2011 Short Story Competition

Philip Nash is the overall winner of the 2011 Commonwealth Short Story Competition with his entry ‘Rejoinder’.

A panel of international judges made the choices from over 2000 entries. The 2011 panel comprised New Zealand writer and reviewer, Jolisa Gracewood; Nicholas Laughlin, Editor of The Caribbean Review of Books and a former judge of the Commonwealth Foundation’s Commonwealth Writers’ Prize; Nigerian author and 2009 Commonwealth Short Story regional winner, Kachi Ozumba; Frances Fortune, Director, Search for the Common Ground, Africa; and Sri Lankan television producer and editor Sharmini Boyle.

Winner and Regional Winner for Canada and Europe

Rejoinder
Philip Nash (United Kingdom)

Regional Winner for Africa

Martha
Basett Buyukah (Kenya)

Regional Winner for Asia

The Maoist
Nikesh Murali (India)

Regional Winner for the Caribbean

Head not make for hat alone
Barbara Jenkins (Trinidad and Tobago)

Regional Winner for the Pacific

Ginger Beer
Sarah Bainbridge (New Zealand)

Special Prize – Women as Agents of Change

The Crystal Snuff Box and the Papadum
Lavanya Arvind (India)

Special Prize – Story for Children

The Happiness Dress
Diane Browne (Jamaica)

Africa Highly Commended

Side-by-Side by Adele Mostert (South Africa)
The Lucky Girl by Sheillah Maonga (Kenya)
The Bride Price by Victor Idem (Nigeria)
Stylish Marcella by Constance Obonyo (Uganda)
Icarus by Jax Goss (South Africa)

Asia Highly Commended

There is Love by Abeer Hoque (Bangladesh)
Fair Enough by Leroy Luar (Malaysia)
Swimming Pool by Madiha Aijaz (Pakistan)

Canada and Europe Highly Commended

When Lions came in Brown Boxes by Joyce Thierry Llewellyn (Canada)
The Book Instead by Kate Clanchy (United Kingdom)
Turnip Gratin by Susan Luddem (United Kingdom)
Prejudice by David Pinnell (United Kingdom)

Caribbean Highly Commended

Love, Honour and Obeah by Kathyann Husbands (Barbados)
White Shoes by Edwina Griffith (Barbados)
Letting Cockroaches Live by Sonja Dumas (Trinidad and Tobago)

Pacific Highly Commended

The Levee by Catherine Mojsiewicz (Australia)
Work Life by Dominic Carew (Australia)
The Challenge by Ruperake Petaia (Samoa)
How are you? by Lydia Sturton (Australia)