Highlights from the Grazia & Women’s Prize Book Club

Last night, at Foyles Charing Cross Road, four brilliant women came together to discuss their favourite debut novels and their own journey to being published.

Chaired by novelist and Women’s Prize Founder Director Kate Mosse, our brilliant panel included bestselling author of The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins, Emily Phillips, Grazia Magazine’s Features Director and debut author of Trying, debut author of The Lido Libby Page and writer, artist, lecturer and activist, Season Butler whose first novel Cygnet publishes later this year. The panellists shared inspiring personal stories about being published and discussed the debut novels which spur them on as writers.

First up, Season Butler told the audience of her love for Quicksand & Passing by Hella Larsen ‘It universalises the feeling of being an outsider, of being looked at.’

Then Emily Phillips spoke of adoring Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney and being impressed by how accomplished it is as a debut, she said: ‘It’s intensely cool. She just knows her voice.’

Debut author Libby Page spoke of her favourite book Sarah Winman’s When God Was A Rabbit, saying: ‘There are moments when you laugh out loud, and moments that are crushingly sad.’

Finally, the brilliant Paula Hawkins discussed Emily Ruskovich’s Idaho, commenting on what a terrific achievement it is, saying: ‘It ticks all my boxes. There’s a terrible act of violence at the beginning…’

Stay tuned to the @WomensPrize Twitter for a chance to win our brilliant panellist’s debut book choices!