Two Bangladeshi writers make 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist

Two Bangladeshi writers—26-year-old Anmana Manishita, a lecturer at BRAC University, and 33-year-old Shazed Ul Hoq Abir, a senior lecturer at East West University—have been shortlisted for the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

Manishita’s ‘A Masculine Fest’, the story of a young Bangladeshi woman in the 1950s navigating the unexpected realities of womanhood, and Abir’s ‘No Spark in Mafiz’s Relationship’ (‘Mofiz-er Relation-e Spark Nai’)—submitted originally in Bangla and translated into English by Arunava Sinha and Shabnam Nadiya—tell the story of a man in a Sundarbans village attempting to revive the spark in his failing marriage while modern development slowly unsettles the fragile balance of his world. Both stories have made it through to the next round of judging for the prestigious global literary prize.

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Awarded annually and open to citizens of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations aged 18 and over, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize recognises the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries. This year’s shortlist includes 25 writers from 14 countries, selected from a pool of nearly 8,000 entries.

The 2026 judging panel is chaired by award-winning British novelist and screenwriter Louise Doughty, author of the bestselling novel Apple Tree Yard (Sarah Crichton Books, 2014). Five judges from five regions of the Commonwealth join Doughty on the panel, including Bangladeshi editor, journalist, writer, and translator Rifat Munim, who represents the Asia region.

Speaking on this year’s shortlist, Doughty noted, “Ultimately, our choices for the shortlist came down to authors who were not only excellent writers but, we felt, also had a grasp of the unique pleasures of the short story form—how it is a miniature carved in words that holds all the potential of a full-length novel in a few dense brushstrokes. We believe the writers in this shortlist have achieved all that and more, and we are immensely proud of our selection.”

Star Books & Literature contributor Kazi Raidah Afia Nusaiba reached out to both shortlisted candidates for their thoughts on the achievement. Anmana Manishita said, "Of course it made me happy but it feels a little strange, to be honest. Everyone keeps congratulating me, but I don’t feel like I’ve done anything particularly extraordinary. I've always loved to write and this time, I just happened to send it in. I don’t know what it means for me in my journey as a writer—I suppose that’s something that will become clearer in retrospect." Shazed Ul Hoq Abir noted, "I am delighted. My journey as a writer has been a long one. Despite having eleven published books, over a decade passing since my first publication, and receiving a couple of prestigious national literary awards, I haven't yet seen the level of interest from Bangladeshi readers that would bring me fulfillment as a Bengali writer. I hope that being shortlisted for the Commonwealth Foundation’s short story competition will help my published and forthcoming books reach a wider audience. I believe that one day I will find the immortality I began searching for through creative writing nearly fifteen years ago."

The 2026 regional winners will be announced by Commonwealth Foundation Creatives in May, followed by the overall winner at the official awards ceremony in June. Of the five regional winners, four will receive £2,500 each, while the overall winner will receive £5,000. The 2025 Asia regional winner was Bangladeshi writer Faria Basher for her story ‘An Eye and a Leg’.

Submissions for the 2027 prize open on September 1, 2026.