The Booker Prize 2024 recently released its shortlisted candidates for the fiction category which has reached international focus within the literary network. This year’s list has female authors dominating the male ones in their numbers which creates an inspiring example. This represents the amplified voices of female authors and a diversity in the gender dynamics. After a gap of 55 years, this is the first occurrence that the list contains five female authors and one male author.
The following books have been shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize:
“Stone Yard Devotional” by Charlotte Wood
Her novel explores the journey of a middle-aged woman who retreats to a convent in New South Wales and celebrates female friendships.
“Creation Lake” by Rachel Kushner
Creation Lake is a spy thriller about an American woman who infiltrates an anarchist collective in rural France.
“Orbital” by Samantha Harvey
“Orbital” is about the story of a team of astronauts in the International Space Station.
“Held” by Anne Michaels
“Held” is a story about a family chronicle exploring the memories of four generations.
“The Safekeep” by Yael van der Wouden
Set in the post-Nazi era Netherlands, this queer love story is about a lonely young woman whose life is turned upside down when a guest comes over to stay in her country house.
“James” by Percival Everett
Inspired by Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this novel explores the narrative from the perspective of a runaway slave named Jim.
The winners will be announced on November 12, 2024, for this year’s fiction novels.
The Booker Prize admits the remarkable works of fiction written in English and published in the UK. It has a panel which involves judges who curate the list of around 12-13 books, out of these selections, only 5 are shortlisted. The recipient of the Award receives a prize of £50,000 along with global recognition for their literary contributions. The previous year saw Paul Lynch as the recipient of the Booker Prize for his novel called “Prophet Song”.
“It was a genuine surprise to us,” said Novelist Sara Collins upon finding five women among the shortlisted members.
