Read the winning story of the 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing.
This week, the Caine Prize for African Writing, which awards £10,000 annually to the best short story by an African writer living on the continent or in the diaspora, announced the 2026 winner : Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza’s “ The Blue Fighter ,” which was originally published by The Shallow Tales Review in 2025. “Gripping, moving and beautifully crafted, Simbarashe captures the complexities of family, denial and devotion with remarkable emotional power,” said Bola Mosuro, chair of this year’s judging panel. “Winning the Caine Prize means a great deal to me,” said Kundizeza in a statement.
