Allen-Paisant, Aboulela, Nelson, Shireen and Gourlay longlisted for Jhalak Prizes

T S Eliot Prize-winner Jason Allen-Paisant and writers Leila Aboulela and Caleb Azumah Nelson feature on the 12-strong longlist for the Jhalak Prize 2024, unveiled today. Meanwhile books from Nadia Shireen, debut novelist Hiba Noor Khan and Candy Gourlay are highlighted on the longlist for the Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize. Prize director Sunny Singh has said that each of the shortlisted titles is "a literary gem, to be admired, loved and treasured forever".

Featuring fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, the complete Jhalak Prize longlist includes four titles from Penguin, but also books from a number of small indies.

The full list is: A Flat Place by Noreen Masud (Penguin); A Pebble in The Throat by Aasmah Mir (Headline); Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Swindled The World by Yepoka Yeebo (Bloomsbury); Azucar by Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Peepal Tree Press); Boundary Road by Ami Rao (Everything with Words); Bright Fear by Mary Jean Chan (Faber & Faber); Elsewhere by Yan Ge (Faber & Faber); Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks (Penguin); River Spirit by Leila Aboulela (Saqi Books); Self-Portrait As Othello by Jason Allen-Paisant (Carcanet); Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Penguin) and Twelve Words for Moss by Elizabeth Jane Burnett (Penguin).

Meanwhile the full longlist for the Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize is: Friendship Never Ends by Alexandra Sheppard (Knights Of); Geoffrey Gets The Jitters by Nadia Shireen (Puffin); How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean (Simon & Schuster); Koku Akanbi and the Heart of Midnight by Maria Montunrayo Adebisi and Simone Douglas (Orion Children’s Books); My Life as a Chameleon by Diana Anyakwo (Little Brown); Part of a Story that Started Before Me, Chosen by George the Poet (Penguin); Poetry Prompts by Joseph Coelho, ill Georgie Brikette, Grasya Oliyko, Amanda Quartey & Viola Wang (Quarto Kids); Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan (Andersen Press); Steady for This by Nathaniel Lessore (Hot Key Books); Story of Now by Shelina Janmohamed and Laura Greenan (Welbeck Children’s Books); To The Other Side by Erika Meza (Hodder Children’s Books); and Wild Song by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books).

Singh said: "The Jhalak Prize judges have selected outstanding longlists for both our awards that showcase an extraordinary range of themes, subjects, genres and styles. These are books about displacement and belonging, about longing for what is lost and the search for what may be gained. They range across the globe and reach far back into time, and yet bring us back to the rich tapestry that is Britain today. Every book on the two lists challenges, informs, amuses, comforts and heals. But most of all, these are books that push the boundaries of contemporary literature, culture and our very imaginations. Each of these books is a literary gem, to be admired, loved and treasured forever."

Judging the Jhalak Prize for Book of the Year are authors Anni Domingo, Stella Oni and Denise Saul. Oni commented: "The breadth of talent left me in awe, spanning genres from literary and historical fiction to crime and romance. The non-fiction entries, including memoirs, essays, and biographies, demonstrated remarkable depth. The poetry resonated with me on such a profound level that some moved me to tears. I am filled with immense pride."

Judging the Children’s & Young Adult Prize are authors J P Rose, Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Danielle Jawando. The latter said: "I’ve been blown away by so many of the books that I’ve read, which demonstrate the highest level of talent, skill and craft… I commend every single one of the authors on this wonderful longlist."

This year sees the return of the partnership launched in 2021 with National Book Tokens, which will help increase awareness and support for the nominated titles amongst bookshops across the UK and Ireland.  

The two Jhalak Prize awards celebrate writing by British/British resident BAME writers and annually award £1,000 to the winners. 

This year also sees the ongoing expansion of the annual Jhalak Art Residency, with an artist of colour commissioned to create a unique work of art that serves as the trophy for the winner the awards. This year’s artists are Samer Abdelnour for the Jhalak Prize and Yousef Saif for the Children’s and YA Prize.

The shortlist for both awards will be announced on 18th April, with the winners revealed on 30th May.