South African playwright, academic, novelist and short story writer Nadia Davids is the winner of the 2024 Caine Prize for African Writing. It’s an important award that has played a significant role in shaping the career trajectories of numerous African writers. She received the prize for her exquisitely written and disturbing short story ‘Bridling’.
The title refers to a scold’s bridle, also known as a witch’s bridle, a cruel metal muzzle placed on a defiant (or even gossiping) woman’s face in an act of public humiliation centuries past. A bridle must be worn on stage by the narrator of ‘Bridling’, who is performing in a theatre piece that aims to examine how men have viewed women through history. Not all the women cast in the production will stay until opening night, taking different forms of rebellion against its demands.
We asked Davids about her winning story. This year’s competition witnessed a record-breaking number of submissions, with 320 entries spanning 28 African countries vying for the coveted prize, while also marking a significant milestone in the Caine Prize’s history as it enters its 25th year. Speaking of the winning story, award winning author Chika Unigwe (Chair of Judges) said: “Bridling is an impressive achievement, a triumph of language, storytelling and risk-taking while maintaining a tightly controlled narrative about women who rebel.
It embodies the spirit of the Caine Prize, which is to celebrate the richness and diversity of s.