Play from New York wins international prize in Africa

The short play Bella Napoli by Steve Gold from the USA has won the second annual Alexander Nderitu Prize for World Literature.

The 2025 prize accepted scripts for ten-to-fifteen-minute stage plays. A total of 266 entries came in from 23 countries.

The winner was announced by Ugandan poet Carolyne ‘Afroetry’ Acen on 30 May 2026 at the Asian Literary Festival in Kenya. Acen will be the Chief Judge for the 2026 Alexander Nderitu Prize for World Literature, which will focus on poetry.

Steve Gold is based in New York and has written several full-length plays, including Outlive the Bastards, Cadillac High, and Women and Guns. Women and Guns won the Fratti-Newman Political Play contest in 2011. Gold’s winning play is a funny yet thought-provoking ten-minute piece set in 1930s Italy.

In the play, an uptight African-American scientist arrives in Naples to start a job at a research facility. He is welcomed by a charming Austrian woman. One juror called the play ‘Charming! I like the way it tackles two serious issues (racism, gender discrimination) in an entertaining and creative way.’

Alexander Nderitu, the Chief Judge, said, ‘It’s like the opening chapter of a great saga. You don’t know what will happen next, but you can expect humour, drama, and probably romance. Also, I like how the city itself is like a character in the story.’

Bella Napoli will be published in The African Griot Review, the literary magazine that represents the Nderitu Prize, along with its parent website, TheAfricanGriot.com.