Momtaza Mehri has been shortlisted for the Charlotte Aitken Young  Writer of the Year Award. Her debut poetry collection, Bad Diaspora Poems,  confronts ideas around diaspora, migration and home through lyric, prose and text messages. Since its publication in 2023, the collection has won the Eric Gregory Award and the 2023 Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

Chair of judges Johanna Thomas-Corr said: ‘We have found four very different writers who are injecting real energy and vitality into the literary scene. What impressed me most was their attentiveness to the world around them and their commitment to telling complex and often tough truths, as well as the unique ways in which each has made space for humour in their work. They have all shown daring and gumption.’

The winner will be announced in a ceremony on 19 March. To see the full shortlist, click here.