Irenosen Okojie
Irenosen Okojie is on the judging panel for the Women’s Prize 2023 announced on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious literary prizes started in 1996. It is awarded annually to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year. Previous winners of the prize include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Zadie Smith, and Ali Smith.
The 2023 cycle of the prize has officially kicked off with the announcement of this year’s judges that include Chair of Judges, author and journalist Louise Minchin, who is joined by award-winning novelist Rachel Joyce; author, journalist and podcaster Irenosen Okojie; bestselling author and journalist Bella Mackie and MP for Hampstead and Kilburn Tulip Siddiq.
Louise Minchin commented, ‘The Women’s Prize for Fiction is a hugely exciting and important landmark in the annual cultural calendar. To be chairing the 2023 prize is therefore a great honour for me. I can’t wait to delve into the rich and varied novels that are on offer, and, alongside my fellow judges, help to celebrate women’s stories, sharing them with readers worldwide.’
Irenosen Okojie is the author of the short story collection Speak Gigantular (2016), as well as the novels Butterfly Fish (2016), and Nudibranch (2019). She has won the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing and a Betty Trask Award for her writing.
Tweeting on the selection Okojie said; “Joyous to be one of the judges for the incredible @WomensPrize in 2023 alongside these terrific women @louiseminchin Tulip Siddiq Rachel Joyce & @bellamackie. Bring on the books!”
