LONDON (AP) 鈥 American authors Elizabeth Strout and Miranda July are among finalists announced Wednesday for the Womensa国际传媒 Prize for Fiction, alongside four debut novelists exploring the search for freedom in different countries and cultures.
Pulitzer Prize winner Stroutsa国际传媒 Maine-set mystery novel 鈥淭ell Me Everything鈥 and writer'-filmmaker Julysa国际传媒 鈥淎ll Fours,鈥 in which a 鈥渟emi-famous artist鈥 seeks a new life, are shortlisted for the 30,000 pound ($39,000) prize. It's open to female English-language writers from any country.
The contenders also include Dutch writer Yael van der Woudensa国际传媒 postwar story 鈥淭he Safekeep鈥 and German-born poet Aria Abersa国际传媒 novel 鈥淕ood Girl,鈥 about a teenager exploring her dual German-Afghan heritage.
Also on the list are Iran-born writer Sanam Mahloudjisa国际传媒 intergenerational family saga 鈥淭he Persians,鈥 and 鈥淔undamentally鈥 by Britain's Nussaibah Younis, about an academic trying to rehabilitate women caught up with the Islamic State group.
Author Kit de Waal, who is chairing the panel of judges, said that the six books were 鈥渃lassics of the future鈥 that explored 鈥渢he importance of human connection.鈥
鈥淲hat is surprising and refreshing is to see so much humor, nuance and lightness employed by these novelists to shed light on challenging concepts,鈥 she said.
Previous winners of the fiction prize, founded in 1996, include Zadie Smith, and .
Last year, award organizers launched a companion to help rectify an imbalance in publishing. In 2022, only 26.5% of nonfiction books reviewed in Britainsa国际传媒 newspapers were by women, and male writers dominated established nonfiction writing prizes.
Winners of both and fiction prizes will be announced on June 12 at a ceremony in London.