Winn awarded Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2023

In the UK, Alice Winn has won the £5000 (A$9815) Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize for In Memoriam (Viking), reports the Bookseller.

In Memoriam traces a love story between two First World War soldiers, ‘whilst meditating on the tragedies of war and the precious sanctuary that can be found in deep human connection’.

Waterstones head of books and campaigns Bea Carvalho said: ‘We were all blown away by Alice’s powerful and emotive storytelling, and intimate command of her epic historical canvas: it is a truly stunning feat of fiction which manages to be at once desperately heart-shattering and full of hope, and comfortingly classic yet daringly original.’ ‘The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize aims to celebrate the future of fiction: it is in safe hands with new novelists like Alice Winn,’ Carvalho said.

Winn was awarded at a ceremony at the flagship Waterstones bookshop in Piccadilly, London, on 23 August. In Memoriam was chosen as the winner from a shortlist of six announced in July.

Last year’s prize winner, The Rabbit Hutch (Tess Gunty, Oneworld), saw a sales increase of over 800% upon winning the award, according to Waterstones.

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