The 2016 Caine Prize winner was unveiled on July 4 as Lidudumalingani for his short story entitled ‘Memories We Lost‘ published in Incredible Journey: Stories That Move You. The Chair of Judges, Delia Jarrett-Macauley, announced the winner of the £10,000 prize at a dinner held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
‘Memories We Lost’ tells the emotionally charged story of a girl who acts as protector of her sister, whose serious mental-health problems cause consternation in a South African village. Her situation deteriorates as her care is entrusted to Nkunzi, a local man who employs traditional techniques to rid people of their demons.
The 2016 Caine Prize winner, Lidudumalingani, is a writer, filmmaker and photographer. He was born in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, in a village called Zikhovane. Lidudumalingani has published short stories, non-fiction and criticism in various publications. His films have been screened at a number of film festivals.
Other shortlisted writers include Lesley Nneka Arimah for her ‘What it Means When a Man Falls From the Sky,’ Tope Folarin for his ‘Genesis’ published in Callaloo, Bonging Kona for his ‘At Your Requiem’ published in Incredible Journey: Stories That Move You, and Abdul Adan for his ‘The Lifebloom Gift’ published in The Gonjon Pin and Other Stories: The Caine Prize for African Writing 2014.