A debut novel by Dutch author Yael van der Wouden has won the prestigious 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The announcement was made at a ceremony in central London on Thursday, where judges praised the work as “a classic in the making.”
Van der Wouden, 38, received the accolade for her novel The Safekeep, which delves into repressed desire and the lingering trauma of the Holocaust in post-Second World War Netherlands.
The novel follows Isabel, a solitary young woman whose life is disrupted when her brother’s girlfriend, Eva, moves into their family home, sparking a summer fraught with obsession, suspicion, and desire.
Kit de Waal, chair of the judging panel and acclaimed writer, described The Safekeep as “a masterful blend of history, suspense and historical authenticity.”
“Every word is perfectly placed,” de Waal said. “Page after page reveals aspects of war and the Holocaust that have until now been largely unexplored in fiction. It is also a love story, with intimate scenes rendered with delicacy and compelling eroticism. This astonishing debut is a story to be loved and appreciated for generations to come. Books like this don’t come along every day.”
Van der Wouden will receive a £30,000 prize alongside a limited-edition bronze statuette called the Bessie, created and donated by artist Grizel Niven.
The judging panel for the fiction prize also included novelist and journalist Diana Evans, author and mental health campaigner Bryony Gordon, writer and magazine editor Deborah Joseph, and musician and composer Amelia Warner.
Non-Fiction Prize Awarded to Dr. Rachel Clarke for Moving Organ Donation Memoir
At the same ceremony, the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction was awarded to physician Dr. Rachel Clarke for The Story of a Heart, a deeply personal book exploring the human experience behind organ donation.
Clarke’s memoir recounts two intertwined family stories: the final hours of nine-year-old Kiera following a car accident, and the life-saving transplant that gives a new chance to nine-year-old Max, suffering from heart failure caused by a viral infection.
Kavita Puri, chair of the non-fiction judging panel, praised Clarke’s work as “authoritative, beautiful and compassionate.”
“The Story of a Heart left a deep and lasting impression,” Puri said. “Clarke’s meticulous research and expert storytelling convey this precious story with great care and dignity. The book shines with humanity—from the selfless act of the parents who gift their daughter’s heart in the depths of despair, to the dedication of NHS workers. It is unforgettable and will be read for many years to come.”
Dr. Clarke, author of Breathtaking, Dear Life, and Your Life in My Hands, will receive £30,000 and a limited-edition artwork known as the Charlotte, donated by the Charlotte Aitken Trust.
The non-fiction judging panel also featured writer and broadcaster Dr. Leah Broad, novelist and critic Elizabeth Buchan, environmental academic Dr. Elizabeth-Jane Burnett, and author Emma Gannon.
Background and Significance
Past winners of the Women’s Prize for Fiction include Tayari Jones for An American Marriage and Madeline Miller for The Song of Achilles. The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, inaugurated last year, was first awarded to Naomi Klein for Doppelganger: A Trip Into The Mirror World.
The awards are presented by the Women’s Prize Trust, a UK-based charity dedicated to promoting equitable opportunities for women in literature and beyond.
