We are excited to be working with the Women’s Prize for Fiction on the #ReadingWomen campaign, offering three reading groups the opportunity to shadow a set of three previous winners of the Prize.
What will you need to do?
Each group will receive three titles to read and discuss over the summer. You will be asked to answer questionnaires about your thoughts on the books and being involved in the Prize. These answers will be used on the Women’s Prize for Fiction website and Reading Groups for Everyone.
We would also like you to share your reading experiences on social media, posting photos, videos and your thoughts on the books as your members read.
What are we looking for?
We are particularly looking for groups with members that have been affected by Covid-19, as we want to understand the impact of reading, and the value of being part of a reading group, during this time. This includes but is not exclusive to: key workers, NHS staff, care home residents, sixth-formers or university students. If you’re not sure if your group is eligible, email [email protected]
We are also looking for groups that are active on social media, so you can share your experiences.
Participating groups will provide their consent for photos, a bio and the answers to the questionnaire being used on Reading Groups for Everyone and the Women’s Prize for Fiction websites and social media.
Selecting the books
You will be able to choose which group of three book your group would like to read. Reading guides and other resources are available for all the books on the Women’s Prize website. The following themed groups are available:
Siblings
A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore (1996)
May We Be Forgiven by A M Homes (2013)
The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney (2016)
War
Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels (1997)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2007)
The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obrecht (2011)
Identity
Larry’s Party by Carol Shields (1998)
Property by Valerie Martin (2003)
How to Be Both by Ali Smith (2015)
Changing Worlds
When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant (2000)
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (2010)
Small Island by Andrea Levy (2004)
Girlhood
A Crime in the Neighbourhood by Suzanne Berne (1999)
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride (2014)
The Power by Naomi Alderman (2017)
Love
The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville (2001)
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (2012)
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (2019)
Family
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (2005)
On Beauty by Zadie Smith (2006)
Home by Marilynne Robinson (2009)
Nationhood
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (2018)
The Road Home by Rose Tremain (2008)
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (2002)
Apply now. Applications will close on 29 May.
The Women’s Prize
Find out more about the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
The winner of the Women’s Prize 2020 will be announced on 9 September. Take a look at the shortlist and longlist to find your next read.
Take a look at the #ReadingWomen section on the website to help you choose – there is a sample chapter and reading guide for each title – or delve into the Women’s Prize podcast to listen to celebrities and influencers discuss the themed books.
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