2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Brotherless Night is a harrowing, deeply human novel set during the Sri Lankan civil war. V.V. Ganeshananthan tells the story of Sashi, an aspiring doctor whose family is torn apart by conflict. Through her eyes, the novel captures the impossible moral choices civilians face in war. Ganeshananthan’s prose is elegant and empathetic, balancing historical accuracy with emotional intimacy. The book does not shy away from depicting violence and loss, yet it never loses sight of resilience and love. It is a monumental work of witness, rooted in lived history and urgent truth.

Isabella Hammad’s Enter Ghost is a sweeping, thought-provoking novel set in Palestine. It follows Sonia, a British-Palestinian actress who returns to the West Bank and becomes involved in a politically charged production of Hamlet. Hammad explores themes of art, resistance, and identity with nuance and compassion. The novel is layered and atmospheric, weaving together personal struggles with collective histories. Hammad’s prose is elegant, her storytelling bold, situating art at the heart of political struggle. It is a powerful meditation on belonging, performance, and the role of culture in resistance.

Effie Black’s In Defence of the Act is a bold exploration of morality, desire, and transgression. Through tightly crafted prose, Black confronts the complexities of human choices and the justifications we create for them. The novel blurs the line between guilt and liberation, inviting readers to question what constitutes wrongdoing. It is both unsettling and compelling, pulling the reader into uncomfortable but necessary reflections. Black writes with precision and courage, crafting a narrative that is as much a philosophical interrogation as it is a gripping story. The novel lingers as an uncompromising meditation on human freedom.

Kate Foster’s The Maiden is a richly imagined historical novel inspired by the life of Lady Christian Nimmo in 17th-century Scotland. The book reconstructs a notorious scandal involving love, betrayal, and violence. Foster captures the tensions of a patriarchal society and the limited choices available to women. Her writing is atmospheric and immersive, blending meticulous historical detail with compelling narrative drive. The story unfolds with both suspense and empathy, offering readers a fresh feminist perspective on a forgotten piece of history. It’s a gripping tale that resonates with contemporary relevance.

Kate Grenville’s Restless Dolly Maunder is a fictionalized portrait of her grandmother, a woman who defied societal expectations in early 20th-century Australia. Grenville brings Dolly to life as a restless, ambitious figure constrained by patriarchal norms but unwilling to be silenced. The prose is warm, engaging, and richly observed. Grenville’s exploration of gender, class, and family history resonates across generations. The novel pays tribute to women whose quiet rebellions often go unrecorded. It is both a personal homage and a universal story of resilience.

Claire Kilroy’s Soldier Sailor is a fierce, visceral account of motherhood in its rawest form. Told from the perspective of a woman overwhelmed by the demands of caring for a small child, the novel is both brutally honest and darkly humorous. Kilroy captures the exhaustion, isolation, and wonder of early motherhood with startling clarity. The prose is urgent and immersive, drawing readers into the protagonist’s fractured state of mind. This is a novel that refuses sentimentality, instead confronting the truths of care and identity. It’s a fearless exploration of what it means to mother.

Alicia Elliott’s And Then She Fell is an intimate and powerful exploration of motherhood, Indigenous identity, and mental health. Set in Canada, the novel follows a Mohawk woman grappling with postpartum depression and ancestral trauma. Elliott writes with unflinching honesty, blending the personal and political in ways that resonate deeply. The narrative exposes systemic injustices while giving voice to lived experiences often marginalized in literature. Elliott’s prose is both lyrical and raw, shifting seamlessly between tenderness and rage. This is a vital, courageous work that insists on being heard.

Anne Enright’s The Wren, The Wren is a luminous novel about family, poetry, and intergenerational legacy. It tells the story of Nell, a young woman navigating her independence while grappling with the shadow of her grandfather, a celebrated Irish poet. Enright masterfully weaves themes of memory, art, and inheritance, writing with her signature lyricism and wit. The novel interrogates the burdens of family history and the ways art can both wound and heal. Enright’s sentences sing, carrying readers through a story that is as intimate as it is expansive. It is a meditation on creativity, love, and the ties that bind.

Mirinae Lee’s debut 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster is a dazzling, inventive novel about survival, reinvention, and storytelling. Inspired by her great-aunt’s life, Lee creates the voice of a Korean woman who claims to have lived multiple lives across a century. Each 'life' is a tale of cunning, resilience, and adaptation in a turbulent world. The narrative is playful yet poignant, blending history with myth and dark humor. Lee’s writing is vibrant and assured, marking her as a major new voice. This is a novel of reinvention that revels in storytelling itself.

Aube Rey Lescure’s River East, River West is a sweeping, multigenerational tale set in Shanghai. The novel traces the entwined lives of a Chinese-American teenager and her relatives, capturing tensions between East and West, tradition and modernity. Lescure writes with elegance and sensitivity, painting a portrait of a city in flux and the personal costs of globalization. The narrative deftly balances personal intimacy with broader social commentary. It’s a beautifully crafted novel that examines heritage, belonging, and the pull of competing worlds.

Chetna Maroo’s Western Lane is a quiet, resonant coming-of-age story centered on a young girl whose world is defined by squash. Set in Britain, the novel explores grief, discipline, and family bonds with restraint and poignancy. Maroo’s prose is precise and understated, yet it carries emotional weight. The focus on sport becomes a metaphor for resilience and the unspoken language between loved ones. This is a slim novel with immense heart, demonstrating the power of silence and subtlety. It is both elegiac and hopeful, leaving a lasting impression.

Maya Binyam’s Hangman is a sharp, enigmatic debut that blends allegory with satire. The novel follows a protagonist navigating an unnamed African country, unraveling themes of displacement, belonging, and estrangement. Binyam’s prose is spare and often surreal, leaving readers suspended between clarity and mystery. The narrative critiques the bureaucracies of modern states while delving into questions of exile and identity. With its elliptical style, Hangman challenges conventional storytelling, making the reader complicit in piecing together meaning. It’s a novel of dislocation that resonates with our fractured, globalized world.

Peace Adzo Medie’s Nightbloom is a moving novel about friendship, betrayal, and womanhood. Set between Ghana and the UK, it tells the story of two cousins whose lives diverge yet remain deeply intertwined. Medie writes with warmth and insight, capturing cultural expectations, gender dynamics, and the complexities of intimacy. The novel navigates questions of loyalty and independence with nuance. Medie’s storytelling is both accessible and layered, making the characters feel alive and real. It’s a heartfelt exploration of the ties that shape us.

Megan Nolan’s Ordinary Human Failings is a taut, darkly compelling novel about guilt, class, and the weight of family history. When a child is killed, suspicion falls on an Irish immigrant family in London, and the novel unpacks decades of secrets and shame. Nolan writes with psychological acuity, dissecting how trauma and poverty reverberate through generations. Her prose is sharp, unsparing, and charged with emotion. The novel is unflinching in its portrayal of human weakness, yet compassionate in its recognition of our shared flaws. It is both disturbing and profoundly humane.

Pam Williams’ A Trace of Sun is a tender, intergenerational novel exploring family bonds, memory, and resilience. The story unfolds across multiple perspectives, revealing how the past shapes the present. Williams writes with warmth and grace, crafting characters who feel deeply real. The novel is suffused with light, even as it grapples with themes of loss and change. Its emotional resonance lies in its quiet power, reminding readers of the endurance of love and the possibility of renewal. It’s a gentle, heartfelt debut that stays with you.

Karen Lord’s The Blue, Beautiful World is a work of speculative fiction that fuses planetary politics with questions of identity and belonging. Set in a near future, the novel imagines a world grappling with alien contact and global cooperation. Lord writes with intelligence and empathy, exploring how humanity might respond to the unknown. Her narrative balances intimate character arcs with sweeping world-building. The prose is elegant, the ideas resonant, making the novel both entertaining and deeply thought-provoking. It’s science fiction at its most humane and visionary.