The three-day anniversary programme, held across the cities of Harare and Bulawayo, placed NoViolet Bulawayo’s work at the centre of a wider reflection on African storytelling.
By Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku
The Caine Prize for African Writing marked its 25th anniversary with a landmark return to Zimbabwe, celebrating Zimbabwean Writer, NoViolet Bulawayo’s historic Best of Caine Award win.
As previously reported by Afrocritik in September 2025, Bulawayo’s short story, Hitting Budapest—originally awarded the Caine Prize in 2011—was selected in 2025 as the Best of Caine, an award that honours the most outstanding winning story from the Prize’s 25 year history.
The three-day anniversary programme, held across the cities of Harare and Bulawayo, placed NoViolet Bulawayo’s work at the centre of a wider reflection on African storytelling, while highlighting the Prize’s legacy and future under the leadership of its Chair, Ellah Wakatama OBE FRSL.
The programme opened on 15th December 2025 at the Mayor’s Parlour in Bulawayo, where the Best of Caine winner and the Chair of the Prize were received by the Mayor of Bulawayo, Senator David Coltart, followed by a public reading and in-conversation event at Mzilikazi Library. The evening concluded with NoViolet Bulawayo being presented with a gift of photography by writer, filmmaker, and photographer Elliot Moyo.
On 16th December 2025, an evening reception in Harare brought together writers, publishers, readers, and literary stakeholders to celebrate Bulawayo’s Best of Caine Award. The reception featured a live musical performance by Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Raven Duchess, as well as a reading by Bulawayo from Hitting Budapest. The event also included reflections on the Prize’s long-standing partnerships and its sustained investment in African literary communities.
During conversations held across the programme, Bulawayo reflected on the universal humanity that anchors her work, her writing journey, and the lasting affirmation of her 2011 Caine Prize win. She also spoke about the importance of ensuring Zimbabwean stories continue to travel across borders and media.
Wakatama, drawing on her experience as a writer, editor, and cultural leader, reflected on the Caine Prize’s mission to platform African writing globally. She emphasised the significance of marking the Prize’s milestone anniversary in Zimbabwe and spoke to its responsibility not only to recognise excellence, but also to actively invest in the development and visibility of African writers.
The anniversary programme concluded on 17th December 2025 with an intimate writers’ workshop at the Friendship Bench Hub in Harare, hosted by Wakatama, Bulawayo, and Zimbabwean author, Petina Gappah. Designed to address concerns around access to publication pathways for Zimbabwean writers, the session focused on craft, discipline, and persistence, offering practical guidance grounded in the facilitators’ combined decades of literary experience.
The Prize acknowledges the generous support of Carnegie Corporation of New York and Meikles Foundation, whose sponsorship of the 25th anniversary programme reflects their commitment to sustaining African literary talent.
As the Caine Prize celebrates 25 years of championing African storytelling, the anniversary programme in Zimbabwe marked an important convergence of legacy and future, honouring NoViolet Bulawayo’s Best of Caine win while reaffirming the Prize’s long-term commitment to nurturing African literary talent.