Let's chat about the Women's Prize

And a peek into my Women's Prize-inspired TBR

I have a sometimes complicated relationship with prize lists. I’d love to be the kind of reader who makes my way through an entire longlist but know that I run out of steam eventually. I deeply appreciate how they can introduce lesser known fiction to a wider audience but sometimes think they can veer too obscure. I’m delighted when they anoint a book I love but aggravated when they seemingly dangle the prize in front of an author’s nose then snatch it away at the last minute. (Yes, I am talking about Lauren Groff, who I love and who really ought to have a National Book Award already.) But my best prize list experiences have always come with the Women’s Prize.

Established in 1996, the prize is chosen by a panel of five judges each year and awarded based on three core principles: excellence, originality, and accessibility. I think those tenets are a key part of why the Women’s Prize, to my mind, often strikes the best balance between more under-the-radar titles and the year’s big buzzy books of the prize lists. Their judging panels frequently have an eye for books doing exciting and novel things, whether that’s a tree as their narrator, a fresh take on Greek mythology, or a daring structure, but that aren’t impenetrable to the reader. (Side note: I noticed while going through past longlists that the Women’s Prize loves a Greek mythology retelling and I support this 1000%.) Their longlists tend to include a wide array of authors, from highly decorated literary legends to fresh new voices, and stories set around the world. They also very smartly sometimes include a title or two with more commercial appeal, like The Ministry of Time on this year’s longlist or The Paper Palace a few years ago, that can serve as an entry point to the list for readers who don’t always pick up a ton of literary fiction.

I’m genuinely excited when the longlist comes out every year and this year was no exception. I’ve picked out a handful of titles I want to prioritize (more on that below!) and my goal this year is to read about half of the longlist. I’d also eventually like to read my way through all the Women’s Prize winners, particularly since some of the winners also happen to be a few of my all time favorites.

Some of my favorite Women’s Prize winners:

• The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki: A wonderfully innovative story about grief, identity, and growing up that ensures you’ll never look at your stuff in quite the same way again after reading it.

• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell: A stunning, mesmerizing meditation on loss, love, and family with a touch of magic that made me cry, stay up way too late to finish it, and embark on a quest to read everything O’Farrell had ever written.

• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: An elegant, elegiac tale of the unexpected bonds between a group of terrorists and the hostages they take in a birthday party gone horribly wrong. A longtime favorite that I first read back in college and need to revisit sometime soon.

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: I told you that the Women’s Prize likes a Greek mythology retelling! This gorgeous, heartbreaking reimagining of Achilles and Patroclus also made me cry. Odds are you’ve already read it but in case you haven’t, there’s a stunning Bloomsbury Modern Classics edition…

Past winners on my TBR:

• On Beauty by Zadie Smith: A witty academic satire that comes recommended by so many bookish friends and that I’m hoping to pair with a read of Howards End sometime this year.

• The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver: I have owned a copy of this historical saga for eight or nine years now and it is past time to dive deeper into the backlist of an author whose writing I adore.

• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: Another title that’s been frequently recommended by friends! I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and I love that the Women’s Prize honored a book with a heavy dose of the speculative.

• Home by Marilynne Robinson: I read Gilead earlier this year and was floored by its quiet power, so I’d really like to continue with the series when I’m in the mood for something deeply reflective.

• Small Island by Andrea Levy: This historical novel set in a post-World War II London was a recommendation from Sara Hildreth’s 2023 Paperback Summer Reading Guide that she described as “beautiful but challenging” and that beckons to me every time I pass by the Brit Lit section at McNally Jackson.

And titles from this year’s longlist that I can’t wait to read:

• The Dream Hotel by Leila Lalami: I really enjoyed Lalami’s The Other Americans and this speculative mystery sounds thrilling, terrifying, and thought-provoking.

• The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji: I love a juicy, messy family saga that spans multiple generations of women and this seems like the perfect family story to get lost in.

• A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike: This historical novel promises a new side of Tudor England, an unforgettable cast of characters, and a charmingly irreverent heroine.

• The Artist by Lucy Steeds: I’m endlessly fascinated by stories about creativity and artistry and the description of this as a “sun-drenched mystery” had me instantly hooked.

Let me know if you follow any prize lists and what you’re intrigued by from this year’s Women’s Prize!

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Currently reading: The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel, an unusual historical romance with a rich sense of place and two protagonists learning to live again after enormous loss.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• Going on a mini Below Deck Down Under binge when I realized a new season had started! I tend to dip in and out of Below Deck depending on which franchise is airing but I’m really enjoying this season so far.

• My first iced chai of the year, consumed on a bench in Prospect Park during my lunch break as I tried to soak in as much sun as possible.

• A shimmery eyeshadow from Ilia that’s incredibly easy to apply and the exact right amount of sparkly.