If you fancy starting the month with a brand new pile of books by some of the best female authors in town, you’re in luck.
Last week, the Women’s Prize for Fiction announced their six-strong shortlist, just a matter of weeks ahead of crowning the winner of June. The five fantastic judges, chaired by Sarah Sands, Editor of the Today Programme, and completed by Anita Anand, BBC radio and television journalist; Katy Brand, writer, comedian and actor; Catherine Mayer, journalist, author and co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party and actress Imogen Stubbs, chose a shortlist that “spoke most directly and truthfully” to them.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist features three fiction debuts – historical novel The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock from British author Imogen Hermes Gowar, Sight by Jessie Greengrass for Sight, about the journey to motherhood; and American Elif Batuman for The Idiot, set at Harvard university during the 1990s. Joining the three debuts is British-Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie, chosen for Home Fire, her modern-day reimagining of Sophocles’ Antigone, Jesmyn Ward’s portrait of a mixed-race family in rural Mississippi, Sing, Unburied, Sing, which won the American novelist the National Book award, and Indian author Meena Kandasamy’s second novel, an account of an abusive marriage, When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife.
And if you fancy winning the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist, all you need to do is subscribe to my blog or, if you’re already subscribed, simply comment below with the title of the book you’d most like to see take the Women’s Prize for Fiction crown.
The competition will close on Monday, 14th May and the winner will be contacted via email.
*** COMPETITION CLOSED ***
I recently read When I Hit You, which was incredible. But I’m still rooting for Home Fire – one of my fave books from last year. Excited to see who wins!
Sight I would like to win the prize
Sight – I would like to win
Home Fire for the win ???? although I wouldn’t be disappointed with Sing, Unburied Sing.
I’d like to When I hit you to win it sounds amazing ????
Id love to see ‘Sight’ win the prize! Good luck Jessie Greengrass!
The idiot. Such an intriguing title. And adding that definite article just gives it a punch. Would love to devour this one
Sing, Unburied, Sing!
What a great pile! I think Jesmyn Ward’s book is the one I’d read first, because a friend raved about it.
Out of them I’d probably read sight first. ☺
I’d most like to read Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire, although I’m sure that they’re all wonderful!
I think Elif Batuman ‘The Idiot’ should win! ????❤
The ????♀️ (Mermaid) is my vote. Time will tell ….
Home Fire 🙂
I’ve heard mostly good things about The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and Sing, Unburied, Sing but obviously without reading all of them I wouldn’t want to jinx any of them before I’d read them!
I haven’t read any of the above (yet), but I’ve heard great things about When I Hit You
Home Fire
I’ve just started reading Sight and it’s already haunting my thoughts. As it’s Mothers Day and I’m lucky enough to be able to still speak with my mother I’m thinking this is a novel that will resonate with nearly all women – the choice of motherhood and our relationships with our mothers.
The idiot
I haven’t read any of the shortlisted books (yet) but I’ve heard such wonderful things about Home Fire!
‘And if you fancy winning the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist, all you need to do is subscribe to my blog or, if you’re already subscribed, simply comment below with the title of the book you’d most like to see take the Women’s Prize for Fiction crown.
The competition will close on Monday, 14th April and the winner will be contacted via email.’
I do fancy winning the books but the closing date is last month?!
Oops – thanks for flagging! It was meant to say May – have now updated 🙂
The book I have heard most about and really fancy reading is The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock.
The Idiot! I’d love to win.
I’d love to win the list. I’ve already read Sing, unburied, Sing, and thought it was just wonderful so surely should win! But then, the others might be even better.
Sight
Oooh nice! I had read a couple of them from the Longlist but none from the Shortlist yet. Heard great things about the Shamsie, Greengrass and The Ward. I’ll go with Ward… ????
I’d like When I Hit You by Meena Kadamasamy to win! It’s such a raw, powerful book that made me think of what labels mean- the feminist writer who got raped within her marriage, and didn’t have a voice; a communist husband, who is basically a monster. It’s so, so well written.
Wow, they all sound amazing! I would love to see Sing, Unburied, Sing win!
I would love to see Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire win the prize! 🙂
Sing Unburied Sing ????????
I am so behind on my reading I have only finished last years winner the Power toady !
The only one I have read from the 2028 list is the Mermaid and Mrs Handcock. However from trusted friends reviews I am going to support Sight for winning. At least until I get a chance to read the rest.
Lol 2028 should be 2018
I’ve only read When I Hit You from the shortlist – and it was a very powerful read, but they all look like worthy readers to me!
Thanks for this opportunity! Each and every one of the shortlisted titles deserves to take the crown but if I were a one-woman jury (in my dreams!) then I think I’d have to go with Jesmyn Ward’s ‘Sing, Unburied, Sing’.
Best wishes, and fingers crossed!
I’d like to see Jesmyn Ward win… But if Kamila Shamsie won I’d also be happy.
I think I’m most interested to read Sight.
Given the subject matter, I wish “When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife” wins, but I don’t know why, I have this feeling that it will probably be “The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock” or “The Idiot”.
I would love to see Sing, Unburied, Sing take the prize!
I have not yet read The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, but it looks lovely.
Sight by Jessie Green grass sounds really good
Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing is gorgeous! Would love a copy of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock because it’s a couple of books away on my tbr stack ????
I would like to see The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock win. Disclosure, it’s the only one from the list I have read so far so I’m not able to compare, but it was a joy to read, and if I won the list I would be happy to pass the extra copy to a friend as I recommend it to everyone!
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Would love these books ????
I thought Home Fire by Kamila Shamshie a very compelling and topical novel. Would love to see this one win.
Home Fire would be the book I would most like to see win the Women’s Prize…thank you for the opportunity to read the rest of the shortlist!
Super prize! I haven’t read any of them. The SHAME! They all sound fantastic but I especially love the sound of The Idiot.
Claire
It would be difficult to chose, since I have only read The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock in this list. But I heard Sing Unburied Sing was amazing, and the excerpt I read sounded promising!
Would love to read The Mermaid & Mrs Hancock – the reviews have been incredible and sometimes you’ve just got to believe th hype!
Yet to read the books but somehow I feel like chosing Home Fire!
I would love the win the books! I’d also love to see The Idiot win!
I would like The Cows – Dawn O’Porter to be the winner. I didn’t take this book too seriously to begin with but its themes are highly relevant for women in today’s society and this book is not written any preachy sermon way but in a way where you can laugh out loud at the characters and not feel really bad. A great book for women today.
Miss Hargreaves and Miss Boston (Rachel Malik)
I’d like to read them all…but the top of my list is When I Hit You.
New subscriber here! I think I’d like Meena Kandasmy to win but there are a few books I haven’t read yet so it would be great to read the full shortlist. Great selection of books this year.
I’d like to see ‘Sight’ by Jessie Greengrass take the Women’s Prize for Fiction crown.
Damn, saw this wonderful comp too late! (behind on emails due to being on holidays,. that will teach me!).
If I had to pick just one I would vote for Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.