The Caine Prize for African Writing has announced its judging panel for the 2024 edition of the prestigious literary prize. Named in memory of the late Sir Michael Caine, former Chairman of Booker plc, the prize is open to writers from across Africa for work published in English, focusing on the short story form.
This year’s Chair of Judges is award-winning Nigerian author Chika Unigwe, known for her novels and short stories exploring themes of identity and culture. Joining her on the panel are Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean writer and filmmaker acclaimed for her novels, and Julianknxx, a Sierra Leonean poet and artist based in London, UK, whose work has been exhibited globally.
Also on the panel is Tumi Molekane, known as Stogie T, a South African Hip-Hop artist and lyricist whose work delves into social and political commentary. Rounding out the panel is Ayesha Harruna Attah, author of several novels including Commonwealth Prize-nominated “Harmattan Rain” and “The Hundred Wells of Salaga.”
The judges will convene in September to select a winner from the shortlisted authors, with the winner set to receive a £10,000 prize. Each shortlisted writer will receive £500, and the winning story, if a translation, will be shared between the author and translator.
The five shortlisted stories will be published in the official Caine Prize anthology by Cassava Republic Press and other international publishers. The winner will be announced at an award ceremony in London in September 2024.
For more information about the prize, visit www.caineprize.com.
Bongiwe T. Maphosa
Bongiwe Maphosa is a writer whose fiction and poetry offers fresh, imaginative perspectives on the human condition. Her work has been published in prominent literary spaces, including Isele Magazine, Akowdee Magazine, the AVBOB Poetry Anthology, Journal of African Youth in Literature (JAY Lit), and more. She was also nominated for the 2025 Best of the Net Anthology. Bongiwe is one of six writers selected for the inaugural Caine Prize Online Editing program and serves as a content writer, peer reviewer, and tier three awards judge for JAYLit. Bridging inner reflection with speculative worlds, she continues to carve out a distinctive voice within contemporary African literature for a growing global audience.
