Women’s Prize LIVE Programme – Women’s Prize : Women’s Prize

12.15 – 1.15pm | In Conversation: Bernardine Evaristo, recipient of the Women’s Prize Outstanding Contribution Award, chaired by Kate Mosse

Opening Women’s Prize LIVE is an exclusive conversation with Bernardine Evaristo, the recipient of the Women’s Prize Outstanding Contribution Award – a very special one-off award to mark the 30th anniversary year of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, generously supported by Bukhman Philanthropies. Bernardine will be in conversation with Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, Kate Mosse, talking about her body of work, her transformative impact on literature and her unwavering dedication to uplifting under-represented voices across the cultural landscape. This is sure to be a memorable and unique event with one of the greatest writers of our age!

About the Speakers:

Bernardine Evaristo is the author of seven novels including Girl, Woman, Other and Mr Loverman. She has also written two acclaimed works of non-fiction include a memoir, Manifesto: On Never Giving Up and Look Again: Feminism, in addition to numerous other writings that span verse fiction, short fiction, poetry, essays, literary criticism, journalism, and radio and drama. Over her forty-year career, she has received over 90 awards, nominations, fellowships and honours. Girl, Woman, Other was nominated for multiple prizes, including The Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020. Blonde Roots was previously longlisted for the Orange Prize (the original name for the Women’s Prize for Fiction) in 2009.

Since 1997, Bernardine has chaired or judged 45 literary awards, including chairing the Women’s Prize for Fiction panel in 2021. She has also participated in 15 different literature committees and boards and chaired the inaugural Global Black Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, founded by Cassava Republic Press (2024). Bernardine was elected as President of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022, becoming the first writer of colour and only the second woman to hold the position in the Society’s 200-year history. She is currently Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London. In 2009, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Both awards were granted for her services to literature. She has been included in the UK Black Powerlist 100 annually since 2021.

Bernardine’s activism has always been focused on inclusion. She co-founded Britain’s first black women’s theatre company, Theatre of Black Women (1982-1988), co-produced Jackie Kay’s first play, Chiaroscuro (1985) and in 1987, co-edited the seminal Black Women Talk Poetry anthology.

Kate Mosse CBE is a no.1 international bestselling novelist, non-fiction writer, essayist and playwright. With sales of more than 8 million copies worldwide, her books have been translated into 37 languages and published in 40 countries. Her fiction includes the Languedoc trilogy (Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel), the gothic novels The Winter Ghosts and The Taxidermist’s Daughter and The Joubert Family Chronicles series: The Burning Chambers, The City of Tears, The Ghost Ship and The Map of Bones.

The Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Women’s Prize for Non- Fiction, Kate is a Visiting Professor of Creative Writing and Contemporary Fiction at the University of Chichester, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Authors and a Trustee of the British Library. She was awarded a CBE in 2024 for services to literature, women and charity.

1.30 – 2.30pm | Women Writing the Future
Laura Bates and Elif Shafak, chaired by Louise Minchin 

Whilst the Women’s Prize has undoubtedly made huge strides in shifting the perception of women writers from all backgrounds, are these gains now under threat? Join campaigner Laura Bates and award-winning writer Elif Shafak, to discuss the reasons why the conversation seems to be shifting backwards, how we deal with the challenge of new inequalities and why books are at the heart of our response, facilitated by author and broadcaster Louise Minchin.

About the Speakers:

Laura Bates is a Sunday Times bestselling author and the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, a collection of over 200,000 testimonies of gender inequality. Her non-fiction books include Everyday Sexism, Girl Up, Misogynation, Men Who Hate Women and Fix the System, Not the Women. She writes regularly for The Guardian and the Telegraph, among other publications, and won a British Press Award in 2015. Laura works closely with organisations from the Council of Europe to the United Nations to tackle gender inequality. She was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to gender equality and has been named a woman of the year by Cosmopolitan, Red and The Sunday Times.

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish writer, whose work has been translated into fifty-eight languages. The author of twenty books, thirteen of which are novels, she is a bestselling author in many countries around the world. Shafak’s novel The Island of Missing Trees was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Costa Novel Award, as well as the British Book Awards and the RSL Ondaatje Prize, and was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize, and was a Blackwell’s Book of the Year. The Forty Rules of Love was chosen as one of the BBC’s 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. The Architect’s Apprentice was chosen for The Queen’s Reading Room book club.

Broadcaster, writer and triathlete Louise Minchin chaired the Women’s Prize for Fiction judging panel in 2023. Formerly one of the main presenters on BBC Breakfast for a decade, she recently published her debut novel, the gripping crime thriller Isolation Island. She has also presented The One Show, Five Live Drive, Real Rescues and Missing Live and has been a contestant on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Time Crashers and Celebrity MasterChef. Her first book, Dare to Tri, charted her journey from the Breakfast sofa to representing the Great Britain Triathlon team in her age-group at World and European Championships.

 

3 – 4pm | In Conversation: Rose Tremain
chaired by Simon and Louise Savidge

Join us for this very special edition of the Women’s Prize Bookclub, in partnership with Storyhouse, where hosts Simon and Louise Savidge will be in conversation with 2008 Women’s Prize for Fiction winner Rose Tremain. Rose won the Prize with her insightful novel The Road Home, a witty and wise look at the life of a migrant, and she’ll be discussing this book alongside others from her extensive writing career. She’ll also be revealing her own recommended read from the Women’s Prize Library to the Book Club, and Simon and Louise will gift her one, too. So three new books for your TBR!

About the speakers:

Rose Tremain’s novels and short stories have been published in thirty countries and have won many awards, including the Women’s Prize for Fiction (The Road Home), the Dylan Thomas Award (The Colonel’s Daughter and Other Stories), the Whitbread Novel of the Year (Music & Silence) the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Prix Femina in France (Sacred Country) and the South Bank Sky Arts Award (The Gustav Sonata). Lily (published in 2021) was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection, and her most recent novel is Absolutely and Forever, published to critical acclaim in 2023. Rose Tremain was made a CBE in 2007 and a Dame in 2020. She lives in Norfolk and London with the biographer, Richard Holmes.

 

4.15 – 5.15pm | In Conversation: Tayari Jones
chaired by Naga Munchetty

Tayari Jones won the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction with her novel An American Marriage, described by Barack Obama as ‘a moving portrayal of the effects of a young African American couple’. We’re delighted to welcome her to Women’s Prize LIVE to discuss with Naga Munchetty the powerful subjects around her novel and why amplifying women’s voices matters more than ever.

About the Speakers:

New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, most recently An American Marriage, which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Published in 2018, An American Marriage is an Oprah’s Book Club Selection and also appeared on Barack Obama’s summer reading list as well as his year-end roundup. The novel was awarded Aspen Words Prize and an NAACP Image Award. It has been published in two dozen countries.

Naga Munchetty is a British journalist and broadcaster. She presents BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Breakfast. A fierce advocate for women’s health, her new book, It’s Probably Nothing explores the devastating outcome of decades of ingrained medical misogyny. By sharing her own experiences of pain and advocating on behalf of others to key decision-makers, she has been able to initiate meaningful change within the NHS.

 

6 – 8.30pm | 2025 Shortlist Readings
Women’s Prize for Fiction and Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction

To complete our day of wonderful events, is the rare opportunity to listen to live readings from the books that dazzled our 2025 judges, from the authors themselves. At this hugely popular event the 12 shortlisted authors of both prizes will be taking to the stage to read from their novels and answer questions about their work. Hosted by their respective Chair of Judges, Kit de Waal and Kavita Puri, this evening is not one to miss!

Speakers include, for the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist: Kit de Waal (Chair of Judges), Aria Aber, Miranda July, Sanam Mahloudji, Elizabeth Strout, Yael van der Wouden and Nussaibah Younis. For the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction: Kavita Puri (Chair of Judges), Neneh Cherry, Rachel Clarke, Chloe Dalton, Clare Mulley, Helen Scales and Yuan Yang.

Please note, this event includes an interval, and will be followed by a signing.