Every year I post two literary prize wishlists in the sure fire knowledge that few if any of those wishes will be fulfilled. That said, they’re fun to do and I always like to see what other readers would like the judges to plump for. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the one I care about most, the longlist for which will be announced on Tuesday, 7th March. Only novels written by women in English published between April 1st 2022 and March 31st 2023 qualify. I’ve followed the same format as previous years, limiting myself to novels I’ve read and would love the judges to pick. So, in no particular order here’s my wishlist for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction, all with links to my reviews apart from The Anniversary which I’ll be reviewing shortly.
Trespasses Very Cold People Fight Night
Milk Teeth Common Decency Seven Steeples
Shrines of Gaiety Best of Friends They’re Going to Love You
Becky From Thy Great Pain… I Have Some Questions for You
Nothing Special The Anniversary My Nemesis
As usual, several of the novels above appear more in hope than expectation but I’d be delighted if any one of these 15 snags the judges’ attention. Fingers firmly crossed. Any titles that you’d love to see on the longlist?
If you’d like to see Bookish Becks’s extensive list of wishes and predictions click here. She’s much better at setting out the rules than I am.
Given Kate Mosse’s announcement a few weeks ago, a new non-fiction Women’s Prize is likely to be launched next year although I’ll be sticking to fiction. You can read more about the organisers’ plans here.
a few weeks ago, a new non-fiction Women’s Prize is likely to be launched next year although I’ll be sticking to fiction. You can read more about the organisers’ plans here.
A reckon Kate Atkinson stands a good chance of appearing on the longlist, but then these lists are always so hard to predict! Your list is full of temptations 🙂
I do hope so. She’s been omitted from so many lists she deserves to be on over the years.
Of the ones on your list I’ve only read Best of Friends and Nothing Special. To be honest Best of Friends didn’t blow me away and although I admired Nothing Special I didn’t completely love it. Seven Steeples is on the longlist for the Dylan Thomas Prize so I guess that may be an indication it has a chance. I’ve rather given up trying to predict longlists as I failed so spectacularly with this year’s Walter Scott Prize – I only got three out of the twelve right!
Well, that’s a better hit rate than mine in the past. I wouldn’t want anyone to lay bets on any of my wishes!
Nice list. I haven’t read any of them, sad to say, but I have a good feeling in general about For Thy Great Pain (completely unfounded, of course).
I’d be thrilled if the judges picked that one up. Such a beautiful piece of writing.
This was the one from your choices that I really want to read too.
I’m hoping it will be the outlier that catches the judges’ attention.
I somehow missed your review of They’re Going to Love You and since I can never resist a ballet theme…
In that case, I think it would be right up your alley!
I’m really looking forward to They’re Going to Love You. I bought it after reading your review and still haven’t started it. My WIP has a central character who was a ballet dancer, and I’m sure that reading this novel will help me with my project. List looks good!
Thank you, and I hope the Howrey helps you along. Good luck!
I haven’t read enough of these either to make my own list, or really, to comment on yours. But I know my own list wouldn’t include either Shrines of Gaiety, or Best of Friends, both of which were enjoyable, but neither of which I felt was strong enough to merit a prize. I’m quite excited though about the prospect of a women’s non-fiction prize, as I read quite a lot of NF.
Atkinson has never yet made it on to the Women’s Prize list and I suspect won’t again. Hard to say about Shamsie, though. Fingers crossed they’ll get enough sponsorship to carry the NF prize forward.
I have just read Nothing Special and I have Seven Steeples to read, it arrived today actually. I also need to dig out Shrines of Gaiety.
Fingers crossed at least one of those makes it. Hope you enjoy Seven Steeples, Janet.
I would love to see Sara Baume’s Seven Steeples on there and would absolutely love to see Okwiri Oduor’s Things They Lost, which I found an astounding read. Interestingly, both these have already made the long list of the Dylan Thomas Award for writers under 39.
I’ll be reading Trespasses this month for #ReadingIrelandMonth23 so I’m looking forward to that and to the list, just to see what’s out there that might be of interest.
I love the idea of a non-fiction prize, bringing together memoir, creative non-fiction and nature writing perhaps. I’m more a fan of narrative style non-fiction that reads more like a novel, a style that is coming into its own. Great to see!
Thank you for going to the effort of creating your list Susan, such a pleasure to peruse and the link to Rebecca’s.
You’re welcome, Claire. I’d love to see the Baume on the longlist partly because it’s so good but also because it’s published by an independent. I hope you get on well with Trespasses, and I’ll add the Oduor to my tbr list. Thanks!
I really enjoyed They’re Going to Love You so it would be nice to see. I’m hoping to get to Seven Steeples this month.
Fingers crossed for both! Glad to hear you enjoyed the Howrey.
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I am always interested in The Women’s Prize though the only one of those suggestions I’ve read is the Kamila Shamsie. I do have Trespasses tbr, so I shall definitely be keeping watch on the announcement.
I have such a poor track record that all 15 might miss the mark but Trespasses has had a particularly positive reception.
Excellent list. I’ve only read Best of Friends from that list but think it has a good chance.
Thank you! Fingers crossed for the Shamsie. Looking forward to seeing what the judges have picked on Tuesday. I’m sure theirs will be a very different list.
An interesting selection, Susan. I’d love to see Trespasses on the list – to be honest, I’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t make the cut after it missed out on a Booker listing last year. Seven Steeples I liked but not as much as the Kennedy. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on the longlist as it’s been widely acclaimed.
I have hopes for Trespasses. I’ve a feeling it stands a better chance than most of my other wishes.
Some here I have and some are on my TBR list… but we’ll have to agree to disagree on Atkinson (I didn’t enjoy this book at all). I won’t be making any predictions for the longlist, short of saying an Australian book that might squeeze in is Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au.
I’ve noticed the Au popping up in my Twitter timeline. A couple of these might make it onto the longlist – Trespasses has had a lot of attention – but most won’t including the Atkinson, I’m sure.
Lots of books on your list (and now the actual longlist) that I hadn’t heard of before. I’ve had Trespasses on my TBR for a while, so glad to have a good reason to get to it now.
Very interested to hear about the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction – I hope they can make it fly!
Of my fifteen wishes, Trespasses was my favourite. I was delighted the judges chose it. I hope you enjoy it, and fingers crossed a sponsor is found for the non-fiction prize.
Hear hear!