The Women’s Prize For Fiction 2023 shortlist has been revealed today after being whittled down from 16 books to just 6. Let’s see who made the list and if it were any of your favourites.
After the longlist was revealed early in March, it’s been a six-week wait to find out which books and authors would make it on the shortlist. Celebrating female writers and the work they produced in 2023, it’s time to see who’s in with a shout of first place.
What Is The Women’s Prize Trust?
This is a competition held every year for the last two decades celebrating and acknowledging women’s creativity and hard work in the industry. Each year, a selection of books are chosen for being the crème de la crème, with one being crowned the winner.
But it’s much more than that. Behind the prize is the Women’s Prize Trust, a charity encouraging female writers at all levels to get creative and tell their stories. They provide coaching to help increase skills and confidence; they also get authors into networks and make writing more accessible.
The Trust is also moving towards creating a community of readers. This is to help reduce social isolation which impacts mental health.
The Women’s Fiction Prize is the most famous part of what they do. However, this shows there are lots of important happenings behind the scene.
The Women’s Prize For Fiction 2023 Shortlist
Back on March 7, the 16 books on the longlist were released, with many fan favourites from across the year making the cut.
They were:
- Cursed Bread – Sophie Mackintosh
- Children of Paradise – Camilla Grudova
- The Marriage Portrait – Maggie O’Farrell
- Demon Copperhead – Barbar Kingsolver
- Trespasses – Louise Kennedy
- Pod – Laline Paull
- The Bandit Queens – Parini Shroff
- Homesick – Jennifer Croft
- The Dog of the North – Elizabeth McKenzie
- Memphis – Tara M. Stringfellow
- Stone Blind – Natalie Haynes
- Fire Rush – Jacqueline Crooks
- Wandering Souls – Cecile Pin
- Black Butterflies – Priscilla Morris
- I’m A Fan – Sheena Patel
- Glory – NoViolet Bulamayo
If you haven’t put some of these on your reading list for 2023, then we seriously recommend them. However, only a few of these could make the Women’s Prize For Fiction shortlist. Announced today, (April 26), they are:
- The Marriage Portrait
- Demon Copperhead
- Trespasses
- Pod
- Fire Rush
- Black Butterflies
The winner will be revealed on June 14, so there’s plenty of time to get in some preparatory reading to find your personal champion. Last year, Ruth Ozeki won for The Book of Form & Happiness. Two years before in 2019, Maggie O’Farrell won for Hamnet, the only previous winner to make it onto the 2023 shortlist.
Perhaps she’ll win again or it will be someone new. You can see all the previous winners here if you need some inspiration for good books as the summer holidays approach.
