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Former Bristol MP announced as Women’s Prize panel chair
Thangham Debbonaire has been revealed as a panel chair for the Women’s Prize 2026.
On Wednesday, The Women’s Prize Trust launched its fiction and non-fiction prizes categories.
The trust announced that former Labour MP for Bristol West, baroness Thangam Debbonaire, will head up the non-fiction judging panel this year.
The category, said the Women’s Prize Trust, celebrates the writing of “female thought-leaders, changemakers and experts.”
The judging panels aim to “champion women’s writing” – photo: Women’s Prize Trust
Debbonaire will be joined by engineer, author and broadcaster Roma Agrawal, NEOM founder Nicola Elliott, author Nina Stibbe and judge and author Nicola Williams to judge the awards.
The winner of the 2026’s Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction will receive a prize of £30,000, as well as a limited edition artwork sculpted by Ann Christopher.
Speaking on her appointment, Debbonaire said: “There is so much quality non-fiction being written by women across a wide range of topics, and yet too often – and for too long – this writing has been ignored.
“After 26 years in work tackling violence against women, it is distressing to see women’s rights being rolled back.
“Reading and writing are hugely important tools for action – two of the best ways of developing and exploring ideas thoroughly.
“The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction is a powerful platform for women’s expertise and the voices we so desperately need, and I am honoured to be chair of judges for the 2026 Prize.”
Debbonaire will be joined by former prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, who will chair the fiction panel.
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Claire Shanahan, the executive director of the Women’s Prize Trust, said: “We believe that every woman’s voice has the power to elicit and inspire change.
“Our mission is to help build a future where every woman’s voice is heard, and where their words can reach the legions of readers around the world.
“This work is more urgent than ever.
“Together, our Fiction and Non-Fiction Prizes celebrate women’s creativity, expertise and authority, and we are delighted to welcome a group of such bold, brilliant women to the panels to take on the task of reading, enjoying, discussing and eventually sharing their favourites from the raft of wonderful titles submitted by our publishing partners.”
The non-fiction longlist is set to be released on Feburary 11, with the category shortlist published on March 25.
Main photo: Women’s Prize Trust
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