Women’s Prize shortlist revealed
Arundhati Roy is among six authors shortlisted for the newly established Women’s Prize for Nonfiction, a £30,000 award created to address gender gaps in nonfiction publishing — the winner is due later this spring. The six-strong list also includes Lyse Doucet, Jane Rogoyska, Ece Temelkuran, and Daisy Fancourt, signaling heavyweight nonfiction competition this year. ( )
The six shortlisted books are: The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan (Lyse Doucet, Hutchinson Heinemann); Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War (Jane Rogoyska, Allen Lane); Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health (Daisy Fancourt, Cornerstone); Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John (Judith Mackrell, Picador); Mother Mary Comes to Me (Arundhati Roy, Hamish Hamilton); and Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century (Ece Temelkuran, Canongate). (thebookseller.com) The shortlist was published on March 25, 2026, and the organisers described the selection as a “timely and timeless” interrogation of migration, conflict, creativity, wellbeing and connection. (thebookseller.com) Organisers and several publishers say the winner will be revealed at the awards ceremony on 11 June 2026. (penguin.com.au) The 2026 judging panel is chaired by Thangam Debbonaire and includes engineer-author Roma Agrawal, wellbeing entrepreneur Nicola Elliott, novelist-memoirist Nina Stibbe and Crown Court judge and author Nicola Williams. (womensprize.com) The Women’s Prize for Non‑Fiction was first awarded in 2024 and 2026 marks the prize’s third year as a dedicated award intended to elevate women’s voices in narrative non‑fiction. (womensprize.com) Organisers released data showing women’s share in some “authoritative” non‑fiction categories rose to 22% in Popular Science in 2025 (from 11% in 2023), while male authors still dominated Business & Management (93%), Sport (90%) and Politics & Current Affairs (82%) in the UK print market. (womensprize.com)
