17th March, 2026

Maggie Harris shortlisted for the Jhalak Poetry Prize 2026

We’re excited to share that Maggie Harris’ latest poetry collection I Sing to the Greenhearts is shortlisted for the Jhalak Poetry Prize 2026.

Haunted by ghosts of colonial history, Maggie’s wise and insightful collection offers a world where both ecological crisis and justice are at stake, where wildness, memory, migration and the unsettling power of place converge, and the untamed boundaries of nature nourish, disrupt and always challenge.

The Jhalak Prize awards celebrate books by writers of colour in the UK and Ireland. Supported by Ink Sweat & Tears, The Jhalak Poetry Prize was first added to the awards portfolio in 2024 and sits alongside the Jhalak Prose Prize and Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize. The 2026 Poetry Prize judges are poets Romalyn  Ante, Nikita Gill and Kadija (George) Sesay.

Jacob Ross, the first ever Jhalak Prize winner (and judge this year) described each book on the 2026 Jhalak Prize longlists as a powerful act of creative resistance. Speaking on the awards as a whole, prize director, Sunny Singh commented, “The past decade of the Jhalak Prize is a testament to the range and quality of work by writers of colour in Britain, and their commitment and determination to publish and reach readers.”

The Jhalak Prize winner will be announced on 10 June 2026.