Reading the Women’s Prize Longlist | Wrap Up, Wish List & Shortlist Predictions

I recently finished my readthrough of all 16 books on this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist. With the shortlist due to be announced in less than a week, I thought I’d collate some thoughts here, and see how my wish list compares with my actual predictions when it comes to which ones will make the cut.

To kick things off simply, here is a list of the 16 contenders, in the order I read them. I’ll include my star rating for each, and links to my full reviews should you like to know more in-depth thoughts. Some have improved in my mind over time, others less so, but in the interest of fairness, I have honoured my original rating for them all.

THE LONGLIST

1. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
2. Milkman by Anna Burns | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
3. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
4. Praise Song for the Butterflies by Bernice L. McFadden | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
5. The Pisces by Melissa Broder | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
6. Circe by Madeline Miller | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
7. Ordinary People by Diana Evans | ⭐ ⭐ | Review
8. Bottled Goods by Sophie van Llewyn | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
9. Normal People by Sally Rooney | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
10. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli | ⭐ ⭐ | Review
11. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
12. Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott | ⭐ | Review
13. Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
14. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
15. Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review
16. Remembered by Yvonne Battle-Felton | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

MY THOUGHTS

First off, I’m so glad I committed to reading the longlist. The Women’s Prize is the book prize I tend to be most drawn to, and I’ve often toyed with the idea of making my way through the whole longlist in time for the winner announcement. Overall, I think this year’s line-up is a solid offering. There were new favourites (like Ghost Wall and Normal People); unexpected gems I wouldn’t otherwise have picked up (like The Pisces and Remembered); and only one I categorically hated reading (Swan Song). My average rating across all 16 was 3.44 stars. I’m happy with that, to be honest. It means there were more books on there that I enjoyed than ones I didn’t.

In terms of diversity of authorship, I think it’s a pretty good list. We have the first non-binary author included in the mix (Akwaeke Emezi), which brings up interesting points of discussion regarding the very title and aim of the prize. Multiple countries are represented, and there are several writers of colour on the list, too.

I do think, however, that the list could have been a little more varied in terms of theme and content. The more I mull them all over, the more I see distinct pairings amongst the books. For example, we have two Greek mythology retellings with a feminist slant (Circe and The Silence of the Girls); we have two books that follow the disintegration of a black couple’s relationship (Ordinary People and An American Marriage); and we have two books that examine historical enslavement and its echoes throughout future generations (Praise Song for the Butterflies and Remembered). In all instances, I think the latter offerings were the stronger of the two. In the interest of having a rich selection of topics covered, and therefore the broadest possible appeal to the general public perusing the longlist, I would possibly have omitted the former titles in favour of other books. After all, the concept of something specific like a Greek mythology retelling will either appeal to you or it won’t. If it doesn’t, that’s two books right from the off that you aren’t going to be interested in reading, if you see what I mean.

Whilst taking each title as an individual contribution, there are some that weren’t my cup of tea at all, but I could still admire their intent. In that respect, I could understand the justification behind their inclusion on the list – particularly where topical themes are concerned. The only one I can personally see no argument for is Swan Song. Not only was it damned hard work to get through from a narrative perspective, it was riddled with clichés and problematic characterisation, and I found it thematically vapid. I would certainly have bumped it from the list.

But all that said, I never expected to like everything on the list, and by and large, I can’t complain with what they came up with. If nothing else, there are lots of books on there that will get people talking!

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY

I’ve mentioned a few titles that I think could have been left off the list, but which eligible books do I personally think were overlooked? Which books did I either love or admire enough to think they warranted a place in their own right? Here are a few I’ve read over the past year that spring to mind, all of which would have added a certain flavour to the longlist in terms of plot, theme, genre, or atmosphere that I think was otherwise missing:

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker, Everything Under by Daisy Johnson, The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner, House of Glass by Susan Fletcher, Winter by Ali Smith, The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh, Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller, and XX by Angela Chadwick.

HOPES FOR THE WINNER/SHORTLIST

I’m officially backing Ghost Wall!

The book from the longlist that I would most love to see go on to win is Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss. It is short and nuanced, but my goodness does it pack a punch. It draws on the past to make shrewdly observant comments about gender and power in the present day, and the tension is palpable, building towards a truly haunting final scene. It has so much to say, and it is so wonderfully written; and yet, it can be read in a single sitting. For me, it strikes the perfect balance between thematic impact, beautiful prose, and stimulating plot that makes for a worthy Women’s Prize champion; able to appeal to both seasoned literary enthusiasts and casual readers alike. It’s also a book that stands to gain from the publicity (a perk that some titles don’t necessarily need as much).

In terms of the ones I don’t want to be on the shortlist, Swan Song is the only one that would make me outright angry. On another note, however, if I’m being brutal, I think the one that needs it the least is Milkman. You could easily argue its case, but it won the Man Booker, and you don’t really get a bigger literary endorsement than that. In that sense, it would be nice to see some others get a shout out.

In an ideal world, my shortlist would look as follows:

1. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
2. Normal People by Sally Rooney
3. Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
4. The Pisces by Melissa Broder
5. Remembered by Yvonne Battle-Felton
6. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

And honestly, I’d be happy if either My Sister, the Serial Killer or An American Marriage were on there as well.

SHORTLIST PREDICTIONS

If the titles listed above are the ones I’d be most happy to see on the shortlist, which ones do I actually think are most likely to appear, taking into account the judging panel, the current political climate, and so on? Hmm. I’ve never predicted a shortlist before, but here goes!

1. Milkman by Anna Burns
2. Circe by Madeline Miller
3. Normal People by Sally Rooney
4. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
5. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
6. Remembered by Yvonne Battle-Felton

My prediction for the shortlist

I could be way off, and I’ve swapped a few in and out a couple of times, but that’s the prediction I’m going to go with. I’ll be very interested to see how many (if any) I guessed right!

LET’S CHAT

Have you read the longlist? Which titles are you rooting for? Which ones do you think will actually make the cut?

I have to end this post by giving a massive shout out to my fellow members of the Women’s Prize Squad: Rachel, Hannah, Naty, Sarah, and Steph. I’ve loved sharing our thoughts throughout this whole thing. Our group chat/venting space, glorious spreadsheet, and mutual encouragement have made this experience SO much fun! I’m cheering you all on to the finish line now!

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