Joshua Lubwama
@JoshuaLubwama1
Software engineer, writer, editor. Africa Regional winner of the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. #CWprize 2025
Absolutely thrilled to be the Africa Region winner of the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for my story "Mothers Not Appearing in Search". It's a story about a boy who—against his mother's wishes—befriends a woman that's recently moved into the neighbourhood. @cwfcreatives
On the importance of learning to engage with realities outside of yours...
relatability in art is so overrated. especially in an era where people want the artist to capture their niche micro-identities for the art to be “relatable”. i’ll choose resonance over relatability every time!
Read five newly published stories! Issue 2 of the 2025 #CWprize shortlist features five tales, each capturing beauty, heartbreak, mystery, fear, and hope in vivid prose. They are: 'The Flute Player' by Priscilla Ametorpe Goka (Ghana) 'Tamarind' by Tino de Sa (India) 'The Sun…
Captain Man: You're sick. Henry Danger: I don't think I'm sick. Captain Man: Well, think again. Your whole generation's just...messed up, sick. Henry Danger: Y'know... when you generalise... Captain Man: Yeah? Henry Danger: You tell general...lies.
Some people should have read-only access to the internet.
‘There is nothing quite so tragic as a young cynic, because it means the person has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.’ — Maya Angelou
“somebody says: when you did so-and-so that was such a success, why don’t you do that again?” - maya angelou i wish every young writer would watch this conversation between james baldwin and maya angelou: youtu.be/O6sFgaZBs-U?si…
You don’t hear enough about the curse of the standard that accolades like the Commonwealth Short Story Prize set. Now subsequent stories are “very good” but “not quite like that other one”. Dear beta reader, I cannot possibly outdo myself every single time. What's your problem :)
Our editors said we should tell you this, "Don’t overwrite emotions. Let action betray feeling. A trembling hand says more than “he was nervous.” Trust readers. They’re smarter than you think. Let them connect the dots."
"Who knew who might’ve been watching as you pulled off the Jay-Jay Okocha turn?"
Thrilled to welcome Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi as the keynote at Kampala Writes Lit Fest! She’ll tackle “Belonging”: writing home from abroad and preserving authenticity. Makumbi is the award-winning author of The First Woman, Manchester Happened, and Kintu. #klawritelitfest
“Technique is the proof of your seriousness.” —Jim Harrison buff.ly/pUMykd0
As a mother worries about her child, an old friend enters her life again with the promise of a better future. But all is not as it seems. Read 'A Room Full of Teddy Bears' by Dorechi. This story was shortlisted for the 2025 #CWprize. Read it, and let us know your thoughts about…
Confronted with the awful possibility that there are probably people who use a computer and don't know about VLC
Read the 2025 #CWprize shortlist! We are excited to present the first five shortlisted stories from the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Issue 1 features: 'A Room Full of Teddy Bears' by Dorechi (Kenya) 'Final Effort of the Wind' by Gillian Leasunia Katoanga (Samoa) 'Broken…
When you come from nothing, with no system of advantage, to something bigger and almost overwhelming, you're at liberty to behave the way you want, to flaunt your ego in people's faces; but in the end, it's profitable to be humble and kind, because nothing lasts forever.
When fiction speaks uncomfortable truths louder than facts. @JoshuaLubwama1’s, Commonwealth-winning story 'Mothers Not Appearing In Search' reminds us why African literature isn't just art—it's testimony. ✍🏾: @zia_tiffah the49thstreet.com/49th-exclusive…
Yeah, the law of diminishing returns ensures that as a writer, the first book you read so as to learn to write will be a revelation, but the hundredth, not so much. You quickly hit the point where you're better off writing something yourself than reading your favourite authors.
No, even in writing, no. Reading doesn't automatically translate if you don't actively practice writing. Once again, I know so many people who read more than I do but can't write better because I simply write more than they do, observe new errors, correct, and repeat.
To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we’re thrilled to launch a special edition of our Online Editing Programme this Autumn — and for the first time, applications are open to the public! 🥳 To learn how you can enter, visit: caineprize.com/online-editing…