The shortlist for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced overnight during a special online event (Covid-19 strikes again!).
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the prize was previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction and until recently was the Bailey’s Prize for Fiction. It is awarded annually to the best work of fiction written in English by a woman from anywhere around the world. Previous winners include literary heavyweights such as Tea Obrecht, Rose Tremain, Barbara Kingsolver, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Eimear McBride, Madeline Miller, Ali Smith and more.
The 2020 judging panel of Martha Lane Fox (Chair), Scarlett Curtis, Melanie Eusebe, Viv Groskop and Paula Hawkins had the unenviable task of whittling the sixteen strong long list down to a mere six books.
Making the 2020 shortlist are:
- Dominicana by Angie Cruz
- Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
- A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
- The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
- Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell
- Weather by Jenny Offill
Here’s what Chair of the Judges Marth Lane Fox had to say about the line up:
“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. Choosing the shortlist was tough – we went slowly and carefully and passions ran high – just as you would want in such a process. But we are all so proud of these books – all readers will find solace if they pick one up.”
The winner will be announced on Wednesday 9th September.
Header image sourced from Women’s Prize Official Site.
