Jumbie Pond
Conrad came tearing into his mother’s kitchen like hell hounds were chasing him. Took up refuge behind Maude. Which wasn’t…
2025
This collection contains shortlisted stories from the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The shortlist was selected after 7,920 writers entered stories.
All stories
Nuala Nu
She sits at the back of the class, flanked by empty desks. What would it be like to have a…
Mrs Gaonkar’s Girls
We all love to drink chai, but not the same kind and not the same amount. For instance, Auntie can’t…
The Mothers
This work of fiction includes graphic depictions of sexual violence that some readers may find distressing. When the mothers…
Pomp and Circumstance
The mountains frowned down, blue as her mood, as Mrs Hamilton and her husband drove through the gates of the…
We’ll Meet Again
Matiu put his foot down. ‘What about the people?’ pleaded Kana. She was talking about their people, playing on her…
The Crossing
By the time I see the lights of the guard post, it feels like night is already coming. The last…
The Dot
They say a butterfly flapping its wings can cause hurricanes on the other side of the world. The butterfly effect.…
Threads of Truth
Yuki’s tired fingers threaded the needle with the precision of a surgeon and the reverence of a priest. This request…
The Drum and the Bell
‘This one’s going to be tricky’, Madame Fu says to him, referring to the girl in a coat that’s too…
Le soleil n’est pas encore mort
The sun isn’t dead yet
Translated from French to English by Edwige Renée Dro
The Pale Blue Dot
When Emma looks down over the city, she can see the flashing red lights of fire engines moving through the…
Redeye Cat
Mum made us wash our feet in pee. She called us from our room — just the siblings. We descended,…
The Flute Player
Finally, the pain in my back eased. I dropped my pack, sank to the ground and leaned against a tree.…
Tamarind
Two people dominated our lives, and I hadn’t met either of them: my father, who deserted my mother barely a…