The obituary tango

The Caine Prize for African Writing is Africa's leading literary prize, and is awarded to a work (a short story) by an African writer published in English, whether in Africa or elsewhere. Each year the winning story and shortlisted entries are collected and published in one volume. The Caine Prize is a springboard for some of the best talent in African writing. Previous winners include Leila Aboulala, who has just published her second novel with Bloomsbury, and Helon Habila, who has also just published his second novel with Hamish Hamilton.