This evening in London (February 15), the United Kingdom’s Women’s Prize Trust has announced a large inaugural state of longlisted works for the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction: 16 titles published between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
The titles come from writers in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, India, Jamaica, and the Philippines. Those authors include nine writers’ first publications “for a general, non-academic readership.” In addition, there are five journalists with work represented on the list.
The ultimate winner of this new accolade is to receive a purse of £30,000 (US$37,742) and a copy of The Charlotte, a sculptural figure by Ann Christopher. The Charlotte Aitken Trust is the sponsor making both the cash and the figurine available. Additional sponsorship this year comes from FindMyPast, a geneology program based in the UK, and what the program describes as “a one-off anonymous donation.”
Books eligible for this year’s prize must be the work of a single author and be published in the United Kingdom between April 1, 2023, and March 31.
Jurors are to produce a six-title shortlist for an announcement on March 27. The winner is to be named on June 13. Among the authors longlisted here, the American MacArthur fellow Tiya Miles at Harvard may be among the most honored in recent years.
In a comment on the longlist, the jury chair, Suzannah Lipscomb, said:
“Our selection represents the breadth of women’s nonfiction writing: science, history, memoir, technology, literary biography, health, linguistics, investigative journalism, art history, activism, travel-writing and economics. And each author has created a masterpiece worthy of your attention. Buy them, borrow them – above all read them – and in so doing you’ll be elevating women’s voices and female perspectives in a whole range of disciplines and on a whole host of topics.”
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.