Celebrating excellence, originality, and accessibility in writing by women in English from across the world and now in its 25th year, the Women’s Prize for Fiction has announced its 2020 shortlist. The six finalists include Booker Prize co-winner Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other and a range of books from well-established authors like Hilary Mantel and Jenny Offill to the notable debut Dominicana by Angie Cruz. The winner will now be announced on September 9, pushed back from its original date of June 3.
Chair of the judges Martha Lane Fox commented on the list, “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. Choosing the shortlist was tough—we went slowly and carefully and passions ran high—just as you would want in such a process. But we are all so proud of these books—all readers will find solace if they pick one up.”
The 2020 judging panel includes chair Martha Lane Fox; writer and activist Scarlett Curtis; writer and activist Melanie Eusebe; co-founder of the Black British Business Awards, author, and comedian Viv Groskop; and Paula Hawkins, international bestselling author of The Girl on the Train.
We’re delighted to announce our fantastic judging panel for the 25th year of the #WomensPrize 🎉
Meet our 2020 judges here: https://t.co/VDObB5qLwi pic.twitter.com/VgyyZdwPv3
— Women’s Prize (@WomensPrize) November 6, 2019
2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell
Weather by Jenny Offill
And without further ado, we’re thrilled to share with you the 2020 #WomensPrize for Fiction shortlist.
Huge congratulations to our six shortlisted authors 🙌Discover the books here: https://t.co/ddQDkB4vms pic.twitter.com/clWiG5mFh5
— Women’s Prize (@WomensPrize) April 21, 2020
Curious about what didn’t make the shortlist? Check out the complete longlist:
2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist Announced