Join us on:

SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024 winners announced

We’re delighted to announce the winners of the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024 as follows:

1st place: Trapped Between Two Worlds – Maeve Clarke 2nd place: Da… Read more

2024 award ceremony – please join us!

We would be delighted if you would join us for the 2024 SI Leeds Literary Prize award ceremony, taking place online on Wednesday 13 November at 1pm.  The event is hosted …

Read more

Remembering Laura Fish

All at the Prize were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Laura Fish.  Laura’s death has come just days before the release of her third novel, Lying Perfectly…

Read more

2024 shortlist announced

Following a meeting of the judges, we are delighted to announce that the following six entries have been shortlisted for the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024:

Trapped Between…

Read more

Calling book groups – be part of our reader team

Are you part of a book group?

We’re currently looking for volunteer readers to join us in judging this year’s SI Readers’ Choice Award, and we’d love your group to sign up.…

Read more

We’re looking for book lovers to join our 2024 SI Readers’ Choice team

One of the special things about the SI Leeds Literary Prize is our wonderful team of volunteer readers, who choose their favourite from our shortlist of six manuscripts…

Read more

2024 SI Leeds Literary Prize longlist announced

We’re delighted to announce the 12 authors longlisted for the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024, whose eclectic submissions spanned a range of settings, genres and …

Read more

SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024 – open for entries 1 April – 13 May

We are delighted to announce that the 2024 SI Leeds Literary Prize will be open for entries from 1 April – 13 May 2024.  You can submit your entry here.  Before you…

Read more

Space to Write bursary winner announced

Haleemah

We are delighted to announce that Haleemah Alaydi has been chosen as the recipient of the Space to Write Bursary, generously supported by Arvon. The bursary is designed…

Read more

Celebrating 10 Years of SI Leeds Literary Prize with a new anthology

A woman reading The Unheard Stories anthology

As part of our 10 year celebrations, we’re delighted to announce the launch of a brand new anthology, featuring work from writers connected to our prize.

The Unheard…

Read more

Arvon to support SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024 with Space to Write bursary

We’re delighted to announce that Arvon is supporting the 2024 SI Leeds Literary Prize by offering a Space to Write bursary, open to unpublished female writers of…

Read more

2022 Readers’ Choice Award Winner Laura Fish signs publishing deal

We’re delighted to share that our 2022 Readers’ Choice Award Winner, Laura Fish, has signed a publishing deal with Manchester-based Fly on the Wall Press to release her…

Read more

10th anniversary celebration and The Unheard Voices book launch – join us!

Celebrate 10 years of the SI Leeds Literary Prize with the launch of our anthology The Unheard Voices, published by Peepal Tree Press and edited by Prize alumna Saima Mir.…

Read more

Exploring the Prize’s partnership with The Opportunity Centre – a new film

We have created a short film exploring the partnership between SI Leeds Literary Prize and our longterm partner and sponsor, The Opportunity Centre, focusing on the creative…

Read more

Reading List: Books from SI Leeds Literary Prize Shortlisted Writers

Our mission is to create opportunities for Black and Asian female writers in the UK, and raise awareness of their work. Each prize sees six writers make the shortlist, and…

Read more

Reading List: Books from SI Leeds Literary Prize-Winning Writers

The SI Leeds Literary Prize has been running since 2012, and in that time, we’ve seen entries from some incredibly talented writers. Some of those women, both our past winners…

Read more

Hear our SI Readers’ Choice winner in conversation with Amy Lord

SI Readers’ Choice readers, including members of SI Leeds, were invited to join an evening with our 2022 SI Readers’ Choice winner, Laura Fish, in conversation…

Read more

2022 winner announced

We are delighted to announce that The Opportunity Centre 1st Prize winner of the 2022 SI Leeds Literary Prize is Suad Kamardeen for Never Enough.  Many congratulations…

Read more

Prize seeks a freelance evaluator

The SI Leeds Literary Prize is looking to appoint an experienced freelance evaluator to support the Prize in its 10th anniversary year.  Commencing in November 2022,…

Read more

Winnie M Li launches her new book, Complicit

Prize alumna and former Prize judge, Winnie M Li, is launching her second novel, Complicit.  Please do join her in Leeds on Thursday 13 October from 6.30pm for this event

Read more

Meet our shortlisted writers!

We have an online event hosted by The Asian Writer to meet the 2022 SI Leeds Literary Prize shortlist on Tuesday 11 October at 7.30pm.  Please do join us for this free…

Read more

2022 shortlist announced

We are delighted to announce the six shortlisted books for the 2022 SI Leeds Literary Prize as follows:

  • Lying Perfectly Still – Laura Fish
  • Sometimes the sky is blue
  • Read more

    Could you join our SI Readers’ Choice team?

    Would you like to help us choose the winner of the SI Leeds Literary Prize SI Readers’ Choice?

    We’re looking for enthusiastic readers to join us in judging the 2022 prize,…

    Read more

    2022 Prize longlist announced

    We are delighted to announce the 2022 SI Leeds Literary Prize longlist, as follows:

  • Lying Perfectly Still by Laura Fish
  • Night School by Divya Ghelani
  • The Taste of a Planet
  • Read more

    We need an Audience Development consultant – can you help?

    With the support of Arts Council England, we are delighted to be able to offer a new freelance role at the Prize for an Audience Development consultant, to help us spread …

    Read more

    2022 Prize open for entries from 18 April to 2 May

    We are delighted that the 2022 Prize – our 10th anniversary edition – will be open for entries from 18 April to 2 May.  Entrants can look forward to an expanded…

    Read more

    Why Do We Need to See Women of Colour in Literature?

    Why is it Important to Have Women of Colour Represented in Literature?

    by Reeya Hayat

    Reeya Hayat is studying for her GCSEs. She lives in Buckinghamshire, and is passionate… Read more

    Nana Afua Pierre On the Ghanaian Play, Anowa

    Anowa – A review

    “A wayfarer is a traveler. Therefore to call someone a wayfarer is a painless way of saying he does not belong. That he has no home, no family, no village,…

    Read more

    How I Write by LM Dillsworth

    My writing process

    I do most of my writing late at night. I usually start around 9pm or a little later and stop in the early hours. I begin with the outline of a particular scene…

    Read more

    Sumana Khan writes about her admiration for Huma Qureshi’s memoir.

    Sumana Khan writes about her admiration for Huma Qureshi’s memoir.

     

    I’m in awe of those who write memoirs – it takes such generosity and courage to write about…

    Read more

    Emily Midorikawa – new book out

    Emily Midorikawa, who won joint-third prize in the 2012 competition, and the author of A Secret Sisterhood: The Hidden Friendships of Austen, Bronte, Eliot and Woolf …

    Read more

    My Journey to Scooping the Reader’s Choice Award by Sumana Khan

    Do you remember Jan 2020? It was like fifty years ago. Back in that hoary past I had decided that 2020 was going to be my “stress-free” year. My doctoral viva would be done by…

    Read more

    My Writing Process by Wenyan Lu

    I write novels. Occasionally I write short stories and poems when I have some ideas which aren’t big enough to base a novel on. They might grow over time, but I would see them…

    Read more

    How I Write by Aisha Phoenix

     

    I write speculative fiction – literary fantasy, dystopian stories, science fiction and fables. Much of my work centres characters of colour and explores issues…

    Read more

    Congratulations to our winners!

    We are delighted to announce that the Aspire-igen 1st Prize winner of the 2020 SI Leeds Literary Prize is Wenyan Lu for The Funeral Cryer.  Congratulations!

    Collecting…

    Read more

    Please join us for the 2020 award ceremony!

    One of the few silver linings of this year’s pandemic is the fact that we are able to welcome a bigger audience to join us for the 2020 Prize award ceremony – we…

    Read more

    2020 shortlisted writer LM Dillsworth signs to Windmill for debut novel

    We are delighted to congratulate Lianne Dillsworth on the news that her debut novel, Age of Monsters, will be published by Windmill.  The Bookseller said “Age…

    Read more

    Mona Dash and Stella Oni

    We are delighted that our 2018 shortlisted writer, Mona Dash, has secured publication of her shortlisted short story collection Let Us Look Elsewhere, with Dahlia Books

    Read more

    2020 shortlist reading at Home by 10 festival

    Don’t miss the chance to hear our shortlisted writers in conversation with 2014 winner and author of How to Find Home, Mahsuda Snaith, as well as hearing our writers…

    Read more

    2016 shortlisted writer Stella Oni online book launch – tonight!

    The wonderful Stella Oni, shortlisted for the 2016 Prize, will be launching her excellent debut crime thriller, Deadly Sacrifice on the 17th September, 6.30pm –…

    Read more
    SI LEEDS LITERARY PRIZE SPONSORS PARTNERS