In a stunning literary achievement, Catherine Taylor has been awarded the 2024 TLS Ackerley Prize for her memoir The Stirrings, per publishingperspectives.com. The announcement was made today in London, marking a significant milestone in Taylor’s career and for Sheffield’s literary scene.
The Stirrings, a candid exploration of Taylor’s political and sexual awakening set in South Yorkshire, captivated the jury with its stark honesty and masterful prose. Peter Parker, chair of the judging panel, praised the work as “startlingly candid and beautifully written.”
The TLS Ackerley Prize, renamed this year to reflect its partnership with the Times Literary Supplement, carries a purse of £4,000 and is awarded annually to a British author for an outstanding literary autobiography. Taylor’s win places her among esteemed previous recipients such as Alan Bennett, Germaine Greer and Blake Morrison.
Upon receiving the award, a visibly moved Taylor remarked, “I’ve never won anything, actually, so I’m really pleased.” She touchingly added, “My mother probably wouldn’t have wanted me to write the book, but I think she’d have been not surprised that I wrote it, and I know she’d have been proud this evening.”
The prize, established in 1982 in memory of literary editor J.R. Ackerley, saw fierce competition this year. Jurors sifted through 25 entries before narrowing down to a shortlist of three exceptional memoirs.
Taylor’s win not only celebrates her individual talent but also shines a spotlight on Sheffield and South Yorkshire as a nurturing ground for literary excellence.
