The Non-Fiction prize was awarded to Canadian author Lyse Doucet for The Finest Hotel in Kabul while the Fiction prize was presented to American author Virginia Evans for her debut novel The Correspondent. Each author receives £30,000 and a statuette.
The winners were announced at a special event in London on 11 June 2026.
Women's Prize for Fiction
American author Virginia Evans won for her debut novel The Correspondent. Written in the form of letters, retired lawyer Sybil Van Antwerp writes to her family, former colleagues, and others. Through these letters we come to know her - her passions, her regrets and her longing. This is a witty, creative novel about an ordinary woman, told in an extraordinary way.
Julia Gillard, Chair of Judges, said of the winner:
"A remarkable novel, with an exemplary combination of originality, excellence and accessibility. It is no mean feat to write a life in letters, but Evans makes this feel effortless, asking the reader to consider the choices we make, whilst elevating an ordinary life in the most heartfelt of ways. The sheer skill required to render an emotionally resonant and engaging work in this format is spectacular. This is a novel that captured our hearts, and should be read and savoured by all."
I am so happy Virginia Evans won for this novel. It will likely be one of my favourite books of 2026.
Women's Prize for Non-Fiction
Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet first checked in to the Kabul Intercontental Hotel in 1988 when she was posted there by the BBC. She fell in love with Afghanistan and its people and has written this book to share their culture with the world. Doucet was at the recent Sydney Writers' Festival and spoke about her career and how she came to be in Afghanistan. She talked about this hotel, which housed her and other journalists, for many years, and how she came to know the people who worked there. The Finest Hotel in Kabul is her first book.
Thangam Debonaire, Chair of Judges, said of the winner:
"A perfect work of narrative non-fiction: it is not only cleverly constructed and brilliantly researched, but each and every element is handled with extraordinary sensitivity and warmth – it will move you to tears or make you laugh, or perhaps both. Informed by decades of excellent reporting, Doucet centres the real-life experiences of people – the staff and guests, alongside the hotel itself – and with the future of Afghanistan still being written, this book’s importance will only get stronger as the years go by."
I had thought that Arundhati Roy might win for her incredible memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me, but I am happy for Doucet.