Meet the shortlisted writers

[Commonwealth Short Story Prize]

A reminder of the remarkable creative talent found across the Commonwealth.

Hello Stu,   The 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist is here!   An international panel of judges has selected 25 writers from 7,806 entries. Congratulations to all those shortlisted. This year’s shortlist spans 14 Commonwealth countries, with a writer from Malta appearing for the first time. The shortlist also features stories written in Bengali and Malay. With all but three writers featuring on the shortlist for the first time, it’s a reminder of the depths of remarkable creative talent found across the Commonwealth. Meet the shortlist The shortlist explores themes from family, love and relationships to migration, natural disasters, and the human cost of war. The stories will be published later this year on adda, our online literary magazine.   Which are you most excited to read?   This announcement marks the end of this judging phase. Thank you once again to everyone who invested their time and effort in entering a story. This year was highly competitive, and we want to pay special tribute to the 200 longlisted entrants. For the first time, we have published their names and story titles on our website.   On 13 May, five regional winners will be selected from the shortlist. Then we'll announce the overall winner in late June.   With kind regards, Short Story Prize team The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is a cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation.   The Foundation's mission is to elevate the voices of the people of the Commonwealth so they can shape the world around them. We believe in the transformative power of creative expression to provoke debate and move people to act on the important issues of our time—and that's why we invest in platforms like the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.   You can find out more about the Commonwealth Foundation here. Commonwealth Foundation Marlborough House, Pall Mall,  London SW1Y 5HY, United Kingdom   T +44 (0)20 7930 3783 E crea...@commonwealthfoundation.com   www.commonwealthfoundation.com

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