MUP author wins Royal Society of Literature Prize

18 Dec 2023

Taj Ali, the author of one of our forthcoming books, has been awarded the RSL Giles St Aubyn Prize

Debut author and journalist Taj Ali has been chosen as the winner of this year’s £5,000 RSL Giles St Aubyn Award. Ali is the first author published by a university press to win this prestigious award.

Taj Ali, recently appointed co-editor of Tribune magazine, is a well-established journalist and commentator, with a focus on class and socio-economic inequality. He was previously industrial correspondent at Tribune, one of the few journalists specialising in coverage of trade unions and the world of work. He has written for the Huffington Post, Metro and The Independent, among others. 

The RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction are available annually for authors engaged on their first commissioned works of non-fiction. This year’s judges were Tom Burgis, Fiona St Aubyn and Leila Aboulela. Tom Burgis said of Taj’s submission: ‘Taj Ali's book is that precious thing: the untold version of a story we think we know. In the hands of this young writer of talent and determination, it promises to be an illuminating and urgent read.’

The working title of Taj’s forthcoming book is 'Come what may, we’re here to stay: a story of south Asian resistance'. South Asians have a proud tradition of political activism in Britain. Whether defending their communities from racist attacks or organising for better pay and conditions on factory floors, activism was a matter of survival. Yet much of this history has not been recorded. This book not only reveals an important but neglected aspect of British Asian history, but also provides a blueprint for political organising in the twenty-first century. We believe the book will spark a conversation on contemporary issues such as racism, identity politics, nationalism and extremism.

Taj said of the announcement: "It is an absolute honour to win this award. South Asians in Britain have a rich tradition of political activism. Much of this is oral history and hasn’t been documented.

"I want to change that. The generous financial support will enable me to preserve a history that is at risk of being lost."