A short fiction The Missing Half (Separuh Yang Hilang), originally written in Bahasa Malaysia by Mohamed Nasser Mohamed, has been shortlisted for the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
The announcement was made by the Commonwealth Foundation in London last night.
Translated by fellow Malaysian Pauline Fan, it is one of two entries – out of 25 shortlisted stories – submitted in a local language and translated into English, the other being in Bengali.
The Missing Half, the first Malaysian entry to be shortlisted since 2023, is also among seven stories from the Asia region, alongside works by writers from India, Bangladesh and Singapore.
The 25 shortlisted writers, representing 14 countries, were selected from 7,806 entries across 54 Commonwealth nations.
The overall winner receives £5,000 (RM26,735), and regional winners receive £2,500 (RM13,367).
Memory, love and survival
The Missing Half follows a father in a flood-stricken village struggling to rebuild his life and family after a tragic loss. Mohamed Nasser, 62, said the story had long been gestating before he submitted it.
“Honestly, I was surprised when I first received the news that I had made the shortlist. After all, there were nearly 8,000 submissions this year,” said the writer and editor, based in Semenyih, Selangor.
“However, I’m very proud and overjoyed with this achievement,” he added.
Mohamed Nasser, who published his first book Aku Kaki Sakat in 2019, is also active as a poet and blogger.
Since March 2021, he has hosted the weekly online talk series “Cakap Apa Sahaja” with Nuha Pictures.
Literary advocate Fan said she was delighted by the shortlisting, having greatly enjoyed translating the story.
“It is beautifully written and grapples with the difficult theme of parental grief in a moving, yet unsentimental, way. I am glad that my translation allows this story to reach a wider international readership,” she said.
'Blind translation'
Fan, who is also creative director of cultural organisation Pusaka, revealed she did not know the author’s identity during the process.
“The Prize accepts submissions in several local languages of Commonwealth countries, so it was assigned to me through a ‘blind translation’ process. I commend the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for accepting submissions in local languages, this ensures inclusivity and encourages a diverse range of voices and perspectives,” she added.
Administered by the Commonwealth Foundation, the prize is awarded annually for the best unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 56 member states.
The 2026 shortlisted stories will be published in the Foundation’s online magazine, adda, which showcases new writing from across the Commonwealth.
"Ultimately, our choices for the shortlist came down to authors who were not only excellent writers but, we felt, also had a grasp on the unique pleasures of the short story form, how it is a miniature carved in words that holds all the potential of a full-length novel in a few dense brushstrokes," said Louise Doughty, Chair of the Judges, award-winning British novelist and dramatist.
Regional winners (Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and Pacific) will be announced on May 13, with the overall winner revealed in late June.
Winning or being shortlisted often opens significant opportunities for writers.
This year, Mohamed Nasser’s shortlisting marks a welcome comeback for Malaysia in the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
Award-winning writer Saras Manickam became the first Malaysian to be named the Asia regional winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2019 for her submission My Mother Pattu.
That same year, Pengap (Stuffy), a Bahasa Malaysia story written by Lokman Hakim and translated by Adriana Nordin Manan, also made the shortlist.
In 2023, Shih-Li Kow was shortlisted for Relative Distance, while Sharmini Aphrodite’s Ouroboros, Ouroboros made the 2020 shortlist.
