The Caine Prize for African Writing has selected Nigerian journalist and broadcaster Bola Mosuro to lead its 2026 judging panel!

Mosuro spent over 30 years as a voice on BBC World Service, hosting programs including Network Africa, Focus on Africa, and Newsday while producing documentaries such as the radio history series “The Story of Africa.” Her recent work includes narrating “Shepherd’s Eye in the Sky,” a documentary examining climate solutions with pastoralists across East and West Africa, and hosting “Dynamic Drylands,” a podcast series about nomadic peoples and African rangelands. This year sees the launch of her own podcast, “Breaking Bread with Bola,” extending her decades-long engagement with African narratives across multiple platforms.

Mosuro impressed Caine Prize leadership last autumn when she moderated a panel at London’s inaugural Word Across Waters: Afro Literary Festival discussing the prize’s 25-year history. Prize Chair Ellah Wakatama noted how skillfully Mosuro guided the conversation with 2004 winner Brian Chikwava and two-time nominees Billy Kahora and Wakatama herself, making her an obvious choice to chair judges for this milestone season. Mosuro described the appointment as an honor, acknowledging how the prize has elevated writers with distinctive voices over two and a half decades, providing them springboards to continental and global stages. Before her broadcasting career, Mosuro worked in African development with the Institute of African Alternatives and served on the board of Akina Mama Wa Afrika.

Mosuro will lead a five-member panel—the remaining four judges to be announced—in evaluating eligible short stories published in English during the qualifying period. Submissions close February 27, 2026, with the shortlist announcement scheduled for September 1 and the winner revealed at a ceremony later that month. The prize awards £500 to each of five shortlisted writers and £10,000 to the winner, with translated works splitting the prize 70-30 between author and translator. The five shortlisted stories will appear in the official Caine Prize anthology alongside work from the spring workshop program.

As the prize enters its 26th year following a celebratory return to Zimbabwe honoring NoViolet Bulawayo’s Best of Caine Award, Mosuro’s leadership suggests the award’s evolution continues balancing its legacy of discovering exceptional short fiction with recognition that African literary culture increasingly operates across digital, audio, and print spaces simultaneously.