Olajide Omojarabi, a third-year master of fine arts creative writing student in the Department of English, has been shortlisted for his short story “House No. 49” by the Commonwealth Foundation, a global organization dedicated to advancing the interests of a commonwealth civil society.
“My story is about five teammates who collectively pursue their dream of football stardom. I am from Nigeria, where most teenagers want to play professional sports. Growing up, I saw many boys and girls give up so much to play top-flight football, which often didn’t work out as planned,” he said. “To this day, it is still a dream widely chased on Nigerian streets and in underfunded football academies. I wrote this story to identify the struggles of these young people and let them know that their dreams are valid, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the pursuit of their careers.”
Entries were assessed by an international judging panel, comprised of a chair and five judges, one from each of the Commonwealth’s regions – Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
The judges selected a shortlist of around twenty-three stories, from which five regional winners were chosen, one of which is chosen as the overall winner.
Omojarabi’s shortlisted story is available to read in adda, the online literary magazine of the Commonwealth Foundation.
“Being shortlisted for a prize like this makes me hopeful about my art. Receiving a message from the Commonwealth Foundation didn’t only thrill me, but pleasantly informed me that my writing is so highly effective that it caught the eyes of an international panel of judges. Beyond this, the recognition fueled my passion and signaled that I may be on the right career path,” he said.
Omojarabi cites his thesis director, Dr. Jake Wolff, as a mentor whose constructive feedback “significantly improved my art.”
In addition, Omojarabi’s writing has also appeared in Guernica, Off Assignment, and Barren Magazine. Upon graduating, he hopes to continue his creative writing academic journey and pursue a PhD.
“I have always wanted to be a writer, to create a world with words. Fiction humanizes people, and this is why I am passionate about writing: to reimagine the world and create characters that help my readers find companions in all circumstances.”