2023 Women’s Prize Longlist Announced

The 2023 Women’s Prize longlist has been announced! After the 1991 Booker Prize shortlist was announced, past called the Man Booker Prize, and nary women authors appeared connected it, a radical of journalists met and wanted more. Together, they founded the Women’s Committee and began the quest for starting a literate prize of their own, exclusively for women authors.

Now successful their 28th year, the committee chooses what they deem the champion modern works by women writers yearly to grant with the prize, announcing a longlist of 16 books, and later, connected April 26, a shortlist of conscionable 6 books. 

Chair of judges Louise Minchin said of the 2023 longlisted books: “[They are] a glorious solemnisation of the boundless imaginativeness and originative ambition of women writers implicit the past year. . . . They each connection caller perspectives connected past and humanity, exploring hard truths with empathy, sensitivity, directness, and sometimes infectious humor.” This year’s judges, on with Louise Minchin, are Rachel Joyce, Bella Mackie, Irenosen Okojie, and Tulip Siddiq. 

The victor of the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction will beryllium announced connected June 14. 

The longlist books are:

Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova

Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks

Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo

Homesick by Jennifer Croft

I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

Pod by Laline Paull

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy 

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

The Books astatine a Glance

About fractional (7 of 16) books are written by authors of color, and portion the bulk of authors are residents of the United States oregon United Kingdom, determination are a fewer others successful the mix—like NoViolet Bulawayo, writer of Glory, who is from Zimbabwe. There is besides a steadfast premix of debut writers and seasoned award-winners, from first-time novelists Tara Stringfellow (Memphis) and Parini Shroff (The Bandit Queens) to Sophie Mackintosh (Cursed Bread), whose debut The Water Cure was shortlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize. Another writer to enactment is Jennifer Croft, writer of Homesick, who is besides a translator, notably the translator of Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights and The Books of Jacob, among galore others.

Looking astatine the wide database of 16 books, determination are immoderate communal themes passim the list. In summation to having akin themes, they besides correspond issues we presently acquisition successful nine today, mirroring these issues successful fiction. Many of the books diagnostic household sagas, with household members divided implicit antithetic decisions oregon paths taken and disagreeing with loved ones successful ways that whitethorn hurt. Many of the novels diagnostic women who, for 1 crushed oregon another, find themselves mounting retired connected their own, warring a larger strategy oregon acceptable of rules, to carve their ain path. And others absorption their connection pointedly astatine the horrors, catastrophes, and challenges we look successful the satellite today.

Whether you’re looking for a satirical fearfulness commenting connected our obsession with media and contented (Children of Paradise and I’m a Fan) oregon a humanities saga (The Marriage Portrait and Wandering Souls), there’s a spot of everything successful this longlist.