Written piece
The Commonwealth became real
Aline Berabose
Rwanda
About this piece
This piece explores how the Commonwealth became real to me. What began as an idea shaped by competitions, programs, and distant connections became a lived experience through conversations with fellow writers and the discovery that stories travel, connect people, and endure.
For a long time, I thought the Commonwealth was a collection of countries connected by history. Then I thought it was a collection of programs, competitions, and meetings.
Submitting entries myself for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, I often wondered what happened to the stories we submit.
CHOGM, held in Kigali, made the Commonwealth feel real.
Not because of politicians, nor because of speeches, but because of And the Earth Drank Deep & Other Stories.
On my way to meet the winner of the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Ntsika Kota, I expected to meet a literary giant. Instead, I met someone who simply wrote for fun.
His stories, being his first submission, reminded me of a simpler truth: a story cannot connect with anyone if it never leaves your mind. If you clearly understand the message you are trying to convey, work as hard as possible to share it with others.
It left me with a stronger belief that voices matter, that stories endure, and that connections can be stitched across oceans by something as simple as words.
That is how the Commonwealth became, to me, more than a collection of countries or institutions. It became a space where strangers discover they have something in common.
The Commonwealth's greatest strength lies not only in bringing governments together, but in creating opportunities for people to learn from one another through shared experiences, conversations, and stories.