Another bookish blog!
Last Wednesday I attended the Women's Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction Live event in Bedford Square Gardens, Bloomsbury. It’s a chance for readers and writers to come together, listen to interviews (Kate Mosse talking to Helen Fielding was my favourite) meet published authors and enjoy a tipple or two from the excellent bar. In other words, heaven for me!
The aim of the Women’s Prize is to “bring people together through a shared passion for books written by women.” Kate Mosse (a brilliant writer and responsible for my urge to visit Carcassonne) is the Founder Director of the Women’s Prize Trust, a registered charity supporting female writers, early career writers and donates 3000 books annually. It changed the landscape of literary prizes and continues to do so.
This year saw the inaugural winner of the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction which shone “a spotlight on smart, accessible thinking by women for the benefit of our global society," and what a varied list it was!
The day finished with the authors of the shortlisted books reading from their work. It’s a chance to really get to know the writers, and is often moving, as many write from their own experiences.
There are four books from the Fiction shortlist that I would like to read –
Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright
River East River West by Aube Rey Lescure
And from the Non-Fiction list –
Thunderclap by Laura Cumming
Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia
Doppelganger by Naomi Klein
Of course, the only way to end a day in Bloomsbury is to have a cocktail in The Coral Room!
Here’s the link if you want to know more about the Women’s Prize https://womensprize.com/