The Women’s Prize for Fiction has announced its shortlist for this year’s award, featuring six novels published in the United Kingdom between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
Among the nominees are three debut novelists: Louise Kennedy, Jacqueline Crooks, and Priscilla Morris, as well as two previous winners of the award, Barbara Kingsolver and Maggie O’Farrell. Laline Paull, who has previously been shortlisted, is also among the finalists.
The shortlist includes one American, one Irish, and four British writers, and the winner, who will be announced on June 14, will receive £30,000 and a limited-edition bronze figurine called the “Bessie”.
Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023 Shortlist
| Author | Book Title | Publisher |
| Louise Kennedy | Trespasses | Bloomsbury |
| Barbara Kingsolver | Demon Copperhead | Faber & Faber |
| Priscilla Morris | Black Butterflies | Duckworth Books |
| Maggie O’ Farrell | The Marriage Portrait | Hachette UK / Tinder Press |
| Laline Paull | Pod | Corsair/Pegasus Books |
| Jacqueline Crooks | Fire Rush | Penguin Random House / Jonathan Cape |
According to Louise Minchin, the chair of the jury, the novels on the shortlist are “ambitious, diverse, thoughtful, hard-hitting and emotionally engaging”, and represent “a glittering showcase of the power of women’s writing”.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction was established in 1996 to celebrate the achievements of women writers, and is open to any woman writing in English, regardless of her nationality, country of residence, age, or subject matter. The prize was founded by Kate Mosse, and this year’s panel of judges includes Rachel Joycee, Bella Mackie, Irenosen Okojie, and Tulip Siddiq.
The shortlisted novels were chosen from a longlist of 16 books, and the inclusion of Duckworth Books’ Black Butterflies marks the first time that the independent publisher has had a book on the shortlist.
