Desmond Elliott Prize 2022 shortlist announced

In the UK, the shortlist for this year’s £10,000 ($17,400) Desmond Elliott Prize, presented to the best first novel from UK and Ireland, has been announced.

The shortlisted novels are:

• Iron Annie (Luke Cassidy, Bloomsbury)
• Keeping the House (Tice Cin, And Other Stories)
• Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies (Maddie Mortimer, Picador).

According to the prize organisers, all three titles feature female protagonists ‘who have been dealt a difficult hand, from heartbreak to economic deprivation to a devastating medical diagnosis’.

‘This was a difficult shortlist to pull together as there were so many incredible books to choose from, but the three that we have chosen we feel best reflect the spirit of the Desmond Elliott Prize,’ said judging panel chair and past prize winner Derek Owusu. ‘Each book is inventive, transportive and possesses the ability to elicit that feeling of awe that every reader recognises when they’re reading a profound piece of literature.’

The winner of the 2022 Demond Elliott Prize will be announced on 1 July. For more information, visit the website of the UK’s National Centre for Writing.

Category: International news