The third annual Women's Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist has been revealed! The longlisted sixteen works of non-fiction written by women, has been whittled down to six shortlisted titles. is prize celebrates non-fiction written by women. works of non-fiction were longlisted.
The 2026 shortlist is as follows:
- Lyse Doucet - The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan
- Daisy Fancourt - Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health
- Judith Mackrell - Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John
- Jane Rogoyska - Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War
- Arundhati Roy - Mother Mary Comes to Me
- Ece Temelkuran - Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century
Baroness Thangam Débonnaire, Chair of the Judges, said of the Shortlist:
"Whittling our remarkable longlist down to just six titles was by no means an easy task, but after careful consideration, we are proud to present a shortlist that celebrates six exceptional books and six hugely talented writers, and offers readers collectively a timely and timeless interrogation of our world today. Our shortlist shows the power and necessity of women’s writing at a time when recent statistics suggest a decline in non-fiction print sales in the UK. These books are an urgent antidote to mis- and dis-information, written with high standards of scholarship. They offer rich and original insights, in what often feels like a fragmented and uncertain world. They are six books of authority, told with humanity.”
I have just read Arundhati Roy's memoir Mother Mary Comes to Me and I reckon it is well positioned to win this prize. I will be seeing Lyse Doucet at the upcoming Sydney Writers Festival, so may try and track down her book as well.
The Winner of the £30,000 prize will be revealed on 11 June 2026. Happy reading!
Want more? Here is the video of the Shortlist announcement.