Moses McKenzie (born 1998) is a British writer. His debut novel An Olive Grove in Ends (2022) won the Hawthornden Prize and the Somerset Maugham Prize. This was followed by his second novel Fast by the Horns (2024).

Early life and education

McKenzie spent his early childhood in Cornwall before moving to Bristol at age 7, where he grew up on Stapleton Road in Easton. He is of Jamaican descent. McKenzie attended St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of the West of England. McKenzie was raised a Baptist and converted to Islam.

Bibliography

  • An Olive Grove in Ends (2022)
  • Fast by the Horns (2024)
  • Untitled third novel (TBA)

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryTitleResultRef
2022Soho House AwardsBreakthrough WriterWon
2023Somerset Maugham AwardAn Olive Grove in EndsWon
Hawthornden PrizeWon
2025The Sunday Times Young Writer AwardFast by the HornsPending