The South African writer Lidudumalingani has just been announced winner of the Caine Prize, for the best original short story by an African writer, published in the English language. He gets GBP£10,000.
The other nominees were Bongani Kona (Zimbabwe); Tope Folarin (Nigeria); Lesley Nneka Arimah (Nigeria); and Abdul Adan (Somalia/Kenya). This year, there were entries coming from more than 23 different African countries and that included translations.
Chair of the judges, Delia Jarrett-Macauley said ‘The winning story explores a difficult subject – how traditional beliefs in a rural community are used to tackle schizophrenia. This is a troubling piece, depicting the great love between two young siblings in a beautifully drawn Eastern Cape. Multi-layered, and gracefully narrated, this short story leaves the reader full of sympathy and wonder at the plight of its protagonists’.