The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction’s inaugural longlist includes 15 writers from across Canada and the U.S., one of whom will win the $150,000 USD grand prize, presented by BMO.
Toronto / Chicago, March 8, 2023 — The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, a major new literary prize for women and non-binary writers, has announced its longlist of 15 Canadian and U.S. authors, chosen by a Jury of esteemed writers including Anita Rau Badami, Merilyn Simonds, Monique Truong, katherena vermette and Crystal Wilkinson.
The 2023 Prize longlist authors and books are:
- Daphne Palasi Andreades, Brown Girls (Random House)
- Fatimah Asghar, When We Were Sisters (One World)
- Andrea Barrett, Natural History: Stories (Norton)
- Lisa Hsiao Chen, Activities of Daily Living (Norton)
- Francine Cunningham, God Isn’t Here Today (Invisible Publishing)
- Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Woman of Light (One World)
- Liana Finck, Let There Be Light (Random House)
- Emma Hooper, We Should Not Be Afraid of the Sky (Penguin Canada)
- Gish Jen, Thank You, Mr. Nixon (Knopf)
- Chelene Knight, Junie (Book*hug Press)
- Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, What We Fed to the Manticore (Tin House)
- Tsering Yangzom Lama, We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies (McClelland & Stewart)
- Suzette Mayr, The Sleeping Car Porter (Coach House Books)
- Alexis Schaitkin, Elsewhere (Celadon Books)
- Namwali Serpell, The Furrows: A Novel (Hogarth)
“After months of diligent reading, we are pleased to have such a beautiful list to share. Exceptionally diverse in its writers and stories, its breadth and depth of subject, style and form, this inaugural long list is a truly stellar representation of all the women and non-binary writers currently sharing their voices in Canada and the United States. Congratulations to these amazing longlist writers and their publishers,” shared the Jury for The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.
The longlist was selected from more than 250 eligible entries of fiction books written by Canadian and U.S. women and non-binary writers, written and published in English in 2022. The winner will receive $150,000 USD and a residency at Fogo Island Inn, and the four finalists will each receive $12,500 USD.
The prize purse is made possible by a generous donation of $200,000 USD by BMO, the Prize’s flagship sponsor. BMO will donate this amount for the 2023 and 2024 Prize.
“BMO is committed to helping break down the barriers faced by women and non-binary writers,” said Kimberley Goode, Chief Communications and Social Impact Officer at BMO and a Board Director of the Carol Shields Prize Foundation. “We are proud to support the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and the work the Foundation is leading to drive progress and champion gender equity in the literary world.”
“After a decade of planning and fundraising, the three of us are thrilled to see the longlist of nominees. To have your book singled out by a jury for a major literary prize like the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is a lasting honor and we congratulate every nominee and wish them all good luck,” said Janice Zawerbny, Don Oravec and Susan Swan, co-founders of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.
Future key announcement dates include:
- Thursday, April 6 — Shortlist announcement of 5 finalists.
- Thursday, May 4 — Winner announced during a live and live streamed event at Ann Patchett’s celebrated Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction aims to rapidly address the continued inequality of women in the literary world. Women writers earn 45% less than their male counterparts.1 And, while men make up 55% of readers for the top 10 bestselling male authors, men make up only 19% of readers for the top 10 bestselling women authors.2
In addition to the Prize itself, the Carol Shields Prize Foundation supports more than 10 residencies, mentorships and scholarship opportunities for women and non-binary writers.
1 Writers Union of Canada
2 LitHub
