Walter Scott Prize – Page 17 – What Cathy Read Next…

WalterScottPrize The longlist for The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2022 was revealed on 7th February. As an avid reader of historical fiction I like to think I have my finger on the pulse when it comes to books likely to appear on the list but, as usual, it provided some surprises. You can read more about the longlisted books here. Congratulations to all the authors and publishers of the books on the longlist.

Walter Scott Prize 2022 longlist-lo-1-scaled-e1643915921160 I’ve divided the thirteen novels on the list into three parts: those I’ve read and reviewed, those I own but have yet to read, and those that are completely new to me and, I suspect, many other readers.

Read and reviewed

Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks (Hutchinson Heinemann)
Mrs England by Stacey Halls (Manilla Press)
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed (Viking)

Waiting to be read

Rose Nicholson by Andrew Greig (Riverrun)
China Room by Sunjeev Sahota (Harvill Secker)
Learwife by J.R Thorp (Canongate)
The Magician by Colm Tóibín (Viking)
Still Life by Sarah Winman (Fourth Estate)

New to me

Blue Postcards by Douglas Bruton (Fairlight Books)
The Ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small by Neil Jordan (Lilliput Press)
The Sunken Road by Ciaràn McMenamin (Harvill Secker)
News of the Dead by James Robertson (Hamish Hamilton)
Fortune by Amanda Smyth (Peepal Tree Press)

The shortlist will be announced in April by which time I hope to have read a few more of the longlisted books and perhaps be in a position to make a few predictions. Have you read any of the books on the list? Are there any you’re planning to read?

The deadline for publishers to submit books published in 2021 for The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2022 is 23rd December 2021. The prize is open to novels written in English and published in 2021 in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth. Reflecting the subtitle ‘Sixty Years Since’ of Scott’s famous novel, Waverley, the majority of the storyline must take place at least 60 years ago.

Like other historical fiction fans, I shall be eagerly awaiting the announcement of the longlist in February 2022 and the shortlist the following month. As in previous years, I’ll try to read as many as possible of the longlisted novels that I haven’t read already and all those that make it on to the shortlist.

There have been some fantastic historical fiction novels published in 2021. Below are some I’ve read that I think might make the longlist, some books in my TBR pile which, judging from reviews, may well deserve a place, and a few others I don’t yet have copies of but which look like possible contenders for inclusion (subject in each case to them meeting all the eligibility criteria). Links from the titles will take you to my review or the book description on Goodreads.

Check back when the longlist is announced to see if any of my picks match the judges’ choices.