NS Nuseibeh Wins Jhalak Prize | British-Palestinian Author
- The 2025 Jhalak Prize, honoring writers of color in the UK and Ireland, has been awarded to N.S.
- NuseibehS winning work, Namesake, explores Muslim feminism through the lens of Nusayba, an early Islamic figure.
- Khalvati’s Collected Poems was lauded as "a luminous testament to a lifetime of lyrical precision, emotional depth, and formal mastery," according to poet Jason Allen-paisant, one of the...
N.S. Nuseibeh triumphs! The British-Palestinian author claims the jhalak Prize for their prose, with Mimi Khalvati securing the poetry award, and Nathanael Lessore celebrated in the children’s and young adult category. This year’s Jhalak Prize, recognizing outstanding writers of color in the UK and Ireland, celebrated these authors at a ceremony held at the British Library. Nuseibeh’s winning novel, “Namesake”, captivated judges with its exploration of Muslim feminism; Khalvati’s “Collected Poems” also received high praise. Lessore’s “King of Nothing” previously won the Waterstones children’s book prize. Sunny Singh, the prize director, commended the winners for their powerful insights and stylistic bravery. News Directory 3 offers insights into literature, and other finalists included Hisham Matar and Gboyega Odubanjo. Discover what’s next for these talented authors.
Jhalak Prize Celebrates Nuseibeh, Khalvati, and Lessore
The 2025 Jhalak Prize, honoring writers of color in the UK and Ireland, has been awarded to N.S. Nuseibeh for prose, Mimi Khalvati for poetry, and Nathanael Lessore in the children’s and young adult category. Each winner received £1,000 at a ceremony held at the british Libary in London.
NuseibehS winning work, Namesake, explores Muslim feminism through the lens of Nusayba, an early Islamic figure. Dina Nayeri described the book as “an illuminating and trenchant exploration” in a review.
Khalvati’s Collected Poems was lauded as “a luminous testament to a lifetime of lyrical precision, emotional depth, and formal mastery,” according to poet Jason Allen-paisant, one of the judges.
Lessore’s King of Nothing, a teen comedy about an unlikely friendship, also won the Waterstones children’s book prize earlier in the year.The Jhalak Prize judges for the children’s and young adult category were Yassmin abdel-Magied, Hiba Noor Khan, and Alom Shaha.
Sunny Singh,prize director,praised all the winners for their courage and insight,noting their honest confrontation of difficult realities alongside their stylistic experimentation.
Other finalists for the prose prize included Hisham Matar, Ashani Lewis, Varaidzo, Maame Blue, and Aniefiok Ekpoudom. Poetry finalists included Gboyega odubanjo, Azad Ashim sharma, rushika Wick, Amaan Hyder, and Karen McCarthy Woolf. Children’s and young adult finalists were Dev Kothari, Lanisha Butterfield and Hoang Giang, Chibundu Onuzo, Ashley Thorpe, and Ayaan Mohamud.
Established in 2017, the Jhalak prize has previously honored writers such as Reni Eddo-Lodge, Guy gunaratne, and Travis Alabanza.