Island Nonfiction Prize 2024 shortlist announced

Island has announced the shortlist for its annual nonfiction prize.

Shortlisted essays for the prize include:

• ‘A Story-Shaped Life’ (Gan Ainm)
• ‘Writing Task 1’ (Suri Matondkar)
• ‘seeing Ningaloo’ (Jenny Sinclair)
• ‘The Breath Goes Now’ (Jessica White)
• ‘Fucking with Chineseness’ (Cherry Zheng).

Prize judges were Island nonfiction editor Keely Jobe, as well as writers Erin Riley and Daniel Nour, who selected the shortlist, ahead of selecting the winner.

Jobe said that selecting the year’s shortlist ‘felt from the beginning like an impossible task’. ‘After some tough decisions, we have selected five pieces that demonstrate unique or compelling approaches to storytelling, to form, to language and description, and to depictions of time, place and subjectivity. The voices are variously quizzical, critical, hilarious and anguished,’ Jobe continued. ‘Most importantly, every one of these stories shows great courage, vulnerability and generosity in the telling.’

Island plans to announce the winning essay this month, with all five shortlisted pieces to be published in the July issue of the publication.

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