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Poison
http://caineprize.com/s/2008-Poison-H...
This short story won the 2008 Caine Prize
This short story won the 2008 Caine Prize
- GenresShort Stories
Short Story
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About the author
Henrietta Rose-Innes
24 books99 followersHenrietta Rose-Innes is a South African writer based in Cape Town. Her novel Nineveh was published by Random House Struik in 2011, following a short-story collection, Homing and two earlier novels: Shark's Egg and The Rock Alphabet.
In 2012, her short story 'Sanctuary' took second place in the BBC International Short Story Competition. Nineveh was shortlisted for the 2012 Sunday Times Fiction Prize and the M-Net Literary Award. In 2008, Henrietta won the Caine Prize for African Writing, for which she was shortlisted in 2007. Also in 2007, she was awarded the South African PEN Literary Award. Shark's Egg was shortlisted for the 2001 M-Net Book Prize.
Her short stories have appeared in various international publications, including Granta, AGNI and The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011. A collection of short pieces, translated into German, was published in September 2008 as Dream Homes.
In 2012, her short story 'Sanctuary' took second place in the BBC International Short Story Competition. Nineveh was shortlisted for the 2012 Sunday Times Fiction Prize and the M-Net Literary Award. In 2008, Henrietta won the Caine Prize for African Writing, for which she was shortlisted in 2007. Also in 2007, she was awarded the South African PEN Literary Award. Shark's Egg was shortlisted for the 2001 M-Net Book Prize.
Her short stories have appeared in various international publications, including Granta, AGNI and The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011. A collection of short pieces, translated into German, was published in September 2008 as Dream Homes.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 11, 2026
you can’t wait for someone to save you and you can’t lag behind because your afraid of change and leaving what you know
April 13, 2018
This short story is available online at http://caineprize.com/s/2008-Poison-H...
It won the 2008 Caine Prize.
I found this story gripping as the main character finds herself trying to drive out of CapeTown after a huge chemical explosion only to be stumped when she runs out of fuel . I really related to the description of fuel shortages and queues and the desperate straights this leaves people in, and the unscrupulous profiteers it brings out of the wood work - very reminiscent of my experience of such shortages in Nigeria :)
ashrmablinsg verdict 4 * Thoroughly engaging read. I have now read pieces by Rose-Innes and what strikes me is this writer really does know how to set a scene, and in doing so entraps the reader into the place of the story and hooks you in.
It won the 2008 Caine Prize.
I found this story gripping as the main character finds herself trying to drive out of CapeTown after a huge chemical explosion only to be stumped when she runs out of fuel . I really related to the description of fuel shortages and queues and the desperate straights this leaves people in, and the unscrupulous profiteers it brings out of the wood work - very reminiscent of my experience of such shortages in Nigeria :)
ashrmablinsg verdict 4 * Thoroughly engaging read. I have now read pieces by Rose-Innes and what strikes me is this writer really does know how to set a scene, and in doing so entraps the reader into the place of the story and hooks you in.
June 4, 2025
2008 Caine Prize for African writing
South Africa, Cape Town
Chemical Catastrophe (no specifics, no responsibility, no culprits).
The main protagonist, an already contaminated young woman who seems unwilling to leave, gets stuck in a gas station after all fuel has run out.
Toxicity slowly replaces any other possible logic. Contamination de-borders the world and replaces a scenario of fleeing, rescuing and the aftermath with a always already toxic and denied reality.
South Africa, Cape Town
Chemical Catastrophe (no specifics, no responsibility, no culprits).
The main protagonist, an already contaminated young woman who seems unwilling to leave, gets stuck in a gas station after all fuel has run out.
Toxicity slowly replaces any other possible logic. Contamination de-borders the world and replaces a scenario of fleeing, rescuing and the aftermath with a always already toxic and denied reality.
August 26, 2018
Intriguing short-story winning the Caine Prize in 2008, about an imaginary chemical disaster in Cape Town. I am not sure what to make of it and think the ending is a bit weird.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews