Gillard to judge Women’s Prize for Fiction

In the UK, the Women’s Prize Trust has announced former prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard will chair the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction judging panel.

Gillard will be joined by writers Mona Arshi, Salma El-Wardany, Cariad Lloyd and Annie Macmanus.

Thangam Debbonaire, a member of the House of Lords and former Labour MP, will chair the nonfiction category panel.

The Women’s Prize Trust is a charity organisation dedicated to ‘building a better future by championing women’s writing’, said organisers.

The longlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction is set to be announced on 4 March 2026, with the shortlist to follow on 22 April. The nonfiction longlist is planned for 11 February, with the shortlist slated for announcement on 25 March.

Both winners will be announced on 11 June 2026.

Last year’s fiction winner was Yael van der Wouden for The Safekeep (Penguin), and the nonfiction winner was Rachel Clarke for The Story of a Heart (Abacus).

Category: Local news