The ninth 4thWrite prize shortlist, run by 4th Estate and the Guardian, features six stories: Nana Kwesi Boateng's 'Allah Must Be a Black Boy' (lyrical on migration); Yasmina Floyer's 'Gorgeous' (horror on misogyny); Linda Helen Yu's 'Mira' (loneliness exploration); Jacqueline-Faith Is'la's 'One Thousand Demons' (humorous Nigerian church tale); Piyumi Kapugeekiyana's 'The Original Is Not Here' (nuanced cancel culture); Monica Davis's 'We’ve Defrosted Abraham Lincoln' (playful absurdity).
Judges including Joy Carty-Williams, Caleb Femi, and Kishani Widyaratna praised the daring voices.
Winner, announced October 1, gets £1,000, workshop, and Guardian publication.
Past winners include Bolu Babalola and Guy Gunaratne.
Panel lauded transportation across borders and emotions, pushing understanding.
Carty-Williams noted stories' importance since 2016 inception.
Last year's winner: Yan F.
Zhang's deportation story.
Shortlist celebrates new talents of colour.
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