On April 21, 2020 the shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction was released. This prestigious award “celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world.” (Women’s Prize for Fiction.) To be eligible for the 2020 prize, the book must have been written in English, by a woman, and published in the UK between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the prize and includes an impressive list of authors we hold dear to our hearts.
image via Women’s Prize for Fiction
Here is the The 2020 shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction:
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
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Dominicana Is a story of fifteen year old Ana, who marries a man twice her age in order for her and her family to stay in the US. This novel navigates the immigrant experience and tells the story of how Ana becomes torn between her heart and her duty to her family
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
image via amazon
Girl, Woman, Other Explores the lives of twelve very different characters. These characters share the commonality of being women, black, and British but are from different generations and classes.
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
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A Thousand Ships Retells the story of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective. This retelling empowers voices of women, girls, and even goddesses, who are so often kept silent.
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
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The Mirror & the Light is the final book in the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy. This story is about the rise and fall of Henry VIII’s close advisor, a boy from nowhere that climbed the ranks towards power.
Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell
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Hamnet is a historical fiction novel about Shakespeare’s only son, who died at the age of eleven. The story follows the marriage and the heart of loss when losing a beloved child.
Weather by Jenny Offill
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Weather is about dealing with the complexities of family life while also experiencing the anxieties of a polarized world.
Chair of the judges, Martha Lane Fox, said: “We are all living in challenging, sad and complex times so incredible stories provide hope, a moment of escape and a point of connection now more than ever.”
The 25th winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction will be announced on Wednesday, 9th September, during an award ceremony in London.
featured image via women’s Prize for fiction
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