First awarded in March 2017, the Jhalak Prize and its new sister award Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize founded in 2020, seek to celebrate books by British/British resident BAME writers.
The prizes are unique in that they accept entries published in the UK by writers of colour. These include (and not limited to) fiction, non-fiction, short stories, graphic novels, poetry and all other genres. The Jhalak Children’s and YA Prize accepts books for children, teens and young adults including picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, poetry, non-fiction, and all other genres by writers of colour and aimed at young readers. The prizes are also open to self-published writers.
The Jhalak Prize awards £1000 to each winner along with a unique work of art created by artists chosen for the annual Jhalak Art Residency. The two prizes exist to support and celebrate writers of colour in Britain.
| Winner 2021: Eight Pieces of Silva. Patrice Lawrence. (Hodder) ISBN: 978-1444954746 An absorbing family mystery set in contemporary London, full of the complex, charismatic characters. Becks is into girls but didn’t come out because she was never in. She lives with her mum, stepdad and eighteen-year-old Silva, her stepdad’s daughter. Becks and Silva are opposites, but bond over their mutual obsession with K-pop.When Becks’ mum and stepdad go on honeymoon to Japan, Becks and Silva are left alone. Except, Silva disappears. Becks ventures into the forbidden territory of Silva’s room and finds the first of eight clues that help her discover her sister’s secret life. |  |
| Winner 2022: Danny Chung Does Not Do Mathsby Masie Chan. Illustrated by Anh Cao (Piccadilly Press. ISBN: 978-1800780019) Danny Chung loves art. Unfortunately, everyone else thinks he should love maths and classmates assume he will be brilliant because he is Chinese. He is excited about a promised surprise – until it turns out to be his Nai Nai from China, taking up residence in his top bunk. But there’s more to Danny’s wrinkled little grandma than meets the eye. Funny, light-hearted, and challenging racist stereotypes, this is a delightful celebration of intergenerational love and individual strengths and while featuring all the silliness that children love, deals sensitively with the difficulties of building and fostering relationships in the upper primary years, wanting to fit in and, for boys especially, allowing oneself to be emotionally vulnerable. |  |
2022 Shortlist
- Ace of Spades, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Usborne) ISBN: 978-1474967532
- We’re Going to Find the Monster, Malorie Blackman & Dapo Adeola (Puffin) ISBN: 978-0241401309
- The Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs, Jeffrey Boakye, illustrated Ngadi Smart, (Faber & Faber) ISBN: 978-0571366491
- Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths, Maisie Chan (Piccadilly Press) ISBN: 978-1800780019
- The Sound of Everything, Rebecca Henry (Everything With Words) ISBN: 978-1911427155
- The Crossing, Manjeet Mann (Penguin Random House Children’s) ISBN: 978-0241411445
