A list that spotlights new literary voices – with four debut novels recognised – and showcases the unique and fresh perspectives coming from independent publishing today.
While this year’s shortlist spans an incredible breadth of themes, geographies, time periods, and literary styles, the six shortlisted novels each interrogate the wealth of roles women play in society, the power they hold, and the extent to which they choose, or are able, to wield it. Other shared themes include individual agency within societal and relationship constructs, human connection, and the joy of literature, centring very different but unforgettable protagonists, all eliciting powerful emotional responses from the judges.
In the National Year of Reading, fittingly many of the shortlisted authors consider the role of literature in our lives, from catalysing self-reflection, to understanding our relationships, or as a means of connection. From the 1960s to present day, from Japan to the Mississippi Delta, from a college campus to the family home, each narrative examines the complexity and beauty of the female experience through the lens of their protagonist’s closest relationships – whether platonic, romantic, parental or filial.
The full list in alphabetical order by author surname is:
- Flashlight by Susan Choi (Jonathan Cape, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
- Dominion by Addie E. Citchens (Europa Editions UK)
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House UK)
- The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson (Cassava Republic Press)
- Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly (Saraband)
- Heart the Lover by Lily King (Canongate)
We are delighted to present a shortlist that doesn’t shy away from examining life’s challenges, but also brings many moments of joy. As judges, we are first and foremost readers, and these novels intrigued and profoundly moved us. The plot lines kept us turning pages to find out what happens next, the characters found a place in our hearts and the stories stayed with us long after the last sentence. The incredible strength of the longlist challenged and delighted us, as we whittled down 16 books to this exceptional shortlist. We are proud to support the Women’s Prize Trust’s mission of championing women’s creativity, established and new. With over half of the shortlist represented by debut novelists and independent publishers, we are spotlighting talented emerging writers as well as showcasing the best of known and much loved authors.”
Julia Gillard, Chair of Judges and former Prime Minister of Australia