The Women’s Prize for Fiction today (Thursday 8 March) announced their 2018 longlist. The Prize celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in writing by women in English from throughout the world. The announcement coincides with International Women’s Day 2018.
2018 longlist
- H(A)PPY by Nicola Barker (William Heinemann)
- The Idiot by Elif Batuman (Jonathan Cape)
- Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon (The Borough Press)
- Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig (Grove Press)
- Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan (Corsair)
- The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (Harvill Secker)
- Sight by Jessie Greengrass (John Murray)
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (HarperCollins)
- When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife by Meena Kandasamy (Atlantic Books)
- Elmet by Fiona Mozley (JM Originals)
- The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Hamish Hamilton)
- See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt (Tinder Press)
- A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert (Virago)
- Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (Bloomsbury Circus)
- The Trick to Time by Kit de Waal (Viking)
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Bloomsbury Circus)
The judges for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction are:
Sarah Sands, (Chair), Editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Anita Anand, Radio and Television Journalist, Katy Brand, Writer, Comedian and Actor, Catherine Mayer, Journalist, Author and Co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party and Imogen Stubbs, Actor.
Sarah Sands, Chair of Judges, commented:
“The longlist came out of a Chequers style meeting where different views were accommodated and peace reigned, at least for now. What is striking about the list, apart from the wealth of talent, is that women writers refuse to be pigeon-holed. We have searing social realism, adventure, comedy, poetic truths, ingenious plots and unforgettable characters. Women of the world are a literary force to be reckoned with.”
About the Prize
This year’s longlist honours both new and well-established writers and a range of genres: the list features two previously longlisted authors and one previously shortlisted author. There are six first novels on the list.
Set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible, the Women’s Prize for Fiction is awarded for the best full-length novel of the year written by a woman. Any woman writing in English – whatever her nationality, country of residence, age or subject matter – is eligible.
The shortlist for the 2018 Prize will be announced on Monday 23 April, and the winner will be announced on 6 June at an awards ceremony in central London.
Get involved
What do you think of the 2018 longlisted titles? Which have you read and do you think there are any books missing? Add your comments below, or click any title above to leave a review.
Share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #WomensPrize. Keep up with all the latest news, and find out about the 2018 partners, on the Women’s Prize for Fiction website.
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