Regional and Overall Literary Award Winners (2012–2026)

Regional and Overall Literary Award Winners (2012–2026)

Celebrating global storytelling, this prestigious collection of awards recognizes exceptional literary talent across five distinct geographic regions. By highlighting voices from Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, these awards showcase the diversity of the human experience through the art of the short story.

The competition identifies regional winners who embody the highest standards of narrative craft, often serving as a springboard for authors to gain international recognition. From the shores of Fiji to the cities of Nigeria and the landscapes of Canada, the winning entries reflect a wide array of cultural perspectives and linguistic richness.

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Key Facts

  • Coverage: The awards span five regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and Pacific.
  • Timeline: The recorded winners range from 2012 through 2026.
  • Global Reach: Winning authors hail from diverse nations including Nigeria, India, United Kingdom, Jamaica, New Zealand, and beyond.
  • Consistency: The competition maintains a steady cadence of annual regional recognition.

Detailed Record of Winners

The following table provides a comprehensive overview of the authors and titles that have achieved regional success over the last decade and a half.

Summary of Regional Literary Winners by Year
Year Region Author Title Country
2012AfricaJekwu Anyaegbuna"Morrison Okoli (1955–2010)"Nigeria
2012AsiaAnushka Jasraj"Radio Story"India
2012Canada and EuropeAndrea Mullaney"The Ghost Marriage"United Kingdom
2012CaribbeanDiana McCaulay"The Dolphin Catcher"Jamaica
2012PacificEmma Martin"Two Girls in a Boat"New Zealand
2013AfricaJulian Jackson"The New Customers"South Africa
2013AsiaMichael Mendis"The Sarong-Man in the Old House, and an Incubus for a Rainy Night"Sri Lanka
2013Canada and EuropeEliza Robertson"We Walked on Water"Canada
2013CaribbeanSharon Millar"The Whale House"Trinidad and Tobago
2013PacificZoë Meager"Things with Faces"New Zealand
2014AfricaJennifer Nansubuga Makumbi"Let's Tell This Story Properly"Uganda
2014AsiaSara Adam Ang"A Day in the Death"Singapore
2014Canada and EuropeLucy Caldwell"Killing Time"United Kingdom
2014CaribbeanMaggie Harris"Sending for Chantal"Guyana
2014PacificLucy Treloar"The Dog and the Sea"Australia
2015AfricaLesley Nneka Arimah"Light"Nigeria
2015AsiaSiddhartha Gigoo"The Umbrella Man"India
2015Canada and EuropeJonathan Tel"The Human Phonograph"United Kingdom
2015CaribbeanKevin Jared Hosein"The King of Settlement 4"Trinidad and Tobago
2015PacificMary Rokonadravu"Famished Eels"Fiji
2016AfricaFaraaz Mahomed"The Pigeon"South Africa
2016AsiaParashar Kulkarni"Cow and Company"India
2016Canada and EuropeStephanie Seddon"Eel"United Kingdom
2016CaribbeanLance Dowrich"Ethelbert and the Free Cheese"Trinidad and Tobago
2016PacificTina Makereti"Black Milk"New Zealand
2017AfricaAkwaeke Emezi"Who Is Like God"Nigeria
2017AsiaAnushka Jasraj"Drawing Lessons"India
2017Canada and EuropeTracy Fells"The Naming of Moths"United Kingdom
2017CaribbeanIngrid Persaud"The Sweet Sop"Trinidad and Tobago
2017PacificNat Newman"The Death of Margaret Roe"Australia
2018AfricaEfua Traoré"True Happiness"Nigeria
2018AsiaSagnik Datta"The Divine Pregnancy of a Twelve-Year-Old Girl"India
2018Canada and EuropeLynda Clark"Ghillie's Mum"United Kingdom
2018CaribbeanKevin Jared Hosein"Passage"Trinidad and Tobago
2018PacificJenny Bennett-Tuionetoa"Matalasi"Samoa
2019AfricaMbozi Haimbe"Madam’s Sister"Zambia
2019AsiaSaras Manickam"My Mother Pattu"Malaysia
2019Canada and EuropeConstantia Soteriou"Death Customs"Cyprus
2019CaribbeanAlexia Tolas"Granma's Porch"Bahamas
2019PacificHarley Hern"Screaming"New Zealand
2020AfricaInnocent Chizaram Ilo"When a Woman Renounces Motherhood"Nigeria
2020AsiaKritika Pandey"The Great Indian Tee and Snakes"India
2020Canada and EuropeReyah Martin"Wherever Mister Jensen Went"United Kingdom
2020CaribbeanBrian S. Heap"Mafootoo"Jamaica
2020PacificAndrea E. Macleod"The Art of Waving"Australia
2021AfricaRémy Ngamije"Granddaughter of the Octopus"Namibia
2021AsiaKanya D'Almeida"I Cleaned The"Sri Lanka
2021Canada and EuropeCarol Farrelly"Turnstones"United Kingdom
2021CaribbeanRoland Watson-Grant"The Disappearance of Mumma Del"Jamaica
2021PacificKaterina Gibson"Fertile Soil"Australia
2022AfricaNtsika Kota"and the earth drank deep"Eswatini
2022AsiaSofia Mariah Ma"The Last Diver on Earth"Singapore
2022Canada and EuropeCecil Browne"A Hat for Lemer"UK/St Vincent and the Grenadines
2022CaribbeanDiana McCaulay"Bridge over the Yallahs River"Jamaica
2022PacificMary Rokonadravu"The Nightwatch"Fiji
2023AfricaHana Gammon"The Undertaker’s Apprentice"South Africa
2023AsiaAgnes Chew"Oceans Away from My Homeland"Singapore
2023Canada and EuropeRue Baldry"Lech, Prince, and the Nice Things"United Kingdom
2023CaribbeanKwame McPherson"Ocoee"Jamaica
2023PacificHimali McInnes"Kilinochchi"New Zealand
2024AfricaReena Usha Rungoo"Dite"Mauritius
2024AsiaSanjana Thakur"Aishwarya Rai"India
2024Canada and EuropeJulie Bouchard"What Burns"Canada
2024CaribbeanPortia Subran"The Devil's Son"Trinidad and Tobago
2024PacificPip Robertson"A River Then the Road"Aotearoa New Zealand
2025AfricaJoshua Lubwama"Mothers Not Appearing in Search"Uganda
2025AsiaFaria Basher"An Eye and a Leg"Bangladesh
2025Canada and EuropeChanel Sutherland"Descend"Canada
2025CaribbeanSubraj Singh"Margot's Run"Guyana
2025PacificKathleen Ridgwell"Crab Sticks and Lobster Rolls"Australia
2026AfricaLisa-Anne Julien"Me and Ma'am"South Africa
2026AsiaSharon Aruparayil"Mehendi Nights"India
2026Canada and EuropeJohn Edward DeMicoli"The Bastion's Shadow"Malta
2026CaribbeanJamir Nazir"The Serpent in the Grove"Trinidad and Tobago
2026PacificHolly Ann Miller"Second Skin"New Zealand

Frequently Asked Questions

Which regions are included in the awards?

The awards are divided into five geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

Have any authors won more than once?

Yes, some authors have achieved multiple wins. For example, Anushka Jasraj won in Asia in both 2012 and 2017, and Diana McCaulay won in the Caribbean in 2012 and 2022.

What countries are represented in the winners list?

The list includes a vast array of countries, such as Nigeria, India, United Kingdom, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Singapore, Guyana, Australia, Fiji, Samoa, Zambia, Malaysia, Cyprus, Bahamas, Namibia, Eswatini, Mauritius, Bangladesh, and Malta.

Are there joint winners in the history of the awards?

Yes, the 2013 awards are specifically noted as having joint winners across the regions.

Which country has a strong presence in the Canada and Europe region?

The United Kingdom appears frequently as a winning country within the Canada and Europe regional category.

References

  1. "About". Commonwealth Writers. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  2. Foundation, Commonwealth (23 January 2023). "Introducing Commonwealth Foundation Creatives". Commonwealth Foundation. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  3. "Cassava Republic Press — Commonwealth prizes get face-lift for 25th year". Cassavarepublic.biz. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. Tanya Batson-Savage (15 August 2013). "Commonwealth Writers Snuffs the Book Prize: Focus on Commonwealth Short Story Prize". Susumba. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  5. Klee, Miles (19 May 2026). "Literary Prizewinners Are Facing AI Allegations. It Feels Like the New Normal". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 20 May 2026.