By Musonda Mukuka
Four Zambian writers have been named in the longlist for the prestigious 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Michael Mwanza, Mbozi Haimbe, Mikha Mweetwa and Janet Namfukwe made the list along with fewer than 200 other entries out of a staggering 7806 for this year’s competition. The scale of the entries speaks to the level of competition the four writers have had to rise above to earn a place on the longlist.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is widely regarded as one of the top international writing competitions. Accepting writers of any age from any of the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth. With 5 regional winners receiving ÂŁ2,500 and one overall winner taking home ÂŁ 5,000. Additionally, all winners’ stories are published in the literary magazine Granta – an esteemed publication that has published the work of 27 laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature. For many writers, publication in Granta represents entry into a wider international readership and literary conversation.
The presence of Zambian writers in the later stages of an esteemed competition is an important step in the country’s literary history. Zambian writers have often been overlooked on the global stage for many reasons. The literary industry in the country is still in its infancy and largely disconnected from the wider literary world, with limited access to publishing infrastructure, agents, and international networks. Many Zambian writers are unaware of the global competitions and literary magazines that are an important step in elevating their writing careers, often due to gaps in information-sharing and mentorship.
The ongoing ISBN issues are also responsible for Zambian authors’ decreased visibility in formal markets, making it more difficult for locally published work to circulate internationally. Beyond logistics, there are also questions of access to workshops, residencies, and editorial support that shape how writers develop and position their work globally. Despite these challenges, the increasing presence of Zambian writers on the long and shortlists of international prizes shows that the country’s literary industry is heading in the right direction, suggesting a growing confidence in storytelling, as well as a persistence that continues to push against structural limitations.
Mbozi Haimbe, featured on the year’s longlist, won the African region prize of the competition in 2019 with her short story Madam’s Sister, marking her as one of the country’s most consistent literary voices on the international stage.   Other past successful Zambian participants include Namwali Serpell, longlisted in 2015, who was later on shortlisted for the Booker Prize for her novel The Old Drift. Novelist and winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, was shortlisted for her story Thandiwe in 2022.
The Shortlist for the 2026 competition can be accessed here, and Africa is represented by 7 out of the 25 writers mentioned. Regional winners will be announced on 13th May, and the overall winner in late June. For any Zambian writers hoping to earn a place on next year’s list of winners, entries for the 2027 prize open in September.
Picture: Mbozi Haimbe
