The SI Leeds Literary Prize is open to Black and Asian women writers aged 18 or over, based in the UK and writing fiction in English, and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022.
The 2024 prize closed for entries on 13 May, and is now in the judging stages. The longlist was announced in July, and you can find details here.
Our shortlist of six manuscripts will be announced in September, with the winners announced in November.
Thank you to everyone who entered the prize this year!
Judges
The judging panel for the 2024 prize is Nelle Andrew (head judge), Dr Kadija George Sesay, Latoyah Innerarity and Rosemarie Hudson.
Nelle Andrew
An agent at Rachel Mills Literary. She represents award winning and bestselling authors across a broad range of fiction and non-fiction including Sara Collins, Elizabeth Day, Bryony Gordon and Heidi Perks. In 2021, she won Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards and is an Honorary Member of the Royal Society of Literature as well as a trustee of the Royal Literary Fund. She has supported a number of prizes including the Lucy Cavendish Prize, Morley and Stylist Debut Novel.
Dr Kadija George Sesay
Whose research is on Black British Publishers and Pan-Africanism, is the Publications Manager for Inscribe/Peepal Tree, publisher of SABLE LitMag and editor of several anthologies. She has published poetry, short stories and essays in anthologies and a poetry collection, Irki (Peepal Tree, 2013). She has worked with the Prize since its inception in 2012.
Latoyah Innerarity
Is a freelance writer and teacher from south London. She has an MA in Creative Writing and her debut novel, Sometimes the Sky is Blue, was the runner-up in the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2022.
Rosemarie Hudson
Founded her first independent publishing company, BlackAmber, in 1998. Its ethos was to publish unheard voices in English and international languages, and in particular the best writers and writings from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. In 2010, Rosemarie founded HopeRoad.
