The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction Longlist

As a nonfiction girlie who loves literary awards, I’m always keeping an eye out for the latest prize nominations. What’s more, I love women’s true stories, so when the Women’s Prize announced its 2026 nonfiction longlist, I was all over it. And I’m not the only one. 

The Women’s Prize for Non-fiction has created a host of nonfiction lovers. Across the bookish internet, readers have started reading through the longlist, creating TBRs from their top picks, and discussing who they think will make the shortlist. Over on her BookTube channel, Louise Savidge chronicles her process of reading through the longlist. “The nonfiction prize has got me absolutely hooked on nonfiction,” Savidge says. “I didn’t think I was a lover of nonfiction, but I’ve realized because of the prize that I am.” The prize is truly a joyous celebration of everything from science to memoir to history and everything in between. 

General Info

In 1996, the Women’s Prize for Fiction was founded to highlight novels by women writing in English and published in the UK. In 2024, the Women’s Prize announced the Women’s Prize for Non-fiction, which “celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in narrative non-fiction written by women.”

As listed on their website, “The Prize is awarded annually and is open to all women writers from across the globe who are published in the UK and writing in English. The winner receives a cheque for £30,000 and a limited-edition artwork known as the ‘Charlotte’, both gifted by the Charlotte Aitken Trust.” 

If you’re following along at home, here are some important dates:

• February 11th: Longlist Announced
• March 25th: Shortlist Announced
• June 11th: Winner Announced

The Longlist

As a lover of the Women’s Prize for Non-fiction in the US, I’m always looking to see which titles are published in the US. The moment I see the list, I’m researching each title, noting which books are already out and which ones have yet to be released here across the pond. So if you’re in the same boat as I am, I’ve done the work for you! Below is a breakdown of which books are already out in the U.S., which titles have future pub dates, and which ones don’t have a pub date yet at all.

• Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: From China to America, a True Story of Abduction, Adoption, and Separated Twins by Barbara Demick
• The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet
• Don’t Let it Break You, Honey: A Memoir About Saving Yourself by Jenny Evans (August 25, 2026)
• Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives by Daisy Fancourt
• With the Law on Our Side: How the Law Works for Everyone and How We Can Make It Better by Lady Hale
• To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason
• Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John by Judith Mackrell (August 4th, 2026)
• Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul (No US Pub Date Yet)
• Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry (October 6th, 2026)
• The Genius of Trees: How They Mastered the Elements and Shaped the World by Harriet Rix
• Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska (July 7th, 2026)
• Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
• Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain by Zakia Sewell (No US Pub Date Yet)
• To Exist as I Am: A Doctor’s Note on Recovery and Radical Acceptance by Grace Spence Green (No US Pub Date Yet)
• Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century by Ece Temelkuran (May 19th, 2026)
• Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi

I’ll be reading through some of the longlist and report back when the shortlist is announced. Readers may already know that I adore Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy, so that’s my current frontrunner, but I look forward to seeing what the rest of the longlist has to offer.

You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.