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Kaliane Bradley, Ferdia Lennon and Kaveh Akbar shortlisted for Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024
Kaliane Bradley and Ferdia Lennon are shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024 alongside Kaveh Akbar, Josie Ferguson, Hanako Footman and Rebecca K Reilly.
The £5,000 award is for debut fiction of all forms, voted for by Waterstones booksellers.
Bradley is on the six-strong shortlist for The Ministry of Time (Sceptre). Acquired in a 48-hour pre-empt, the novel is at once a love story, a time-travelling tale and state-of-the-nation commentary. Waterstones’ booksellers called it "eye-opening, disarmingly funny and surprisingly sexy". The Ministry of Time was also selected as one of The Bookseller’s Debuts of 2024: Volume 1.
Martyr! (Picador) is poet Akbar’s story of Cyrus Shams, a newly sober man trying to make sense of his life, that "handles grief and tragedy with an impressive level of complexity, depth and humour".
Waterstones dubbed Ferguson’s The Silence In Between (Doubleday) as a "quietely powerful study of trauma and hope". Set in Cold War Berlin, The Silence In Between is the story of a mother who is separated from her baby boy and the daughter who, years later, tries to reunite the family.
Mongrel (Footnote Press) by British-Japanese actor Footman is "at once a moving coming of age novel, a sweet and highly relatable story of first love and an examination of place and culture and how they shape us".
Meanwhile, Lennon’s Glorious Exploits (Penguin General) joins the list with his "incomparable" debut set in Sicily 412BC. Waterstones called it a "riotiously funny and moving novel" where two locals and a group of Athenian soliders stage one of Euripides’ greatest tragedies. Glorious Exploits was also selected as one of The Bookseller’s Debuts of 2024: Volume 1.
Maori novelist Reilly is shortlisted for Greta and Valdin (Cornerstone), a "hilarious and charming novel", said Waterstones. The narrative follows the two titular siblings as they navigate life with the help of their eccentric and passionate Maori-Russian-Catalonian family. Waterstones’ booksellers called it a "refreshing" read.
Bea Carvalho, Waterstones head of books, said: “We are proud to present a shortlist of bold and playful new voices for the 2024 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, as chosen by booksellers. In an astonishingly strong year for fiction, which sees the return of so many beloved world-renowned novelists, it is especially pleasing to see such an exciting array of emerging voices: they are the literary stars of tomorrow. The shortlisted authors stood out for their assured,confident storytelling and the unique perspectives they bring to their subjects, tackling weighty themes with sensitivity and panache."
She added: "The shortlist takes us across the globe from New York to New Zealand via modern Japan; it spans from Ancient Sicily to a near-future vision of London, passing through Cold War Berlin. Together, it celebrates the redemptive power of art, the resilience of the human spirit, and the pure joy to be found in stories. These books are a joy to read, reread, and recommend, and we cannot wait to share them with readers everywhere.”
The winner will be announced at an evening ceremony on Thursday 25th July. They will receive a £5,000 prize and the backing of all Waterstones shops and www.waterstones.com.
