Malaysian author Shih-Li Kow shortlisted for Commonwealth Short Story Prize

'I have been following the Prize for several years now and I know that there are thousands of entries every year. So to have made it this far to the shortlist, I am over the moon and very honoured indeed,' says Kow about her submission ‘Relative Distance’ selected as one of the 28 shortlisted stories for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Photo: Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Award-winning Malaysian author Shih-Li Kow's short story submission Relative Distance has been selected as one of the 28 shortlisted stories for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The prize is awarded annually to the best unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth's 56 Member States.

"A man visits his ageing uncle and pretends he has returned from abroad. In the few days that they spend together, he navigates their shared history and old conflicts," reads a brief description about Kow's story Relative Distance.