The Moore Prize Reveals its 2025 Shortlist of Books Dedicated to Human Rights
At a time when human rights have been systematically violated across the globe, we at the Christopher G. Moore Foundation are proud to play a part in highlighting some of those vital issues through our annual literary prize.
A powerful testimony to the horrific consequences of the war in Ukraine; the gripping story of separated twins and the impact of China’s one-child policy; a searing account of a life lived under constant, corrosive tension in the world’s most populous nation; and a compelling history of the prosecution of war crimes. These are the subjects of the four books that have been short listed for the 2025 Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing.
Having risen to the top through 70 submissions, they are as outstanding in their coverage of human rights concerns in today’s world as they are compelling in their poignancy, excellence in writing and unique approach.
The shortlist has been chosen this year by our jury: Investigative journalist and author Clare Hammond, Director of Human Rights Watch Asia Elaine Pearson and Dr Dainius Pūras, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry and public mental health at Vilnius University. The short-listed titles are:
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove – China’s Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins by Barbara Demick (Granta)Demick reveals the haunting legacy of China’s stolen children and the human cost of state control over identity and family.
Looking at Women Looking at War – A War and Justice Diary by Victoria Amelina (William Collins). Amelina, killed by a Russian bomb while conducting her research, transforms the testimonies of survivors and
eyewitnesses into acts of defiance, bearing witness to Ukraine’s struggle for justice amid the ruins of war.
The Many Lives of Syeda X by Neha Dixit (Footnote Press) -Dixit follows the intersecting injustices that define the lives of women in India—how resilience and identity persist in the face of structural power.
Prosecuting the Powerful – War Crimes and the Battle for Justice by Steve Crawshaw (Little Brown)-Crawshaw turns the lens toward accountability itself, tracing the difficult, dangerous pursuit of justice against those who wield authority without restraint.
Each of the books reveals a deep examination of human rights abuses across the globe. The focus ranges across gender equality, persecution, the horrors of war, the accountability of war criminals, the ethics of international adoption, religious fascism and the effects of a life of grinding poverty. All cry out desperately for accountability of the suffering of others.
Foundation Founder, Christopher G. Moore says: “In a year when human rights have been systematically violated and the suffering of individuals too often reduced to statistics, we are reminded of the vital role that literature plays in restoring the human face to injustice. Books remain among the few instruments capable of bearing witness to lives lived under repression — of giving voice to those silenced, disappeared, or forgotten.
The shortlisted titles for this year’s Moore Prize exemplify that moral courage. Each work speaks in its own register, yet all share a common purpose: to illuminate what happens when the protections of human rights are eroded and the boundaries of conscience are tested. So long as writers and publishers continue this courageous struggle to document the plight of millions who live without the umbrella of human rights law, there remains hope. Their words, like small candles, continue to push back the darkness.”
The Jury commented: “These four books stood out for many reasons. All are strong, compelling narratives that portray their subjects not as victims, but as people in all their complexity, living their lives through tremendous challenges. They are inspirational in the way they address the challenges, and show the resilience of human spirit. They are highly credible, extensively researched and empathetically written. All illustrate human rights issues and inequalities that have broader relevance with injustices across the world. Together, these books remind us of the fragility of personal freedom and the moral imagination required to defend it. Their work stands as testimony that even in an age of surveillance, censorship, and fear, truth can still be told—and heard.”
The Moore Prize was established in 2015 to provide funds and recognition to authors who, through their work, contribute to the universality of human rights and to give a platform to human rights issues that are important in today’s societies. This unique initiative is awarded annually, as chosen by a panel of judges whose own work focuses on human rights.
The winning book will be announced on Wednesday, 7 January 2026. The winner of the prize will receive £1000. For more information about each of the shortlisted books please visit the Christopher G. Moore Foundation website:
