Celebrated Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo has been named the winner of the 2025 Best of Caine Award for her short story Hitting Budapest , which originally won the Caine Prize for African Writing 2011.
The special honorary award, marking the 25th anniversary of the Caine Prize for African Writing, recognises the most outstanding winning story from the prize’s quarter-century history. The announcement was made by Caine Prize Chair Ellah Wakatama OBE during the inaugural Words Across Waters Afro Lit Festival on September 27, 2025.
This year’s judging panel included Nobel Laureate Professor Abdulrazak Gurnah (Chair), Ugandan novelist Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, and Ghanaian film producer Tony Tagoe.
Professor Gurnah praised Bulawayo’s work, describing it as a unanimous choice for the prize.
“The decision to award the Best of Caine Prize to NoViolet Bulawayo was unanimous and swift. The judges were impressed with the control of voice the story demonstrated and the superb evocation of a childhood vision,” he said.
In her acceptance speech, Bulawayo expressed gratitude to the Caine Prize for shaping her literary journey.
“Winning the Caine Prize as an unpublished writer back in 2011 was a defining highlight that jump-started my career. It brought my work to a global audience, affirmed my literary path, and strengthened my confidence,” she said.
Bulawayo dedicated the award to future African writers, noting the Prize’s impact in nurturing generations of storytellers.
“It is 25 years of consistency, excellence, and vision. Our present is vibrant, and the future promises even more. I dedicate this Best of Caine Award to the writers still to come, whose voices will continue to shape African literature,” she said.
Since its establishment in 2000, the Caine Prize for African Writing has become one of the continent’s most prestigious literary awards, launching the careers of writers such as Helon Habila, Leila Aboulela, and Tope Folarin.
Beyond recognition, it has provided authors with global visibility, publishing deals, and international writing fellowships.
As the Prize marks 25 years, Bulawayo’s win underscores both the legacy and the future of African storytelling on the global stage.
