On June 25, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize announced its 2025 overall winner in a virtual ceremony, selecting Chanel Sutherland’s Descend—a gripping narrative set aboard a sinking slave ship—from among five regional finalists. The competition, which received a record-breaking 7,920 submissions this year, celebrates emerging literary talent across the Commonwealth. Sutherland, originally from St. Vincent and the Grenadines but now based in Montreal, triumphed over other regional winners, including Uganda’s Joshua Lubwama, Bangladesh’s Faria Basher, Guyana’s Subraj Singh, and Australia’s Kathleen Ridgwell.
Judges praised Descend as a “masterpiece” for its unflinching yet poetic exploration of enslaved Africans reclaiming their identities through shared stories as their ship founders. Chair judge Vilsoni Hereniko remarked that the winning entry “illuminates human nature with extraordinary skill,” while Commonwealth Foundation Director-General Anne T. Gallagher highlighted Sutherland’s ability to handle historical trauma with “precision and imagination.”
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Though the Caribbean’s official regional contender, Subraj Singh’s Margot’s Run—a tale of a mother battling a supernatural threat—did not take the top prize, Sutherland’s victory still carried regional significance. Born in St. Vincent, she credits her upbringing for instilling a love of storytelling, particularly through her grandmother’s vivid oral traditions. “She could make you laugh and think deeply in the same tale,” Sutherland recalled. However, it was her teenage discovery of To Kill a Mockingbird after moving to Canada that ignited her passion for writing. “I realized stories could mirror my own experiences,” she said. “That’s when I began pouring out the tales I’d carried since childhood.”
Her winning story, Descend, emerged from years of research and reflection on the transatlantic slave trade. Sutherland emphasized her responsibility to approach the subject with humility: “I’m not just reconstructing history—I’m seeking emotional truths. These characters had their histories erased; storytelling becomes their resistance.”
Sutherland, who writes daily and draws inspiration from long walks in nature, urged aspiring authors to prioritize passion over trends. “Write what moves you,” she advised. “If you don’t care, the process will feel hollow.” Her own creative method involves experimenting with structure and relentlessly revising until a story’s rhythm feels alive.
When notified of her win, her initial reaction was disbelief: “No way! I never imagined I’d write something worthy of this.” The accolade, she added, was a profound validation—especially for a story she describes as “about memory’s power to restore humanity amid violence.”
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize, a cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation, has launched countless literary careers by amplifying underrepresented voices. This year’s submissions, as Hereniko noted, reflect how fiction intertwines with local histories while resonating universally. Presenter Malaika Uwamahoro underscored this during the ceremony, calling storytelling “the bedrock of all art” and a formidable craft to master.
For Sutherland, the prize is both a milestone and a stepping stone. Her debut short story collection, slated for publication in 2026, will further explore themes of identity and resilience. “Writers have a duty to spotlight what connects us,” she said. “Stories remind us—even in darkness—of our shared humanity.”
As the literary world awaits her next work, Sutherland’s win reaffirms the enduring power of stories to confront the past, illuminate the present, and inspire the future.
