The 2022 Caine Prize for African Writing is currently accepting submissions for its 2022 edition.

In its 23rd year, the prize, fondly dubbed the “African Booker”, annually celebrates the finest short story by an African writer published in the preceding five years with a cash award of £10,000 with each of the shortlisted writers getting £500.

The prize is regarded as one of the continent’s pioneering and most important recognition for African literature, known to kick-start the careers of many leading African writers including Leila Abouelia, Helon Habila, Binyavanga Wainaina, NoViolet Bulowayo and EC Osondu.

Submissions for the 23rd prize are only accepted from publishers. Writers are not allowed to enter their own stories. Due to the impact of the pandemic, the prize organization has reviewed its rules which initially required submission of physical copies of entries, and will now accept submissions online via a portal. Publishers are required to make these submissions in line with the submission guidelines which can be accessed here.

Submissions Deadline: 31st January 2022.

Previous winners of the Caine Prize include Sudan’s Leila Abouelia (2000), Nigeria’s Helon Habila (2001), Kenya’s Binyavanga Wainaina (2002), Kenya’s Yvonne Owour (2003), Zimbabwea’s Brian Chikwava (2004), Nigeria’s Segun Afolabi (2005), South Africa’s Mary Watson (2006), Uganda’s Monica Arac de Nyeko (2007), South Africa’s Henrietta Rose Innes (2008), Nigeria’s EC Osondu (2009), Sierra Leone’s Olufemi Terry (2010), Zimbabwe’s NoViolet Bulowayo (2011), Nigeria’s Rotimi Babatunde (2012), Nigeria’s Tope Folarin (2013), Kenya’s Okwiri Oduor (2014), Zambia’s Namwali Serpell (2015), South Africa’s Lidudumalingani (2016), Sudan’s Bushra al-Fadil (2017), Kenya’s Makena Onjerika (2018), Nigeria’s Lesley Nneka Arimah (2019), Nigeria’s Irenosen Okojie (2020), and Ethiopia’s Meron Hadero (2021).

For more details, go to the Caine Prize website.