Morgan wins £10k Portico Prize for debut Toto Among the Murderers

Sally J Morgan has won the £10,000 Portico Prize for Literature with her debut novel Toto Among the Murderers (J M Originals), based on the author’s own experience of being offered a lift by the infamous murderers Fred and Rosemary West.

The prize celebrates "outstanding writing that best evokes the spirit of the north of England". The announcement was made at an online ceremony hosted by broadcaster and presenter Simon Savidge at the Portico Library in Manchester on 20th January.

Toto Among the Murderers is mostly set in Leeds and Sheffield in 1973, and follows the story of Toto and her friends as they begin life after college.

Commenting on behalf of the jury, chair of judges Gary Younge said: "Finding a winner among this year’s shortlist was not easy but ultimately, while all were serious contenders, we were in broad agreement. Sally J Morgan’s Toto Among the Murderers vividly evokes a period in recent history with themes that carry clear, if painful echoes, to today — a time when women in the north, in particular, lived in mortal fear of sexual violence made explicit by daily headlines about mass murderers targeting vulnerable women. But what comes through is the determination of Toto, the main character, to refuse to allow the fears to define her as she lives a life of reckless adventure, longing and love."

On receiving the award Morgan said: "I grew up in Yorkshire, and I have Yorkshire and the north – where I spent a lot of my adult life working – as a big place in my heart. I love to write about place, and I wanted to write about a place and a time and stories that I felt were being neglected and in danger of being lost. So, to have [Toto Among the Murderers] recognised in this way by the Portico Prize is enormously affirming."

Lynne Allan, chair of the Portico Library, added: “It was a strong field of shortlisted books each one powerfully evincing the ‘spirit of the north’ in varied and profound ways. The historic Portico Library houses a special collection whose volumes narrate the stories of people and events of the past which have lessons and warnings for the present and future. Sally’s book does exactly this; it evokes an era many would like to forget, a time when women feared for their lives. The issues raised have a disturbing contemporary resonance highlighting the fact that despite some gains, violence against women remains a global pandemic.”

This year’s shortlist included Ghosted by Jenn Ashworth (Sceptre), The Outsiders by James Corbett (Lightning Books), The Family Tree by Sairish Hussain (HQ), Sea State by Tabitha Lasley (Fourth Estate) and Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan (Faber). Each of the shortlisted authors will be gifted with honorary membership of the Portico Library in 2022.