Women’s Prize for Fiction unveils 2025 shortlist featuring four debut novelists tackling identity, history and self-discovery

The women’s prize announced its shortlist for fiction, with works investigating personal freedom, the search for identity and the tension between Western values ​​and cultural traditions.

New voices appear a lot on the shortlist, with four of the six participants debuting. These are Aria Aber, Sanam Mahloudji, Nussaibah Younis and Vale van der Wouden.

But Good girl Examine the complexities of a double identity for a teenager born in Germany, but is ashamed of her Afghan heritage.

Younis’s Fundamental Follow a de-radicalization program for ISIS women presented by the United Nations in Iraq, and explores the ethical questions about Western intervention.

Mahloudji’sThe pressesA family drama told by five women whose fate is interwoven with modern Iran is investigating whether it is possible to free ourselves from our past.

Another debut work is In the safe hold By Vale van der Wouden, following a woman in her thirties who lives a lonely existence in her late mother’s home, but her life is strengthened as a young woman moves in. The book tackles the impact of emotional oppression, historical amnesia and themes of sexual desire and self -discovery.

Narratives of women who challenge society’s expectations about motherhood, aging, self -perception and sexuality also appear strongly on the list.

Miranda July, who is shortlisted a second time, depicts an artist’s search for a new kind of freedom in her mid-eighties when she herself on a journey All fours. Julie is an established filmmaker and execution artist, and she has previously published a short story collection.

Elizabeth Stout’s Tell me everything return to characters from her bestseller novel My name is Lucy Barton, While the characters tell their hope and regret in their later years. Naughty, which is the author of nine other novels, is twice a long list for the price (2014s The Burgess boys and 2016’s My name is Lucy Barton) and once on the shortlist for her 2000 book Amy & Isabelle.

The six works were selected by a panel of five judges – Kitde Waal, Diana Evans, Bryony Gordon, Deborah Joseph and Amelia Warner – which were dropped from a long list of 16 writers.

The winner will be announced on Thursday, June 12 during the summer party of the Women’s Prize Trust in Central London, along with the winner of the 2024 Non-Fiction Prize. The winner receives a check for £ 30,000 along with a limited edition bronze statue, known as the ‘Bessie’, created and donated by artist Grizel Niven.

The women’s price for fiction 2025 shortlisted is as follows:

Kit de Waal, chairman of the judges, said that the selection of the shortlist ‘rich, multiple stories celebrate that will surprise, move and rejoice’.

“Over the past three decades, the women’s prize for fiction year after year has celebrated imaginative, competent novels, thereby helping to change the landscape for fiction writing in the UK.”

‘My fellow judges and I have read our submissions over the past six months, which were consumed by the fully realized worlds created by an incredible series of voices. Now that we arrive at the announcement of our shortlist, it is absolutely clear to me how perfect each of these six novels sets out the original little ones of the prizes: originality, accessibility and mere brilliant. ‘

“What is surprising and refreshing is to see so much humor, nuance and lightness used by these novelists to shed light on challenging concepts. I am undoubtedly that these six novels will become the classic of the future.”