The 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction has unveiled its highly anticipated shortlist, showcasing a diverse array of novels that reflect global stories, unique voices, and pressing societal themes. Among the six books nominated, four are debuts, highlighting the emerging talents that are beginning to shape the literary landscape.
The 2025 shortlist presents a wide range of genres and narratives, from the exploration of queer love in post-WW2 Amsterdam to a satirical story of an aid worker traveling to Iraq to return ISIS brides to their home countries. Notable names include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout and acclaimed filmmaker Miranda July.
Strout’s Tell Me Everything follows Bob Burgess, a town lawyer in Maine, who becomes entangled in a murder investigation while forming a profound friendship with Lucy Barton, a well-known writer. The novel weaves themes of friendship, love, and the desire for connection, marking another powerful addition to Strout’s body of work.
Miranda July’s All Fours has also made the shortlist, with the author’s signature blend of humor and introspection. This road trip novel explores a woman’s journey of self-reinvention after she abandons her family, ultimately embarking on a path that reshapes her future. All Fours is described as a compelling exploration of monogamy, motherhood, and identity.
The list also includes Good Girl by Aria Aber, a critically lauded debut set in Berlin that explores the complexities of identity and self-discovery, and The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji, a moving family saga that spans generations, reflecting on political and personal upheavals in Iran and America.
Other notable works include Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis, described as a “Muslim Fleabag,” which deftly tackles themes of love, family, religion, and radicalism, and The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, a psychological drama set in post-World War II Netherlands.
The winner of the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction will be announced on June 12, with the recipient receiving £30,000 and the iconic bronze statuette, ‘Bessie.’ The judging panel for this year’s prize is chaired by author Kit de Waal and includes notable figures such as journalist Bryony Gordon, former Glamour UK editor Deborah Joseph, and musician Amelia Warner.
