The Women’s Prize Trust, in partnership with Curtis Brown literary agency, Curtis Brown Creative writing school, and Audible, has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Discoveries programme, spotlighting six promising debut novelists from across the UK and Ireland.
This year’s shortlist features a rich variety of stories and settings, including a haunting historical novel set in colonial Nigeria, an atmospheric family drama inspired by a perilous Yorkshire river, a contemporary love story in India, a politically charged crime thriller set in East London, a dark comedy about cult wives on the run, and an insider’s look at the restaurant industry. The authors themselves come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from sustainability professionals and teachers to former waitresses, copywriters, and opera singers.
The six shortlisted authors (in alphabetical order) are:
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Muti’ah Badruddeen, A Bowl of River Water
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Sophie Black, The Pass
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Shaiyra Devi, The Persistence of Gravity
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Jac Felipez, A Long Ways from Home
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Rosie Rowell, Down by the Stryth
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Lauren Van Schaik, Seven Sweet Nothings
The Discoveries programme is designed to support women writing their first novel for adults and has now completed its fifth year. Kate Mosse, Chair of the Discoveries Judging Panel, praised the calibre of entries:
“The judging meeting was full of passion, debate, and admiration, making it incredibly difficult to narrow down our longlist to just six. This shortlist highlights the ambition, boldness, and confidence of women writers. In today’s world, stories that foster empathy and understanding are more important than ever.”
Anna Davis and Jess Molloy of Curtis Brown Creative highlighted the programme’s growing impact:
“With debut novels from Discoveries alumni already hitting bookstores, we remain committed to discovering new writing voices. Notably, over 20% of this year’s longlist returned from previous years, demonstrating admirable persistence and resilience that will inspire many others to keep writing and reapply.”
Each shortlisted author will receive a one-to-one mentoring session with a Curtis Brown agent, a complimentary place on a six-week online writing course at Curtis Brown Creative, and participate in a studio session focused on writing and recording for audio with Audible.
The winner, to be announced on 29 May, will receive representation from Curtis Brown and a £5,000 prize. Additionally, one shortlisted author will be named Discoveries Scholar and awarded a full scholarship to Curtis Brown Creative’s three-month Writing Your Novel course, valued at £1,900.
For further information on the shortlisted authors and the Discoveries programme, visit the Women’s Prize Trust website.
