The Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 longlist has been announced – here are the books to add to your bedside collection
The Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 longlist has landed. Read: the list you've all been waiting for, comprised of the only sixteen books worth knowing ahead of summer. The prize itself is an institution; launched in 1996 – before which, the shortlist of a major prize was an all-male line up – it champions women writers on a global stage, celebrating the very best writing by women for everyone. You may wonder why a prize like this is still necessary, with a more diverse literary landscape than ever before, but there is still (sadly) a huge disparity in publishing. Enter: the Women’s Prize, which goes some way in helping to rectify every year. Oh, and watch this space: the institution are now looking to launch a non-fiction prize, as female and diverse writers are even less represented in this space and need their voices to be amplified.
This year’s longlist might just be its best one yet. While including stunning new books from previous winners Barbara Kingsolver and Maggie O’Farrell, the list showcases an eclectic range of novels from no less than nine debut authors of full-length fiction, which is certainly something to be celebrated. Stand out books include Sheena Patel’s excoriating I’m A Fan, the surreal Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova, Natalie Haynes’ epic Stone Blind and the utterly unique Homesick by Jennifer Croft. Though quite frankly, a night in with any of these would be perfection.
The books span across the world, from Renaissance Italy, rural India, Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and opioid-infested Virginia through to an imaginary kingdom ruled by animals and the magic and mystery of life underwater. The writers themselves are from all over the globe; seven are British, five are American, one Canadian, one Zimbabwean/American and one French.
Louise Minchin, Bella Mackie, Rachel Joyce, Irenosen Okojie and Tulip Siddiq are this year’s panel and truth to be told, we @thebibliofilles don’t envy them one bit — they are going to have a seriously tough job whittling this year’s list down even further. There are so many titles here that we’ve loved, and we know you will too.
Ahead, the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 longlist.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
This is such an important book that at its centre depicts a moment in history that is frighteningly relatable, given the current war in Ukraine. Taking place in Sarajevo, in the spring of 1992, chaos has descended, with nationalist gangs polarising the city along ethnic lines. As the crescendo of violence rises. Zora sends her daughter, mother, and husband away to safety, remaining in her home which is now under siege. A story of societal breakdown, of racism and fear, but also a more personal tale of sacrifice, love, friendship, and resilience. You will struggle to believe this is fiction, the characters and sense of place are so authentic.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Narrated by Ea, a spinner dolphin, Pod takes you right to the heart of the ocean in its exploration of what it means to be an outsider. Born deaf, Ea struggles to spin like the rest of her pod. But, when disaster strikes, she knows she is partially to blame and decides to leave, embarking on a journey through the depths and mysteries of the ocean world. Packed to the brim with commentary on the ecological crisis, Pod is one of the most original books we’ve read in a long time here @thebibliofilles. It is a truly propulsive exploration of family, identity and the challenges our world is facing today and beyond.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
A magical blend of photographs, memoir and novel, Homesick is a coming of age story about two sisters, Amy and Zoe, with a deep and complex bond. Amy is a linguistic prodigy, excelling academically — but Zoe is struck down with seizures and is eventually diagnosed with a brain tumour. Amy’s guilt is all-consuming and she throws herself into looking after Zoe as much as possible with the two sisters clinging to each other as tightly as they can. Intimate and illuminating, Croft’s story is a truly special one.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Set 1970s and 80s London, Fire Rush captures the essence of the Jamaican diaspora. Yamaye and her friends live on the Tombstone Estate in the west of the city. Life is tough at home and beyond and going out to the Crypt on the weekends is Yamaye’s release. It’s a place where she can truly be free amongst the music that speaks to her soul. When she meets Moose, who shares her Jamaican heritage, she falls deeply in love and everything changes — but brutally. Soon, Yamaye finds herself on a journey of discovery, with her past and present coming together in ways she could never have predicted. Searing and original, this is a stunning debut from a fantastic new talent.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Not any writer could reimagine the story of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield but Demon Copperhead’s author is the absolutely inimitable Barbara Kingsolver and she’s gone and done just that. Set in the Appalachian Mountains, it’s the story of Damon Fields — Copperhead because he is, indeed, a redhead — the son of a teenage single mother, who is in and out of rehab. Damon has a gift for survival and we see him ride the huge waves set before him over the course of his life, a life that began with the odds so heavily stacked against him. Foster care, addiction, love and loss; will he make it through? There’s only one way to find out and trust us, you’re going to want to, because this is Kingsolver at her finest.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Another returner to the hallowed halls of the Women’s Prize, Elizabeth McKenzie received international acclaim for The Portable Veblen, and The Dog of the North has her inimitable blend of haphazard comedy in a familial setting. Penny is running away, escaping from a disastrous marriage, and dysfunctional grandparents. Isolated, abandoned by parents missing in the Australian outback for years and ready for a change, she borrows an eclectic, precarious van called The Dog of the North in an attempt at self-discovery, adventure, and re-birth. An intricate exploration of psychology and emotion, with moments of pure insight. This will appeal to a range of readers and is a great addition to the 2023 longlist.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Haynes does it again. A favourite @thebibliofilles author, with her 2020 title A Thousand Ships reaching the shortlist of the Women’s Prize, Stone Blind is arguably her best work yet. This is the story of Medusa, the archetype for the blamed victim, the poster girl for unadulterated female rage and male fear. Set against a backdrop of a rich tapestry of characters, the capricious gods are petulant, quarrelling siblings, mortals reduced to their hapless playthings. Haynes brings her dark comedic wit and classical background together in her retellings, with staccato bursts of chapters setting a brisk pace, her characters are so real you can almost hear their voices lift from the page. Medusa’s story is one that resonates with a contemporary audience and this reimagining honours her. Run to get a copy.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
We at @thebibliofilles were so delighted to see Memphis on the longlist, it has been winning fans over since publication in April. Miriam has had enough of her husband and his explosive temper. She takes her two girls and goes back to the family home in bustling Memphis. Back to square one, she tried to rebuild as her daughters explore the city and learn about their family. The city is in tumult, gunfire is a daily feature of life. A story of perseverance, grief and music written in lyrical prose that reads like music, this is such a brilliant book that deserves the spotlight.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
The third novel from the Booker Prize nominated author of The Water Cure and Blue Ticket, Cursed Bread is based on the true story of an unsolved mystery — a 1951 mass poisoning in the French town of Pont-Saint-Espirit. The book’s narrator is Elodie, the baker’s wife. Her marriage is lacking, to say the very least, and when a new couple arrive in town, excitement ensues and changes everything. The dynamic between the four characters — the two couples — lies at the core of this novel as it shifts in time, into the future. Written in Mackintosh’s sparse and stunning prose, the mystery will keep you hanging on until the very end.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
When a debut enters this list, you know it’s going to be beyond exceptional, and Sheena Patel deserves her place amongst the most seasoned of writers. This excoriating, addictive novel is a blistering, gut-punch, at times completely hysterical novel that is completely brilliant. So many people will themselves in the dysfunction. A stream of consciousness narrative with a nameless protagonist that in a few sentences absolutely nails the world and fake, superior, pretentious, privileged influencer/wellness guru/ insert term here. it is hard not to sit back and luxuriate in how blistering this is. We follow her obsessions, as they make her risk everything, falling for a serial lothario who is married. With winning passages on race, class, wealth, politics, misogyny, art, and online life, we @thebibliofilles were in love with this novel.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
This is a book to lift your spirits and is one that made us laugh from beginning to end. We were so pleased to see it on the longlist, as this is a novel we think so many people would enjoy, with huge commercial appeal. Geeta is a widow with a life that is her own and other women in her village are jealous. Suspicion runs amok regarding how her spouse met his end and she thrives of the gossip. When a woman in desperate need of escape from an abusive marriage needs her help Geeta needs to decide on what her life is going to be. As much as this is comedy, there is an endearing side with a moving and important core which elevates this to Women’s Prize ranks. A worthy addition that so many will enjoy.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
A debut novel featuring in the 2023 longlist comes from the author of adored short story collection, The Doll’s Alphabet - Camille Grudova. Children of Paradise is a blend of cult surrealism and satire that has a lot to say on the corporate world and consumerism. The Paradise, a brooding character of its own, is a rundown, slowly decaying cinema, that is just another job for new recruit Holly. With an insular clique of workers that are oddly attached to their place of work, Holly is slowly accepted by them and finds that everything is not as it seems. Cinema lovers will fall hard for it’s regular referring of film history. With elements of dystopia and brooding horror, this is one that will leave you thinking about it for weeks after. You might never go to a cinema again (what people will get up to in public when the lights are of may shock you!!).
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Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Sometimes there is a book you read that you cannot categorise, it transcends the arbitrary genre lines. This debut novel will shatter your heart and change the way you think and see the world. You are transported to Vietnam; the last American troops have left, and the people and villages are trying to restore a semblance of normality to life. Three young siblings flee with their parents and family across the sea to Hong Kong, desperate for a better life. When their parents do not arrive, they are left alone, with nothing. Navigating refugee camps and resettlement centres, they arrive in Britain, facing suspicion. The narration of the characters is haunting and we at @thebibliofilles didn’t stop thinking about them long after the last page.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Twenty-four year old Cushla is a teacher at a Catholic primary school just outside of Belfast. She also works in the family pub from time to time and it’s here that she meets Michael. Handsome and older, he’s also a Protestant barrister who fights for the rights of young Catholic men. When he asks her to help him and his friends learn to speak Irish, their relationship blooms into something more — and something dangerous. Set against the backdrop of the Troubles, this is a fractured world and tensions are always high, as are the stakes. We @thebibliofilles found this one heart-breaking and unforgettable, and suggest you add it to the top of your pile immediately.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
O’Farrell won the 2020 Women’s Prize with her stunning novel, Hamnet, a real @thebibliofilles favourite. The Marriage Portrait, her following book, tells an equally spellbinding story as it brings the world of the Italian Renaissance to glorious, glorious life. Set in 1561, it hones in on the little known tale of Lucrezia de’ Medici, the third daughter of Florence’s ruler, Cosimo I de’ Medici, as she battles her way through a treacherous and troubled court. A year into her marriage at the novel’s opening, Lucrezia is certain her new husband is intent to kill her as she has failed to produce the heir needed to ensure the security of his kingdom. We’re then transported back in time to learn how she found herself in this somewhat sticky situation. Captivating and beautiful, this is the kind of historical fiction that you’ll find yourself utterly immersed in.
Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Glory charts the collapse of an oppressive regime and its aftermath in the fictional Jidada. Of course, it is Mugabe’s fall that the novel is re-telling and it has drawn comparisons with Orwell’s Animal Farm as this is, in fact, an uprising of the anthropomorphic kind. Old Horse is ousted, together with his ambitious and much-loathed wife, Marvellous, a donkey, after forty years of rule and a new dawn is approaching. The voices of the animals, says the Booker Prize committee, ‘help us see our human world more clearly.’ Skilful, important, and genuinely funny at times, it’s a real treasure of a book.
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