The Women's Prize Trust's inaugural celebration of women's non-fiction writing has this evening revealed the shortlist for the 2024 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. 

The six books that have made the shortlist cover a wide range of subjects but they are united by an originality of voice as well as the ability to create inventive, compelling and immersive prose from complex ideas and personal traumas. 

For almost 30 years the Women's Prize has changed the landscape of women's fiction writing and with the launch of this new prize the registered charity now aims to provide a similar platform for non-fiction writers. The Women's Prize for Non-Fiction has been sponsored this year by Findmypast, the UK's leading family tree company. This year's panel of judges have narrowed down the shortlist from a longlist of 16 books down to 6. 

The first Women's Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist is:

Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death by Laura Cumming

Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein

A Flat Place by Noreen Masud

All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles

Code-Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia

How to Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir by Safiya Sinclair

Out of the six shortlisted authors, three are British, one is Jamaican, one is American and one is Canadian. The shortlisted authors come from a range of professional backgrounds: Tiya Miles teaches at Harvard University, and Norreen Masud teaches at Bristol University, A Flat Place her first book written for non-academic readers; Safiya Sinclair is a poet who has previously published an award-winning poetry collection, but How To Say Babylon is her first narrative non-fiction publication; Laura Cumming is an art critic for the Observer and memoirist; Madhumita Murgia is the first Artificial Intelligence Editor of the Financial Times, Code Dependent Murgia's debut; And Naomi Klein is co-founding co-director of UBC's Centre of Climate Justice and an Internationally bestselling writer.

Now that the shortlist has been announced we now look towards when the winner will be announced. The Women's Prize for Non-Fiction will be awarded alongside the Women's Prize for Fiction winner at the Women's Prize Trust's summer party on the 13th June 2024. The winner will receive a limited edition artwork that has been named the 'Charlotte' and a cheque for £30,000, both gifted by the Charlotte Aitken Trust. 

To find out more about this year's award, head to the Women's Prize website: www.womensprize.com