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Grace Nichols wins £10,000 RSL prize honouring women writers over 60
Grace Nichols has won the 2026 Royal Society of Literature Pioneer prize, which awards £10,000 to women writers over 60 who broke barriers in literature. The Guyana-born, British-based poet was recognised for a body of work that has connected Caribbean heritage and British life, and helped open doors for later generations of poets.
Nichols, 76, moved to the UK in 1977 and won the Commonwealth poetry prize in 1983 for *I Is a Long-Memoried Woman*. Her collections include *The Fat Black Woman’s Poems* and *Sunris*, and her poems have been taught in GCSE courses for decades. Established by Bernardine Evaristo, the prize rotates between literary forms; Nichols is due to publish a new collection on 19 November and will be celebrated at the British Library in March 2027.
In short
- Grace Nichols has won the RSL’s £10,000 Pioneer prize.
- The award recognises women writers over 60 who broke barriers.
- Her next poetry collection is due on 19 November.
Explained simply
The Royal Society of Literature is a UK organisation that recognises and supports writers. Its Pioneer prize honours women over 60 whose work has helped widen opportunities in literature, and carries an award of £10,000.
Grace Nichols was born in Guyana and moved to Britain in 1977. Her poetry draws on Caribbean heritage and British life; her 1983 collection I Is a Long-Memoried Woman won the Commonwealth poetry prize, and her work has featured in GCSE study.
The prize was established by writer Bernardine Evaristo and rotates between literary forms. Nichols’s recognition reflects the influence of a long career, including poems read by generations of school pupils.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “‘A trailblazer in the truest sense’: poet Grace Nichols wins £10,000 Pioneer prize”.