We wake up this morning to the exciting news of the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist announcement. The shortlist for the Non-Fiction prize was announced last month and we now know the six books still in with a chance of being crowned Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2024.

In it's 29th year and sponsored by Baileys and Audible the Women's Prize for Fiction celebrates outstanding, ambitious and original fiction written in English by women from around the world. The longlist was announced on the 5th March and we've been waiting with baited breath to see which of those 16 books would be included in today's announcement. 

Joanne Owen described Anne Enright's The Wren, The Wren as "intimate, involving, and intergenerational, this spellbinding novel explores the profound bonds between mothers and daughters, female resilience, and the legacies we inherit from our ancestors." Anne Enright was previously longlisted in 2008 and 2020, and shortlisted on two previous occasions, in 2012 and 2016. 

Another shortlisted title, Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan was reviewed by Liz Robinson when it was released in hardback in June last year. A LoveReading Star Book it is "an unforgettably provocative and emotionally charged novel that delves deeply into a family torn apart by civil war." V. V. Ganeshananthan was previously longlisted in 2009. 

Also amongst the shortlist is debut author Aube Rey Lescure with her mesmerising reversal of the east–west immigrant narrative, River East, River West.

Isabella Hammad's timely, thoughtful and highly anticipated second novel Enter Ghost has also made it onto the shortlist. 2004 Rooney Prize winner Claire Kilroy features on this year's women's prize for fiction shortlist with Soldier Sailor. While previous winner and bestselling author Kate Grenville is included on the shortlist with her latest book Restless Dolly Maunder. 

This year's Chair of Judges is Monica Ali who is joined on the judging panel by actor Indira Varma, presenter and author Anna Whitehouse, author and Illustrator Laura Dockrill and author Ayọb̀ ámi Adébáyọ. 

Commenting on the shortlist, Monica Ali said: ‘This year’s shortlist features six brilliant, thought-provoking and spellbinding novels that between them capture an enormous breadth of the human experience. Readers will be captivated by the characters, the luminous writing and the exquisite storytelling. Each book is gloriously compelling and inventive and lingers in the heart and mind long after the final page.’

We now wait for the Winner of the 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction to be announced on Thursday 13th June at the Women's Prize Trust's Summer Party which is held in central London. The winner will receive a cheque for £30,000 which is anonymously endowed, along with the 'Bessie', a limited edition bronze statuette created and donated by artist Grizel Niven. 

The 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist.

The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright

Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan

Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville

Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammand

Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy

River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure

Keep scrolling to shop the shortlist and let us know in the comments which book you think will take the prize this year.