LONDON, United Kingdom – Zimbabwean novelist NoViolet Bulawayo has been awarded the Best of Caine prize, a one-off award created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Caine Prize for African Writing.
The accolade went to Hitting Budapest, her 2011 short story that first introduced the world to her distinctive voice. Judges described it as a work of “powerful language, distinctive tone of voice, and bold, compelling storytelling.”
The story follows six children who leave their shantytown, Paradise, and sneak into the wealthy suburb of Budapest to steal guavas. Narrated by a nine-year-old girl named Darling, it paints a vivid picture of childhood, hunger, and inequality.
First published in the Boston Review, the tale later became the opening chapter of Bulawayo’s debut novel We Need New Names, which went on to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2013.
Speaking at the award ceremony during the inaugural Words Across Waters: Afro Lit Fest at the British Library, Bulawayo reflected on how far she had come since her breakthrough.
“Winning the Caine Prize as an unpublished writer back in 2011 was the defining moment that jumpstarted my career,” she said. “It gave my work a global stage, affirmed my literary path, and strengthened my confidence to finish a first novel worthy of that recognition. Fourteen years later, receiving this honour feels like a moment to reflect on the journey.”
The announcement was made by Ellah Wakatama, chair of the Caine Prize. This year’s judging panel was led by Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, alongside Ugandan author Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and Ghanaian film producer Tony Tagoe.
Bulawayo, who grew up in Zimbabwe before moving to the United States at 18, has become one of Africa’s most celebrated literary voices. Her second novel, Glory—a satirical allegory inspired by the fall of Robert Mugabe—was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize. She now teaches at Cornell University.
Founded in 2000, the Caine Prize carries a £10,000 award and honours outstanding English-language short fiction from African writers. Over the past quarter century it has recognised 25 winners from 10 countries, among them Helon Habila of Nigeria, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor of Kenya, and Nadia Davids of South Africa.
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