The 2024 Bread and Roses Award has crowned Dr Annabel Sowemimo’s Divided: Racism, Medicine and Why We Need to Decolonise Healthcare as its winner. The announcement, made on September 16, during a virtual ceremony hosted by Lighthouse Books, according to reports, marks a significant moment in recognising radical, accessible, and politically-left non-fiction literature.
The Alliance of Radical Booksellers, organisers of the prestigious award, praised Sowemimo’s work for its comprehensive examination of racism within the UK healthcare system. The judging panel unanimously agreed that Divided not only met but exceeded the award’s criteria, offering a unique and encompassing perspective on healthcare inequalities.
“This book is not only timely, but also indispensable to those who work in healthcare, care about healthcare, and interact with healthcare in the UK – which is to say every one of us,” the judges stated, highlighting the universal relevance of Sowemimo’s work.
While the decision was unanimous, the panel acknowledged the difficulty in selecting just one winner from a strong shortlist. Two other works received special mention: Kaamil Ahmed’s I Feel No Peace: Rohingya Fleeing Over Seas & Rivers and Hil Aked’s Friends of Israel: The Backlash Against Palestine Solidarity. The judges highlighted the importance of these books in providing nuanced perspectives on migration, foreign relations, and international justice during a time of global unrest.
The Bread and Roses Award, established in 2012 by London’s Housemans bookshop, has become a benchmark for radical literature. Now run in collaboration with Five Leaves Bookshop and Lighthouse – Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop, the award has previously recognised authors such as David Graeber and Reni Eddo-Lodge.
This year’s shortlist, featuring six titles, covered a diverse range of pressing social issues, from neurodiversity and capitalism to inequality and women’s rights in Iran. Dr. Sowemimo will receive a £500 prize for her winning entry.
