2024 Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist Announced

Now in its 29th year, the Women’s Prize for Fiction champions ambitious, inspiring and thought-provoking novels written by women in English.

The 2024 longlist consists of 16 books that celebrate the power of individuality, with each one showcasing a unique writing style, subject and theme. Eight of these books come from debut authors, giving readers the chance to meet some brand new writers alongside some familiar faces.

The 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction longlist is as follows:

• Hangman by Maya Binyam, published by ONE, Pushkin Press
• In Defence of the Act by Effie Black, published by époque press
• And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott, published by Allen & Unwin
• The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright, published by Jonathan Cape
• The Maiden by Kate Foster, published by Mantle
• Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan, published by Viking
• Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville, published by Canongate Books
• Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, published by Jonathan Cape
• Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy, published by Faber & Faber
• 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee, published by Virago
• The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord, published by Gollancz
• Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, published by Picador
• Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie, published by Oneworld
• Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan, published by Jonathan Cape
• River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure, published by Duckworth Books
• A Trace of Sun by Pam Williams, published by Legend Press

You can discover more about the authors and their titles here.

Monica Ali, chair of the judges, said: “With the strength and vitality of contemporary women’s fiction very much in evidence, reading the entries for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction has been a joyful experience. Of course this made it all the more difficult to select the longlist, but after much lively discussion among the judges we are delighted with the 16 titles selected.  

“Each one of these books is brilliant, original and utterly unputdownable. Collectively, they offer a wide array of compelling narratives from around the world, written with verve, wit, passion and compassion. They are books that will engage readers’ hearts and minds, they are filled with indelible characters, and they do what stories can do so powerfully: unsettle and disturb as well as surprise and delight.” 

Also on the judging panel is author Ayọb̀ámi Adébáyọ; author and illustrator Laura Dockrill; actor Indira Varma; and presenter and author Anna Whitehouse. 

The shortlist, consisting of six books, will be announced on 24th April, with the winner then awarded the £30,000 prize on Thursday 13th June at the Women’s Prize Trust’s summer party in central London, along with the winner of the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.  

All titles on the longlist are available to purchase here - and could make great new reads for your sixth form students!