Cherise Morris is the Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize winner with Desta Haile and Pamella Gysman coming runners up. The announcement was made on Thursday, December 5, 2024.
The Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize, open to emerging and established Black women writers globally, sought to celebrate the best in unpublished non-fiction manuscripts. The first jury was chaired by award-winning author and Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo, Ugandan scholar, Sylvia Tamale, African-American author and filmmaker Natalie Baszile, Caribbean-American feminist scholar Carole Boyce-Davies, and Zimbabwean-South African historian and novelist Panashe Chigumadzi. Award organisers announced the longlist for the initiative on October 1 before the shortlist was revealed on November 19.
The winning manuscript is The Cosmic Matter of Black Lives, a multi-layered exploration of Blackness by writer and interdisciplinary performance artist Cherise Morris from the USA. Written in a bold, experimental form, the cosmic matter of Black lives impressed the judges with its powerful exploration of the ways both Blackness and the environment have been shaped and shifted by structures of white supremacy. The text will be published by Cassava Republic Press, with Morris receiving a $20,000 advance.
Jury chair Bernardine Evaristo said, “Chairing this prize has been a richly rewarding experience and process of discovery of a wonderful range of manuscripts that reveal the breadth of black women’s intellectual and creative enquiry. The talented winning writers show us that the universe of black women’s ideas, experiences and perspectives is full of talent, promise and adventure.”
Cherise Morris said, “I am incredibly humbled and honoured to have my work recognised with this prize. I began this manuscript six years ago, and it has been a long road to get to this point. I am beyond grateful that Cassava Republic has embraced my work in all of its uniqueness, and I am excited to share it with the world.”
The two runners-up will also receive publishing deals with Cassava Republic Press, with each author receiving a $5000 advance. Desta Haile’s Black Beauty Model Agency goes behind the doors of the eponymous agency in 1960s New York, peeling back the layers of glamour to explore its cultural, historical, and political impact, through a personal lens. Through The Lens Of Food: A Decolonised Exploration Of Black, Middle-Class Identity by Pamella Gysman stands out for its clarity and cultural depth, effectively capturing the significance of food as a lens for understanding identity and social dynamics. These manuscripts showcase originality, and depth across narratives, and stand as a testament to the power of Black women as critical thinkers and writers.
Desta Haile said: “I am so grateful to be a finalist for the Global Black Women’s Non-fiction Manuscript Prize, for a project that has been so close to my heart for many years, in such inspiring company, by such inspiring judges. Cassava Republic Press has always been in the business of ground-breaking and representation; this prize is a brilliant and generous extension of that vital work, and it aligns perfectly with the historic & diasporic vision of Black Beauty Model Agency”.
Pamella Gysman said, “I want to thank Cassava Republic, the judges, and the sponsors of the Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize. Winning this prize is a deeply affirming moment for me, as it not only recognises my work but also honours the people I write about. The Black middle class, often treated as an anomaly— ‘too white to be Black’ or ‘too Black to be truly middle class’—has long been overlooked. This prize gives us the space to tell our stories, in our own voices, and showcase new knowledge drawn from these narratives. I’m grateful to Cassava Republic Press and the sponsors for this opportunity, which allows me to contribute to a broader understanding of our experiences.”
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