The longlist for my favourite UK literary award, The Women’s Prize for Fiction, is due to be announced next Monday. Only novels written by women in English published between April 1st 2018 and March 31st 2019 qualify. Over the past few years I’ve failed miserably in predicting what took the judges fancy but truth be told I’d much rather indulge myself with a fantasy list rather than speculate as to what they think. What follows, then, is entirely subjective, wishes rather than predictions. I’ve followed the same format as previous years, limiting myself to novels that I’ve read with a link to a full review on this blog. So, in no particular order here’s my wish list for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction:
Transcription The Death of Noah Glass White Houses
Putney All Among the Barley Ghost Wall
Land of the Living My Sister, the Serial Killer In the Full Light of the Sun
Improvement We Must Be Brave Old Baggage
Lost Children Archive The Narrow Land Memories of the Future
Several of my favourite writers are listed here – Kate Atkinson, Amy Bloom, Siri Hustvedt, Georgina Harding – but I’d be delighted if any one of these fifteen snags the judges’ attention. We’ll see. Any titles that you’d love to see on the judges’ list?
That’s it from me for a few days. We’re off for what could be our last weekend as European citizens abroad. I may need tissues. Back next week to tell you all about it.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Putney and Ghost Wall – it’s a strong year though!
It really is! That’s what struck me when I sat down to write this post. I don’t envy the judges.
Interesting choices! A few of these I don’t know so I’m going to look them up. I really hope to see Amy Bloom and Sarah Moss on the list and I’m halfway through Luiselli’s novel and loving it. It’ll be exciting to see the judge’s list!
I must check out your choices, Eric. I’m very poor at keeping on top of videos! The Luiselli’s great, isn’t it. Certainly doesn’t feel like her first work in English. The judges seem to me to be spoilt for choice this year. I don’t envy them!
I managed to pick up a copy of the Amy Bloom at the library so it is on my tbr list and I am eagerly awaiting the Hustvedt. Have a lovely break.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the Bloom. Her earlier work is well worth a look, too.
Great list Susan, so many of these are on my radar thanks to your reviews. Have a lovely holiday
Thanks so much on both counts! It’s been a great year for women’s writing, although that’s true every year.
We’re off to France this weekend for our last pre-Brexit break. Who knows if we’ll need a visa the next time 🙁 Hope you have a nice trip.
This is a great list of possibles. I’m especially keen to read The Narrow Land.
Others that were released in the time period and could be worthy of a place on the longlist are Everything Under by Daisy Johnson, An American Marriage by Tayari Jones and Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. There’s also two books I’m currently reading that I wouldn’t be surprised to see there: Stubborn Archivist by Yara Rodrigues Fowler and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.
And you, Rebecca. Where are you off to?
I’ve only read An American Marriage from your list which didn’t quite make the grade for me. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if any that you’ve mentioned appears on the judges’ list, though.
Just a quick few days in Normandy, not going too far from the ferry port. No particular plans beyond eating and enjoying the atmosphere.
Us, too. Lille is the first Eurostar stop. I’m astonished we haven’t visited it before. Have fun!
Ooh interesting list! Lots I haven’t heard of that I’d now like to look up. I did pick a couple of these for my own predictions list though. I’m really hoping Ghost Wall makes it!
Thanks, Rachel. Predictions aren’t my forte and there are more than a few outliers on my wish list but I’d be surprised if Ghost Wall wasn’t a strong contender.
What a good-looking list. I’m always surprised when so few of your predictions end up on the list – how many more great books could there be?!
More than I can ever keep up with although it’s fun trying.
Oh, and have a great trip! 🙂
Thank you!
I had forgotten that it was that time again. The only one of those I have read is Old Baggage which was so good. Several of the others are definitely on my radar. This is a prize I like to keep an eye on, even if I don’t read them all.
I very nearly didn’t include Old Baggage as, for some reason, I thought it had been published much earlier last year so wouldn’t qualify. A lovely, cheering novel.
I really enjoyed one of Lissa Evans’ previous novels, Their Finest, so Old Baggage feels like a good bet for me. It would be great to see it on the longlist.
Have fun on your holidays. Lille is definitely worth a visit!
Thanks, Jacqui. It sounds like you’ve enjoyed a visit there. Fingers firmly crossed for Old Baggage.
Great list, Susan! I am hoping to see Ghost Wall on the longlist, too, and I am particularly looking forward to reading Putney & Memories of The Future. 🙂
Thanks, Juliana. Two treats in store for you there! Fingers crossed for Ghost Wall.
I haven’t read any, though I’ve already commented on my hope to read Amy Bloom and Kate Atkinson soon. It’s a lovely bunch of attractive covers in any case, and I do like the idea of the prize. I hope the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation will eventually have an equally beneficial effect in showcasing non-English fiction by women.
That would be wonderful, wouldn’t it.
I will be so disappointed if White Houses wins. I just couldn’t see Eleanor and Hick, and their obvious relationship, in the way she does. She writes well, but I felt she missed it with both of them in how she wrote them.
I do remember you commenting on that when I first posted my review. I came to it with no knowledge of the relationship and so was much more impressed by the novel.
It’s ok to disagree lol
I added Narrow Land and Old Baggage to my TBR–thanks!
Hurrah! Delighted to hear that.
That’s a great list – I can see a lot of those names and titles appearing on Monday! I wonder if Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black and Sheila Heti’s Motherhood will appear. I wonder if they will announce, in advance that Margaret Atwood will win the following year for The Testament – just to save time for 2020! 🙂 Have a lovely holiday!
Ha! I like your Margaret Atwood comment. Three of these made it onto the judges’ list, I’m delighted to report: Ghost Wall, My Sister the Serial Killer and Lost Children Archive. Hurrah!