Interview with first place winner Cat Hellisen: http://shortstorydayafrica.org/news/tt9f499o6gjlb7m368unm6gke8szaq

Interview with second place winner Alex Latimer: http://shortstorydayafrica.org/news/heights-and-deep-dark-water-are-my-two-fears-an-interview-with-alex-latimer

Interview with third place winner Mark Winkler: http://shortstorydayafrica.org/news/isdqrqeftxvkvly89ia12xeozzrpca

Interview with the editor Nick Mulgrew: http://shortstorydayafrica.org/news/i-believe-short-fiction-is-its-own-art-an-interview-with-nick-mulgrew

To the African writers telling African stories with African readers in mind: Short Story Day Africa salutes you. Be brave. Keep writing. – Karina Szczurek and Rachel Zadok, 'Introduction'

In class for “How Was Your Weekend?”, I stood up and told everyone about our tiger. After I sat down the boy after me made up a story about how his cocker spaniel had hijacked their ride-on mower and driven it into the swimming pool. The tiger was better as a secret anyway. – Alex Latimer, 'A Fierce Symmetry'

He said that he had always wondered why women smoke, because they don’t have any real problems. I remember I laughed at him, despite myself. – Siyanda Mohutsiwa, 'And Then We Disappeared 
into Some Guy’s Car'

Yet, she had always maintained that to harbour the assumption that an African story must be without sex is to insinuate that nature had not bestowed sexual imagination upon the African. – Donald Molosi, 'Beetroot Salad'

The white man calls it cancer, but its real name is grief. – Chido Muchemwa, 'Finding Mermaids'

It isn’t easy being a mermaid in north-wester storms, especially if you have to stomach your own history. – Christine Coates, 'How We Look Now'

Some nights I dream of walking in the rain I’ve never seen. – Mark Winkler, 'Ink'

I was stirred from my dream by the song of a mosquito. – Mary Okon Ononokpono, 'Inyang'

Do you know what blue sounds like? – Wairimu Muriithi, 'Love Like Blue'

It was as if he had swallowed a wad of steel wool. She stared at him expectantly, and he felt the ball begin to rust, and then rise, a copper globe burning up his chest before camping behind his throat. – Alexis Teyie, 'Mama Boi'

Mother’s Love alone no fit keep your son safe forever, my dear. You hear? – Dayo Ntwari, 'Mother’s Love'

You don’t rush the telling of your story in the beginning, Josiah, my brother. You must make sure the policewoman is interested and that she wants to hear everything. – Thabo Jijana, 'Native Mayonnaise'

She may as well have found his bones for he was nothing but a remnant of a once cheerful, carefree man. – Florence Onyango, 'Nyar Nam
 (Daughter of the Lake)'

It’s not safe to play at politics anymore. – Louis Greenberg, 'Oasis'

After they had sex, he thought he could smell smoke on his own skin, as evidence of the unholy fire they’d just created. Then she’d light up. Usually saying nothing. Unless he lingered too long. In that case she winked and turned her back to him. And lay down still smoking. That back, where her underclothes had etched themselves into her body. Making lines and creases of secret hurt. – Efemia Chela, 'The Lake Retba Murder 
(Le meurtre au Lac Rose)'

Even if the carriers could see and hear like bats, they had only a few seconds to decide whether to pull up or cross in front of vehicles travelling through the junction. They chose the risky option, every time. – Pede Hollist, 'The Tale of the Three Water Carriers'

Ma had drowned him. I had just sat on the edge of the river with my knees right up against my chest and cried because ten is too young to know that sometimes your parents have to do what’s best for you even if it hurts you. Even if it hurts them. – Cat Hellisen, 'The Worme Bridge'

If you still had a name I would have written to you. – Wesley Macheso, 'This Land Is Mine'

Not many things are certain in this life, but one thing for sure is that men will be men. And in this neighbourhood, that means men will be arseholes. – Megan Ross, 'Traces'

All I want to do is piss, but I can’t because the kombi is in full speed towards Johannesburg. - Mark Mngomezulu, 'Urgency'

Now, there are storytellers, and there are Storytellers. - Fred Khumalo, 'Water No Get Enemy'

In her sane life, thought Margret, she was probably a pretty woman. - Louis Ogbere, 'Were'

*Please note, I am part of the SSDA team so my opinion might be slightly biased. ;)