Jhalak Prize 2021: The longlist books you need to read

A collection of poems, Antiemetic for Homesickness works tackle issues of colonialism and bridge the gap between Ante’s birth country and a new life in the UK. Said to be a moving and evocative set of prose and a dazzling debut from newcomer Ante.

This memoir tells Cho’s experiences of postpartum psychosis and her spell on a psychiatric ward when her baby was three months old. Touching on her relationship with her abusive ex-boyfriend and her marriage with James, it’s a story of Cho as she navigates reconstructing herself.

Debut poetry book, [re:desire], explores the yearning to love, be loved and belong from the perspective of a desi (south Asian) woman. Challenging the dominant male perspective across culture and language, D’Souza-Lodhi uses various poetic techniques to highlight the hybridity of worlds many British desis find themselves in.

Combining poetry and imagery, Femi explores the trials, tribulations, dreams and joys that young Black boys in 21-century Peckham experience. Through visual storytelling, Femi explores how their lives are informed by their community and pays tribute to the rappers and artists who spoke to their lives.

Inspired by the little-known event – the 1617 storm that hit the fishing town of Vardo in Norway, which wipes out the men, meaning women are left to fend for themselves. The Mercies is said to be a beautifully vivid story that covers a lot of ground, including self-sufficiency as a woman and sexual suspicion during the 17th-century.

Set in pre-Civil War America, this tragic interracial love story is inspired by Huf’s great, great grandparents, an Irish immigrant and a Black slave woman. Acknowledging the complexities of the time, it explores more than just love and touches on themes of identity, belonging and survival.

In this eagerly anticipated poetry collection, Long showcases her original voice, shining light on sexual politics and cultural inheritance that polarise our current society. Equal parts brave and skilful, each poem is said to be written with humour, warmth and accuracy.

In many areas across the world, an address is more than just a series of numbers and letters. Rather, it can reveal information about race, class and identity. The Address Book illuminates the issues associated with how streets and addresses have been created, exploring how Nazis haunt the modern streets in Germany, for example. It also discusses how not having an address can prevent you from having your basic necessities, including a passport or applying for a job.

Set between 1935 and 2010, this is the story of Katy and her mother after she accidentally discovers that her mum is earning money as a sex worker at their family home. From Canada to Leeds and Jamaica, it touches on themes of family, class, identity and shame as the pair try and understand one another.

A feminist coming-of-age tale set among the brutality of Idi Amini’s Uganda, The First Woman is the story of Kirabo, who is surrounded by powerful women, as she finds her place in a world. Survival, rebellion and female spirit are central themes here.

Featuring in our review of the best LGBTQ+ books, Rainbow Milk is a fearless debut from Paul Mendez. Contrasting the experiences of Windrush arrivals in the Fifties to the story of Jesse, a young man who escapes his Jehovah’s Witness background for sex work in London, it’s an eye-opening story in which Mendez deftly portrays the systematic discrimination faced by black people, then and now. Exploring identity, family, class and sexuality, this novel both heartbreaking and joyful.

Inspired by a true crime and set in modern-day Tokyo, it follows a woman’s search for the truth after her mother’s murder. Said to be a pacey, gripping tale that has been carefully constructed to portray betrayal and brutality, it’s a must-read.