Canadian writers Chanel Sutherland and Damhnait Monaghan are among the 25 writers shortlisted for the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

The prize is awarded annually to the best piece of unpublished short fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words. Shortlisted writers are sorted into five regional categories: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and Pacific. Regional winners receive £2,500 ($4,573 CAD), with the overall winner to receive £5,000 ($9,147 CAD).

Sutherland and Monaghan were both shortlisted in the Canada and Europe category; Sutherland for “Descend,” and Monaghan for “Nualu Nu.”

Regional winners will be announced on May 14, with the overall winner to be announced on June 25.

This year’s shortlisted writers were selected from a record-breaking 7,920 entries from 54 Commonwealth countries.

Montreal writer Julie Bouchard won the regional prize for Canada and Europe last year, and was the first Canadian writer to do so in more than a decade.