The 12 others in the race
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead
The novel revisits pre-Civil War America and its savagery through the story of Cora, a slave girl, who gets on the train to freedom.
HOME FIRE by Kamila Shamsie
This retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone featuring two British Muslim families is a story of love, of sundered families and of politics.
4321 by Paul Auster
The story of four versions of the protagonist Archie Ferguson’s life, 4321, set in 1950s and 1960s Newark, New Jersey and New York, looks at social upheavals.
SOLAR BONES by Mike McCormack
The book is about the return of Marcus Conway. A story of love and loss, it looks at the larger impact of seemingly minor decisions.
ELMET by Fiona Mozley
Daniel and Cathy and their father live in a wood and forage for food. But as the locals close in, their lives grow less idyllic. Elmet is about greed, violence, and family.
AUTUMN by Ali Smith
The first novel in a quartet, Autumn looks at how we experience time and delves into love and ageing.
EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid
Nadia and Saeed meet as their country collapses into civil war. As the bombs go off, they hear about the doors that can help them escape.
DAYS WITHOUT END by Sebastian Barry
The novel presents, through the story of two men, a larger picture of America during the Civil War and the wars against the Sioux and Yurok tribes.
HISTORY OF WOLVES by Emily Fridlund
When lonely 14-year-old Madeline begins babysitting for the new family in the neighbourhood, she chances upon secrets too complicated to comprehend.
RESERVOIR 13 by Jon McGregor
A young girl goes missing in the hills in England and villagers join the search for her. This is the story of one family’s loss and the impact it has on a community.
LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders
About Abraham Lincoln and the death of his eleven-year-old son, the novel looks at questions of death and grief, and the meaning of life.
SWING TIME by Zadie Smith
A novel that moves from London to West Africa, Zadie Smith’s latest is about music, friendship, origins, and two girls who dream of being dancers.