Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026 | Book Club

It’s the time of year when I sit down to review the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist. I have read the entire longlist of sixteen books; the judges have now whittled those down to just six.

Before I dive in, I must give a quick shout-out to my favourite book from the longlist, which sadly didn’t make the cut. That book is A Guardian and Thief by Megha Majumdar. Set in a not-too-distant future Kolkata where temperatures are soaring and food is scarce, two characters do whatever they can to try and save their families. Ma, who works at a homeless shelter, has acquired climate visas for her family to escape to America. One day, a young man called Boomba breaks into her house and steals them. What unfolds is a gripping and desperate tale of morals. It made me very stressed, and I mean that as a compliment. Along with Hum by Helen Phillips, it’s one of the best climate crisis novels I’ve read in a while.

Now, on to the actual shortlist. Let’s begin with the two that weren’t really my cup of tea, but I’m sure will be adored by many. Heart the Lover by Lily King is a companion novel to her book Writers and Lovers (in fact, it contains spoilers for that book, as Heart the Lover begins before and ends after it). I love a frustrating character or two, but the protagonists in this were a bit too pretentious for me. I’d recommend it for fans of Normal People by Sally Rooney. Similarly, Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly sets out to explore queerness and friendship – a premise which excited me – but the tone of the writing seems to be designed to shock, which didn’t move me in the way I’d hoped. I think if you like either of these books, you’ll enjoy the other; they work well as a pair.

Flashlight by Susan Choi was a book I first read when it was shortlisted for last year’s Booker Prize. It’s an ambitious family saga that feels like a hybrid of other books I’ve loved, such as River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, and The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. The premise: Louisa is walking with her father along the shoreline, when something happens, and she wakes up with her father gone. From there we delve both into past and future, interrogating religion and spirituality, capitalism and communism, unearthing family secrets. Set across Japan, Korea, America, and a small section in Europe, it sometimes felt too meandering to me. However, I did love the characters, there’s fantastic disability representation, and the switch in tone towards the end of the book pleasantly surprised me.

Dominion by Addie E. Citchens is a beautifully written book set in Mississippi. Told from the perspective of Priscilla, the wife of the town’s pastor, and Diamond, the girlfriend of the pastor’s son, it explores church community, suppressed feelings, and the way these women are fighting and bargaining for their survival. I’d recommend it for fans of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw and Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow. I would love this novel to be a little longer, simply to give the plot more room to breathe, but there is much to love here, and it’s a very impressive debut.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is the book from the list that I’d happily recommend to the most people. Told in letter format, we follow the writings of Sybil Van Antwerp, a sharp-witted, quite opinionated woman who rather enjoys giving people a piece of her mind. It’s funny, moving and unexpected in places, and if you’d told me it was written by Elizabeth Strout, I would have believed you. It’s perfect for fans of the Lucy Barton series, and because the reader has to piece together Sybil’s life via letters, I’d also recommend it for fans of Janice Hallett.

My favourite book from this year’s shortlist has to be The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson. Set in Bradford in the 1960s, it opens with our main character, Mercy, narrating her story from the womb. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sold at that point; it’s a device that could be read as mythic, but I found it difficult to take seriously. However, as we continue, following Mercy through her childhood, her voice ultimately captivated me. Mercy’s parents have moved over to the UK from Jamaica at great personal cost; her home life is chaotic, her father is volatile, and her mother thinks her faith will save them all. However, Mercy knows that if anyone is going to save them, it’s going to be her. I desperately wanted to scoop up Mercy and hug her. I needed her to find joy, and anyone who stood in the way of that made me angry. I think that’s a good sign that a book’s got under your skin! Another very impressive debut, and one I would recommend for fans of Kit de Waal.

Have you read any of this year’s Women’s Prize books? Let us know in a comment below before midnight (BST) Wednesday 10 June for the chance to win a copy of this year’s six shortlisted titles. The giveaway winner will be selected at random, and you will be contacted by email if successful.

The winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction will be announced on Thursday 11 June 2026.

Jen Campbell is a bestselling author and disability advocate. She has written fourteen books for children and adults, the latest of which is Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit. She also writes for TOAST Book Club.