Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize
THE INAUGURAL FOOTNOTE X COUNTERPOINTS WRITING PRIZE WAS WON BY SABIN HASBUN
The £15,000 award, announced in June, includes an advance of £5,000 and a publication agreement with Footnote Press.
The prize, which recognises narrative non-fiction centred around themes of displacement, identity or resistance, was developed in association with the Southbank Centre, and is supported by the John Ellerman Foundation, Doughty Street Chambers, Spread the Word and The Bookseller.
The winner of the inaugural prize is Sabrin Hasbun is a Palestinian-Italian transnational writer and lecturer, currently teaching creative writing for activism and decolonisation at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her submission, entitled Crossing: A love story between Italy and Palestine, is a memoir-family saga which retraces the love story between her Palestinian father and her Italian mother.
The prize includes a publication agreement with Footnote Press, who have acquired world rights for the book and plan to publish in Spring 2025.
Hasbun said: ‘After the loss of my mother, I tried to renegotiate my mixed identity and understand my mother’s choices from an oppressive childhood in a village in Tuscany to love and community activism in Palestine. This is a story about grief and what it means to lose not only loved ones, but also a place in the world and a sense of belonging. I hope Wait for Her will join the chorus of Palestinian voices that are calling from all over the world urging to listen to our people and our land.’
Simon Weisz was awarded second place for his book Resolution, followed by Roxana Shirazi for Dead Iranian Girl.
The judges were Elif Shafak, Philippe Sands and Dina Nayeri.
Footnote Press m.d. Vidisha Biswas said:
“We established this prize, and indeed Footnote Press itself, to platform and amplify marginalised voices and bring them to new global audiences. The winning entries will have the strongest possible start, thanks to the early support and enthusiasm of our judging panel and our many partners and collaborators.”
Counterpoints Arts director Almir Koldzic said: “We are very excited to be working on the prize with such an inspiring panel of judges. We hope that with their support the prize will help us elevate fantastic new writings and voices from refugee and migrant backgrounds; and that over the coming years it will build into a rich body of work that will reach thousands of readers and book-lovers, shedding lights on some of the most pertinent and pressing topics of our times.”
Footnote Press launched last year in partnership with Bonnier Books UK as a mission-oriented publisher committed to driving social and narrative change.
