The longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction has been revealed, with Torrey Peters, Raven Leilani, and Brit Bennett among the 16 nominees.
Peters, author of Detransition, Baby, is the first transgender woman to make the longlist for the award, the Guardian reports. Akwaeke Emezi, a nonbinary author, was nominated for the prize in 2019; they criticized the award’s organizers last year for seeking information on entrants’ “sex as defined by law.”
“I was eligible this year due to work by those before me—especially Akwaeke Emezi,” Peters wrote on Twitter. “Once again, I am indebted to a sacrifice made by a black trans person.”
I’m very honored to have DETRANSITION, BABY long-listed for the Women’s Prize. I was eligible this year due to work by those before me—especially Akwaeke Emezi. Once again, I am indebted to a sacrifice made by a black trans person. Congratulations to my fellow longlisters. https://t.co/K80hP6FLkC
— Torrey Peters (@torreypeters) March 10, 2021
Leilani made the longlist for Luster, her Kirkus Prize–winning debut novel, as did Bennett for The Vanishing Half.
Other nominees include Yaa Gyasi for Transcendent Kingdom, Ali Smith for Summer, Patricia Lockwood for No One Is Talking About This, and Cherie Jones for How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House.
Bernardine Evaristo, chair of the judging panel for the prize, said that the judges were “confident” they’d chosen 16 outstanding books.
“These novels fascinated, moved, inspired and challenged us and we’re excited at announcing their inclusion on the Women’s Prize longlist,” she said.
The Women’s Prize was first awarded in 1996. Previous winners have included Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, Marilynne Robinson’s Home, and Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
