Announcing the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist

The 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist has been announced! This year’s longlist is an interesting mix of genres and both new authors—with seven debut novels on the list—and well-established names.

Kate Williams, the Chair of Judges commented, “I am thrilled to share this longlist–sixteen incredible books by a diverse group of women, from the UK and countries across the world, all brilliant stories that sweep you into another world. Each of them have been a privilege to read, and they have taken us into places a million miles from each other, exploring the lives of women and men in so many different but utterly compelling ways.”

The shortlist will be announced on April 29 and the winner will be announced on June 5th. The 2019 judges include author, historian, and professor Kate Williams; Arifa Akbar, journalist and critic; Dolly Alderton, columnist, broadcaster and author; Leyla Hussein, campaigner and psychotherapist, and digital entrepreneur Sarah Wood.

The 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist

The 2019 longlist is:

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Remembered by Yvonne Battle-Felton

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

The Pisces by Melissa Broder

Milkman by Anna Burns

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li

Bottled Goods by Sophie van Llewyn

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

Praise Song for the Butterflies by Bernice L. McFadden

Circe by Madeline Miller

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Normal People by Sally Rooney

What do you think? Are there any books you were hoping would make the longlist that didn’t? Let us know in the comments!