Jamir Nazir is the overall winner of the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
The Chair of the judging panel, Louise Doughty, together with the 2026 panel of judges, said: ‘We are hugely proud of our shortlist, regional winners and our overall winner, "The Serpent in the Grove" by Jamir Nazir, is an original, poetic and deeply moving story.’
Jamir has been selected as the winner from 7,806 entries from across the Commonwealth. His story, ‘The Serpent in the Grove’, explores betrayal, survival and the stubborn force of a woman’s will in a rural Trinidadian setting.
The announcement was made during a film documenting the five regional winners of the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Watch it here:
https://t.co/BPU8TdqCAa
A decade apart, same conversations.
I took the Hippocratic oath yesterday alongside my colleagues, and I was inducted as a Dental Surgeon.
I graduated with:
🏆 Provost’s Prize; Best All-Round Performance in BDS
🏆 Dean’s Prize; Best All-Round Performance in BDS
Unfortunately, I am the Doctor that would listen and do something about it
Saw a 3 yr who was assaulted by her uncle at the Paediatric clinic. I didn't talk too much, I just took her mum to the sexual assault center
Mother was begging me not to take it too far
I took it too far
Morning devotions in Nigerian households were the original breeding ground for indirect jabs.
Your mum will be praying for you in presence of everyone and randomly say, “Father remove every spirit of laziness, stubbornness and wasted potential from his life,” and suddenly you’re wondering when you offended her.