ImageNations

Twenty-four outstanding stories have been selected by an international judging panel from 5182 entries from 48 Commonwealth countries. The writers come from 14 countries including, for the first time, Samoa and Ghana. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English from the Commonwealth. As well as being open to entries translated into English from any language, it is the only literary prize in the world where entries can be submitted in Bengali, Chinese, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, and Tamil. Again, in 2018, we’re delighted that a translated story has reached the shortlist. The inclusion of other languages in the Prize speaks to Commonwealth Writers’ recognition of the need for linguistic diversity to promote the richness of varied literary traditions and lesser-heard narratives. The 24 entries have earned their place on the shortlist - a rich collection of stori es showcasing the skill and talent of the write...

The lines blurred over teary eyes As yesterday's sentences crawled through the crenels of a hypnic-jerk mind Afraid to think of things the world taboos Yet bold to defend it resolutely in conversation with itself As I looked down from the roof of the earth I recreated your little cheeks swelling with laughter... the twilight twinkles in those tiny eyes... We may have endlessly, hopelessly fallen into this thing which has for years written itself into society's hypocritical epithet And we may have to ball it up and dump it in their dump-truck... Or timidly follow their path and forever hide this primal base from their accusatory eyes, away from: Them who hide their dangling scrotums in hideous togases to deceive naive maidens Them who walk the shore to rebuke the footprints of yesterday's memories Them who cast stones from behind books and creeds... But tell me, how does one bury a sailing cork? Why should one pluck a smile from 35,000ft and smash it agroun...