Announcing the 2024 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize Shortlists
We are pleased to announce the shortlists for the 2024 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, judged by Isabel Waidner (Fiction), Cristina Rivera Garza (Life Writing), and Meena Kandasamy (Poetry), and chaired by Margaret Busby.
Celebrating the most exciting new voices in life writing, poetry, and fiction from around the world, the international prize has no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background and in 2024 received entries from 62 countries. The Prize celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, upholding a long history of debuting writers who go on to establish successful careers, such as Akwaeke Emezi, Caleb Femi, and Louise Kennedy.
Shortlistees are awarded with publication on Wasafiri.org, as well as ongoing mentoring and further career support from Wasafiri partners The Literary Consultancy and The Good Literary Agency.
The winners of each category will be announced at the award ceremony on Wednesday, 23 October at Southbank Centre as part of the London Literature Festival.
Of the 2024 shortlist, Chair Margaret Busby said: ‘The 2024 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize shortlist confirms what an inspired initiative the inauguration of the prize 15 years ago represents. Having been on the first judging panel in 2009, I feel privileged to be able to reflect on how far the Prize has come, how much encouragement it has given to so many new writers to explore the exciting journey they have begun — unrestricted by age, gender, nationality or background. To have discovered excellence in so many entries, as well as acknowledging the sometimes surprising challenges posed by different genres and categories, made the process of reaching this shortlist a real pleasure for us all.’
Wasafiri’s Editor and Publishing Director Sana Goyal said: ‘We’re thrilled to share the shortlists for the fifteenth edition of the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. The Prize, through its distinct mission and global sensibility, contributes something unique to the larger literary prize landscape by discovering and championing early career writers. This year’s shortlist shows tremendous promise — with writers engaging with literature in risk-taking, bold, innovative, and politically-conscious ways across form and genre. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.’
From 62 countries across 6 continents, the 2024 shortlisted writers are:
Fiction, judged by Isabel Waidner
‘The shortlisted stories feature mythical creatures, baby clouds, internal and external rivers, children born in Sainsbury's, and more than one kebab,’ noted category judge Isabel Waidner. ‘Diverse, lively and critical, these contributions give me hope for the future of fiction,’ they added.
Lerah Mae Barcenilla for ‘Anak ng Aswang’
Kate Griffin for ‘All of This Could Be Yours’
Kate Hawkes for ‘The River’
Jack Joslin for ‘Not a Ghost Story’
Thảo Tô for ‘Love in the Time of Migration’
Life Writing, judged by Cristina Rivera Garza
‘This was a particularly strong selection of life writing pieces that shed light on complex urgent matters – from war to racism to the intimacies of queer desire – while fully embracing the challenge of form,’ said category judge Cristina Rivera Garza of the life writing shortlist.
Sarah Anjum Bari for ‘Strains’
Joey Garcia for ‘A Public Space’
Abu Leila for ‘Muqawama’
Alex Mormoris for ‘Power Ballad Beach’
Ark Ramsay for ‘The Eight Fundamental Horse Steps’
Poetry, judged by Meena Kandasamy
‘It was a delight to judge the Poetry category of the Prize. I had a very difficult time shortlisting the entries –– it was an incredibly formidable longlist. I was surprised, and a whole lot reenergised, when I realised that the themes selected by many of the poets were unabashedly political. I see this as poetry holding up to the strife-torn climate of our times. I thank and applaud all the poets for submitting to this prize!’ said category judge Meena Kandasamy.
Simon Peter Eggertsen for ‘On Visiting...’
Sara Elkamel for ‘Because of My Mother’
Juleus Ghunta for ‘My Sister Collected Pills’
Zainab Imran for ‘Begum’
Nasim Luczaj for ‘the village’
The shortlisted pieces will be published online next year, and the winning pieces will be published in the spring 2025 issue of Wasafiri. Sign up to our newsletter to be notified when these excellent pieces of new writing are published.
Join us for the winner announcement on Wednesday, 23 October at Southbank Centre as part of the London Literature Festival. Tickets here.
The 2025 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize will open in February.
For further information, or to interview our shortlisted writers, contact Elizabeth Robertson at [email protected].
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash