The longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020 will definitely inspire your reading list
This list is great!

By Lucy Buglass
If you’re looking to add to your reading list for the spring season, the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction is a great place to start.
The 25th Women’s Prize for Fiction features a wide range of books written by female authors.
It celebrates women from all over the world, so you’re bound to find a few stories you’re interested in.
This year’s longlist sees 16 books up for the coveted prize, with authors from across the globe hoping they’ll be the lucky winner.
Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo is among those on the list, with her unique novel Girl, Woman, Other.
It follows the lives of 12 characters in the United Kingdom over the course of several decades.
Each character is from a different area and has very different wants, goals and desires, meaning the reader gets to meet all sorts of women throughout the novel.
Another hopeful is Deepa Anappara, with her coming of age story Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line. This sees nine-year-old Jai using the crime-solving skills he learned from his favourite TV show to find a missing schoolboy.
It’s up against another coming-of-age story Dominicana by Angie Cruz, which follows 15-year-old Ana who moves from America from the Dominican countryside.
Divorce satire Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner and psychological thriller Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams are also up for the award, with novels that aren’t afraid to tackle real life issues such as relationships, mental health and race.
Historical fiction Actress by Anne Enright focuses on fame, sexual power and hidden truths, whereas Luan Goldie’s debut novel Nightingale Point is a heart-breaking story about working class families facing a tragedy.
Natalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships is a historical retelling of the Trojan War from a female perspective, and How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee is a story of survival and endurance in Japanese occupied Signapore.
Family drama The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo tells the story of the ‘messy’ Sorenson family, whilst Edna O’Brien’s Girl sheds light on the horrors of the Boko Haram.
Historical novel The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mental charts the rise of Thomas Cromwell, and Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet is about the death of Sheakespeare’s 11-year-old son.
Jenny Offill’s entry Weather explores climate change dread, whilst Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House tells the story of a brother and sister over five decades.
Finally, Jacqueline Woodson’s Red at the Bone explores the impact history and community, and how an unexpected teenage pregnancy pulls two families together.
Judge chair and businesswoman Martha Lane Fox said of the longlist, “Ahead of the longlist meeting I was anxious that the negotiations between judges might be as arduous as Brexit, but it was an absolute delight to pick our final 16 books.
“Entries for the Prize’s 25th year have been spectacular and we revelled in the variety, depth, humanity and joy of the writing – we hope everyone else will too.”
Which one will you be reading first?
-
-
7 celeb-inspired straightener hairstyles we're loving for 2021
Look no further: These straightener hairstyles have got you covered for smooth, shiny, star-powered locks.
By Courtney Leiva •
-
Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara review: the little lash-lifter with big staying power
Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara is the lash-coating sensation with a tiny wand, that’s sure to be a new staple in your make-up bag
By Emma North •
-
The Queen sends sweet message to Prince Philip as he remains in hospital following infection
Her Majesty paid tribute to her husband...
By Georgia Farquharson •
-
Claudia Winkleman reveals surprising secret to her happy marriage
The Strictly Come Dancing star has been married for twenty years...
By Georgia Farquharson •
-
Study reveals which supermarket UK customers believe has the best Covid-19 safety measures
Would you agree?
By Amy Hunt •
-
Princess Anne makes ‘devastating’ admission during rare podcast appearance
The Princess Royal gets candid about her mother...
By Georgia Farquharson •
-
Is this the real reason Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are doing a tell-all interview with Oprah?
The couple's interview will air on 7th March...
By Georgia Farquharson •
-
Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs returned safely after shock abduction and shooting
The singer's dogs have been recovered safe and well
By Georgia Farquharson •
-
Sophie Wessex is volunteering during the UK's coronavirus vaccine drive
The Countess is one of 10,000 volunteers with St John's Ambulance
By Amy Hunt •
-
The Queen’s sweet message to Prince Harry revealed
The Queen is said to be “delighted” that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have found happiness in their new life in America
By Georgia Farquharson •