For the first time, a Vincentian has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
An international judging panel has shortlisted Cecil Browne among twenty-six outstanding authors for the world’s most prestigious literary award.
Browne’s story is titled “A Hat for Lemer”.
This story is about a woman who is faced with a dilemma after emancipation. Noah Brisbane, the owner of an estate on the island, asks her to locate a missing Methodist minister. The fee might be enough to build a house for her and her parents, but can she ignore who Brisbane is and what he represents?
Cecil Browne was born in St Vincent and the Grenadines but has lived in the UK since he was a teenager.
In addition to being a college lecturer in Mathematics for over 35 years, he also loves cricket, writing and music. 2018 saw the publication of his short story, ‘Coming Off the Long Run’, in the anthology So Many Islands. Recently, he completed his debut novel.
Every year, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded to the best work of unpublished short fiction from any of the 54 Commonwealth Member States.
The stories on 2022 shortlist were selected from 6,730 entries from 52 Commonwealth nations.
In addition to stories about forbidden love and coming of age, the 26 shortlisted entries tackle topics such as bereavement and climate change, and span genres such as speculative and literary fiction, romance, and crime.
Selected writers will have a wealth of opportunities available to them when they win or are shortlisted for the Prize.
