Internationally bestselling novelist and Women’s Prize for Fiction winning author of An American Marriage, Tayari Jones, joins the inaugural selection panel for Originators, the Women’s Prize Trust’s mentorship and development program dedicated to supporting emerging women fiction writers from across the United States, presented by CHANEL.
Ahead of the program closing for applications on Monday, November 30, 2026, we caught up with Tayari to hear more about her approach to writing, her favourite authors and what she’s looking for in the work she reads.
Who are some of your favourite women writing today?
Dolen Perkins Valdez, Sloane Crossley, Maggie O’Farrell, Diana Evans… I could go on forever.
Which female author has influenced your work the most?
I feel so predictable when I say Toni Morrison, but there’s no escaping her long, magnificent shadow.
Could you reveal a secret or something surprising about your creative process?
Whenever I feel blocked I let go of one aspect of technology. If I was using my computer, I would switch to a typewriter. If that doesn’t work, I go to paper and pen.
What is your advice for someone at the beginning of their writing journey?
Delay the business end of things for as long as you possibly can. Be free and innocent in your creativity. Be accountable only to the truth of your vision. Remember what that feels like so that you can find your way back to it.
Can you tell us a little about a mentor or someone who has supported you in your professional career?
When I was a young writer, Nikki Giovanni invited me to spend the weekend. She wanted to talk to me about my career. I thought we would talk about publishing, but instead we talked about readers. Always respect them, she said. Without those women, you have nothing.
What would be your one tip for an emerging writer thinking of entering Originators, or seeking mentorship?
Have confidence in your true authentic voice. Don’t try to write like a writer. Write like YOU.
As a member of the selection panel, what are your looking for in an application for Originators?
I’m looking for someone who wants to tell a good story. I want to get to know a person who wants to build a body of work and cultivate an audience rather than build a brand. I guess I’m old fashioned in that way.
