Amplifying African writers and their stories
THE FOREMOST PRIZE FOR THE AFRICAN SHORT STORY
The Caine Prize for African Writing is the foremost international literary prize for a short story by an African author.
INTRODUCING THE PRIZE
A home for African writers and the best African short stories.
For more than two decades the Caine Prize has discovered and championed writers from across the continent and its diaspora — bringing bold, original short stories to readers around the world, and opening doors that last a lifetime.
A statement from the Caine Prize for African Writing in response to Vauhini Vara’s article Yet another literary Prize winner seems to be AI
On Tuesday 6 October in London, Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza was announced as the 2026 Caine Prize winner.
Today, 11 October, an article by journalist Vauhini Vara suggests that the winning story The Blue Fighter may have used AI.
When claims such as this are made, it is our responsibility to look into them. We aim to do this by taking a human centred approach ensuring that writers are supported and cared for during the process. We have initiated that process in this case.
The Caine Prize celebrates stories that have already been published elsewhere. We are therefore in a bond of trust with the magazines and journals that publish the initial work. This connection also makes our work more than the simple work of a prize, but a key part of an ecosystem that validates and supports the publishing of work by African writers. We are mindful of this and will continue the mission of communally upholding and celebrating African literature.
As things unfold, please be assured that we will share updates on this page. For press enquiries please email press@caineprize.com, for general public enquiries please use info@caineprize.com