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Overview

Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2025

The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in Non-Fiction written by women.

The Six books on the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist are united by the power of hope and the necessity of resistance to initiate change. In different ways, this shortlist exemplifies the irrepressible spirit of humanity and nature, and the capacity of both to reinvent in the face of adversity.

The 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction Shortlist

A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry

The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Courageous WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka by Clare Mulley

What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World’s Ocean by Helen Scales

Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China by Yuan Yang

The 2025 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist

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The Story of a Heart
Raising Hare
Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China
Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Courageous WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka
What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean
A Thousand Threads

The 2025 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist

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The Story of a Heart
The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place
Sister In Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men
Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love and the Hidden Order of Life
Raising Hare
Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
Ootlin
Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age
Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Courageous WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka
What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean
By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land
Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World
Tracker
Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin
A Thousand Threads

Overview

The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction is an annual book prize that celebrates exceptional narrative non-fiction by women. The Prize promotes excellence in writing, robust research, original narrative voices and accessibility, showcasing women’s expertise across a range of fields.

The Prize is awarded annually and is open to all women writers from across the globe who are published in the UK and writing in English. The winner receives a cheque for £30,000 and a limited-edition artwork known as the ‘Charlotte’, both gifted by the Charlotte Aitken Trust.

 

Judging process

A panel of five women, all passionate readers and at the top of their respective professions, will choose the winner of the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.

The whole process starts in the summer of the previous year. We approach potential judges and invite UK publishers to submit eligible books.

Judges plunge immediately into reading their allocated books, basing their deliberations for the longlist, shortlist and winner on three core tenets, which mirror its sister fiction prize: excellence, originality and accessibility.

Previous Winners

2024: Doppelganger
Naomi Klein

Interviews

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Interviews

Discover a world of books: In conversation with Sarah Waters

Interviews

Discover a world of books: In conversation with Meg Mason

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News

Announcing The Women’s Prize Outstanding Contribution Award

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Announcing the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist!

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