Ewen and Salami win inaugural Jericho Prize for Black-British writers

Abimbola Salami and Diane Ewan have won the inaugural Jericho Prize, a competition for unpublished and self-published Black-British writers.

Founded by Fabia Turner, a former teacher and educational book editor, the competition aims to find, develop and showcase British writers of African or Caribbean descent. 

Ewen won best picture book manuscript for children four years and over, while Salami picked up best short chapter book manuscript for seven to nine-year-olds.

"It feels amazing to have won the Jericho Prize," Ewen said. "For me, as a BAME writer, the thought of winning a prize for my writing seemed impossible. I’m so grateful to Fabia and the Jericho Prize Team for providing this opportunity for underrepresented writers like myself who want to create picture books. Winning has given me new confidence in my ability to write, a skill which I hope to develop in the future."

Salami added: "Winning the Jericho Prize has made me feel seen, which is such a beautiful thing when you’re accustomed to hiding in the shadows. It’s also given me a huge confidence boost and empowered me to tell the stories I know I’m capable of telling. Thank you so much Jericho Prize."

Each will receive a £500 prize, funded by Knights Of. They will also be mentored by leading publishing professionals to develop their manuscripts to a high standard. 

Turner said: "The judging was done anonymously to ensure there was no bias. We had entries from writers at a variety of stages in their writing journey. This highlights the importance of opportunities such as the Jericho Prize for the Black community. Regardless of whether you’re a new Black writer with some experience of the publishing industry, or have no industry connections at all, the prospect of sending a manuscript to a mainstream publisher or literary agent can be daunting.

"We’ve had such great feedback from the 2021 Jericho Prize cohort. Many writers have emailed me to say they’ve finally found a space where they feel comfortable to submit work and receive supportive critique.

"Black writers need opportunities not just to tap into publishing expertise, but also to learn and grow, to fail and bounce back, without feeling dismissed outright. We hope to offer more of these opportunities as the Jericho Prize grows."

The announcement was made in an online ceremony on 27th January. The prize is supported by Arts Council England and children’s publishers Knights Of, Penguin Random House Children’s and Alanna Max, plus YLG and Storymix.