The Women’s Prize 16-book longlist spans time and continents
The longlist is globespanning, locationmoving and time-hopping – from Korea's turbulent history to sub-Saharan Africa to rural New South Wales in the 19th century
Books/reading
The Women’s Prize Trust – the UK charity which creates equitable opportunities for women in the world of books – has revealed the longlist for this year’s Women's Prize for Fiction
Now in its 29th year and sponsored by Audible and Baileys, the Prize shines a spotlight on outstanding, ambitious, original fiction written in English by women from anywhere in the world.
Out of the 16 longlisted authors, there are five British writers, three Americans, three Irish, one Barbadian, one South Korean, one Australian, one Ghanaian and one French/ American.
The longlist is globespanning, location-moving and time-hopping – from Korea's turbulent history to subSaharan Africa to rural New South Wales in the 19th century to a squash court.
The longlist
Hangman by Maya Binyam In Defence of the Act by Effie Black
And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott
The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright
The Maiden by Kate Foster Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan
Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee
The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie
Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure
A Trace of Sun by Pam Williams
Author and chair of the judging panel Monica Ali is joined by author Ay b ámi Adébáy ; author and illustrator Laura Dockrill; actor Indira Varma and presenter and author Anna Whitehouse.
“With the strength and vitality of contemporary women’s fiction very much in evidence, reading the entries for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction has been a joyful experience,” said Ali.
The shortlist of six books will be revealed next month.