Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza wins 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing

Harare-based author Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza has won the 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story titled The Blue Fighter, according to reports from France 24, APAnews, BellaNaija, and Inbox.lv. The annual literary award comes with a cash prize of 10,000 British pounds. [1][8][9][10]

France 24 reported that the award is presented to the best short story written by an African author and published in the English language. [1]

The Caine Prize for African Writing was established in the United Kingdom in 2000 in memory of Sir Michael Harris Caine, who was a former chairman of the Booker Group and management committee for the Booker Prize. The award is sometimes called the African Booker, and Ellah Wakatama has served as the chair of its board since 2019. [13]

Kundizeza lives in Harare, which is the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. [1][14]