Prestigious Women's Non-Fiction Prize Unveils 2026 Longlist Featuring Literary Stars
Literary giants Arundhati Roy and Sarah Perry have been named among sixteen distinguished authors longlisted for the highly coveted Women's Prize for Non-Fiction in 2026. This prestigious award, which celebrates excellence, originality, and accessibility in narrative non-fiction, was established in 2024 to directly confront and redress a significant historical gender imbalance within the literary world.
Addressing a Historic Imbalance in Literary Recognition
The creation of the prize followed a revealing study that found only 35.5 per cent of winners across major UK non-fiction awards over the previous decade were women. It stands as a powerful companion to the globally renowned and long-established Women's Prize for Fiction, aiming to elevate and honour the outstanding contributions of women in non-fiction writing.
Notable Names and Compelling Narratives
The longlist features an array of remarkable talents. Booker Prize-winning novelist and political activist Arundhati Roy, acclaimed for The God of Small Things in 1997, is nominated for her first memoir, Mother Mary Comes To Me. The work has been praised by critics as "funny, wise, candid and perceptive".
British author Sarah Perry earns her place with Death of an Ordinary Man, a deeply emotional and personal account of her father-in-law's final illness. Albanian academic Lea Ypi is also recognised for Indignity: A Life Reimagined, a genre-blending family history that explores her grandmother's life amidst political turmoil.
A Diverse and Hopeful Selection
Chair of the judging panel, Thangam Debbonair, CEO of the UK Opera Association and a former Labour shadow minister, described the longlist as "hopeful". The selection spans an impressive range of subjects, including:
- Politics and history
- Personal memoir and biography
- Science, nature, and art
The judging panel is comprised of esteemed figures from various fields: engineer, author, and broadcaster Roma Agrawal; NEOM Wellbeing founder Nicola Elliott; novelist and memoirist Nina Stibbe; and Crown Court judge and thriller author Nicola Williams.
The Road to the Winner's Ceremony
The literary journey continues with a shortlist of six books to be announced on 25 March 2026. The ultimate winner will be revealed at a grand ceremony in London on 11 June 2026. The victorious author will receive a £30,000 cash prize and a limited-edition artwork known as "the Charlotte" in recognition of their literary achievement.
Previous recipients of this esteemed award include NHS doctor Rachel Clarke for The Story of a Heart in 2025 and author Naomi Klein for Doppelganger in 2024.
The Complete 2026 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction Longlist
The sixteen books contending for this year's honour are:
- Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: China's Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins by Barbara Demick
- The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet
- Don't Let It Break You, Honey: A Memoir About Saving Yourself by Jenny Evans
- Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health by Daisy Fancourt
- With the Law on Our Side: How the Law Works for Everyone and How We Can Make It Work Better by Lady Hale
- To Be Young, Gifted and Black: Creativity and Race in the 21st Century by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason
- Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John by Judith Mackrell
- Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul
- Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry
- The Genius of Trees: How Trees Mastered the Elements and Shaped the World by Harriet Rix
- Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska
- Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
- Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain by Zakia Sewell
- To Exist As I Am: A Doctor's Notes on Recovery and Radical Acceptance by Grace Spence Green
- Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century by Ece Temelkuran
- Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi
