Sudanese writer al-Fadil wins 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing

Sudanese writer Bushra al-Fadil has won the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story ‘The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away’, first published in The Book of Khartoum: A City in Short Fiction (Comma Press).

The £10,000 (A$16,993) prize was split between al-Fadil, who received £7000 (A$11,895), and translator Max Shmookler, who received £3000 (A$5097).

‘The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away’ describes life in a bustling market and a man who becomes entranced by a beautiful woman he sees there. Chair of judges Nii Ayikwei Parkes described it as an exploration of ‘the allure of, and relentless threats to freedom’ through ‘metaphor and an altered, inventive mode of perception—including, for the first time in the Caine Prize, illustration’.

Al-Fadil will be offered a one-month residency at Georgetown University, as well as invitations to speak at the US Library of Congress and to participate in literary festivals in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.

For more information about prize and to read al-Fadil’s full story, visit the Caine Prize website here.

Category: International news