Hildyard and Nzelu shortlisted for RSL’s £10k Encore Award

Five novels have been shortlisted for the £10,000 Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award, which celebrates outstanding achievements in second novels.

This year’s judges are Maura Dooley, Daljit Nagra and Nikesh Shukla and the five shortlisted novels are: Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews (Hodder); Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen (John Murray); Emergency by Daisy Hildyard (Fitzcarraldo Editions); Complicit by Winnie M Li (Orion Books); and Here Again Now by Okechukwu Nzelu (Little Brown).

First presented in 1990, the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) has been administering the award since 2016. It is one of 10 annual awards and prizes presented by the RSL. The 2023 Encore Award winner will be announced on Thursday 15th June.

The judges described Milk Teeth by Andrews as “a gripping exploration of doubt mitigated by the quest for meaning and purpose” and “a complex psychological portrait whose every page is alive with the beauty of language”, while Factory Girls by Gallen they described as a "hilarious and touching coming-of-age-summer story".

Emergency by Hildyard was hailed a “sustained mediation on the potential of our human interconnections with all that surrounds us” and of Li’s Complicit they said: “This is a timely novel, expertly exposing the imbalance of power between influential men and hard-working young women in a film industry fuelled by sexism and racism.” Here Again Now by Nzelu was praised by the judges as “an intimate, tender and compassionate story” which explores male friendship, sexuality and family-allegiances.

Previous recipients of the award have included Sally Rooney, Ali Smith, Sunjeev Sahota, Neil Mukherjee, A L Kennedy, Colm Tóibín, Caoilinn Hughes and last year’s winner Francis Spufford.

Andrews said: “I’m so pleased to be shortlisted for such a brilliant prize. Writing a second novel can be challenging and it is both humbling and emboldening to see Milk Teeth recognised in this way.” Gallen said it was a “huge honour” and “a validation of my publishers’ commitment to finding and amplifying previously marginalised voices”, and Hildyard said: “My first novel came out 10 years ago – after such a long time working towards Emergency, I’m very happy to see it read and valued.”

Li said: “Writing a second novel is notoriously difficult, and for me, the writing of Complicit was beset by pregnancy and the pandemic. But as authors we want to continually push ourselves to be more ambitious in theme and craft, so thank you to the Encore Award for recognising the work we put into our second novels and supporting us on the wonderful, but often unpredictable journey of being an author.’’

Nzelu said: “I couldn’t be happier to be shortlisted for the Encore Award. Writing a second novel is a huge challenge and this recognition represents vital encouragement for anyone approaching the task. I am very grateful to the RSL and the judges, and I congratulate my fellow shortlisted writers.”