Bailey’s Prize shortlist for 2015
The Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist is out.
I love following the Bailey’s Prize (formerly the Orange prize).
There has been some criticism that there is no longer any need for a separate prize for female authors, but if the final list of last year’s Booker prize (see my earlier post) is anything to go by, this seems a bit of a fairy-tale.
Since I skewer more heavily in favor of women authors, this short list helps inform my upcoming summer reading, I’m always on the lookout for the shortlist.
And what an impressive short list it is:
- Rachel Cusk – Outline
- Laline Paull – The Bees
- Kamila Shamsie – A God in Every Stone
- Ali Smith – How To Be Both
- Anne Tyler – A Spool of Blue Thread (see my earlier post on Tyler)
- Sarah Waters – the Paying Guests
The winner will be named 3 June.
Congratulations to all finalists – and happy reading to the rest of us!
It’s a tough call whether or not separating women’s literature from men’s. I am once more rearranging crowded bookshelves at my home and decided for a whole shelf dedicated to women’s literature. I will put it in my daughter’s room since she and I favor the same kind of writing. By doing so I give these authors more visibility, but on the other hand our largest bookshelves in the living area are now packed with books written by men. So I think that any award, prize recognition that can honor women writers and help to spread the news about the quality of books written by them is good. It’s hard to believe that we are still treated as a minority, but truth is we are. Great post, Kimberly, and great selection of books. I wish each writer the best of luck.
I agree with you, Evelyne. It does seem a good selection of books this year! Nice story about rearranging your bookshelves, and knowing that your daughter will have the lion’s share of women authors in her room. Those authored by her mom, too, I hope? : ) BTW, hope you’re busy writing for the Writer’s Abroad submissions!
I am busy writing for that! 😊
[…] already posted the 2015 short list on my site, and I don’t envy the judges for what must have been a difficult decision. I look […]