The shortlist for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced, narrowing the longlist of 16 to six compelling novels. Ahead of the winner’s announcement today, experts from academia and literary circles offer their insights into the finalists.
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Penguin/Roosmarijn Broersen
Yael van der Wouden’s debut novel revisits a harrowing period in Dutch history, focusing on the expropriation and theft of Jewish property during and after World War II. The story follows three siblings in 1961 as they grapple with their mother’s death and the lingering trauma of wartime losses. Protagonist Isabel maintains the family home while uncovering unsettling truths about theft and restitution. The novel shines a light on the personal and historical wounds left by the Nazi occupation.
— Manjeet Ridon, Associate Dean International, Arts, Design and Humanities
Good Girl by Aria Aber
Bloomsbury Publishing/Nadine Aber
Aria Aber’s poetic debut traces the life of Nila, an Afghan woman living in Berlin, caught between her cultural heritage and a desire for independence. The novel explores themes of identity, racial prejudice, and social marginalization as Nila navigates underground club scenes and a fraught love affair, ultimately seeking reconciliation with her past. Aber vividly portrays the tensions faced by bicultural Muslim women balancing tradition and freedom.
— Éadaoin Agnew, Senior Lecturer in English Literature
All Fours by Miranda July
Canongate/Elizabeth Weinberg
Miranda July’s novel delves into sexuality, creativity, and aging through the eyes of a 45-year-old artist undergoing menopause. The unnamed protagonist embarks on a transformative road trip, encountering a youthful love interest and confronting desires that challenge her established life. The story is a candid and often humorous exploration of midlife upheaval, framed by July’s signature candidness and eroticism.
— Elizabeth Kuti, Professor, Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
4th Estate/Amaal Said
Spanning decades and continents, The Persians weaves together the lives of five women from the influential Valiat family, moving between Tehran and Los Angeles. The novel tackles themes of displacement, identity, and generational trauma through shifting timelines and perspectives. Jewellery serves as a potent symbol throughout, embodying the complex legacies and cultural weight carried by migrants.
— Alexandra Peat, Lecturer in English and Director of the MA in Literature and Publishing
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
Penguin/Leonard Cendamo
In the tenth installment of her acclaimed series, Elizabeth Strout returns to Crosby, Maine, chronicling the intertwined lives of Olive Kitteridge, fiction writer Lucy Barton, and lawyer Bob Burgess. Loosely framed as a murder mystery, the novel focuses on the characters’ revelations of hidden pains and forbidden loves, emphasizing the catharsis—and ambiguity—of being heard. Strout’s deft character work lends emotional depth to themes of aging, memory, and human connection.
— Yianna Liatsos, Associate Professor, School of English, Irish and Communication
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Orian Books/Ivan Weiss
Nussaibah Younis’s novel centers on Nadia, a UN-appointed rehabilitator of “Isis brides” in Iraq, and her complex relationship with Sara, a young British Muslim woman detained in Ninewah. Through shared interests and contrasting life paths, the narrative probes ethical and political dilemmas within humanitarian work. Younis combines sharp humor and emotional insight to explore themes of identity, trauma, and resilience without offering simplistic resolutions.
— Yianna Liatsos, Associate Professor, School of English, Irish and Communication
The winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2025 will be announced on June 12, celebrating exceptional literary achievement by women authors. This year’s shortlist reflects a diverse range of voices and stories, each contributing to contemporary conversations about history, identity, and belonging.
