Women's Prize for Fiction 2025 shortlist reaction

Here are my thoughts about the 6 novels shortlisted for 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction. Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.

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Winner: June 12

My full reviews of some of the books:

Books discussed:

Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell

Stag Dance by Torrey Peters

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden

All Fours by Miranda July

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji

Good Girl by Aria Aber

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
3:29 The Safekeep
5:24 Tell Me Everything
7:45 All Fours
10:14 Good Girl
12:45 The Persians
15:40 Fundamentally
17:04 Conclusion

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Get in touch

[cmleidi]

I'm disappointed in the longlist although I am rooting for The Safe Keep. I do admire your positivity and how you always add so much to discussions of the women's prize books and just books in general. We need more people like you.

[lauramartin]

Fundamentally was phenomenal, I actually hope it has a chance. As someone who has worked in ex pat/humanitarian spaces, I can tell you it's very accurate. The best paragraph though is actually the very last paragraph in the acknowledgements/afterward at the end.

[DC-iznb]

The Persians is such a fun read. I like a book which has historical context, family issues, shopping, parental influence, diverse characters. I actually couldn’t put it down until I finished the book. Give it a go

[Coffeeismysavior]

I have only read All Fours and I loved it, personally. Adding the others to my very long TBR :D

[caralaggarwal]

So excited to have All Fours, Safekeep and Fundamentally on the shortlist! 🙌🙌

[jenniereece]

I’m really keen to read All Fours especially because of the strong feeling it evokes in its readers! They seem to either love it or hate it, not much in between. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the shortlist.

[davidde]

Excellent, Eric as always. Thank you. The only one I've read from this shortlist is The Safe Keep. I very much enjoyed it because it's an imaginative yet believable story which is well written. The middle felt a bit flat as I found the telling of the primary relationship and its description seemed to drag on a bit. I've not read any of the others. I have read a couple of the Elizabeth Stroud "Maine novels" and have not found them compelling enough to read the one shortlisted here.

[Ali-AvidReader]

A real surprise of a shortlist for me. Glad Elizabeth Strout made it!

[JPT-kgfm]

A useful reminder not to allow our reading choices to be dictated by a literary establishment. There are a few books on the longlist I thought might be worth reading st some point, but of them only the Safe Keep is on the shortlisst.

[literallyelza]

I think your take on the shortlist is great and I'll try to see it that way as well and think about all the interesting discussion that will happen! I must admit, I'm not too sure about the shortlist. While I can undestand why the books were selected, I personally wouldn't have included some of them (I have read 5/6). Out of these, my favourite is Good Girl. I think the winner might really suprise us :)

[BookishAdventuresInWellbeing]

I really hope you enjoy Fundamentally. It was my favourite alongside Nesting so far.

[janethansen]

What a surprising list! All Fours...oh dear.

[cazandcats]

I've only read The Safekeep and loved it! I can't wait to read the rest! Immediately ordered for same day delivery 😍 Disappointed Amma and The Dream Hotel weren't shortlisted, as I was keen to read them. But for now, they can remain on my wishlist!

[techidna-ht]

Great review of All Fours. Go Miranda!

[emmavd]

Thanks, Eric!🌷I’ve read Tell Me Everything and Fundamentally, and enjoyed them both. I don’t think I’ll be reading more from this shortlist. I’m currently reading Somewhere Else and liking it very much. Next is going to be Raising Hare (non-fiction shortlist), and, after that, The Artist.

[CharlieBrookReads]

Great to hear your thoughts & reactions Eric.

I am with you in that I like when the list is a bit unexpected with books that *divide opinions. (*To an extent obv)

Sad about Nesting & a Little Trickerie but pleased the longlist pushed me to get to them.

There are still quite a few on the shortlist I am interested 😊

[meenuthangam]

Rooting all the way for 'The Safekeep', it was my best read in 2024

[don]

I like this list. I’ve read The Safekeeping and All Fours and liked them both. The rest seem interesting. Thanks for the summary, Eric!

[PabloReyesVelasco]

Oh my, crazy shortlist. Rooting for 'The Safekeep' now but looks like 'All Fours' will win. Thanks, Eric!

[dqan]

No opinion on the award except to say I need/want to dive into Strout. Can't say she's high on my TBR, but she's so darn prolific; I have some catching up to do. (I haven't even started, so I cant say for certain I'll even like her work, but I think I will.)