Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist announced

The 2020 shortlist for the £30,000 (A$58,600) Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced.

The shortlisted novels are:

• Girl, Woman, Other (Bernardine Evaristo, Hamish Hamilton)
• The Mirror & The Light (Hilary Mantel, Fourth Estate)
• Dominicana (Angie Cruz, John Murray)
• A Thousand Ships (Natalie Haynes, Mantle)
• Hamnet (Maggie O’ Farrell, Tinder Press)
• Weather (Jenny Offill, Granta).

Chair of the judges Martha Lane Fox said choosing the shortlist was ‘tough’ and ‘passions ran high’ during the process. ‘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,’ she said. The shortlist was chosen from a longlist of 16 announced in early March.

The prize is celebrating its 25th year in 2020 and intends to host a ‘deep dive into the six shortlisted books’ as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the judging process via Zoom on 6 May, reports the Bookseller.

The shortlist readings and award ceremony, initially schedule for June, have both been postponed until September due to Covid-19.

Category: Awards International news