Lidudumalingani, a South African writer as well as a filmmaker and photographer, has won the 2016 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story, “Memories We Lost,” reports The Guardian. Presented each year to the best African author writing in English, the prize comes with a £10,000 award.

The story is told by a young girl living in a South African village, whose sister’s mental illness is misunderstood and deteriorates under a local who attempts to rid the sister of supposed demons. Delia Jarrett-Macauley, chair of the judges, lauded Lidudumalingani’s story for tackling “a difficult subject—how traditional beliefs in a rural community are used to tackle schizophrenia. This is a troubling piece, depicting the great love between two young siblings in a beautifully drawn Eastern Cape.”

Other judges included actor Adjoa Andoh, Robert J. Patterson, and Mary Watson, and other stories on the shortlist included “The Lifebloom Gift” by Abdul Adan (Somalia/Kenya); “What it Means When a Man Falls From the Sky” by Lesley Nneka Arimah (Nigeria); “Genesis by Tope Folarin” (Nigeria); and “At Your Requiem” by Bongani Kona (Zimbabwe).

In addition to administering the award, Caine Prize hosts a series of public events for African writers through its annual Caine Prize writers’ workshop, which takes place in a different African country each year.

The Caine Prize was named after Sir Michael Harris Caine, who was former Chairman of Booker plc, Chairman of the Africa 95 arts festival in Europe and Africa in 1995, and longtime Chairman of the Booker Prize management committee. His friends and colleagues established the annual prize in his memory.

Photo Credit: Caine Prize.