Priscilla Ametorpe Goka (Ghana) is one of six shortlisted African authors for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025. (Photo: provided)

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 54 member states.

An international judging panel selected the 25 writers from almost 8,000 total entries – a record-breaking number and nearly ten percent higher than 2024.  

Six writers from the African continent feature on the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist.

Jannike Bergh conducted interviews with the shortlisted authors from Africa. Below is an interview with Priscilla Ametorpe Goka (Ghana).

Hello and congratulations on being shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025! Please tell me a bit about who you are and what you usually write.

Thank you.

Basically, I consider myself a storyteller. I remember my early years in Dansoman, making up stories with Fiifi, Paa Kwesi and my other friends. My father, a teacher, taught me to read. We didn’t have many storybooks in the house, so I used to spend a lot of time in the public library. Afterwards, I loved to share the stories I had read with my friends. I remember a time when I was in secondary school, a former classmate of mine wrote to me, and in her letter, she said that I was the reason she had developed an interest in reading. This is one of the best things anyone has ever told me.

In 2006, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Around that time, I came across a short story competition in the Daily Graphic, organised by the Pan-African Writers Association. The first prize was US$5 000. I told my mother I was going to enter for her. After the news came that I had won, I remember entering the kitchen one day, and my mother was there, a smile on her face; she looked at me and said, “You wrote the story for me.” After this award, I struggled to write. My mother saw my struggle and said to me, “Dada, write.”

These words are my motivation. I usually write fiction because I like the freedom of creation that it brings.

Could you tell me about your country and what you experience as story material in the country you are from? How does one shed clichés and tell a story that is uniquely yours and universal at the same time?

Every time I think of my country, Ghana, this song we used to sing as children comes to mind:

Ghana, my happy home

Land of rich resources

Land of mighty talents, racial tolerance, justice and freedom

These lyrics sum up Ghana, a country where friends meet and eat from the same bowl. When I was growing up, my parents could leave for work, secure in the knowledge that our neighbours would look out for us. There were things I didn’t appreciate, like walking to school, taking the trotro, attending a government school from class five to JS three, etc. Today, I appreciate those experiences, because when I write, I like to feel, and I feel because I have experienced. Writing stories which delve into some deep part of yourself makes them richer; what language is more universal than love, pain, envy?

What is your story about – and what inspired you to write this specific story?

My story is about friendship. I love friendship, maybe because I’ve never had many friends; the few friends I have, I hold dear, but I didn’t set out to write a story on friendship. I wanted to write a story that would speak to the galamsey situation in Ghana, but that story wasn’t working out. So, I decided to go through some story drafts I had, to see if I could edit any of them for submission. The idea for the story I wrote came from one of the drafts. My grandfather fought in the Second World War, and even though he died before I was old enough to ask him about his experiences in the war, I have always wanted to write about the African soldier in the Second World War. I watched videos and read articles, and when I was ready, the story wrote itself.

Do you think stories can make a difference? Tell me about a story you have read that you still think about.

Yes. Stories help us to know and understand. They get you into shoes you might never have worn otherwise. They may not change you, but stories can set you thinking.

Nadia Murad’s The last girl: My story of captivity and my fight against the Islamic State. Before reading this book, I had listened to a BBC podcast, “I’m not a monster”. In the series, some Yezidi slaves were mentioned, but I did not think much of them or their situation until I read this book. The writer wrote about her world upended – being in the bus with the other Yezidi girls, being driven through the city, where life was business as usual. After reading the book, sometimes I see houses, or cars on the road, and wonder what secrets they could hold.

What does it mean for you to be shortlisted for a prize like this?

It makes me believe in my ability to write. To be shortlisted for the Commonwealth Story Prize tells me that if I work hard, if I persevere, I can make it as a writer.

What is your writing process, and what do you typically do once you have finished a piece and sent it into the world?

Do I have a writing process? Usually, I have an idea, I sit down and I write. Sometimes I research before; mostly I don’t. When I am through with my first draft, I edit and revise until I am okay with the work.

A fast-changing world has introduced AI into our lives, whether we like it or not. While some may embrace it and include it in their creative process, what are your thoughts on the matter?

I think it is okay to embrace change. We don’t need AI to write our stories for us, but in the creative process, AI can help with research (narrowing down options), editing and brainstorming.

From your experience, what advice or message do you have for young writers?

Read, read, read – and keep writing, even when you doubt yourself.

Also read:

Press release: 2025 Commonwealth short story prize shortlist announced

Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025 shortlist: an interview with Vashish Jaunky