Nicola Abram’s Black British Women's Theatre: Intersectionality, Archives, Aesthetics has been awarded the Theatre Book Prize for 2021 by the Society for Theatre Research.
Abram’s work is the first critical study of Black British women’s theatre to focus on unpublished manuscripts and archival materials – the majority of which have previously not been studied in print. The book addresses theatrical form and investigates the creative responses of playwrights, selected companies and practitioners to the issues of racism and sexism, ushering in a timely shift towards the examination of this deeply rich field of study.
On winning the Theatre Book Prize for 2021, Abram said: ‘Thank you to the judges for your generous and thoughtful comments, and ultimately for choosing to recognize my work in this way’. Abram added: ‘Receiving this year’s Book Prize I think confirms the vital role of archives of every kind, as well as making the vibrant history of Black British women’s theatre all the more visible’.
The Theatre Book Prize for 2021 was judged by actress Cleo Sylvestre, journalist Lucy Popescu and Professor Steve Nicholson, on a panel chaired by the Society for Theatre Research Committee Member Howard Loxton.
Sylvestre described Abram’s title as ‘a total revelation’, and praised it as ‘an extremely comprehensive study documenting productions previously unpublished and undocumented materials from five different companies’. She also said that ‘It is a fine example of the early days of Black women’s theatre that certainly should not be forgotten’.
The Society for Theatre Research was founded in 1948 to serve those interested in the history and technique of British and British-related theatre. It is the oldest society of its type in the English-speaking world and has a global readership. The Theatre Book Prize was established in 1998 by the Society for Theatre Research to celebrate the Society’s Golden Jubilee, and aims to encourage the writing and publication of books on British-related theatre history and practices.
For more information on Black British Women's Theatre: Intersectionality, Archives, Aesthetics, click here.
For more information about Nicola Abram, click here.
To view the winner’s presentation for the Theatre Book Prize 2021, click here.
For more information about the Society for Theatre Research, click here.
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