The regional winners of the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize:

• Lisa-Anne Julien (South Africa, Africa region)
• Sharon Aruparayil (India, Asia region)
• John Edward DeMicoli (Malta, Canada and Europe region)
• Jamir Nazir (Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean region)
• Holly Ann Miller (New Zealand, Pacific region)

All five writers are first-time shortlisted entrants. This year also marks the first time a Maltese writer has won the Canada and Europe regional prize.
The stories transport readers to the chawls of Mumbai, a sheep farm in the Southern Alps of Aotearoa New Zealand, Malta’s ancient bastions, a home in South Africa, and a Trinidadian grove with hidden secrets.

Chair of the Judges Louise Doughty praised the winners for their ‘immense confidence of tone’, adding that each writer leads readers into ‘a world where the characters are utterly believable, the prose assured, and the author has something important to say.’

More info: https://commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/

More info: https://commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/