Caine Prize

The Caine Prize for African Writing
Awarded forBest short story by an African writer in the English language
First award2000 (2000)
Websitewww.caineprize.com

The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literary award for the best short story by an African writer, whether in Africa or elsewhere, published in the English language. Founded in the United Kingdom in 2000, the £10,000 prize was named in memory of businessman and philanthropist Sir Michael Harris Caine,[1] former chairman of Booker Group and of the Booker Prize management committee.[2] The Caine Prize is sometimes referred to as the "African Booker".[3] The Chair of the Board is Ellah Wakatama, appointed in 2019.[4]

Between 2020 and 2022 it was styled as the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing due to a three-year grant from Nicolai Tangen's AKO Foundation.[5]

History and background

The Caine Prize is a registered charity with the aim of bringing African writing to a wider audience through an annual literary award. It is named after businessman and philanthropist Sir Michael Caine (1927–1999), former Chairman of Booker plc, who also chaired the "Africa95" arts festival and the Booker Prize management committee for almost 25 years. After his death, friends and colleagues established the prize to be awarded annually in his memory.[2]

The prize was first awarded in 2000, to the Sudanese writer Leila Aboulela for her short story "The Museum", at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair in Harare. In its first year the Caine Prize attracted entries from 20 African countries.

Judges represent a variety of literary fields and include notable authors, artists, journalists, broadcasters and academics with a connection to literature in Africa.[6][7]

Historically, the winner was announced at a dinner in July, at an event formerly held in Oxford but more recently at SOAS, University of London,[8] to which the shortlisted candidates were all invited. This formed part of a week of activities for the candidates, including readings, book signings and press opportunities.

In 2024, the Caine Prize declared that it would "re-centre" itself on the African continent,[9] with a planned year-long celebration of the prize’'s 25th anniversary in 2025. Proposed events include readings and discussions involving the shortlisted writers and past winners, and tributes to writers such as the late Charles Mungoshi (Zimbabwe), who was shortlisted in 2000, and the late Binyavanga Wainaina (Kenya), who won the award in 2002.

The Caine Prize also arranges writers' workshops that are held in a different African country each year.[2]

25th anniversary and the Best of Caine Award

The year 2025 marked the Caine Prize's 25th anniversary.[10][11] In 2024, the Caine Prize declared that it would "re-centre" itself on the African continent, with a planned year-long celebration. Proposed events included readings and discussions involving the shortlisted writers and past winners, and tributes to writers such as the late Charles Mungoshi, who was shortlisted in 2000, and the late Binyavanga Wainaina, who won the award in 2002.[12]

To commemorate the anniversary, the prize also established the Best of Caine award, an honorary prize recognizing the best short story from all previous Caine Prize winners across the last 25 years.[13][10] The judging panel for the honorary award was chaired by Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, and included novelist and short story writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and film producer Tony Tagoe.[11][14]

Zimbabwean writer NoViolet Bulawayo was chosen as the winner of the Best of Caine award, announced on 27 September 2025 at the inaugural Words Across Waters: Afro Lit Fest at the British Library in London.[15][16] Bulawayo won the prize for her story "Hitting Budapest",[17] which originally won the Caine Prize in 2011. The story, which follows a group of children sneaking into an affluent neighbourhood to steal fruit, was praised by the judges for its "powerful language, distinctive tone of voice, and bold, compelling storytelling."[18]

Bulawayo described the achievement as a "defining highlight" that affirmed her literary path and strengthened her commitment to writing.[19][18]

Supporters

Among supporters of the prize over the years have included friends of Sir Michael Caine in the UK, United States and Africa, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, the Zochonis Foundation, the Marit & Hans Rausing Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Headley Trust, the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust, the David Alliance Family Foundation, the Cairns Charitable Trust, the Botwinick-Wolfensohn Family Foundation, the Sunrise Foundation, the Von Clemm Charitable Trust, the Royal Over-Seas League, Sarova Hotels, Bata Shoes (Kenya) Ltd and (Zimbabwe) Ltd and Kenya Airways.

The five African winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature have supported the Caine Prize as patrons: Wole Soyinka, Nadine Gordimer, Naguib Mahfouz, J. M. Coetzee and Abdulrazak Gurnah. Sir Michael's widow, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, was founding president of the council and Jonathan Taylor was the first Chair, with Nick Elam the first administrator.[20]

Critical reception

In 2011, Nigerian-American writer and critic Ikhide Ikheloa criticized the Caine Prize: "The creation of a prize for 'African writing' may have created the unintended effect of breeding writers willing to stereotype Africa for glory. The mostly lazy, predictable stories that made the 2011 shortlist celebrate orthodoxy and mediocrity. … The problem now is that many writers are skewing their written perspectives to fit what they imagine will sell to the West and the judges of the Caine Prize."[21]

In 2019, a story was removed from the shortlist after "an allegation" led to admission of "the author's failure to attribute a core source", i. e. Laleh Khadivi's 2014 story.[22]

List of winners

YearAuthorCountryWorkSource(s)
2000 Leila AboulelaSudan"The Museum"[23][24]
2001 Helon HabilaNigeria"Love Poems"[25][26]
2002 Binyavanga WainainaKenya"Discovering Home"[27][28]
2003 Yvonne Adhiambo OwuorKenya"Weight of Whispers"[29][30]
2004 Brian ChikwavaZimbabwe"Seventh Street Alchemy"[31][32]
2005 S. A. AfolabiNigeria"Monday Morning"[33][34]
2006 Mary WatsonSouth Africa"Jungfrau"[35][36]
2007 Monica Arac de NyekoUganda"Jambula Tree"[37][38]
2008 Henrietta Rose-InnesSouth Africa"Poison"[39][40]
2009 E. C. OsonduNigeria"Waiting"[41][42]
2010 Olufemi TerrySierra Leone"Stickfighting Days"[43][44]
2011 NoViolet BulawayoZimbabwe"Hitting Budapest"[45][46]
2012 Rotimi BabatundeNigeria"Bombay's Republic"[47][48]
2013 Tope FolarinNigeria"Miracle"[49][50]
2014 Okwiri OduorKenya"My Father's Head"[51][52]
2015 Namwali SerpellZambia"The Sack"[53][54]
2016 Lidudumalingani MqombothiSouth Africa"Memories We Lost"[55][56]
2017 Bushra al-FadilSudan"The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away"[57][58]
2018 Makena OnjerikaKenya"Fanta Blackcurrant"[59][60]
2019 Lesley Nneka ArimahNigeria"Skinned"[61][62]
2020 Irenosen OkojieNigeria"Grace Jones"[63][64]
2021 Meron HaderoEthiopia"The Street Sweep"[65][66]
2022 Idza LuhumyoKenya"Five Years Next Sunday"[67][68]
2023 Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa DialloSenegal"A Soul of Small Places"[69][70][71]
2024 Nadia DavidsSouth Africa"Bridling"[72]

|- ! 2025 --Caine Special Edition | NoViolet Bulawayo || Zimbabwe || "Hitting Budapest" || [73][46] |} |-

Notes

  1. ↑ Dwyer, Colin (8 July 2015). "Caine Prize Winner: Literature Is Not A Competitive Sport". NPR. Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "About". The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Alison Flood, "'African Booker' shortlist offers an alternative view of continent" Archived 19 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 1 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Our New Chairperson". The Caine Prize. 2 April 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "The AKO Foundation offers major support to the Caine Prize for African Writing". 29 January 2020. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Judges". CainePrize.com.
  7. ↑ "Caine Prize judges since 2000" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "2018 Caine Prize for African Writing returns to SOAS next month" Archived 19 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, SOAS, University of London, 25 June 2018.
  9. ↑ Malec, Jennifer (31 July 2024). "[The JRB Daily] Caine Prize reveals 2024 shortlist, and plans to 're-centre the announcement on the African continent'". The Johannesburg Review of Books. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  10. 1 2 Mureithi, Carlos (27 September 2025). "NoViolet Bulawayo wins the Best of Caine award". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Zimbabwean Writer Noviolet Bulawayo Wins The 2025 Best Of Caine Award". Alt A Review. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  12. ↑ Malec, Jennifer (17 September 2024). "[The JRB Daily] 'A triumph of language, storytelling and risk-taking'—South African writer Nadia Davids wins 2024 Caine Prize for African Writing". The Johannesburg Review of Books. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  13. ↑ Dave, Jagrave (27 May 2025). "The Caine Prize Celebrates 25 Years with Best of Caine Award". Brittle Paper. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  14. ↑ Murua, James (4 September 2025). "Abdulrazak Gurnah chairs Best of the Caine Prize jury". Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "NoViolet Bulawayo wins the Best of Caine award | Literatures in English". english.cornell.edu. 27 September 2025. Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  16. ↑ Magazine, Litro (28 September 2025). "NoViolet Bulawayo Wins 2025 Best of Caine Award for 'Hitting Budapest'". Litro Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 September 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  17. ↑ Melbin, James (3 October 2025). "Revisiting NoViolet Bulawayo's Best of Caine Winning Story, Hitting Budapest". Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Zimbabwean Writer, NoViolet Bulawayo, Wins the Best of Caine Award - Afrocritik". 29 September 2025. Archived from the original on 29 September 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  19. ↑ Murua, James (29 September 2025). "NoViolet Bulawayo is Best of the Caine Prize winner". Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  20. ↑ "Founding". The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  21. ↑ Ikhide R. Ikheloa, "The 2011 Caine Prize: How Not to Write About Africa" Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Next magazine, 20 May 2011. Archived at Ikhide.
  22. ↑ "Caine Prize response to allegations against 'All Our Lives'". caineprize.com (Press release). 3 September 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  23. ↑ "The Caine Prize". BBC. 21 June 2010. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  24. ↑ "Leila Aboulela". Contemporary Writers. British Council. Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  25. ↑ Williams, Stephen (1 September 2001). "Nigeria's Habila wins Caine prize". All Business. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  26. ↑ "Helon Habila". Contemporary Writers. British Council. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  27. ↑ Micheni, Mwenda (3 May 2010). "Caine Prize sways African writing". The East African. Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  28. ↑ Williams, Stephen (1 September 2002). "Caine Prize 2002: Top award goes to Kenya's Wainaina". African Business. Reprinted at The Free Library. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  29. ↑ "Weight of Whispers by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor". Kwani. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  30. ↑ Pauli, Michelle (15 July 2003). "Kenya celebrates Caine prize double". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  31. ↑ "Writing Pains". African Writing Online. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  32. ↑ Pauli, Michelle (20 July 2004). "Caine prize winner announced". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  33. ↑ Pauli, Michelle (6 July 2005). "Afolabi wins 'African Booker'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  34. ↑ "Literary win for Nigerian writer". BBC. 5 July 2005. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  35. ↑ Pauli, Michelle (11 July 2006). "Mary Watson wins 'African Booker'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  36. ↑ "SA literary prize winner's joy". BBC. 11 July 2006. Archived from the original on 20 July 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  37. ↑ Pauli, Michelle (10 July 2007). "Love story wins 'African Booker'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  38. ↑ "'Taboo' story takes African prize". BBC. 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 8 July 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  39. ↑ Irvine, Lindesay (8 July 2008). "Henrietta Rose-Innes wins £10,000 Caine prize". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  40. ↑ "South African wins top book prize". BBC. 7 July 2008. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  41. ↑ Flood, Alison (7 July 2009). "EC Osondu takes £10,000 'African Booker'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  42. ↑ "Nigerian scoops African 'Booker'". BBC. 7 July 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  43. ↑ "Olufemi Terry Wins the £10 000 Caine Prize for African Writing". BOOK Southern Africa. 5 July 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  44. ↑ "Sierra Leone's Olufemi Terry wins Caine writing prize". BBC. 6 July 2010. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  45. ↑ "Zimbabwe's NoViolet Bulawayo wins Caine writing prize". BBC News. 12 July 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  46. 1 2 Flood, Alison (12 July 2011). "NoViolet Bulawayo wins 'African Booker'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  47. ↑ Flood, Alison (2 July 2012). "Nigerian writer Rotimi Babatunde wins Caine prize for African writing". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  48. ↑ "Nigerian wins African writing prize". BBC. 5 July 2012.
  49. ↑ Flood, Alison (9 July 2013). "Tope Folarin wins Caine prize for African writing". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  50. ↑ "Tope Folarin wins £10,000 Caine Prize". BBC. 8 July 2013.
  51. ↑ Flood, Alison (14 July 2014). "Kenyan writer Okwiri Oduor wins Caine prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  52. ↑ "Kenyan wins prestigious African writing prize". BBC. 14 July 2014.
  53. ↑ Flood, Alison (6 July 2015). "Namwali Serpell wins £10,000 Caine Prize for African Writing". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  54. ↑ "Zambian writer wins top literary prize". BBC. 6 July 2015.
  55. ↑ Flood, Alison (5 July 2016). "South African writer Lidudumalingani wins Caine prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  56. ↑ "South African wins Caine Prize for African Writing". BBC. 5 July 2016.
  57. ↑ Flood, Alison (3 July 2017). "Sudanese author Bushra al-Fadil wins Caine Prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  58. ↑ "Sudanese writer wins prestigious prize". BBC. 3 July 2017.
  59. ↑ Flood, Alison (2 July 2018). "Makena Onjerika wins Caine prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  60. ↑ "Kenyan author wins African literary prize". BBC. 2 July 2018.
  61. ↑ Flood, Alison (8 July 2019). "Lesley Nneka Arimah wins Caine Prize for African Writing". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  62. ↑ "Arimah's 'naked until married' story wins Caine Prize". BBC. 9 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  63. ↑ Flood, Alison (27 July 2020). "Irenosen Okojie wins Caine Prize for African Writing". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  64. ↑ "AKO Caine Prize: Irenosen Okojie wins with story of Grace Jones impersonator". BBC. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  65. ↑ Flood, Alison (26 July 2021). "Meron Hadero becomes first Ethiopian winner of Caine Prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  66. ↑ "AKO Caine Prize: Meron Hadero named first Ethiopian winner". BBC. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  67. ↑ Shaffi, Sarah (18 July 2022). "Kenyan author Idza Luhumyo wins Caine Prize for African Writing". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  68. ↑ "Kenyan author wins African writing prize". BBC. 18 July 2022.
  69. ↑ Shaffi, Sarah (3 July 2023). "Senegalese author Mame Bougouma Diene wins Caine Prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  70. ↑ "Senegalese author wins prestigious literary prize". BBC. 3 July 2023.
  71. ↑ Muchiri, Muthoni (4 October 2023). "Caine Prize 2023: Senegalese married couple win African writing award". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 July 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  72. ↑ Malec, Jennifer (17 September 2024). "[The JRB Daily] 'A triumph of language, storytelling and risk-taking'—South African writer Nadia Davids wins 2024 Caine Prize for African Writing". The Johannesburg Review of Books. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  73. ↑ ews/world-africa-14120349 "Zimbabwe's NoViolet Bulawayo wins Caine writing prize". BBC News. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2015. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)

References

  • Rose-Innes, Henrietta. 2009. Ten Years of the Caine Prize for African Writing. New Internationalist Publications (Oxford, United Kingdom).
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