The nominees for this year’s Emma Humphreys prize have been announced. Join us at Feminism in London on the 25th October to find out who the winners are. The nominations for this year’s individual award focus on women who have challenged male violence against women through their writing.

Individual award nominees

Sharon Bryan – Sharon is a survivor and a domestic violence advocate and consultant. She has written about her experiences in the book ‘Getting Out’ (ed. Caroline Jory et al.) She also campaigns around the issue of domestic violence.

Cath Elliott – Cath is a feminist writer, campaigner, and trade unionist. Cath has written for publications including Comment is Free, as well as blogging at http://toomuchtosayformyself.com . She served as vice chair of UNISON’s National Women’s Committee.

Gabriella Gillespie – At the age of 12 Gabriella, along with two of her sisters, was sold into ‘marriage’ by her father. After escaping at the age of 29 she wrote a book about her experiences and now raises awareness through writing, media work and public speaking.

Winnie Li – Drawing on her own experience of sexual violence, Winnie co-founded and curated the UK’s first ever festival dedicated to talking about sexual assault and violence through the arts. She has written a forthcoming novel on the topic of rape and is undertaking a PhD on digital media and the public dialogue about rape.

Sian Norris – On her blog http://sianandcroockedrib.blogspot.com Sian explores issues around cultural femicide and male violence against women. She uses her blog as a hub for broader campaigns, including challenging cuts to domestic abuse services and preventing the deportation of a lesbian asylum seeker.

Louise Pennington – Louise is a radical feminist activist who always centres women in her work. She runs her personal blogs, http://elegantgatheringofwhitesnows.com and http://louisepennington.org , as well as the feminist network www.aroomofourown.org and co-runs the 2014 EHMP winning organisation Everyday Victim Blaming. She focuses on women’s position in society and the political analysis of male violence.

Una – Una is an artist and educator whose graphic novel ‘Becoming Unbecoming’ both draws on her own experiences of male violence and puts them in a broader context as it explores the societal reaction to the crimes committed by Peter Sutcliffe and Jimmy Savile.

Group award nominees

Clear Lines – In July 2015 Clear Lines held the UK’s first festival dedicated to talking about sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion. More than 500 people attended the conference and it was widely covered in the press, including on Channel 4 News and the BBC, and in The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, and The Huffington Post.

Million Women Rise – Million Women Rise (MWR) is a movement made up of thousands of women who are united by outrage at the continued daily, hourly, minute-by-minute individual and institutionalised male violence enacted against women worldwide. They organise an annual woman-only march in London as well as holding vigils across the United Kingdom for women murdered through male violence.

Sisters Uncut – Sisters Uncut is an intersectional feminist group taking direct action against cuts to domestic violence services. As well as organising visually striking and hard-hitting direct actions, members participate in events, workshops and panel discussions to raise awareness of violence against women and the cuts to essential and life-saving specialist services.

Rights of Women – For 40 years Rights of Women has worked to secure access to justice for all women affected by violence. From the campaign to make rape in marriage a crime in the early 1980s through to working with the government to develop new civil and criminal law remedies in relation to forced marriage and prostitution, Rights of Women has helped shape law and policy on violence against women. Since 1975 their advice service has also provided vital legal advice and support to women.