Japanese city of ?saka. It tells the story of the intense friendship between a young English teacher and a nightclub hostess, and what happens when one of them disappears. Jane : The entry criteria and city of origin of the prize were both perfect for me: fundamentally, I knew that my story would be welcomed and heard. My piece is set in a future world where most of the current norms are turned on their heads. For example, the North is wealthier than the south and is the seat of power in England.  Pleasure is lionised socially, warmongering is taboo. It's not sci-fi, though. FBS : Why do you think it is so important to have publishers, literary awards, etc that focus solely on women, and specifically on Black and Asian women? Karen : Good writing is good writing, which is why I think it's unfortunate that there  can be an assumption at times that women writers, including Black and Asian writers, have specific concerns that won't or can't translate to 'proper' or mainstream fiction.  I think this perception is gradually changing, but anything that speeds up this process is to be welcomed, not only by current readers and writers working today, but also by those who might be inspired to write in the future, thereby adding to a richer, more expansive literary landscape for everyone. Emily : A recent study by Vida illustrates that women writers in general tend to fare a lot worse than their male counterparts when