[The JRB exclusive] Read ‘Water for Wine’ by Jenny Robson, winner of the 2021 Kendeka Prize for African Literature
The JRB presents the winning stories of the inaugural Kendeka Prize for African Literature. The winners of the 2021 Kendeka…
Category: Short Stories
[The JRB exclusive] Read ‘The Women of Atinga House’ by Fatima Okhuosami, first runner-up in the 2021 Kendeka Prize for African Literature
The JRB presents the winning stories of the inaugural Kendeka Prize for African Literature. The winners of the 2021 Kendeka…
[The JRB exclusive] Read ‘Au Pair’ by Okpanachi Irene Ojochegbe, second runner-up in the 2021 Kendeka Prize for African Literature
The JRB presents the winning stories of the inaugural Kendeka Prize for African Literature. The winners of the 2021 Kendeka…
‘If you dodge your death enough times, fate stops trying to find you’—Read an excerpt from Rešoketšwe Manenzhe’s new short story ‘Ramosela’, from Hauntings
The JRB presents an excerpt from Rešoketšwe Manenzhe’s contribution to Hauntings, a forthcoming collection of stories edited by Niq Mhlongo….
[The JRB Daily] 2021 Kendeka Prize for African Literature winners announced
The winners of the inaugural Kendeka Prize for African Literature have been announced in Thika, Kenya. From a shortlist of…
New short fiction: ‘Eye Contact’ by Agatha Zaza
The JRB presents a new short story by Agatha Zaza. Eye Contact This will be her husband. Litiya looks carefully at…
‘Exploring the recesses of loss with elegance’—Thulani Angoma-Mzini contemplates the 2021 Caine Prize shortlist
Meron Hadero was recently awarded the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, becoming the first Ethiopian author to claim…
‘He missed hamburgers terribly sometimes’—Read an excerpt from Brandon Taylor’s new short story collection Filthy Animals
The JRB presents an excerpt from Filthy Animals, the new collection of stories by Brandon Taylor, the Booker Prize-shortlisted author…
[The JRB Daily] Meron Hadero wins the 2021 Caine Prize for African Writing—becoming the first Ethiopian writer to take the award
Ethiopian–American writer Meron Hadero has been awarded the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, for her short story ‘The…
[The JRB Daily] 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner announced
Sri Lankan author Kanya D’Almeida has won the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize—the world’s most global literature prize. D’Almeida won…
[The JRB Daily] [Exclusive] Read ‘Five Years Next Sunday’ by Idza Luhumyo, winner of the 2019/20 Short Story Day Africa Prize
This week, The JRB has been publishing the winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. The winners of…
[The JRB Daily] [Exclusive] Read ‘Shelter’ by Mbozi Haimbe, 1st Runner-up in the 2019/20 Short Story Day Africa Prize
This week, The JRB is publishing the three winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. The winners of…
[The JRB Daily] [Exclusive] Read ‘Static’ by Alithnayn Abdulkareem, 2nd Runner-up in the 2019/20 Short Story Day Africa Prize
For the next three days, The JRB will be publishing the three winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa…
[The JRB Daily] Short Story Day Africa Prize ‘Disruption’ winners announced—judges impressed with the ‘calibre and imaginative reach’ of the stories
The winners of the 2020/21 Short Story Day Africa Prize have been announced. Header image: Idza Luhumyo (winner), Mbozi Haimbe…
[The JRB Daily] 2021 Caine Prize for African Writing shortlist announced—‘the true art of African storytelling manifested’
Image: The Caine Prize The shortlist for the 2021 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, awarded annually for a short…
[The JRB Daily] 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize regional winners announced—including Rwandan-born Namibian author Rémy Ngamije
Header image: Rémy Ngamije (Namibia), Roland Watson-Grant (Jamaica), Kanya D’Almeida (Sri Lanka), Carol Farrelly (UK), Katerina Gibson (Australia) The regional…
[The JRB Daily] Short Story Day Africa Prize ‘Disruption’ shortlist announced—featuring 8 African writers from 5 countries
The shortlist for the seventh Short Story Day Africa Prize has been announced, the JRB can exclusively reveal! The prize was…
‘They say charity begins at home. But so does depression’—Mercy Dhliwayo talks to Jennifer Malec about her debut collection of short stories, Bringing Us Back
Mercy Dhliwayo chatted to The JRB Editor Jennifer Malec about family relationships, border jumping, and her debut collection of short…
Read ‘Seasons Change’, a short story by the late Phumlani Pikoli, from his book The Fatuous State of Severity
Multidisciplinary artist and award-winning author Phumlani Pikoli passed away tragically this week, aged thirty-three. Phumlani was an inspiring and passionate…
‘August winds, unlike those of other months, always came armed with a purpose’—Read an excerpt from Lindiwe Nkutha’s debut short story collection 69 Jerusalem Street
The JRB presents an excerpt from the title story of 69 Jerusalem Street, the debut collection of short fiction by…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Loyalty’, a new short story by Khaddafina Mbabazi
The JRB presents a new short story by Khaddafina Mbabazi. Loyalty They were not enemies, but they were not friends…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The Reservoir’, a new short story by Sebastian Murdoch
The JRB presents a new short story by Sebastian Murdoch. The Reservoir Virginia had just gotten home from her shift…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Six Girls’, a new short story by Keletso Mopai
The JRB presents a new short story by Keletso Mopai. Six Girls I In 2004, we hugged our daughters and…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Koe(k)sisters’, a new short story by Jarred Thompson
The JRB presents a new short story by Jarred Thompson. Koe(k)sisters after Caroline Peters These days Oupa Ice-cream’s bell rings all…
[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…
[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] ‘i feel like my heritage is obstinate’—Read an excerpt from Masande Ntshanga’s new book, Native Life in the Third Millennium
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from Native Life in the Third Millennium, a limited edition poetry and short story…
[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…
‘A unique trick of the combination of love and time; the ability to keep one young’—Read an excerpt from Bolu Babalola’s debut collection of short stories, Love in Colour
The JRB presents an excerpt from Love in Colour, the debut collection of short stories by Bolu Babalola Love in…
‘As much as you want to have sex with a stranger, this is mostly research’—Read an excerpt from ‘The Fool’, new writing by Nakhane, from Exhale: Queer African Erotic Fiction
The JRB presents an excerpt from ‘The Fool’ by Nakhane, from Exhale, a new anthology of queer writing. Exhale: Queer…
‘The morning that followed was crisp and clear. The air was sweet as only after slaughter’—Read an excerpt from Shanice Ndlovu’s debut collection of short stories, The Pride of Noonlay
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Pride of Noonlay, the debut collection of short stories by Shanice Ndlovu. The…
[The JRB Daily] 2019 Short Story Day Africa Prize ‘Disruption’ longlist announced—featuring 21 African writers from nine countries
This longlist for the seventh annual Short Story Day Africa Prize has been announced! The prize was founded in 2013,…
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…
‘Johannesburg swallowed my father whole’—Read an excerpt from ‘Feasting’ by Sibongile Fisher, excerpted from the new anthology Joburg Noir
The JRB presents an excerpt from Joburg Noir, a new collection of short stories edited by Niq Mhlongo, out at…
Embodying the resurgence in Black surrealism—Wamuwi Mbao reviews Nudibranch by 2020 Caine Prize winner Irenosen Okojie
Wamuwi Mbao reviews Irenosen Okojie’s Nudibranch, the ‘immersively deranged’ collection containing her 2020 Caine Prize-winning story. Nudibranch Irenosen OkojieLittle, Brown,…
[The JRB Daily] ‘It is so important now that Africans own their own narrative’—Irenosen Okojie wins the 2020 Caine Prize for African Writing
Irenosen Okojie has won the AKO Caine Prize for African writing, for her story ‘Grace Jones’. Announcing the award, chair…
[The JRB Daily] 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize regional winners announced—including Nigerian writer Innocent Chizaram Ilo
The regional winners of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, known as the world’s ‘most global literature prize’, have been…
[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…