Announcing the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist

We are absolutely thrilled to reveal this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist, in the Prize’s 25th year. The shortlist was announced as a special online event on the Women’s Prize for Fiction social channels by Chair of the Judges Martha Lane Fox.

Martha said: “We are all living in challenging, sad and complex times so incredible stories provide hope, a moment of escape and a point of connection now more than ever. Choosing the shortlist was tough – we went slowly and carefully and passions ran high – just as you would want in such a process. But we are all so proud of these books – all readers will find solace if they pick one up.”

Joining Martha on the 2020 judging panel are writer and activist Scarlett Curtis, writer and activist, Melanie Eusebe, co-founder of the Black British Business Awards, author and comedian Viv Groskop and Paula Hawkins, international bestselling author.

The 2020 shortlist is as follows.

• Dominicana by Angie Cruz
• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
• A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
• The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
• Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell
• Weather by Jenny Offill

Our brilliant judging panel will now whittle these 16 books down to a shortlist of just 6 novels, announced on April 22nd. The 25th winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction will be announced on Wednesday 9th September.

Watch the online announcement event with Martha Lane Fox now >

And keep your eyes peeled to our social channels for a chance to win all six shortlisted books. Join in the conversation @WomensPrize about this year’s brilliant novels.