Jacqueline Crooks

Jacqueline Crooks is a British writer whose debut novel, Fire Rush, was shortlisted for the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction. She was described as one of the "10 best new novelists for 2023" by The Observer.{{Cite news |last1=Cummins |first1=Anthony |last2=Kenny |first2=Ursula |last3=Morris |first3=Kadish |last4=Anderson |first4=Hephzibah |last5=O'Kelly |first5=Lisa |date=2023-01-08 |title=Meet the 10 best new novelists for 2023 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jan/08/meet-the-10-best-new-novelists-for-2023 |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}

Early life

Crooks was born in Jamaica and raised in Southall, west London. She graduated from the University of Roehampton with a degree in Social Policy and Goldsmiths, University of London with a Master of Arts (MA) in Creative and Life Writing.{{Cite web|url=https://davidhigham.co.uk/authors-dh/jacqueline-crooks/|title=Jacqueline Crooks|website=David Higham Associates|accessdate=21 July 2024}}

Writing career

Crooks wrote a short story collection titled The Ice Migration which was longlisted for the 2019 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.{{Cite web |title=The Orwell Prizes 2019: Longlists announced {{!}} The Orwell Foundation |url=https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/news-events/news-events/news/orwell-prizes-2019-longlists-announced/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=www.orwellfoundation.com |language=en-GB}} One of her short stories was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2019.

Her debut novel, Fire Rush, took 16 years to write and is based on her diary entries.{{Cite news |last=Allfree |first=Claire |date=2023-02-23 |title=Fire Rush review: 1970s dancefloor rhythms pulse through a terrific first novel |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/fire-rush-jacqueline-crooks-review-skittering-beats-hedonistic/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}

Awards

rowspan="2" \|2019 \|"Silver Fish in the Midnight Sea" \|BBC National Short Story Award \|—\|\| {{sho}} \|{{Cite news \|date=2019-10-01 \|title=Welsh writer Jo Lloyd wins BBC Short Story prize \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49901458 \|access-date=2025-03-22 \|work=BBC News \|language=en-GB}}
class="wikitable sortable" ! Year !! Title !! Award !! Category !! Result !! Ref.
The Ice Migration \|Orwell Prize \|Political Fiction \|{{Nominated\|Longlisted}} \|
rowspan="2" \|2023 \| rowspan="7" \| Fire Rush \|\| Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize\|\| — \|\| {{sho}} \|\| {{Cite news \|last=Shaffi \|first=Sarah \|date=2023-04-26 \|title=Three debut novels compete among Women's prize for fiction shortlist \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/26/womens-prize-for-fiction-shortlist \|access-date=2024-04-26 \|work=The Guardian \|language=en-GB \|issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news \|last=Davidson \|first=Anna \|date=2023-07-13 \|title=Waterstones debut fiction prize 2023 shortlist announced \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/13/waterstones-debut-fiction-prize-2023-shortlist-announced \|access-date=2024-04-26 \|work=The Guardian \|language=en-GB \|issn=0261-3077}}
Women's Prize for Fiction	—	{{Sho}}	{{Cite web \|last=Passmore \|first=Lynsey \|date=2023-04-26 \|title=Announcing the 2023 Women's Prize shortlist \|url=https://womensprize.com/announcing-the-2023-womens-prize-shortlist/ \|access-date=2025-03-21 \|website=Women's Prize \|language=en-US}}
rowspan="5" \|2024 \| Authors' Club Best First Novel Award \|\| — \|\| {{sho}} \|\| {{cite web \|title=2024 Best First Novel Award Winner Announced \|url=https://www.authorsclub.co.uk/2024-best-first-novel-award-winner-announced/ \|website=The Authors' Club \|access-date=6 October 2024}}
Diverse Book Awards \|Adult \|{{Nominated\|Longlisted}} \|{{Cite web \|title=2024 SHORTLIST \|url=https://www.thediversebookawards.co.uk/2024-shortlist \|access-date=2025-03-21 \|website=The DB Awards \|language=en}}{{Cite web \|last= \|date=2024-09-13 \|title=The Diverse Book Awards 2024 - Shortlists Announced! \|url=https://www.thediversebookawards.co.uk/2024-shortlist \|access-date=2025-03-21 \|website=Diverse Book Awards \|language=en-US}}
Jhalak Prize	—	{{sho}}	{{Cite web \|title=The Prize \|url=https://www.jhalakprize.com/the-prize \|access-date=2024-04-26 \|website=www.jhalakprize.com}}
Paul Torday Memorial Prize	—	{{won}}	{{Cite web \|title=Paul Torday Memorial Prize – The Society of Authors \|url=https://societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-soa-awards/paul-torday-memorial-prize/#:~:text=The%20Paul%20Torday%20Memorial%20Prize%20was%20set%20up%20and%20originally,authors%20aged%2060%20or%20over. \|access-date=2025-03-22 \|language=en-GB}}
McKitterick Prize	—	{{sho}}	{{cite web \|title=McKitterick Prize \|url=https://societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-soa-awards/mckitterick-prize/ \|website=The Society of Authors \|access-date=6 October 2024}}

Bibliography

{{Cite book |last=Crooks |first=Jacqueline |title=The Ice Migration |date=2018 |publisher=Peepal Tree Press |isbn=9781845233587 |language=en}}
{{Cite book |last=Crooks |first=Jacqueline |title=Fire Rush |date=2023 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=9780593300534 |language=en}}

References

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century British novelists

Category:21st-century Jamaican women writers

Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London

Category:Alumni of the University of Roehampton

Category:British women novelists

Category:Jamaican women novelists

Category:Novelists from London

Category:People from Southall

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)