Eleven writers win JKP Writing Prize for ‘inspiring and unique kaleidoscope of stories’

Jessica Kinglsey Publishers has unveiled the 11 winners of the JKP Writing Prize 2022, which aims to support new writers from underrepresented communities in partnership with Hachette’s Future Bookshelf scheme.

This year, entrants were asked to share their "stories of resistance". The winning writers are: Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, Hamzah Malik, Miriam Landor, Margaret Drummond, Zoe Lorimer, Karis Walker-Stuart, Zita Holbourne, Debbie Iromlou, T P K Paul, Laura Godfrey-Isaacs and Jen McPherson. 

An anthology of their submissions, entitled Roots and Rebellion: Personal Stories of Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Identity, will be published by JKP in 2024.

The publisher said: “These stories span continents, cultures and communities. They tell of subtle, everyday acts of resistance; talking openly about mental health in a society that considers it taboo, cooking traditional dishes from recipes passed down from grandparents displaced from their homelands, challenging microaggressions in the workplace, sending care packages from the West to relatives in occupied states.

“And they tell of bold, defiant rebellions; building a successful business from scratch, crossing borders and making perilous journeys to be reunited with loved ones, fighting unlawful deportation, co-ordinating humanitarian aid distribution to refugees across the globe. These stories are about resistance, but they’re also about belonging. They explore the complexities of feeling caught between identities — too much of one or not quite enough of another — and the joyful liberation of rediscovering or reclaiming an identity.”

Editor and prize judge Masooma Malik commented: “In this year’s Writing Prize, we wanted to highlight individual stories that are often left untold from people who have demanded better, and we’re deeply grateful to everyone who submitted their essays. The resulting anthology of winning pieces is an inspiring and unique kaleidoscope of stories that speaks to how nuanced, personal, and multifaceted forms of resistance against racism can be.”