The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2025 Shortlist @waltscottprize

Posted on by whatcathyreadnext

WalterScottPrizeThe shortlist for The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2025 was announced on 15th April 2025. Congratulations to the authors and publishers of the shortlisted books. Some fantastic books have made it through to this final stage.

I ventured a prediction of the books that would make the shortlist and got three right. They are all ones I’ve read. The three I haven’t – The Mare, The Book of Days and Glorious Exploits – I’m pretty confident I can read before the winner is announced on Thursday 15th June 2025. And the exciting thing is I’ll be there when the announcement is made because I’m making the long trek to attend the Borders Book Festival for the first time.

So without further ado, here are the books on the shortlist. Links from the titles will take you to my review or the book description on Goodreads.

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (Canongate) Read
The Mare by Angharad Hampshire (Northodox Press)
The Book of Days by Francesca Kay (Swift Press)
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon (Fig Tree)
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller (Sceptre) Read
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Viking) Read

Have you read any of the books on the list? Are there any you’re planning to read? Is there a book you’d like to see win?

10 thoughts on “The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2025 Shortlist @waltscottprize”

  1. I haven’t read any from the short list this year so can’t really comment. Congratulations on correctly predicting three of them. I hope you enjoy your trip to the Borders.

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    1. I think you’re in Edinburgh so I’ve been meaning to ask if you’ve ever been to the Borders Book Festival? I’ll be travelling to Edinburgh from London overnight on the sleeper. First time I’ve ever done that as well!

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      1. I haven’t actually although it’s easy enough to get to be train from here. June is always a crazy busy month here with birthdays but we’re actually on holiday this year. When are you coming up? Are you staying in Edinburgh?

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      2. I’m travelling up on 11th June as I’m attending the Women’s Prize Live event that day in London and it’s just around the corner from Euston station where the sleeper leaves from. I’m travelling on to Melrose the following morning & I’m booked into a hotel there. I’ve started researching my journey from Edinburgh to Melrose and, as you say, I’ll probably get the train & then bus. As a Friend of the Festival I get a free ticket to the Walter Scott Prize award ceremony – one of the main things that attracted me to going all that way. I’m going to make the return trip in one day so as not to leave my husband managing on his own for too long! Luckily, there is a service from Edinburgh to Reading where I live with only one change. I’ll probably be knackered by the time I get home though.

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      4. You wouldn’t be imposing at all & that’s a lovely suggestion. I do have some time to kill that day as I can’t check into my hotel until later & the Festival events don’t start until 5pm. I’ll email you.

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