On 3 March 2020, when the longlist for this year's Women's Prize was announced with 16 nominees, I boldly predicted that the shortlist would feature Enright, Mantel, O'Brien, O'Farrell and Patchett. Well, I was only half right! Anne Enright, Ann Patchett and Edna O'Brien fell off the list along the way.
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
The two big hitters are the Booker Prize winning authors Evarasto and Mantel and I would be delighted if either won. However, I have a secret hope that Maggie O'Farrell sneaks through. She is a gifted writer and her Hamnet deserves to be widely read and praised.
The winner will be revealed on 9 September 2020. Happy reading!