The Women's Prize Trust has announced the 2026 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction and Fiction winners at its annual summer celebration in Bedford Square Gardens, London.

Lyse Doucet received the Non-Fiction award for The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan, while Virginia Evans was awarded the Fiction prize for The Correspondent.

The Non-Fiction winning work, the debut book by the BBC's chief international correspondent Doucet, focuses on the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul as a lens on modern Afghanistan's history and the experiences of those who lived and worked there. The Fiction winner, Evans' debut novel, is structured through letters and follows 73-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp, exploring life choices, regret, and second chances through written correspondence.

The judging panel for the Non-Fiction prize was chaired by Thangam Debbonaire and included Roma Agrawal, Nicola Elliott, Nina Stibbe, and Nicola Williams. The Fiction panel was chaired by Julia Gillard and included Mona Arshi, Salma El-Wardany, Cariad Lloyd, and Annie Macmanus.

Each winner receives GBP30,000 alongside a commemorative sculpture, with Evans awarded the 'Bessie' statuette and Doucet receiving the 'Charlotte' sculpture. The prizes are sponsored by Audible and Baileys for Fiction, and Findmypast for Non-Fiction.