Celebrating the Jhalak Prize 2023 (In person)
First awarded in March 2017, the Jhalak Prize and its new sister award Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize, founded in 2020, seek to celebrate books by British/British resident BAME writers. Recognising some extraordinary talent over the last five years, previous winners have included Jacob Ross, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Guy Gunaratne, Johny Pitts, Patrice Lawrence and Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi.
This year, the shortlist includes books by: Travis Alabanza, Angela Hui, Paterson Joseph, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, Sheena Patel and Anita Pati; and, in the Children's & YA category: Lucy Farfort, Danielle Jawando, Janelle McCurdy & Ana Latese, Christine Pillainayagam, Ann Sei Lin, Rashmi Sirdeshpande & Ruchi Mhasane.
Ahead of the winner announcement, (which takes place on 25th May), we invite you to join us at The London Library for drinks, discussion and chat. Hear from Jhalak Prize judge Haleh Agar and Jhalak Children's & Young Adult Prize judge Maisie Chan in conversation with Yassmin Abdel-Magied and hear readings from some of the shortlisted authors, including Travis Alabanza, Lucy Farfort, Angela Hui, Paterson Joseph, Ann Sei Lin, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, Janelle McCurdy, Sheena Patel, Anita Pati and Christine Pillainayagam.
Haleh Agar is a novelist and short story writer based in London. Her contemporary debut novel Out of Touch was published in April 2020. Her short story, Not Contagious, was Highly Commended by the 2019 Costa Short Story Award, her flash fiction won the Brighton Prize, and her narrative essay 'On Writing Ethnic Stories' won The London Magazine's inaugural essay competition. She was part of the 2021 judging panel for The London Magazine's short story prize, and is judging Aesthetica magazine's short story competition this year.
Maisie Chan is a children's author whose debut novel Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths won the Jhalak Children's and YA Prize and the Branford Boase Award in 2022. The book was also shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2022. It has also been longlisted for the Diversity Book Awards, the Tower Hamlet Book Awards, the Spark Book Awards, the Redbridge Award and the Big Book Award. Her latest novel Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu is out now. She also writes the series Tiger Warrior under the name M. Chan.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a writer, speaker on politics, society, culture and technology and an award-winning social advocate. Her books include two middle grade novels, You Must Be Layla and Listen, Layla, which she is now adapting for screen, and Talking About a Revolution, an urgent critique of contemporary culture. Her critically acclaimed essays have been published widely, including in the bestselling It’s Not About The Burqa and The New Daughters of Africa. She is a Trustee of The London Library.
This is part of an ongoing partnership between the Jhalak Prize and The London Library.
You can find information on the Jhalak Prize here.
N.B. This event will take place in person at The London Library. Please see our Event Access and COVID Guidelines before you arrive. Doors (and the bar) open at 7pm, with discussion and readings from 7.30. Drinks are included with the ticket.
London Library events are subject to Terms and Conditions.
