Gladwell Khavayie Pamba. Photo/Courtesy
Kenyan writer Gladwell Pamba has been shortlisted for the 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing, marking another major milestone in her growing literary career.
Pamba is among five writers selected for the prestigious prize from more than 400 submissions, according to the organisers. The shortlist recognises stories that judges described as original, poignant, shocking, moving and, in some cases, quirky.
“These five shortlisted stories stood out with their originality. Each author packed a powerful punch in their storytelling with tales that were poignant, shocking, moving and even quirky. Congratulations to them all,” said Bola Mosuro, chair of the 2026 judging panel.
The Caine Prize is one of Africa’s most prominent literary awards and has helped bring international attention to African writers and their short fiction.
Gladwell Pamba’s literary journey
Pamba is currently pursuing a PhD at Concordia University in Canada, where she previously obtained a Master of Arts in Creative Writing.
Her academic journey has run alongside an increasingly distinguished writing career. In 2024, she won the Ibua Manuscript Prize, while in 2025 she received the Malahat Review’s Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction.
She has also participated in several international writing fellowships, including the Oxbelly Writers Retreat, International Literary Seminars and programmes associated with the African Writers’ Trust.
Her writing has appeared in a range of literary publications and anthologies, including Iskanchi Press, Bakwa, North West Review, Waxwing Journal, The Offing and The Rumpus.
Pamba is currently working on a novel as well as a collection of short stories, projects that could further establish her presence in the African and international literary scene.
Pamba reacts with humour
Reacting to her Caine Prize shortlist appearance on Facebook, Pamba focused less on the literary achievement and more on the unexpected challenge of finding a suitable photograph for the announcement.
She revealed that the organisers had requested a high-resolution headshot, sending her “entire ecosystem” into panic because she had never had a professional photoshoot.
Pamba joked that her phone was filled with selfies, plants and books, but lacked the professional photograph required for such an important announcement.
She credited her brother, Alasiri Austin, an engineer who designed her author website, for repeatedly urging her to get a professional photograph.
According to Pamba, her friend Gloriah Amondi eventually stepped in while she was in Montreal and took hundreds of photographs before they settled on the image used for the announcement.
The writer also joked about reactions from her family and even her village chief, who reportedly told her the photograph was suitable for a campaign poster.
“I may be an assistant chief very soon, if things continue flowing this way. Ni God manze,” she wrote.
Her light-hearted reaction offered a glimpse into the personality behind the literary recognition, even as the shortlist places her work among some of the continent's most promising contemporary short-story writers.
Fellow writers celebrate achievement
Pamba's achievement has also drawn praise from fellow writers and members of the literary community.
Writer Mikhail Lossel congratulated Pamba, describing her as a “brilliantly talented and remarkably hardworking” writer.
Lossel noted that Concordia University's Creative Writing programme had brought Pamba to the institution in 2023 and expressed his happiness at seeing her reach the Caine Prize shortlist.
He also recognised writer Billy Kahora, who selected Pamba's nominated story for the anthology “Let Us Conspire,” published by Ahmed Aidarus' Jahazi Press.
For Pamba, the Caine Prize shortlist adds to a series of recent achievements and places her among five writers whose work has captured the attention of judges from hundreds of submissions.
The recognition also shines a spotlight on Kenya's continuing contribution to African literary writing, with Pamba now competing for one of the continent's best-known prizes for short fiction.