Ora et Labora

Longlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize, Emily Maguire's Rapture (2024) is a brilliant work of historical fiction.

Set in the ninth century, the story begins in 821 in Mainz where young, motherless Agnes is being raised by her father, an English priest. She hides under the table and listens to the guests her father entertains talk about religion and a world outside her hometown. Her father teaches her to read and gives her books from which she learns history and religion. As she enters her teens and becomes of marriageable age, she grows fearful that her life will be diminished and that she is fated to die in childbirth.

She meets Randulf, a Benedictine monk, who visits the house. Most of her father's guests ignore her, but Randulf engages, asking her opinions and valuing her insight. They become friends and he brings her books by Cicero, Virgil and others which expand her worldview. When her father dies, she is destined to enter a convent. She pleads with Randulf for another solution. He helps disguise her as a man and brings her to Fulda Abbey where she trains as a Benedictine monk under the name Brother John.

For the next few years, as John, Agnes' skills are put to use translating and transcribing ancient texts. She lives a humble life of devotion, prayer and contemplation, forever fearful that her body will betray her and her secret will be exposed. Eventually she leaves the Abbey and travels to Greece and later to Rome. With each move she uses her knowledge of theology and oratory skills to secure a position. She becomes known for her charity and kindness, a contrast to many men in the church who use their positions to acquire wealth or favour. In Rome, her stature grows and she is appointed Pope Johannes Anglicus and reigned for two years (855-857) before her story ends. 

Maguire has based her novel on the legend of Pope Joan about a medieval woman who disguised herself as a man and ascended to the highest religious office. While it is most likely merely a myth, it is certainly a tantalising tale given the staunch patriarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, providing Maguire with an opportunity to craft a story from the female point of view. 

I absolutely loved this novel and was engrossed in the tale from the outset. It is a story of love, devotion, and friendship. Agnes is a fully formed character with curiosity and desire. Maguire has vividly portrayed the time and place, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the story. I would highly recommend Rapture to anyone who enjoys works of historical fiction like Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait (2022), Hannah Kent's Devotion (2021) or Kate Grenville's A Room Made of Leaves (2020). 

Emily Maguire is such a fascinating author, shifting seamlessly between genres. I have written previously about her brilliant Aussie Noir crime novel An Isolated Incident (2016) and her compelling contemporary fiction Love Objects (2021). She is an author to watch and I am cheering her on for the Stella Prize!

Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2025

On 4 March 2025, the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist was revealed! The annual literary award celebrating women writers has previously recognised the talents of so many gifted writers, including these past winners:

Barbara Kingsolver - Demon Copperhead (2023)

Ruth Ozeki - The Book of Form and Emptiness (2022)

Susanna Clarke - Piranesi (2021)

Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet (2020)

Tayari Jones - An American Marriage (2019)

Lionel Shriver - We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005)

Andrea Levy - Small Island (2004)

 

The 2025 longlist is as follows:

Aria Aber - Good Girl

The judges summarise this novel as 'Set in Berlin’s artistic underground and nightclub scene, it follows Nila, a young woman born to Afghan parents as she comes to terms with her identity.' She tells people her background is Greek, not Afghani. Nila meets Marlowe Woods, a once famous American writer, and is exposed to a creative life. Aber was raised in Germany and is now based in America where she teaches creative writing.

 

Kaliane Bradley - The Ministry of Time

A disaffected civil servant takes on a job in a new ministry. The judges summarise the book as 'a genre-bending novel, which combines sci-fi, romance, a spy thriller, fantasy and historical fiction. It tells the story of a civil servant who falls in love with a man from 1847 who is brought into the present via a time machine.' This is British-Cambodian author Bradley's debut novel. I have had my eye on this book for some time and can't wait to read it.

Jenni Daiches - Somewhere Else

Rosa Roshkin is five years old when her family is murdered in a pogrom. Fleeing Poland, she is adopted by a Scottish family.  The judges describe this as 'an epic generational story about womanhood and living in a country when you feel home is 'somewhere else'. Spanning the main character's lifetime and witnessing the effect of momentous events such as both World Wars, the creation of Israel and the fall of the Berlin Wall, it shows the dramatic effect on the family for generations to come.' American author Daiches has lived in Scotland for the past fifty years and is the author of three previous novels and two collections of poetry.

Saraid de Silva - Amma

In 1951, ten-year-old Josephina kills her abuser. Decades later her granddaughter sets out to discover what happened to her family and shy they left Sri Lanka. The judges describe this as 'a multi-generational story about a Sri Lankan woman, her daughter and granddaughter, spanning decades and countries from Sri Lanka to New Zealand.' de Silva is a Sri Lankan author living in New Zealand. This is her first novel.

Karen Jennings - Crooked Seeds

Deidre sees herself as a victim and as such frees herself of all obligations. When she returns to her family home in Cape Town she is forced to accept the truth of her past. Jennings is an award-winning South African writer, known for her previous novels Finding Soutbek (2012) and An Island (2020).

Miranda July - All Fours

An artist leaves her family in Los Angeles to drive across the country for a work trip. A short drive from home, she checks into a motel and stays for the duration of her time away, reflecting on her life and marriage. Consumed by her fear of life after menopause, she sets out to explore her sexual fantasies before it is too late. July is a filmmaker, performance artist and writer, best known for her previous novel The First Bad Man (2015). I absolutely loved All Fours, especially with the audiobook narrated by the author. My review is available on this blog. 

Laila Lalami - The Dream Hotel

Returning home from a trip, Sara is pulled aside at the airport by agents from the Risk Assessment Administration. Using data from her dreams, they predict she may be about to commit a crime. She is held for observation for 21 days in the dream hotel to ensure that she is no danger. Laila Lalami is an American author of five books. I love speculative fiction, so many need to check this out, although it does sound a bit like Minority Report.

Sanam Mahloudji - The Persians 

In Iran the matriarch of the Valiat family, Elizabeth, remained in Tehran despite the revolution. Her daughters moved to America where they have established new lives for themselves.  Decades later the family is fractured and one daughter seeks to restore her family's reputation after scandal. London based author Mahloudji was born in Tehran and fled during the Islamic Revolution. This is her debut novel.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Dream Count

The latest novel by acclaimed Nigerian author of Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and Americanah (2013), Dream Count was widely anticipated to be on the longlist. It tells the story of four Nigerian/American women during the pandemic. Each woman has their own ambitions and desires, and life hasn't necessarily proceeded according to plan. After a ten year absence from publishing, it is great to have new work by this brilliant author.

Roisin O'Donnell - Nesting

Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change her life as she grabs her daughters and drives away from an unsafe home in Dublin. Facing life without a safety net, she has to navigate housing and social security, all the while facing pressure from her husband to return. Can she break free from a toxic relationship and start over? O'Donnell is an award-winning Irish author of short stories. Nesting is her first novel.

Rosanna Pike - A Little Trickerie

Tibb Ingleby has lived a vagabond life. Orphaned and alone, she travels across medieval England. The judges said this is a '...moving and funny historical novel, in which a rag-tag band of waifs and strays try to pull off the heist of the sixteenth century. Cheeky, charming and almost Chaucerian, A Little Trickerie is a joy to behold.'  Pike is a former primary school teacher and English literature student. This is her debut novel.

Rose Ruane - Birding

In the 1990s Lydia was a teenage pop star. Now three decades later she is caught up in the #MeToo movement when a former lover asks forgiveness. Middle aged Joyce lives at home with her mother Betty. Joyce and Lydia having seemingly unconnected lives, but may end up colliding. The judges said Birding is 'the story of two very different women who live in a seaside town in Britain - it speaks to the reality of being a woman not only today, but also coming of age in the nineties and noughties.' Scottish artist and author Ruane is also the author of This is Yesterday (2019). 

Lucy Steeds - The Artist

It is the summer of 1920 in Provence. Ettie resides in a remote farmhouse with her reclusive artist uncle, the great Edouard Tartuffe. An aspiring journalist, Joseph, arrives to interview the artist. The longer Josepg spends in the household, the more curious he is about what secrets like beneath. This is British author Steeds' debut novel.

Elizabeth Strout - Tell Me Everything

In Crosby, Maine, lawyer Bob Burgess is defending a lowly man accursed of murdering his mother. He is also in a deep friendship with local writer Lucy Barton. Meanwhile Lucy befriends the elderly Olive Kitteridge , who tells her stories of peoople's lives. Strout is a Pulitzer Prize winning author best known for her Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton series of novels. I enjoyed reading Kitteridge a few months ago and would be keen to go back into Strout's world. 

Yael van der Wouden - The Safekeep

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, the Netherlands is quiet and has been reconstructed. In a rural Dutch province, Isabel lives a peaceful life in her late mother's country home. When her brother Louis and his girlfriend Eva show up for an extended stay, Isabel's life is disrupted. Dutch author van der Wouden is a lecturer in literature and creative writing. I read this novel last month and really loved it.  My review is available on this blog. 

Nussaibah Younis - Fundamentally

Academic Nadia has been dumped by her lover Rosy and disowned by her mother. She decides to take on a job with the UN in Iraq, rehabilitating ISIS women. Here she meets a young East Londoner who joined ISIS at fifteen. Nadia recognises herself in this girl and finds herself bonded in friendship until a confession upends everything again. Author Dr Nussaibah Younis is a peacebuilding practitioner an expert on contemporary Iraq.

The chair of the judges Kit de Waal said of this longlist:

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. 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.

My thoughts on the Longlist

This was an exciting list given there was so many surprises. Last week I blogged my predictions for which books would make the cut. I correctly guessed four titles - novels by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,  Kaliane Bradley, Miranda July and Yael van der Wouden - would make the list. I had expected to see Sally Rooney, Ali Smith, Elif Shafak and Anne Tyler as well and am surprised that one or two of those didnt make it. I am also a bit disappointed that no Australian authors made the list as I was rooting for Emily Maguire or Evie Wyld to be longlisted.

Many of these authors I have not heard of, so I am delighted to be exposed to new writers. Last year's longlist gave me many hours of reading pleasure, so I am hopeful that this year's list will do the same. I have read and loved the novels by July and van der Wouden.  I am also keen to track down the works by Bradley, Pike, Strout and Lailami.

If I had to pick a shortlist, I would choose All Fours, Dream Count, The Safekeep and Tell Me Everything   to be among those listed. 

The shortlist will be announced on 2 April 2025 and the winner will be revealed on 12 June 2025. Happy reading!

Want more Longlist fun? Here are the judges announcing the longlist.

Stella Prize Longlist 2025

The 2025 Stella Prize longlist has been released! The annual literary award celebrating women and non-binary writers of both fiction and non-fiction is named after Australian author Stella Miles Franklin. 

Past winners include some of my favourite books on recent years:

Sarah Holland-Batt for The Jaguar (2023)

Evelyn Araleun for Drop Bear (2022)

Evie Wyld for The Bass Rock (2021)

Jess Hill for See What You Made Me Do (2020)

Vicki Laveau-Harvie for The Erratics (2019)

Alexis Wright for Tracker (2018)

Heather Rose for The Museum of Modern Love (2017)

Charlotte Wood for The Natural Way of Things (2016)

Emily Bitto for The Strays (2015)

Claire Wright for The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka (2014)

Carrie Tiffany for Mateship with Birds (2013)

On 4 March 2025, the longlist was revealed with 12 nominees. I have already read two of the books and loved them, and others are on my wish list.

The 2025 longlist is as follows:

Jumaana Abdu - Translations 

This debut novel focuses on Aliyah and her daughter Sakina who move from the city to rural New South Wales to start a new life. Here she takes in others who have also been displaced. Abdu is a junior medical doctor who has been published in various publications and collections. She is the recipient of the Dal Stivens Award and the Patricia Hackett Prize.

Manisha Anjali - Naag Mountain 

A debut collection of poetry by Indo-Fijian poet Manisha Anjali. Her work covers themes of displacement, community and history. The judges said 'An incantatory debut collection, Manisha Anjali's Naag Mountain takes its shape in the brilliant language of dreams.' Anjali is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne.

Melanie Cheng - The Burrow 

I recently finished this delightful novel about a family coming to terms with grief and isolation. Beautifully written, told from the point of view of each main character, this is a heartwarming and hopeful story.  Cheng is a gifted writer and general practitioner. I am so pleased this novel is on the list. My review of The Burrow is available on this blog. 

Santilla Chingaipe - Black Convicts: How Slavery Shaped Australia

When Australia was colonised, slaves were among those on the First Fleet in 1788. By 1840 there were 500 slaves in the colony. In this work of non-fiction, historian Chingaipe explores who these slaves were and how the nation's history has been whitewashed. 

Michelle de Krester - Theory and Practice 

This novel tells the story of a young woman in Melbourne in 1986. There to research the novels of Virginia Woolf, she meets Kit and her ambitions change. Acclaimed author de Krester has previously received the Miles Franklin Award twice - for Questions of Travel (2013) and The Life to Come (2018).

Dylin Hardcastle - A Language of Limbs 

Summer 1972 in Newcastle NSW. A teenage girl is in the throws of her first love, desiring her female best friend. Following these women over three decades, during a period where it was dangerous to be openly queer, this novel is about love, friendship and desire. This novel has been optioned for the screen.

Emily Maguire - Rapture 

I have just finished this wonderful novel and absolutely thrilled it is longlisted. Set in the ninth century, this historical novel is about Agnes, who disguises herself as a man and devotes herself to religious study as a Benedictine monk. Maguire is a phenomenal writer. My review will be posted on this blog shortly.

Amy McQuire - Black Witness 

Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist McQuire's essay collection has been described by the judges as a 'must-read for all engaged citizens, especially journalists who want to represent the fullness of contemporary Australia. 

Samah Sabawi - Cactus Pear for My Beloved 

This memoir is about a family from Gaza who fled Palestine to start a new life in Australia. Sabawi shares the story of her parents, and families in similar circumstances, forced to flee their homelands and the intergenerational trauma and displacement that comes with this experience. Sabawi is an author, playwright and poet. 

Mykaela Saunders - Always will Be 

Set in the Tweed, this collection of short stories reimagines a future in which Goori people have reasserted their sovereignty. She writes of people exerting self-determination and incorporating non-Indigenous people into their communities. Dr Mykaela Saunders is an award winning Koori/Goori and Lebanese author. This collection won the David Unpin award. 

Inga Simpson - The Thinning 

In this apocalyptic thriller, Fin and her mother live off the grid in an isolated camp in the Warrambungles. The planet is on the brink of collapsed, fertility rates have dramatically declined and species are becoming extinct.  Fin must travel across the Pilliga to a radio tower before time runs out. The judges described this novel as 'an electric and melancholy tale, disturbingly believable but ultimately - and surprisingly - hopeful.' Simpson is an acclaimed novelist and nature writer.

Cher Tan - Peripathetic 

This collection of essays is about work, being yourself, being online and much more. The judges write 'Funny and strange and breathing so fast, Peripathetic is a remarkable work. Tan has produced an utterly unique entry in Australian letters.' Born in Singapore, Tan lives in Adelaide and her work has been published widely. This is her first book.

For more information and the complete judges comments, see the Stella Prize website. 

I watched the livestream of the longlist announcement and was really disappointed that it had terrible audio and was clearly filmed on someone's phone. It was almost impossible to hear what was being announced. Quite a contrast to the announcements of the Women's Prize, which is so much more professionally done. 

This year's list seems like an improvement on recent years where the works were often obscure and unrelatable. I still wish that this focussed primarily on fiction, rather than other genres, but I am pleased to see half the titles are novels. 

Of the longlist, the titles I am most interested in are the works by de Krester, Hardcastle, Chingaipe, and Simpson. If I had to pick a shortlist - I would sincerely hope to see Cheng, Maguire and de Krester among those listed.

The Shortlist will be announced on 8 April 2025 with the winner of the $60,000 prize will be announced on 23 May 2025. 

The Velveteen Rabbit

Set in Melbourne during the end of the pandemic, Melanie Cheng's The Burrow (2024) is a beautifully written story about a family and their experiences of grief. 

Amy, Jin and their 10 year old daughter Lucie live a quiet life in isolation. At the outset we learn that this family is still navigating their loss, four years earlier, of six-month old Ruby who accidentally drowned in the bath. This tragedy has seen each family member turn inward - Jin focussing on his work as a doctor, Amy writing her second book, and Lucie trying to make herself as small as possible to escape the tension in the household. Then Amy's mother Pauline comes to stay in their granny flat, adding another layer of complexity.

Lucie has long wanted a pet. Her parents finally conceded, bringing home a small fawn coloured rabbit. They set up a hutch in the backyard and observe this timid creature as he sniffs around the garden. This little rabbit breaks the stagnant routine of their lives and sets forth a reconciliation of sorts as the family come to terms with their long-held and often unspoken grief.

Told in alternating chapters from the third person point of view of Amy, Jin, Lucie and Pauline, The Burrow could have been a depressing book about loss. Melanie Cheng's gentle prose and gifted storytelling elevates the story and showcases the realistic, everyday life of a normal family and the tender hope that holds them together. 

I loved The Burrow and thoroughly recommend it. Despite the sad themes, this is an uplifting, hopeful and heartwarming story.