Maltese writer and genealogist John Edward DeMicoli has been named the 2026 regional winner for Canada and Europe in the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize, becoming the first Maltese writer to receive the regional honour.

The 53-year-old writer from Naxxar won for his short story The Bastion’s Shadow, which follows Marlene, an NGO worker, and Amir, a newly-arrived migrant in Valletta, while exploring themes of migration, memory, dignity and Malta’s historic landscape.

Mr DeMicoli was selected ahead of shortlisted British writers Alison Armstrong and Jennifer Harvey and will now advance to the final round of judging, with the overall winner set to be announced on 30th June.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the story, Mr DeMicoli said Valletta’s history and the realities of migration across the Mediterranean shaped the narrative.

“Living in Malta, one cannot ignore the reality of migration across the Mediterranean, where the sea has become both a route of hope and a place of loss for many people,” he said.

“The story imagines how a historic city built to defend itself might respond to those arriving at its shores today.”

Commenting on the win, he described it as “an incredible honour” and said the experience reaffirmed “the power of storytelling to connect people across different lives and perspectives.”

The Canada and Europe regional judge, Norma Dunning, praised the story as “a story of remembrance in unexpected forms”, adding that it “layers the old with the modern and the healing of two grieving hearts.”

Chair of the judges Louise Doughty said the five regional winners shared “an immense confidence of tone” and an ability to create “utterly believable” characters.

The Commonwealth Foundation administers the annual prize, which recognises the best unpublished short fiction from across the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries.

Read WhosWho.mt's interview with John Edward DeMicoli here.