My Dispute with the 2023 Women’s Prize Winner

If you’ve been following me for some time you’ll know that I don’t read along with celebrity driven book clubs—though Oprah, Reese, Jenna and Emma pick some fantastic works to hold up, buy the production rights to, and stand in front of. More work than ever was “bought” during the recent Writer’s and Screen Actor’s Guild strikes that is fastly adapted for Hulu, Netflix, Prime, Apple and Disney. Between TikTok/BookTok and streaming platforms, the authors of these works hopefully have good contracts that include all that Intellectual Property rights express. Social Media has impacted publishing and taste-making significantly and it’s pretty fascinating to watch. In as much that Social Media can be a time burglar and brain drain, it does help to launch new writers and encourage a younger audience to read on trend or to be fashionable…

So, a little bit about the Women’s Prize… The Women’s Prize Trust’s mission is to “change the world through books by women, opening up pathways into reading and writing for the storytellers and book lovers of tomorrow.” The Women’s Prize supports writers at all stages of development and provides resources for women who desire to unlock and enhance their skills. The Women’s Prize seeks to support readers by providing free books, reading group resources that showcase the best writing via an online library that illuminates diverse perspectives. And lately, the Women’s Prize has undergone rebranding and is growing like crazy! Originally an award for fiction, The Women’s Prize has now expanded a second prize for non-fiction because women who passionately research non-fiction topics and craft them into invigorating and satisfying exposition need awarding too. Don’t you think?

The Women’s Prize originated in the UK has been awarding female authors since 1996 and has included fantastic authors like: Ann Patchett, Helen Dunmore, Andrea Levy, Lionel Shriver, Zadie Smith, Chinamanda Ngozi Aidchie, Marilynne Robinson, Tea Obreht, Madeline Miller, Ali Smith, Naomi Alderman, Kamala Shamsie, Tayari Jones, Maggie O’Farrell, Susanna Clarke, Ruth Ozeki and most recently, Barbara Kingsolver (2nd time winner).

Looking at the shortlist in this post’s featured image (the book stack at the top), you might observe that each title is VERY different in every way, so deciding a winner is never an easy task. Speaking of deciders, the judges change every year and with each judging panel come different values and types of expertise that a reader emphasizes and brings to a text. There’s a long list and a larger group of judges and when it boils down to the shortlist the group becomes more intimate.

The 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist judges pictured below are: Tulip Siddiq, award winning novelist Rachel Joyce, journalist & podcaster Irenosen Okojie, and Judge Chair, author and journalist, Louise Minchin.

I haven’t told you which book and author won yet but we’re almost there.. Before I tell you the winner it’s important to note that the judges are looking for a strong author voice, exquisite use of language, a well crafted and artful telling of a story that is timely and leaves a reader feeling like they have just read a fantastic book. There is no theme like in Canada Reads, a Canadian book debate in which judges choose a book to debate on behalf of as a worthy winner, and that their book is the, “One book in Canada that EVERYONE should read.” The Women’s Prize judges simply read all of the books, decide on a longlist, then a shortlist, and then debate and decide.

So who won for 2023?

Rather than repost my review of this national treasure, you can pop over to my April 8, 2023 blogpost titled, “A Case of Fizzle Books” when I take a look at Kingsolver’s, Demon Copperhead and Rebecca Makkai’s, I Have Some Questions For You. Both were extremely popular this year and both just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. But because Demon Copperhead won, it made me want to read the 2023 Women’s Prize shortlist to see if I concur with the esteemed judges. This is what this blogpost is launching—My Dispute With the 2023 Women’s Prize Winner. I aim to see if I agree with the judges by the time I’ve read through the shortlist stack.

So stay tuned my fellow readers because I aim to complete this task though there may be an excursion from it so pardon my dust if/when this happens because I can’t help being a wee bit rebellious.

Final housekeeping. If you want to follow a prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction or Non-Fiction is a great option. Doing this elevates my reading and connects me with a diverse readership. See below for key dates for 2024 prizes and feel welcome to read along next year! Cheers!