Following the longlist announcement in March, this morning, 2nd April, the 30th Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist has been announced. This year's shortlist all spotlight human connection and personal freedom through varying themes. From exploring the tension existing between Western values and cultural traditions to the search for emotional freedom after breaking self-imposed or societal boundaries. Did your favourites from the longlist make the cut?

The 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist

As with the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, the 16 strong longlist has been whittled down to just 6 titles. 

Good Girl by Aria Aber

All Fours by Miranda July 

The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

During this landmark year for the prize the 2025 shortlist delivers debut prowess. Nine of the longlist were from debut novelists and the debut dominance continues with four of the six shortlisted titles crafted by new voices (Aria Aber, Sanam Mahloudji, Yael van der Wouden and Nussaibah Younis). Miranda July is shortlisted for her second novel; whereas Elizabeth Strout is the author of nine other novels, one of which was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2000 and two have been longlisted in 2014 and 2016. 

Thematically the shortlist focuses on a need for personal freedom and human connection along with autonomy, love and friendship as a slave for life's challenges. Humour is utilised to explore difficult subjects such as cultural heritage, with everything from biting satire to more nuanced observational comedy utilised. 

Liz Robinson declared All Fours by Miranda July a Star Book, "A bruisingly vibrant and freeing novel that gives incredibly intimate access to an artist as she journeys into mid-life changes."

Thoughts on the Shortlist from the Judges

The 2025 Chair of judges for the Women's Prize for fiction is Kit De Waal who was longlisted for her novel The Trick to Time. In her published comments about this year's longlist, she said: ‘Over the past three decades the Women's Prize for Fiction has celebrated imaginative, accomplished novels year after year, and in doing so has helped change the landscape for fiction writing in the UK. Over the past six months, my fellow judges and I have been knee-deep in reading our submissions, consumed by the fully-realised worlds created by an incredible range of voices. Now that we arrive at the announcement of our shortlist, what seems absolutely apparent to me is how perfectly each of these six novels exemplify the original tenets of the Prize: originality, accessibility and sheer brilliance. Our selection celebrates rich, multi-layered narratives that will surprise, move and delight the reader, all drawing on, in different ways, the importance of human connection. What is surprising and refreshing is to see so much humour, nuance and lightness employed by these novelists to shed light on challenging concepts. I'm in no doubt that these six novels will become the classics of the future.’

Kit De Waal is joined in this year's judging panel by novelist and journalist Diana Evans; Bryony Gordon, author, journalist and mental-health campaigner; Magazine editor Deborah Joseph and musician and composer Amelia Warner. 

Key Dates for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction

Now that the shortlist has been revealed all that's left is for us to sit back and enjoy reading them until the winner is announced.

This year's winner will be announced at the Women's Prize Trust's summer party held in central London on the 12th June. The winner will receive the iconic statuette known as the 'Bessie', created by Grizel Niven and a cheque for £30,000.