The Longlist

Writers pour out their all to create great books. Years of work and yet most will only sell a few copies of their books. A few go on to be best sellers. An even smaller group are considered for recognition through prizes and awards.

Join us as we talk with two authors whose debut books were longlisted for the Women’s Prize for fiction. Pull up a chair as we dig into their journey of writing, exploring themes of power, immigration, refugees, bureaucracy and considering  the difference that comes with recognition.

Dr. Nussaibah Younis is a peacebuilding practitioner and a globally recognised expert on contemporary Iraq. For several years, she advised the Iraqi government on proposed programs to de-radicalise women affiliated with ISIS. Dr Younis was a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, where she directed the Task Force on the Future of Iraq. She has published Op-Eds in the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, and the New York Times.  Fundamentally is her debut novel and has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Dorothy Koomson is an award-winning, global bestselling author of 18 novels, known as the ‘Queen of the Big Reveal’. Her emotional thrillers have connected with readers all over the world; her books are regularly Sunday Times bestsellers, have sold over 2.5 million copies in the UK alone and have been translated into more than 30 languages. Dorothy featured on the 2021 Powerlist as one of the most influential Black people in Britain, appeared in GQ Style as a Black British trailblazer, and was a judge for the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction. 2023 marks Dorothy’s 20th anniversary as a published author.