When We Were Birds by UEA writer Ayanna Lloyd Banwo has been shortlisted for the 2023 Jhalak Prize, which celebrates books by British/British resident BAME writers. Ayanna (pictured) is from Trinidad and graduated from the University of the West Indies before gaining an MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) at UEA in 2018. She is currently completing her PhD in Creative & Critical Writing. When We Were Birds was published by Hamish Hamilton last year and is currently also shortlisted for the Authors Club Best First Novel Award. It was the winner in the Fiction category of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Ayanna was also announced last year as one of the two winners of the Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer’s Award. The winner of the Jhalak Prize will be announced on 25 May.
