Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021 longlist: The inspiring books to read

Reading a truly remarkable novel can be a wonderful way to pass the time – transporting you far and wide, putting you in other people’s shoes and sparking emotion.

If your reading list is in a fallow period, the announcement of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021 longlist will hopefully provide the inspiration you need.

Read more: What the IndyBest team have been reading and loving in lockdown

Founded in 1996, it’s one of the UK’s most prestigious literary awards, showcasing the remarkable originality, accessibility and excellence of novels written by women from around the world. So the longlist offers an exciting opportunity to discover a range of ambitious and outstanding literature.

The 16 books on the longlist are novels written by women and published in the UK between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, and were selected by a panel of five judges: Bernardine Evaristo (chair of the judges), novelist; Elizabeth Day, podcaster, author and journalist; Vick Hope, TV and radio presenter, journalist and writer; Nesrine Malik, print columnist and writer; and Sarah-Jane Mee, news presenter and broadcaster.

Included on the list are six dazzling debut novels, as well as a previously longlisted author and one former winner who has also been shortlisted twice before (Ali Smith).

Speaking about the longlist, Evaristo said: “We read so many brilliant novels for this year’s prize and had an energetic judging session where we discussed our passions, opinions and preferences.”

In order to reach the collection of 16 standout novels, the judges inevitably had to let some “very deserving books go”, but the final list represents a “truly wide and varied range of fiction by women that reflects multiple perspectives, narrative styles and preoccupations,” Evaristo said.

Read more: The Jhalak Prize 2021 longlist books you need to read

It’s fiction’s unique ability to take us on a journey through time and space to new, unchartered territories that makes it constantly exciting. But, while publishing has become increasingly more inclusive, there’s a continued need for greater access to a range of novelist's voices. As such, the Women’s Prize for Fiction remains as important today as when it was first launched.

In honour of the announcement, we’ve taken a look at the whole longlist. Join us in celebrating, championing and supporting female writers from across the globe by adding these books to your “to-read” pile now.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.