Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026 shortlist announced
The Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist has been announced, which includes “6 powerful stories by new voices and established authors, interrogating women’s roles in society, showcasing women’s agency, and the joy of literature”.
The shortlisted titles are:
- Flashlight (Susan Choi, Vintage)
- Dominion (Addie E Citchens, Europa Editions)
- The Correspondent (Virginia Evans, Michael Joseph)
- The Mercy Step (Marcia Hutchinson, Cassava Republic Press)
- Kingfisher (Rozie Kelly, Saraband)
- Heart the Lover (Lily King, Canongate).
Chair of judges and former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard said, “We are delighted to present a shortlist that doesn’t shy away from examining life’s challenges, but also brings many moments of joy. As judges, we are first and foremost readers, and these novels intrigued and profoundly moved us. The plot lines kept us turning pages to find out what happens next, the characters found a place in our hearts and the stories stayed with us long after the last sentence. The incredible strength of the longlist challenged and delighted us, as we whittled down 16 books to this exceptional shortlist.
“We are proud to support the Women’s Prize Trust’s mission of championing women’s creativity, established and new. With over half of the shortlist represented by debut novelists and independent publishers, we are spotlighting talented emerging writers as well as showcasing the best of known and much loved authors.”
Local author Charlotte McConaghy had appeared on the longlist of 16 books.
Winners of both the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Women’s Prize for Nonfiction will be revealed on 11 June.
Last year’s winner of the fiction prize was Yael van der Wouden for The Safekeep (Penguin General).
More details about the 2026 longlist are on the prize website.
Category: International awards International news
