The rhythm of the islands echoed across the globe this week as Vincentian-born writer Chanel Sutherland was named the overall winner of the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious literary honours.
Her story, “Descend“, rose above nearly 8,000 entries to claim the top spot and the 5,000 pounds prize.
Sutherland, who now lives in Montreal, Canada, describes Descend as “a story of resistance, memory, and voice”.
The narrative, set aboard a sinking slave ship, centres on enslaved Africans who, in their final moments, reclaim their histories through storytelling.
Chair of judges, Vilsoni Hereniko, praised the piece as “deep and profound”. The playwright, film director and academic went on to call Sutherland’s story “an allegory that affirms the unrivalled power of storytelling to set our spirits free and find hope where none exists”.
Meanwhile, Sutherland reflected on the honour, saying:
“To be a writer from a small island and have my story seen and held in this way – it’s more than I ever imagined. I carry St. Vincent with me in every word I write.
“As a girl, I used to scribble stories into the dirt in front of our house in Georgetown. I didn’t know it then, but even those erased stories mattered. They shaped me.”
The Commonwealth Foundation announced her win during a virtual awards ceremony hosted by Rwandan performing artist and storyteller Malaika Uwamahoro.
Sutherland, along with the four other regional winners, shared reflections on their writing journeys and read powerful excerpts from their stories.
Meanwhile, Sutherland dedicated her victory to Vincnetians everywhere.
“This award isn’t just mine. It belongs to every Vincentian child who ever dreamed big from a small place.”
The win comes as Sutherland prepared to launch a collection of short stories, “Child”, which will be published by House of Anansi in 2026.
The collection, which fictionalises aspects of Sutherland’s own experience as a “layaway child” — left in the care of family while parents emigrated — explores themes of girlhood, migration, shame, and the Caribbean diaspora with striking lyricism.
Sutherland hopes the win encourages more writers from small islands to share their stories.
“We come from a place of deep beauty and complexity. Our stories are worthy. They’re necessary. And they deserve space on the world stage,” she said.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best unpublished short fiction from across the Commonwealth’s five regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The overall winner receives 5,000 pounds and international recognition.
Congratulations. Keep on writing!