The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2023: an interview with Josiah Mbote

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Josiah Mbote (https://commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/)

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 54 member states.

The shortlist for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, selected from over 6 600 submissions by the international judging panel, was announced recently.

Chair of the judges, Pakistani writer and translator Bilal Tanweer said, “On behalf of the jury, I am thrilled to reveal the shortlist for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. This year’s shortlist is a concert of voices from across the Commonwealth, showcasing the richness of its writing traditions, histories and perspectives. These stories brim with the energy and urgency of the present moment – read them to experience the beat and pulse of contemporary storytelling.”

See the shortlist of this year’s Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

Naomi Meyer conducted interviews with the shortlisted authors from Africa. Below is an interview with Josiah Mbote.

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

Thank you so much. I feel incredibly honoured to be shortlisted for this prize and to participate in this interview. My name is Josiah Mbote, and I am from Nairobi, Kenya. I am a student at the University of Nairobi, where I am studying for a Bachelor of Pharmacy. I like to think of myself as creative, but I can confidently describe myself as wildly imaginative. I spend a great deal of time building on my thought processes, and that is evident in my introspective writing output. I write highly introspective literary fiction; it can be short stories or poetry, and sometimes even screenwriting. I am yet to publish any of my works as I write mainly for self-expression, but that will definitely be one of my future undertakings.

Could you tell me about your country and what you experience as story material in the country you are from – and why?

Oh, Kenya is an amazing country. I can spend hours speaking about her nature and profound cultural diversity, but right there at the top, we can talk about what makes Kenya what she is, and that is her people. Just from simple interactions with our countrymen, you can get a feeling of how unique the country is, and it is from this very uniqueness that you can extract nuanced story material. Every minute feels like an adventure.

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

As I said, I love writing introspective pieces, and that’s precisely what I submitted for the prize. The story is about an inward exploration of the narrator’s state as a failed stand-up comedian. He probes the concept of failure and what keeps him going, and what exactly he is looking for despite the misery of his career and his life. It’s a mildly philosophical ride in a comical sense. I love watching stand-up comedy, and most comedians I’ve watched are good at what they do. So, I imagined what it would be like for an unsuccessful comedian, and that was the beginning of my thought process for this story.

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The story is about an inward exploration of the narrator’s state as a failed stand-up comedian. He probes the concept of failure and what keeps him going, and what exactly he is looking for despite the misery of his career and his life.
...

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

As I writer, I know stories can make a difference. Stories are outputs of our psyche; they demonstrate how we are similar and how we are different. They are artworks that encapsulate the human condition, the comic and the tragic. It is through stories that we feel each other in ways that transcend space and time. I can experience the Middle Ages through a story; I can experience Singapore through a story. My favourite story is John Steinbeck’s Of mice and men – truly a masterpiece of the writing technique, which I aspire to develop in my writing.

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As I writer, I know stories can make a difference. Stories are outputs of our psyche; they demonstrate how we are similar and how we are different.
...

What is the importance of being shortlisted for a prize like this? Also, do you think people read, or do they prefer listening to voice notes and stories, or looking at photos/Instagram?

It’s a prestigious prize that puts your work and profile out there, and with that only good things can come out of it – not to mention the chance of winning the substantial award. Personally, the shortlisting has made me more confident in my writing. I think the difference in preferences of reading or listening to voice notes or looking at photos is quite integrated in people’s personalities. There are many whose preference is ingesting written material, but of course with the digital age, this preference is shifting to other paradigms; and this is good, because it gives choices. Ultimately, it’s down to personality. But either way, a story is told.

  • Josiah Mbote is a Kenyan writer studying pharmacy at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. His central drive for writing has been to express himself, although he is currently compiling his debut collection of short stories.

See also:

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2023: an interview with Buke Abduba

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2023: an interview with Hana Gammon

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2023: an interview with Matshediso Radebe

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2023: an interview with HB Asari

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2023: an interview with Mike Boyd

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