It is open to women and womxn who are Black-British and under 25, and will be judged by Bernardine Evaristo, Lorraine Candy, and Emma Paterson, literary agent at Aitken Alexander Associates. The winner will receive mentoring and six commissioned pieces in Style.
Bernardine set the question, which is, Fashion and beauty are going through a revolution. What does that statement mean to you? Aspiring journalists are asked to write an 800-word personal fashion or beauty essay in response. It will close on 23.59 on September 26, 2020. Details on how to enter can be found here.
The Black Writers' Guild said: "We are delighted to be supporting The Sunday Times Style in finding new talent from our culture for their fashion and beauty pages. The representation of Black people in all areas is really important to us and this is a great opportunity for the next generation to take their space."
It was launched in an edition of Style magazine guest-edited by Booker prize winning author Bernardine Evaristo.
Black photographers, stylists, make-up artists and creatives helped to create the issue, which features many emerging and established Black fashion designers. Portraits of Bernardine - including the cover - were taken by Ruth Ossai, whose work is inspired by Nollywood films.
In the magazine, Bernardine writes about her own sexuality for the first time in a candid essay. Diana Evans, author of Ordinary People, writes about yoga, which she’s been practising for some 20 years and Yomi Adegoke, co-author of Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible, writes about the trend for buzzcuts.
It features many young trailblazers, shaping the culture of tomorrow and chosen by Bernardine, including the pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason to the poet and young laureate for London, Theresa Lola, to the queer activist and trans performer Travis Alabanza.
Bernardine Evaristo said: “I was thrilled to be invited to guest edit this special issue of Style, at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has re-energised the conversation around racism.
“It was of utmost importance to me, to make sure this issue put Black women in the spotlight and also to make it queer-inclusive, much as I did with my novel Girl, Woman, Other.
“It is a groundbreaking celebration of Black women and womxn. You may never have heard of them before, but you will be hearing a lot more about them in the future. I believe every one of them deserves wider attention.”
Lorraine Candy, Editor-in-Chief of Style said: “This is my final issue as Editor-in-Chief of Style and I am proud to leave the magazine on such a career high. At this pivotal moment it is important we make a commitment to including the voices of Black women in fashion and beauty titles.
“I have made proactive decisions to put Black women and womxn on the covers of every magazine I have edited but there is much more we can all do to reflect the diversity of our readership today. Bernardine has been our guide in this issue and delivered a stylish, glamorous, witty and smart edit that will make people sit up and think.”
Bernardine will also be hosting an exclusive event for subscribers, alongside Margaret Atwood on Thursday, August 6, discussing sharing the Booker Prize, and their thoughts on the future for the next generation of women.
