Kadiri will walk away with a cash prize of $1,000, and his story, alongside the works of the longlisted writers, will be featured in the Afritondo anthology, which will be released later this year.
By Hope Ibiale
Nigerian writer, Alex Kadiri, has won the 2023 Afritondo Short Story Prize. After reviewing the works of five writers, Kadiri was declared the winner for his short story, The Hyena and the Two-Headed Goat. Alex Kadiri will walk away with a cash prize of $1,000, and his story, alongside the works of the longlisted writers, will be featured in the Afritondo anthology, which will be released later this year.
While speaking about the submissions for this year, the panel of judges stated, “These stories took us on journeys that were wild, tender, surreal, and heartbreaking; all of them unpacking the varied meanings, joys, pain, and power of being ‘Alien.’ Whether as outsiders in a new place or strangers at home, these stories sensitively explored relationships, community, and identity in remarkably fresh ways. A confirmation, yet again, that the African short story is alive and kicking!”
(Read also: 6 African Writers Shortlisted for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize)
Afritondo is a media and publishing platform that aims to connect with and tell the stories of Africans and black minority populations across the globe. One primary purpose of the organisation is to improve diversity in publishing by offering aspiring African and black minority writers a viable platform for telling their stories.
Alex Kadiri is a graduate of English and Literary Studies. His works have appeared in Afreada, Problem House Press, ShortSharpShot, Whipik, and WordsAreWork. He has received several recognitions for his writings, including being longlisted for the Koffi Addo Prize for nonfiction in 2017 and shortlisted for the STNOC Prize. In 2020, Alex Kadiri’s debut novel, Sunshower, won the Quramo Writers’ Prize.
Ugandan writer, Doreen Baigana, South African based-editor, Efemia Chela, and Ayesha-Harruna Attah, from Ghana, judged this year’s prize.