Egyptian author and translator Yasmine Zohdi has been selected as one of five finalists for the 2026 Caine Prize, an annual award recognizing short stories by African writers. The five shortlistees were chosen from roughly four hundred submissions. Her story, "The Absence of Stains," originally appeared in The Republic, a publication focused on African fiction.
Chigozie Obioma, fiction editor at The Republic, said the publication had sought to find and publish the best short fiction from and within Africa when it launched its fiction section. Obioma described Zohdi's story as "powerful" and "in many ways a masterpiece."
The prize's judges are Bola Mosuro as chair, along with Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, Orsod Malik, Siphiwo Mahala, and Sheila Atim. The winning author will receive £10,000, while each of the four other shortlisted authors will receive £500.
