Literary Luminaries Vie for Prestigious Non-Fiction Prize
The literary world is abuzz as the longlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction has been unveiled, featuring a stellar lineup of sixteen authors. Among the distinguished nominees are acclaimed novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, and celebrated British author Sarah Perry, both recognised for their compelling narrative non-fiction works.
Launched in 2024, the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction aims to champion excellence, originality, and accessibility in the genre. Its inception followed a study revealing a notable disparity in recognition for female authors, with women comprising only 35.5 per cent of winners across major UK non-fiction awards over the preceding decade. This initiative stands as a vital companion to the globally respected Women’s Prize for Fiction, which has a long-established history of celebrating female literary talent.
Arundhati Roy, a household name for her Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things in 1997, brings her powerful voice to the non-fiction arena with her searing memoir, Mother Mary Comes To Me. Early reviews have lauded the work as “funny, wise, candid and perceptive,” highlighting Roy’s signature blend of sharp observation and emotional depth.
Joining Roy on this distinguished list is Sarah Perry, whose work Death of an Ordinary Man offers an intimate and poignant exploration of her father-in-law’s final days. Also nominated is Albanian academic Lea Ypi, whose genre-bending family history, Indignity: A Life Reimagined, delves into her grandmother’s life against a backdrop of significant political upheaval.
The judging panel, chaired by Thangam Debbonair, CEO of UK Opera Association and former Labour shadowbencher, described the longlist as “hopeful.” The selection spans a diverse array of subjects, encompassing politics, memoir, science, nature, history, art, and biography, reflecting the rich tapestry of contemporary non-fiction.
The esteemed judging panel also includes:
* Roma Agrawal: Engineer, author, and broadcaster.
* Nicola Elliott: Founder of NEOM Wellbeing.
* Nina Stibbe: Novelist and memoirist.
* Nicola Williams: Crown Court judge and thriller author.
Key Dates and Prize Details
The anticipation builds as the shortlist of six finalists will be announced on 25 March 2026. The ultimate winner will be celebrated at a prestigious ceremony in London on 11 June 2026. The recipient of the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction will be awarded a substantial £30,000 prize, along with a unique, limited-edition artwork known as the Charlotte, a testament to their significant literary achievement.
This prize continues a tradition of recognising exceptional non-fiction writing. Previous recipients include Dr. Rachel Clarke, honoured in 2025 for The Story of a Heart, and Naomi Klein, who received the award in 2024 for Doppelganger.
The 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction Longlist
The full longlist of sixteen extraordinary works is as follows:
- Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: China’s Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins by Barbara Demick (Granta)
- The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet (Hutchinson Heinemann, Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK)
- Don’t Let It Break You, Honey: A Memoir About Saving Yourself by Jenny Evans (Robinson, Little, Brown Book Group, Hachette UK)
- Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health by Daisy Fancourt (Cornerstone Press, Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK)
- With the Law on Our Side: How the Law Works for Everyone and How We Can Make It Work Better by Lady Hale (The Bodley Head, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
- To Be Young, Gifted and Black: Creativity and Race in the 21st Century by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason (Oneworld, Oneworld Publications)
- Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John by Judith Mackrell (Picador, Pan Macmillan)
- Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul (Viking, Penguin General, Penguin Random House UK)
- Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry (Jonathan Cape, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
- The Genius of Trees: How Trees Mastered the Elements and Shaped the World by Harriet Rix (The Bodley Head, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
- Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska (Allen Lane, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House UK)
- Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin General, Penguin Random House UK)
- Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain by Zakia Sewell (Hodder Press, Hodder & Stoughton, Hachette UK)
- To Exist As I Am: A Doctor’s Notes on Recovery and Radical Acceptance by Grace Spence Green (Wellcome Collection, Profile Books)
- Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century by Ece Temelkuran (Canongate)
- Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi (Allen Lane, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House UK)
