2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Barbara Kingsolver’s reimagining of David Copperfield is a fierce, heartfelt portrait of a boy determined to survive a world stacked against him. Set in Appalachia, the novel follows Demon through addiction, poverty, makeshift families, and flashes of hope. Kingsolver’s voice is both compassionate and unsparing, blending humour with devastating realism. The result is a novel that feels epic in scope while remaining deeply personal. Demon’s voice is unforgettable — sharp, tender, and painfully honest — making the book a contemporary classic in its own right.

Set during the Siege of Sarajevo, Black Butterflies follows a painter who chooses to stay behind as her city collapses around her. Morris captures the surreal mix of terror and beauty that comes with living through war. Her writing is vivid, intimate, and grounded in small daily acts of resistance. The novel never loses sight of humanity, even in the bleakest circumstances. It’s a heartbreaking yet hopeful exploration of art, place, and survival.

Cécile Pin’s quiet, elegant debut follows three Vietnamese siblings who flee to the UK after the fall of Saigon. The novel explores dislocation, grief, and the delicate threads that keep families together. Pin’s style is minimalist yet emotionally resonant, layering voices and archival material to create a mosaic of memory. Despite its brevity, the book feels expansive in empathy. It’s a moving exploration of migration, loss, and the longing to belong.

Set during the Troubles, Trespasses is a love story intertwined with the strains of sectarian conflict. Kennedy writes with intimate clarity, capturing the tension of living under constant watchfulness and unspoken rules. The affair at the centre of the novel is both tender and dangerous, unfolding with a sense of inevitability. Kennedy’s attention to detail — in dialect, setting, and daily rituals — roots the novel deeply in place. It’s a quiet but powerful book, exploring loyalty, desire, and the limits of safety.

Maggie O’Farrell brings Renaissance Italy vividly to life in this lush, atmospheric imagining of Lucrezia de’ Medici’s short life. Her prose is sensory, sumptuous, and deeply emotional, turning a historical footnote into an unforgettable protagonist. The tension builds quietly as Lucrezia realises the constraints — and dangers — of her marriage. O’Farrell balances historical detail with psychological depth, weaving a narrative that feels immediate despite its 16th-century setting. The novel is a meditation on art, power, and survival.

Set in the 1970s and fuelled by dub reggae, Fire Rush follows a young woman whose search for freedom spirals into political upheaval and personal danger. Crooks writes with rhythm and heat, giving the novel a musical pulse. The story blends nightlife, love, violence, and Caribbean diaspora identity. Crooks builds tension beautifully, moving from clubs to protests to moments of profound introspection. It’s an immersive, visceral debut.

Tara M. Stringfellow’s debut is a moving, multigenerational novel about Black womanhood, family bonds, and the legacy of violence. Set in Memphis across decades, the chapters shift between voices and timelines with graceful fluidity. Stringfellow captures both the pain and resilience that pass through generations, showing how love can coexist with trauma. The city itself becomes a character — vibrant, difficult, and full of history. It’s a tender, confident novel that feels both intimate and far-reaching.

Parini Shroff’s debut is a darkly funny, sharply observed novel about a woman in rural India trying to rebuild her life after being falsely accused of murder. The story blends satire, feminist commentary, and moments of genuine danger with remarkable ease. Shroff creates a cast of vivid, unruly women whose friendships are as messy as they are essential. The humour is biting, but it never undercuts the seriousness of the issues at play. A lively, clever novel that sparkles with personality.

Natalie Haynes retells the myth of Medusa with sharp wit and feminist insight. She reimagines Medusa not as a monster but as a young woman caught in the whims of vindictive gods. Haynes balances humour with tragedy, giving voice to characters often sidelined in classical mythology. The storytelling is fast-paced, clever, and thoroughly enjoyable. A lively, refreshing take on a story we thought we knew.

Inspired by Zimbabwe’s 2017 coup, Glory is a wildly inventive political satire populated entirely by animals. Bulawayo blends folklore, humour, and biting critique to create a world that’s both fantastical and painfully familiar. The novel’s energy is relentless, its language exuberant and playful. Beneath the wit lies a serious examination of tyranny, revolution, and the stories nations tell about themselves. It’s daring, distinctive, and deeply resonant.

In Pod, Paull returns to the natural world with a story told from the perspective of dolphins navigating ecological collapse. The novel combines scientific awareness with imaginative world-building, creating an oceanic society filled with beauty and peril. Paull’s writing is immersive and empathetic, asking big questions about survival and connection. The underwater setting feels both alien and deeply familiar. It’s an inventive, moving novel unlike anything else on the longlist.

Jennifer Croft’s autobiographical novel explores childhood, sisterhood, and the shaping forces of family and illness. Told through vignettes, photographs, and fragments, it creates an intimate portrait of a young girl discovering language and identity. Croft’s prose is delicate yet assured, full of emotional clarity. The nonlinear structure enhances the sense of memory being pieced together. It’s a quiet, deeply personal book that rewards close reading.

Set inside a crumbling cinema, Grudova’s novel is a darkly comic exploration of art, decay, and the strange communities built around creative work. Her prose is sharp, surreal, and gleefully peculiar. The characters are misfits united by their love of film — and by their shared descent into chaos. Grudova balances bleak humour with moments of unsettling beauty. It’s a wonderfully odd, striking novel.

McKenzie’s quirky, offbeat novel follows a woman on a chaotic road trip with her eccentric grandmother and a van full of mysteries. The humour is dry and delightful, the characters messy and unpredictable. Beneath the comedic surface lies a story of grief, reinvention, and the strange ways families shape us. McKenzie’s narrative voice is warm and wry, making even the oddest moments feel grounded. It’s a light-hearted but emotionally intelligent read.

Patel’s debut is sharp, fearless, and darkly funny, exploring obsession, power dynamics, and the messy realities of desire in the digital age. The unnamed narrator’s voice is striking — confident, biting, and ruthlessly self-aware. Patel dissects contemporary culture with precision, from social hierarchies to online performance. The novel is fragmented yet cohesive, mirroring the chaos of modern relationships. A daring and provocative read that feels utterly of the moment.

Sophie Mackintosh delivers a sensuous, unsettling novel loosely inspired by a real poisoning in 1950s France. The narration is hypnotic and eerie, blurring the lines between desire, envy, and collective hysteria. Mackintosh excels at atmosphere, creating a world that feels both dreamlike and claustrophobic. The novel explores power and longing with poetic precision. It’s the kind of story that lingers in the mind long after you finish.