Diana Evans has won this year's Jhalak prose prize for her nonfiction collection I Want to Talk to You, a work that explores subjects ranging from Jean Rhys and Toni Morrison to lockdowns and the British monarchy. The book, described as a "pleasure and an invigoration" by Guardian reviewer Alex Clark, was announced as the 10th winner at a reception on Wednesday evening.
Other Prize Winners
The Jhalak children's and young adult prize went to My Name is Samim by Fidan Meikle, a story of "resilience, adaptability and hope" according to Guardian critic Imogen Russell Williams. The poetry prize was awarded to Maggie Harris for I Sing to the Greenhearts.
Prize director Sunny Singh commented: "These are books that are urgent and necessary now and shall endure far into the future."
Award Details
Each award, open to books by writers of colour living in the UK and Ireland, comes with £1,000. I Want to Talk to You was the "unanimous" choice for the prose prize, according to judge and writer Ami Rao. Fellow judge Catherine Johnson added that the book is "the work of a confident author who can lead the reader into a myriad of conversations, about creativity, motherhood, and grief and music."
About Diana Evans
Evans is also the author of four novels: 26a, The Wonder, Ordinary People, and A House for Alice.
Shortlisted Titles
Other titles shortlisted for this year's prose award included Act Normal by Pete Kalu, Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo, Foreign Fruit by Katie Goh, Hail Mary by Funmi Fetto, and The South by Tash Aw.
Children's and Young Adult Winner
The children's and young adult winner, My Name is Samim, is about a 13-year-old Afghan refugee who has fled to the UK. Author and judge Lanisha Butterfield said that the book "is vital and deserves to be on school curriculums nationwide."
Poetry Winner
In the poetry winner I Sing to the Greenhearts, Harris "effectively uses her native Guyana's greenheart tree as a ploy to take us on a journey to explore facets of home, moving seamlessly between Patois and English," said writer and judge Kadija Sesay. She "weaves stories of colonial past and Black British present."
Previous Winners
Previous winners of the prize include Reni Eddo-Lodge, Guy Gunaratne, and Travis Alabanza.
