Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Miranda July among longlisted authors for $55K Women's Prize for Fiction
The U.K. prize annually celebrates the best novel written in English by a woman
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and American author Miranda July are among the 16 authors longlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction.
Since 1996, the £30,000 prize (approx. $55,257 Cdn) annually celebrates the best novel written in English by a woman. Now in its 30th year, the prize seeks to highlight women writers and create a platform wherein they may be recognized in equal measure to their male peers.
Adichie is nominated for her novel Dream Count, which follows four women in America and Nigeria as they reflect on their lives and the choices they made.
Adichie's books include Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Half of a Yellow Sun, which was the recipient of the Women's Prize for Fiction award, Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions.
She received a MacArthur Fellowship and divides her time between the U.S., and Nigeria.
July is recognized for All Fours, a novel which tells the story of an artist in her mid-40s as she deals with her marriage ending and her changing relationship with her body during perimenopause.
July is a Los Angeles writer, filmmaker and artist. Her books include the novel The First Bad Man and short story collection, No One Belongs Here More Than You, which won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.
No Canadians made this year's list.
The complete longlist is as follows:
- Good Girl by Aria Aber
- The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
- Somewhere Else by Jenni Daiches
- Amma by Saraid de Silva
- Crooked Seeds by Karen Jennings
- All Fours by Miranda July
- The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
- The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
- Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell
- A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike
- Birding by Rose Ruane
- The Artist by Lucy Steeds
- Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
- The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
- Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
"These are important, far-reaching novels where brilliantly realised characters navigate the complexities of families and modern relationships, whilst pushing the boundaries placed around them," wrote jury chair Kit de Waal in a press statement.
"It's a list that readers will devour and shows the echoes of world events on everyday lives as well as the power and brilliance of women writing today."
On the jury, de Waal is joined by novelist Diana Evans, author Bryony Gordon, magazine editor Deborah Joseph and musician Amelia Warner.
The shortlist of six novels will be announced on April 2 and the winner will be announced on June 12. In addition to the prize money, this winner will also receive the "Bessie," a bronze statue made by the late British sculptor, Grizel Niven.
Last year's winner was V.V. Ganeshananthan for her novel Brotherless Night.
Canadians who have won the award include Toronto's Anne Michaels for her 1996 novel Fugitive Pieces and Winnipeg's Carol Shields for her 1997 novel Larry's Party.
Other past winners include Maggie O'Farrell, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Zadie Smith.
