American novelist Virginia Evans and Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet were named the winners of the 2026 Women’s Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction at an annual ceremony in London on June 11.
Both writers will receive a cash purse of £30,000 for their respective debut books, which triumphed at the event held in Bedford Square Gardens.
Evans secured the standard Fiction accolade for her novel The Correspondent. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the epistolary book comprises letters from a 73-year-old protagonist to friends, family, and authors, exploring themes of aging and second chances. Prior to publishing the book in 2025, Evans had spent two decades writing seven unpublished novels.
Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who chaired the fiction judging panel, stated that the novel had “captured their hearts” by elevating an ordinary life in a heartfelt manner. In addition to the monetary prize, Evans receives the “Bessie,” a bronze statuette sculpted by the artist Grizel Niven.
A cinematic adaptation of the novel starring Jane Fonda is currently in development.
Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, won the Nonfiction prize for The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan. The narrative nonfiction work utilises the history of the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul as a microcosm to detail decades of geopolitical conflict in Afghanistan through the experiences of its staff and guests.
Thangam Debbonaire, the chair of the nonfiction jury, described Doucet’s debut as a “perfect work of narrative nonfiction” that was informed by decades of reporting. Doucet, who has reported from the region since 1988, receives the “Charlotte,” a limited-edition artwork funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust alongside her cash award.
Established in 1996, the Women’s Prize for Fiction evaluates submissions based on excellence, originality and accessibility. The sister prize for nonfiction was launched in 2024 to address a documented gender imbalance in British literary coverage and nonfiction publishing awards.
