Priscilla Morris

Priscilla Morris is a British author and lecturer whose debut novel, Black Butterflies, was shortlisted for a number of awards including the Women's Prize for Fiction.

Early and personal life

Morris' mother is from Sarajevo, Bosnia and her father is from England. Growing up, she spent her summers in Sarajevo.
In 1993, relatives fleeing the siege of Sarajevo stayed at her family's home in London. Her father used a Times press pass to travel to Sarajevo and rescue his parents in law. Her great uncle, artist Dobrivoje Beljkašić, also fled the siege of Sarajevo.
Morris began university in 1993. She has a PhD in creative writing from the University of East Anglia and works as a lecturer.

Writing career

Morris' debut novel, Black Butterflies, is set during siege of Sarajevo and is inspired by the experiences of Morris and her family. In 2023, it was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Ondaatje Prize and the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award. In 2025 it was the runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for fiction. It sold 5,979 copies before the 3rd of June 2023.