The names of the five regional winners of the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize have been announced. Bangladeshi writer Faria Bashar has been named the regional winner for Asia — marking the first time a writer from Bangladesh has won in this category.
The announcement was made on the Commonwealth Foundation’s official website. The other regional winners in the short story category are: Joshua Lubwama (Uganda, Africa region), Chanelle Sutherland (Canada/Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Canada and Europe region), Subraj Singh (Guyana, Caribbean region), and Kathleen Ridgwell (Australia, Pacific region).
Faria Bashar was awarded for her surreal story An Eye and a Leg, which earned her the title of best short story writer from the Asia region.
This year saw a record 7,920 entries submitted, from which the five regional winners were selected.
These five winners will now compete in the final judging round. The overall winner will be announced on 25 June 2025. Their stories will be published in the literary magazine Granta.
According to the Commonwealth Foundation, Faria Bashar is a writer of Bengali descent. She has lived in the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Edinburgh and completed a master’s degree at New York University. Although she has always been an avid reader, she began her writing journey only recently.