
"These stories perform the essential function of the best fiction: they make us see what we couldn't see, awaken our sympathies for people we didn't know, and bring us closer to the world we already inhabit," the Chair of Judges Bilal Tanweer explained.
Apart from English, stories for the competition can be submitted in Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish.
The 2023 regional winners will be announced on May, 17. The overall winner will be announced in an online ceremony on June, 27.
