The shortlist for the 10th year of the 4thWrite prize – the short story competition for unpublished writers of colour run by the publisher 4th Estate in association with the Guardian – has been revealed.
The six shortlisted stories were "affecting in new and surprising ways", said judge Gurnaik Johal, who was shortlisted for the prize in 2018.
Clementine Wolodarsky was shortlisted for I Only Mug Girls, which judge and author Sanam Mahloudji described as "a fun and absurd ride of a story about an unlikely friendship between a lying misfit who works at the corporate office of Gail's and the lonely divorcee she meets on the train".
Darren Chan made the shortlist for Love Bite, described as "a really impressive and affecting story … sharp and funny and shot through with darkness" by judge and novelist Kamila Shamsie.
Ope Adedeji was selected for Omugwo, which tells the story of a woman convinced her newborn granddaughter is the reincarnation of her sister. The story is a "moving exploration of grief and mother-daughter relationships", said judge and Guardian books commissioning editor Ella Creamer.
Meher Iqbal appears on the list for Darkroom, which Mahloudji praised as "a sensitive and sensorially rich coming-of-age story about a young teenage friendship" that "captures the isolation and regret of jealousy with beauty and depth".
Diya Nair was chosen for Minty Fresh, which "depicts an office relationship in such a compelling and life-like way", said Mahloudji. The story has "a subtle humour and details that feel true to life in their complexities and contradictions".
Completing this year's list is Svetlana Chigozie Onye with London 2060, which follows a water rationing officer in a drought-ravaged future London as he navigates a secret relationship and personal tragedy.
"The 4thWrite shortlist is a reminder of what short fiction can do: give us a whole world in a few pages and leave us thinking long after the ending," said judge Chanté Joseph. "It was a joy to read such distinct voices and discuss them with the other judges."
The winner of the prize will receive £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication of their story on the Guardian website.
This is the 10th year of the prize, which is open to writers aged 18 and over living in the UK or Ireland. Last year's winner was Piyumi Kapugeekiyana for The Original Is Not Here. Other past winners include Yan F Zhang for Fleeting Marrow in 2024 and Tian Yi for The Good Son in 2023.
A number of previous longlisted and shortlisted writers have gone on to publish books: Bolu Babalola, author of Love in Colour and Honey & Spice; Guy Gunaratne, author of Mister, Mister and In Our Mad and Furious City; Kasim Ali, author of Good Intentions and Who Will Remain; Gurnaik Johal, author of We Move and Saraswati; and Kit Fan, author of Diamond Hill and Goodbye Chinatown.
Along with Mahloudji, Joseph, Shamsie, Johal and Creamer, this year's judging panel includes agent Emma Paterson of Aitken Alexander Associates and 4th Estate publishing director Kishani Widyaratna.