The Women’s prize for non-fiction celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in narrative non-fiction written by women. This prize acknowledges that while great gains have been made in representation for women in fiction, their voices remain systemically underrepresented in non-fiction.

In only its third year, the 2026 shortlist covers a diverse range of topics, examining themes from creativity and wellbeing to conflict and family ties.

Here we have enlisted six experts across diverse fields to guide you through the nominations for 2026.

Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health by Daisy Fancourt

Daisy Fancourt has written and spoken extensively about the benefit of art practices on health. In Art Cure, the positive outcomes of even a few minutes spent listening to music, visiting a gallery or creating art are explained using scientific research and quantifiable data.

Each chapter starts with a case study and within these examples, Fancourt achieves the difficult task of merging art with science. Complicated concepts, such as the multi-faceted construct of happiness, are explained in a way that is accessible and appealing.

In her 2017 book, Arts in Health: Designing Interventions, Fancourt added substance to the impulses of artists and therapists using creative interventions to promote health and wellbeing. The work became seminal for those working in this area. Art Cure reaches a larger audience. Anyone concerned with health will be convinced that an arts practice is one of the pillars for achieving a life well-lived.

Barrie Llewelyn is a senior lecturer in creative writing in the faculty of business and creative industries

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy

In Mother Mary Comes to Me, Arundhati Roy marks the passing of her late mother by fathoming her on the page for the first time in her writing life. “I wrote versions of her in my books”, Roy explains, “but I never wrote her”.

Doing........

© The Conversation