Anna Foley Simmons scoops the inaugural Thinking Woman's Writing Award

Anna Foley Simmons has scooped the inaugural Thinking Woman's Writing Award, a new prize set up by British-Nigerian author and TV presenter Kate Jegede to address "woeful" underrepresentation of women writers of philosophy.

Simmons' proposal for Change: How to Make Your Life Different was judged "an exciting and fresh interpretation of the brief" and one of "a wide range of interesting and impressive submissions" from women across the UK, according to organisers.

Simmons, who is a Bristol-based Creative Writing graduate, originally from Northern Ireland, will now receive a free manuscript assessment from The Literary Consultancy, a year-long membership to the RSA Fellowship scheme, and the chance to meet and discuss publishing prospects with LAW Agency. 

Jegede, the award's founder and head judge, said: "It was tremendously inspiring to be involved in this process from inception to choosing the eventual winner. The response to the award was fantastic with entrants reaching out to me on social media to express their enthusiasm and support. I even received an email from The Washington Post who are interested in future developments.

"This is great news and a massive vindication. There are talented women writers of Philosophy out there who are simply waiting for opportunities to present their work. I am highly encouraged by the calibre of the entries and look forward to developing the award further."