The Mo Siewcharran Prize 2025 Longlist
ORION’S TRAPEZE ANNOUNCES LONGLIST FOR MO SIEWCHARRAN PRIZE 2025
Trapeze, an imprint of The Orion Publishing Group, is delighted to announce the longlist of ten writers in contention for the Mo Siewcharran Prize which this year is focused on non-fiction under the theme ‘Reclaiming History.’
Now in its sixth year, the writing competition runs as part of Hachette UK’s The Future Bookshelf and is named in memory of NielsenIQ BookData’s former director of marketing and communications. The prize is sponsored by John Seaton, Mo Siewcharran’s husband and co-founder of the Prize, and NielsenIQ BookData.
The prize aims to shine a light on Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and Ethnically Diverse unpublished writers. This year, the prize is being hosted by Trapeze and is focused on non-fiction writing.
The longlist has been chosen by members of the Trapeze team and employees of other divisions within Hachette UK.
Katie Ogunsakin, Editorial Director at Trapeze, said the following:
‘We were blown away by the diversity and quality of entries submitted to the prize this year. The histories explored and documented in these submissions are insightful, bold and span a vast range of experiences, and were an absolute pleasure to read.’
A shortlist of up to six writers will be chosen by a panel of judges, which includes: historian and author Olivette Otele; author and award-winning CEO and founder of Black British Book Festival, Selina Brown; historian and author, Paula Akpan; literary agent at the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, Emma Bal; and cultural historian, author, and founder of the Free Books Campaign, Sofia Akel. The winner and runners-up will be selected by the judges from the shortlisted entries.
The longlist (in alphabetical order by surname):
Echoes of Tradition by Pamela Aculey
Filling in the Blanks by Antonia Antrobus-Higgins
When Will We Talk About Islamophobia? by Imran Awan
It’s in Our Blood by Sabrina Bowen
There’s Blood in the Books by Cherelle Findley
I Spit on Honour by Sara Hussain
The Ties that Bind by Yin F Lim
Sunana by Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed
Of Monsoons and Migrations by Rukiya Shanthi
Tokyo Boys by Rajan Sharma
The shortlist announcement will take place on 4th September 2025, and the winner will be announced at the prize ceremony on 2nd October 2025.
The winner will receive £2,500 prize money, plus a follow-up online mentoring session with a Trapeze editor, an introductory meeting with a literary agent, and a hamper of Trapeze books. The winner’s entry will also be taken forward to the acquisitions meeting and considered for publication.
One runner up will receive £1,500 prize money, plus a mentoring session with a Trapeze editor and a hamper of books. A second runner up will receive £750 prize money, as well as a hamper of books.
