What To Read

Flashback to 1991: Not a single one of the shortlisted books for the Booker Prize was written by a woman, despite the fact that some 60% of novels published that year were written by female authors! The following year, a group of journalists, publishers, booksellers and librarians convened in London and hatched a plan to start what would become the Women's Prize for Fiction. Since then, the prestigious Women's Prize has amplified the achievements of literary titans such as Ann Patchett, who won for her book Bel Canto in 2002, and Zadie Smith, who won for On Beauty in 2006. 

Winnowed down from 16 longlisted titles, the six finalists this year include Barbara Kingsolver, Tara M. Stringfellow and Maggie O'Farrell, who won the prize in 2021 for her previous novel Hamnet. Half of this year’s finalists are making an appearance on the prestigious shortlist for the first time.

Louise Minchin, chair of the judges, hailed this year’s choices as “an exquisite set of ambitious, diverse, thoughtful, hard-hitting and emotionally engaging novels.” Over three evenings in May, the Women's Prize will host the Virtual Shortlist Book Club which includes readings of the chosen works by world-class actors. The winners will be announced on June 14.

Here are the six books that made the cut for the shortlist of the 2023 Women's Prize.

Demon Copperhead 

By Barbara Kingsolver

Fire Rush 

By Jacqueline Crooks

Pod 

By Laline Paull

The Marriage Portrait

By Maggie O’Farrell

Trespasses 

By Louise Kennedy 

Black Butterflies 

By Priscilla Morris (Not Yet Available on Tertulia)

The longlist finalists for the Women's Prize for Fiction this year included:

Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

Homesick by Jennifer Croft

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel | Preorder for 9/5 Release in the U.S.

Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova (Not Yet Available on Tertulia)