Cassava Republic recently announced its longlist for the Global Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize. The list includes nine writers from all over the globe, each bringing their respective voices to their piece

Here is the list:

  • African Feminist Reflections on State Sponsored Backlash in Kenya by Marilyn Muthoni Kamuru (Kenya)
  • Anxiolytic Notes by Helena Silvestre (Brasil)
  • Being Here in This Body by Mildred Kiconco Barya (Uganda)
  • Black Beauty Model Agency by Desta Haile (Eritrea)
  • Elemental Solidarity: The Climate Crisis and Contemporary African And Diasporic Art by Sindi-Leigh McBride (South Africa)
  • Sweetness Is No Guarantee by B.J. McDaniel (United States)
  • The Black Packer by Ebbo-Chan (UK)
  • The Cosmic Matter of Blackness by Cherise Morris (United States)
  • Through the Lens of Food: A Decolonized Exploration of Black Middle-Class Identity Expression by Pamella N. Gysman (South Africa)

Cassava Republic Press created the Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize to “amplify the voices of Black women writers in the non-fiction space as knowledge producers and critical thinkers.” This is the prize’s first year, and the Nigeria-based Cassava Republic Press aims to build a new body of African writing through its continuation. The Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize is funded by Alitheia Capital and the Open Society Foundations Africa. The winner of the prize will receive a $20,000 advance and a publishing contract with Cassava Republic Press. The two runners-up will also each receive a $5,000 advance and publishing deal.

The founder and publishing director of Cassava Republic, Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, commented on the writers in the longlist:

We are incredibly excited to see such a rich array of voices represented in the longlist. This prize not only celebrates the talents of Black women writers but also underscores their essential role in shaping critical discourse across various fields.

The shortlist will be announced on November 13th, then the winner of the prize will be announced on December 4th. The judges of this years prize include; award-winning author and 2019 Booker Prize recipient Bernardine Evaristo, Ugandan scholar, Sylvia Tamale, African-American author and filmmaker Natalie Baszile, Caribbean-American feminist scholar Carole Boyce-Davies, and Zimbabwean-South African historian and novelist Panashe Chigumadzi. Together with their expertise, the tough call of narrowing down to the shortlist and final winner will be made.

To read more about the Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize and Cassava Republic Press, to go their website.

Congrats to the longlisted authors!