Championing African short fiction since 2000.
The Caine Prize for African Writing exists to bring African stories to a wider audience, celebrate exceptional short fiction, and support the writers shaping the future of literature.
A literary home for African short fiction.
The Caine Prize is a registered charity committed to celebrating, publishing, and promoting African writing. Each year, our team works with writers, publishers, readers, judges, partners, and supporters to spotlight outstanding short stories by African writers.
Our work reaches beyond the annual prize. Through publishing, events, workshops, partnerships, and long-term advocacy, we help create routes for powerful stories to travel further and be read more widely.
Founded in memory of Sir Michael Caine.
The Prize was established to honour Sir Michael Caine's commitment to African literature and to create a dedicated platform for short fiction by African writers.
Since the first award in 2000, the Caine Prize has helped introduce new voices, amplify established writers, and build a living archive of exceptional short fiction from across the continent and diaspora.
Recognition
Each shortlist places brilliant stories in front of readers, publishers, festivals, and literary communities around the world.
Publication
The annual anthology gathers shortlisted stories and extends the life of the work beyond the prize cycle.
Development
Workshops, conversations, and partnerships help writers continue developing their craft and networks.
More than a prize: a platform, a record, and a route to readers.
Celebrating excellence
We recognise distinctive, ambitious, and memorable short fiction by African writers.
Building visibility
We help stories travel through publication, press, programming, events, and partnerships.
Supporting legacy
We preserve a continuing record of African short fiction and the conversations around it.
Writers, judges, trustees, partners, and readers keep the Prize alive.
Ambitious, generous, and rooted in literary excellence.
We believe African short fiction deserves serious attention, broad readership, and lasting support. Our work is guided by the quality of the writing, the dignity of writers, and the power of stories to widen what readers understand as possible.
Help African short fiction reach its next reader.
Your support helps us publish stories, run programmes, celebrate writers, and keep building an international platform for African literature.