[Fiction Issue] ‘Cobbled Together—A Lockdown Story’, new writing by Byron Loker
The JRB presents a new short story by Byron Loker. Cobbled Together: A Lockdown Story I live now on a…
Tag: Short Fiction
[Fiction Issue] ‘In Search of an Exit’, an excerpt from a work-in-progress by Wamuwi Mbao
The JRB presents an excerpt from a work-in-progress by Wamuwi Mbao. In Search of an Exit It was a thoughtful…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Five Parables About My Personality’ by Richard de Nooy
The JRB presents new fiction by Richard de Nooy. Five Parables About My Personality 1. CuriousI steer my school bus…
[Fiction Issue] ‘No one knew what to call the place that was halfway between dreams’—Read an excerpt from Abubakar Adam Ibrahim’s book, Dreams and Assorted Nightmares
The JRB presents an excerpt from the title story of Dreams and Assorted Nightmares, the new collection by Abubakar Adam…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Like his mother, Emile Oliphant has always collected men.’—Read an excerpt from Lester Walbrugh’s debut short story collection Let It Fall Where It Will
The JRB presents an excerpt from Let It Fall Where It Will, Lester Walbrugh‘s debut short story collection. Lester WalbrughLet…
New short fiction: ‘Black Beauty’ by Makena Onjerika
The JRB presents a new short story by Makena Onjerika. ~~~ Black Beauty Our housegirl Scolastica only ever wore a…
[Sampler issue] Read an excerpt from a new short story by Ama Ata Aidoo, from the book Between the Generations: An Anthology for Ama Ata Aidoo at 80
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from Between the Generations: An Anthology for Ama Ata Aidoo at 80. Between the…
[Sampler issue] Read an excerpt from Sifiso Mzobe’s new short story collection, Searching for Simphiwe
The JRB presents an excerpt from ‘The Worst That Could Happen’, a short story by Sifiso Mzobe, from his new…
[The JRB Daily] 2020 Caine Prize for African Writing shortlist announced—including Rémy Ngamije’s ‘The Neighbourhood Watch’, first published in The JRB
The shortlist for the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing has been announced, including ‘The Neighbourhood Watch’ by Rémy…
New short fiction: ‘Ugborikoko’ by Jerry Chiemeke—The JRB’s Pidgin English debut
The JRB presents new short fiction by Jerry Chiemeke. The piece is written in Warri Pidgin English, a dialect of…
A powerful contribution towards the creation of a vitally needed counter-narrative of England—Wamuwi Mbao reviews Manchester Happened by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s new book Manchester Happened reflects the here-and-there double consciousness of living between Uganda and England, writes Wamuwi…
New short fiction: ‘Mr Big Stuff’ by Fred Khumalo
The JRB presents a new short story by Fred Khumalo. ~~~ Mr Big Stuff 1. Harry is butchering Barry White’s…
‘You look fancy for a girl who’s just going to the TAB.’ Read ‘The Outsider’ by Isabella Morris, excerpted from Fool’s Gold: Selected Modjaji Short Stories
The JRB presents an excerpt from Fool’s Gold: Selected Modjaji Short Stories, edited by Arja Salafranca. Since its inception in…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Middle, beginning or end’, a new short story by Lelissa Girma
The JRB presents a new short story by Lelissa Girma. Middle, beginning or end There was a series of confused…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Mad About the Boy’, a new short story by Zanta Nkumane
The JRB presents a new short story by Zanta Nkumane. Mad About the Boy He comes to me one night,…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Georgia’s Errand’, a new short story by Sebastian Murdoch
The JRB presents a new short story by Sebastian Murdoch. Georgia’s Errand ‘Doesn’t that get boring?’ I ask Boone one…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The Survivors Group’, a new short story by Khanya Mtshali
The JRB presents a new short story by Khanya Mtshali. The Survivor’s Group Every Friday morning, just before her earliest…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Letters to a Heart’s Chambers’, a new short story by Jarred Thompson
The JRB presents a new short story by Jarred Thompson. This is his second story to appear in The JRB….
[Fiction Issue] ‘The Grass Beneath Us’, a new short story by Agatha Zaza
The JRB presents a new short story by Agatha Zaza. The Grass Beneath Us ‘Let’s start with the heat,’ said…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Take Me Away’, a new short story by Franki Jenkins
The JRB presents a new short story by Franki Jenkins. Take Me Away Hannelie had been working at the Super…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from Sifiso Mzobe’s forthcoming short story collection, Searching for Simphiwe
The JRB presents an excerpt from ‘Ecstasy’, a short story from Sifiso Mzobe’s forthcoming collection, Searching for Simphiwe. Searching for…
‘I would like to be on good terms with all animals.’ Read an excerpt from Zadie Smith’s debut short story collection, Grand Union
The JRB presents an excerpt from Grand Union—the first ever collection of stories by Zadie Smith, the Booker Prize-shortlisted author…
Read Siyanda Mohutsiwa’s short story ‘And Then We Disappeared into Some Guy’s Car’, excerpted from the new anthology Botswana Women Write
The JRB presents an excerpt from Botswana Women Write, an anthology of writing by and about Batswana women. Botswana Women…
Voices from the continent with the world’s youngest population—Water Birds on the Lake Shore: An Anthology of African Young Adult Fiction (Plus: Read 3 of the stories)
Exclusive to The JRB, we present three new short stories from the Goethe-Institut Afro Young Adult anthology, Water Birds on…
[New short fiction] Read ‘Black Cornea, White Iris’, a short story by M Mukore, from the new Afro Young Adult anthology Water Birds on the Lake Shore
In the October issue of The JRB, we present three new short stories from the Goethe-Institut Afro Young Adult anthology,…
[New short fiction] Read ‘Forever Hers’, a short story by Y Mlangiza, from the new Afro Young Adult anthology Water Birds on the Lake Shore
In the October issue of The JRB, we present three new short stories from the Goethe-Institut Afro Young Adult anthology,…
[New short fiction] Read ‘The Hunter’, a short story by CJ Enemuo, from the new Afro Young Adult anthology Water Birds on the Lake Shore
In the October issue of The JRB, we present three new short stories from the Goethe-Institut Afro Young Adult anthology,…
‘A millennial Kenya we’ve never seen in fiction before’—Read an excerpt from The Cape Cod Bicycle War and Other Stories by Billy Kahora
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Cape Cod Bicycle War and Other Stories, the much-anticipated new book by Billy…
[The JRB exclusive] New short fiction: ‘Happy City Hotel’ by Adam El Shalakany, winner of the 2018 Short Story Day Africa Prize
The JRB presents the winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. Egyptian writer Adam El Shalakany won the…
[The JRB exclusive] New short fiction: ‘Mr Thompson’ by Noel Cheruto, first runner-up in the 2018 Short Story Day Africa Prize
The JRB presents the winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. Egyptian writer Adam El Shalakany won the…
[The JRB exclusive] New short fiction: ‘The Space(s) Between Us’ by Lester Walbrugh, second runner-up in the 2018 Short Story Day Africa Prize
The JRB presents the winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. Egyptian writer Adam El Shalakany won the…
[The JRB Daily] Short Story Day Africa winners announced—‘the closest competition yet seen in SSDA’s history’
Egyptian writer Adam El Shalakany has won the 2018 Short Story Day Africa Prize for his story ‘Happy City Hotel’—becoming the…
[The JRB Daily] Nigerian writer Lesley Nneka Arimah wins the 2019 Caine Prize—‘We African writers must centre the African gaze’
Lesley Nneka Arimah has won the twentieth edition of the Caine Prize for African Writing for her short story ‘Skinned’….
[The JRB Daily] 2018 Short Story Day Africa shortlist announced—‘we’ve never seen such a photo finish’
The shortlist for the Short Story Day Africa Prize for Short Fiction has been announced. The JRB is delighted that our regular…
New short fiction: ‘Beginnings.’ by Wamuwi Mbao
The JRB presents new short fiction by Editorial Advisory Panel member and regular contributor Wamuwi Mbao. ~ ~ ~ Beginnings….
[The JRB exclusive] Read an excerpt from Ungirls, a new disturbing and provocative story by Lauren Beukes [Plus: Sample the audiobook]
The JRB presents an excerpt from Ungirls, a new short story from Editorial Advisory Panel member Lauren Beukes. Ungirls is…
[The JRB Daily] Download Short Story Day Africa’s anthology ID for free and celebrate the shortest day of the year with dynamic African short fiction
Short Story Day Africa is celebrating the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, with…
[The JRB exclusive] Read an excerpt from ‘Limerence’, a short story from Henrietta Rose-Innes’s new book Animalia Paradoxa
The JRB is pleased to present an excerpt from Animalia Paradoxa, the new collection of short stories by The JRB Contributing…
New short fiction: ‘Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!’ by A Bouna Guazong, excerpted from Of Passion and Ink: New Voices from Cameroon
The JRB presents an excerpt from Of Passion and Ink: New Voices from Cameroon, a collection of short stories forthcoming…
New short fiction: ‘Origami’ by Troy Onyango
The JRB presents a new short story by Troy Onyango. ~~~ Origami First, he plucks a small part of himself…