The Women’s Prize for Fiction has revealed its shortlist, with six books in contention for the annual award given to a novel written in English and published in the U.K.
Anne Enright was named a finalist for The Wren, the Wren, her novel about the daughter and granddaughter of a celebrated Irish poet. Enright has been a finalist for the prize twice before, for The Forgotten Waltz and The Green Road.
Isabella Hammad made the shortlist for Enter Ghost, about an actor who returns to Palestine from London to visit her sister. The novel is also a finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize.
V. V. Ganeshananthan was shortlisted for Brotherless Night, about a teenage girl caught up in Sri Lanka’s long civil war, while Kate Grenville was named a finalist for Restless Dolly Maunder, about an Australian woman who refuses to conform to what society expects of her as a wife and mother. Grenville won the prize in 2001 for The Idea of Perfection.
Also making the shortlist were Claire Kilroy for Soldier Sailor, about a woman adjusting to being a mother, and Aube Rey Lescure for River East, River West, her debut novel about a biracial teenage girl living in China in 2007 and a young Chinese man in 1985 whose life is changed after meeting an American woman.
The Women’s Prize was established in 1996. Previous winners include Ann Patchett for Bel Canto, Ali Smith for How To Be Both, and Barbara Kingsolver for The Lacuna and Demon Copperhead. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on June 13.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
